People

Combined Agents of America LLC (CAA), based in Austin, Texas, announced its newly elected 2006 management committee. Each management committee member is elected to serve a two-year term and is selected by CAA’s Board based on their leadership abilities and contributions to the organization. The management committee includes:

Chairman of the Board Jerry Boles, president of Grona Boles & Martin Insurance & Financial Services, San Antonio.

President Bill Bridges, executive vice president of Duncan, Fraser & Bridges, Pampa. Bridges serves on the Texas Mutual Agents’ Council and the Travelers’ Regional Agents Council. He previously served as president of the Independent Insurance Agents of the Panhandle and on Republic’s Commercial Lines Council;

Executive Vice President Michael Sachse, vice president of Walthall Sachse & Pipes Inc., San Antonio;

Second Vice President Johnny Shropshire, president of The Shropshire Agency Inc., Lubbock. Shropshire serves on the United Fire Agents’ Council and is the former president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Lubbock;

Secretary Don C. Jones, president of Crockett Insurance Service, president of Houston-Walker Counties Insurance Service and Crockett Financial Service, Crockett;

Treasurer Jim Norris, CEO of Henry Norris Insurance Agency Inc., Lamesa; and

Past President Brent Borgstedte, president of GBS Insurance Agency Inc., Bellaire. Borgstedte is also a member of the Independent Insurance Agents of Houston’s Board of Directors.

Crump Insurance Services of Houston Inc. opened a new branch office in Austin, Texas, which will provide specialized insurance programs for high hazard businesses nationwide.

The Austin team, Patrick Shea, Scott Hermesmeyer, Delia Phillips and Karie Brewer, bring a combined 50 years of expertise in this area.

Patrick Shea has more than twenty years in the insurance industry, including retail agency, carrier and national program experience.

Scott Hermesmeyer has more than ten years experience with a major retail brokerage firm and national program industry.

The Crump Austin office has expertise in the following industries: Steel erection and fabrication; elevated construction exposures; commercial fishing fleets; commercial meat processing; and hazardous transportation.

In addition, Carrie “Cackie” Marquart joins Crump of Texas as a broker/underwriter in the Property and Casualty department in Dallas. Marquart comes to Crump from McClelland & Hine Inc.

Aubry Olson, a commercial lines producer with LegacyTexas Insurance Services of Plano, Texas, was named 2006 Insurance Professional of the Year by the Dallas Association of Insurance Professionals.

Olson, who holds the Certified Insurance Counselor designation, has been with LegacyTexas since 2000. She was president of the Dallas Association of Insurance Professionals for the 2003-2004 term and has served various terms on the Board of Directors.

The Progressive Corp. appointed John A. Barbagallo as the new president of the company’s Drive Group and announced that Alan R. Bauer, president since 2002 of its Direct Group, is leaving the company.

Barbagallo who joined the company more than 20 years ago as a claims representative, currently serves as the Drive Atlantic Region general manager. He replaces Robert T. Williams, who resigned effective May 17.

Brian A. Silva, currently general manager of the company’s commercial auto group, has been promoted to commercial group president.

Independent insurance claims services company Cunningham Lindsey U.S. (CLUS), headquartered in Dallas, added Ronnie Schuman to its Business Development Team. Schuman comes on board with CLUS as assistant vice president and national account executive, and will be based at Tampa, Fla.

Schuman brings over 30 years of claims experience to this new role. He has over 25 years experience in managing claims personnel and customer relationships.

The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers has elected new directors including Robert L. Cohen, chairman and CEO of The IMA Financial Group Inc., in Denver, Colo.; M. Steven DeCarlo, president and CEO of American Wholesale Insurance Group of Charlotte, N.C.; and Jim W. Henderson, president and chief operating officer of Brown & Brown Inc., in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Cohen, who has worked with IMA since 1986, began his career with Chubb and Son in Dallas, New Jersey and Denver. He then worked with Lowndes Lambert in London before joining IMA and later relocated to Denver. The IMA Financial Group includes IMA Inc., a large retail insurance broker; ERA Inc., a wholesale insurance broker located in Dallas; and TrueNorth Inc., a discretionary money manager, registered investment adviser and limited broker dealer.

DeCarlo joined American Wholesale in 2001 after three years as senior vice president of Royal & SunAlliance USA. DeCarlo began his career with Crum & Forster, and then moved to The London Agency where he was the firm’s chief financial officer.

Henderson is a member of his company’s board of directors. He joined Brown & Brown in 1985 as chief financial officer and moved into a number of senior management assignments. He is a member of the brokerage’s Executive Committee and Acquisition Committee and has been in charge of Large Account Risk Management Services. He also was responsible for the company’s Southeast retail operations, National Brokerage Division, National Services Division and Programs Division.

To submit information for “People,” e-mail sjones@insurancejournal.com.

Topics Texas Agencies