ERNEST LANDANTE, JR.

New Jersey's auto insurance market was on the brink of collapse as insurers were fleeing the state, seeking refuge from a regulatory burden that rendered conducting business unpredictable and unprofitable.

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With only a handful of auto insurers remaining in New Jersey, drivers in need of coverage found themselves unable to secure policies.

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The Coalition for Auto Insurance Competition took it upon itself to enlighten legislators, opinion leaders, and the general public about the necessity of modernizing the state's auto insurance regulations to put an end to this crisis. The industry group's campaign aimed to shift the conversation away from the perceived high cost of auto insurance to the issue of its unavailability.

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I proposed and implemented a strategy to directly present the industry's proposed solution to newspaper editorial boards. These meetings provided the industry with the opportunity to explain the root causes of the crisis, outline the proposed reforms, and address questions from editorial board members.

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The outcome was a series of favorable editorials regarding the industry's proposed reforms that appeared in almost every major daily newspaper in New Jersey, as well as in The Wall Street Journal and The Philadelphia Inquirer. There was no opposition to the industry's efforts from any newspaper.

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The campaign reached a successful conclusion when then-Gov. Jim McGreevey signed into law legislation backed by the industry, thereby reforming and modernizing the state's auto insurance system.