People and Places

Anthony Kubera

Anthony A. Kubera has joined Russell Bond & Co. Inc. in Buffalo, N.Y., as director of business development. He brings with him over 30 years of experience in underwriting, management and marketing. Kubera began his career with Aetna Casualty & Surety in 1973, and in 1977 moved to The Hartford where he served in numerous positions. He has also served as president of both the Insurance Club of Buffalo and Western New York Marketing Association.

John Rubens

Wildnet, a London business process technology company for insurance and reinsurance firms, has formally launched its North American sales and marketing effort with the addition of an office in Providence, R.I. The Providence office is being headed by John Rubens and Matthew Flanagan, each of whom has spent more than 15 years in the insurance and technology sectors. The company’s software development unit is baed in New Orleans. Rubens and Flanagan have years of independent consulting experience and most recently co-founded GRX Technologies.

Matthew Flanagan

The Professional Insurance Agents of New York State Inc. (PIANY) awarded its own former executive director and president, James E. Reed, its Distinguished Insurance Service award at the association’s annual conference with PIANJ held at Bally’s Atlantic City, June 6-8, in Atlantic City. Reed began his tenure at PIA as assistant executive director from 1975-1984. In 1984, he was promoted to executive director, a position he held until 1993 when he became president and CEO of PIA Management Services Inc. He now serves as a consultant for the association.

James Colangelo

The Professional Insurance Agents of New Jersey (PIANJ) honored James Colangelo and Rick Morello with its Community Service award. Morello is vice president of personal lines for ADP Statewide/Insurance Agency in Cedar Knolls, N.J. Colangelo is a producer with the same agency. The award recognizes their dedication to Family Reach Foundation. The Family Reach Foundation, founded by Colangelo and Morello, helps families with children suffering from cancer. Its funds help with mortgage payments, traveling expenses to and from hospitals, utility bills and other pressing expenses. Colangelo and Morello both lost children to this disease. Since 1996, Family Reach has assisted more than 200 families.

Rick Morello

Janis Matear received the PIANJ Company Person of the Year for her work establishing a new independent agency force for a company that previously had no representation in New Jersey. Matear is a marketing representative for Philadelphia Contributionship Companies in Philadelphia. She appointed more than 90 independent agencies and helped manage and train each agency within an assigned territory. That territory now consists of 87 agents with $38 million in written premium.

PIANJ also presented John D’Agostino Jr., president of PIANJ, with the association’s Professional Agent of the Year award, the first time that a seated president has received this honor. D’Agostino is vice president of the D’Agostino Agency in Hammonton. A PIANJ member since 1974, D’Agostino currently serves as president and chairperson on the association’s Executive/Budget & Finance Committee.

Officers of PIANJ for 2004-2005 were elected. Louis Beckerman of Scotch Plains was elected president. He is president of Beckerman & Co. in Colonia. John Latimer of Riverton was re-elected vice president. He is vice president of The Barclay Group in Riverton and president of J.S. Braddock Agency in Medford. Jack Lynn of Medford was re-elected vice president. He is partner and vice president of Dalton Insurance Agency in Glassboro. Andrew Anderson was elected vice president. He is executive vice president and secretary of the G. Anderson Agency in Haven Beach. Gary Rygiel, was elected treasurer. He is executive vice president of Liberty Insurance Associates in Millstone Township. William R. Vowteras of Edison was re-elected secretary. He is a producer for Fraser Brothers Group LLC in Edison. John D’Agostino Jr. of Hammonton will serve as immediate past president.

Timothy P. Lyden has been appointed vice president of public affairs for the Insurance Agents & Brokers of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware. Lyden will direct the public policy and legislative outreach for the 1,000 member association. He was previously with the National Federation of Independent Business as Northeast regional director. He also served as NFIB’s director for Pennsylvania.

Former Maryland Insurance Commissioner Steven B. Larsen has been named chief executive of the Maryland and District of Columbia operations for Amerigroup, an operator of Medicaid health plans based in Virginia Beach, Va. Larsen has been practicing insurance law and lobbying since his term as commissioner ended a year ago. Amerigroup was one of his clients.

Dave Thomas, managing editor of Insurance Journal’s southeast magazine, has been appointed to the position of Online Editor. Thomas will oversee all editorial content for InsuranceJournal.com and ClaimsGuides.com. Thomas will work closely with members of the Insurance Journal editorial team and Web site development team to provide strategic direction for Wells Publishing’s online operations. He will continue to serve as IJ‘s southeast managing editor as well. Thomas has been with Wells Publishing since April 2001.

Denis Brady, president & CEO of American E&S Insurance Brokers announced that W. Birks Erskine has joined the New York City office as assistant vice president. Birks has over 25 years experience in large casualty and alternative risk financing.

Farmington Hills, Mich-based national specialty insurance wholesaler and managing general agent Burns & Wilcox Ltd., has opened a new service center in Livingston, N.J., and has hired 24-year industry veteran Susan R. Harris to oversee the new service center. Harris is responsible for day-to-day procedures, including sales, marketing, underwriting and staff development.

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