CIBS was formed in 1992 out of the shared belief among the region’s leading brokers that the region needed a unified voice to advocate on behalf of professionalism, ethics and industry cohesion. Founders and original board members include Herb Agin, Paul Amoruso, Joe Lagano and Sam Rozzi. From the start, membership was based on individual participation rather than involvement by firms. Since its formation, CIBS has helped upgrade the industry by offering hundreds of educational programs, seminars, and presentations; advocated professional standards and offered grievance resolution; provided informal mentoring relationships; raised tens of thousands of dollars for local charities; and created social settings in which colleagues have become friends, and competitors respected peers.