SFM Team Business Leader Ashley Butcher is a 2026 winner of the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions (IAIABC) NextGen Award.
The honor recognizes “talented individuals under the age of 40 who are having a substantial and positive impact on workers’ compensation, making a significant difference within their organizations, and leading the industry into the future,” according to the IAIABC. (President-elect Amanda Aponte and Territory Manager Cody Allen are previous winners from SFM.)
“I felt honored,” Butcher said of winning the award. “Any award from these national organizations is kind of a big deal. But the fact that people at SFM took the time to nominate me for the award means a lot.”
As a recipient, the IAIABC has asked Butcher to:
- Participate in the organization’s September convention
- Be highlighted in a 2026 issue of IAIABC Perspectives Magazine
- Be featured in a press campaign and on the IAIABC website
Aponte, along with VP of Small Business Dennis Logstrom, nominated Butcher for the award. Aponte wrote, in part:
“Ashley is the type of employee that takes initiative to make important contributions without even being asked. She consistently works with leaders and team members to identify areas for improvement. She then participates in developing these ideas into solutions that get results. Her efforts have been instrumental to increasing efficiencies and improving outcomes for SFM’s underwriters and agency partners. When a new project comes along, Ashley is often requested as a team member. She is always an enthusiastic participant, bringing positivity and valuable insight to any project she joins.”
Butcher, who is also active with the American Association of State Compensation Insurance Funds, reflected on the criteria for the NextGen Award and the line about “leading the industry into the future.” She thought back on major projects she helped move forward at SFM, specifically the underwriting predictive model project and effort to rewrite SFM’s internal enterprise management software.
“I’m not afraid to speak up and don’t mind challenging the ‘we’ve always done it that way’ kind of thing. I like to ask questions and offer a different perspective on things,” she said. “I’ve always looked at it like: I’m just showing up and doing my job.”
At the same time, Butcher gave credit to her leaders during her 13 years at SFM, notably Brian Bent, Vice President, Director of Underwriting.
“He really allowed me to have opportunities and pushed me to take on a leadership role — tackling projects and communicating changes without a leadership title, and that helped me develop,” she said. “Without that, I’m not sure I’d be where I am today.”