TODNEY Marsh has become only the third Bahamian to become a Fellow of the Academy of Life Underwriting (FALU) - and the second in her household to gain that distinction.

Mrs Marsh, a compliance professional at Colina Insurance, joins her husband, Kenray, who earned the designation five years ago.

Both the Marshes and Angela Taylor, who completed the programme in 1995, hold management roles at Colina and are among only a few FALU recipients in the Caribbean region.

“We congratulate Todney on this accomplishment and are very proud of her dedication to the company, our clients, and the profession in general,” said chief risk and compliance officer Emmanuel Komolafe. “It bodes well for The Bahamas that the country continues to build its cadre of young professionals in fields such as underwriting where Bahamians are under-represented. It is especially remarkable that Colina holds professional credentials in-house in unprecedented numbers in The Bahamas and can rely on this expertise to manage and develop such crucial segments of our business.”

The FALU designation - a programme sponsored by the Association of Home Office Underwriters and the Canadian Institute of Underwriters - recognises Mrs Marsh as having advanced qualifications in risk classification.

She was required to undergo a four-part designation process as a prerequisite to becoming a Fellow of the Academy. Along with the standard curriculum, she also completed courses from the Life Office Management Association (LOMA) programme.

“Professional development is very important to me and earning the FALU was one of the goals I set for myself very early in my career,” said Mrs Marsh.

“It is very rewarding to have finally completed the programme and I thank Colina for encouraging me to pursue this course of study and to contribute to the Risk and Compliance Department over the past few years.”

She joined Colina in 2006 as an underwriter and was named Supervisor of the Quality Control Unit in 2011. A graduate of Virginia State University, she is a Fellow of the Life Management Institute (FLMI) and a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS).

Mrs Marsh was recently elected Assistant Treasurer of the Bahamas Association of Compliance Officers (BACO). She and her husband have three children.