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Members of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) elected 2008 officers during their meeting in Houston. The newly elected officers, who will assume their duties following the completion of the NAIC Winter National Meeting, include: president, Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger; president-elect, New Hampshire Insurance Commissioner Roger Sevigny; vice president, West Virginia Insurance Commissioner Jane Cline; and secretary/treasurer, Iowa Insurance Commissioner Susan Voss.

Praeger was elected Kansas’ 24th insurance commissioner in 2002 and re-elected in 2006. Before becoming insurance commissioner, Praeger served three terms in the Kansas Senate and one term in the Kansas House of Representatives. She also served as mayor of Lawrence, Kan., and was a member of the Lawrence City Commission.

Sevigny was appointed as New Hampshire insurance commissioner in 2003. Prior to becoming insurance commissioner, Sevigny was assistant commissioner.

Cline was appointed West Virginia insurance commissioner in 2001. Prior to her appointment as commissioner, Cline operated a government consulting firm, Jane L. Cline & Associates.

The board of directors of the National Insurance Producer Registry elected its 2008 officers. Alaska Insurance Director Linda Hall was re-elected president. Hall has served as president since December 2004.

Also re-elected was NIPR Vice President Wesley Bissett, senior counsel for state government affairs for the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America. Bissett is only the second individual to serve in this role in NIPR’s 11-year history, and the first to come from the agent/broker side of the industry.

NAIC Executive Vice President and CEO Catherine J. Weatherford will again serve as NIPR secretary/treasurer.

OneBeacon Insurance Group has appointed Terry Thompson as senior vice president and chief underwriting officer of the company’s U.S. operations.

Reporting to CEO Mike Miller, Thompson will be responsible for key underwriting matters across the company, including underwriting guidelines, catastrophe management, corporate insurance and reinsurance, and the consideration of new business opportunities.

Thompson joined the company in 1998 and has held positions of increasing responsibility within commercial lines and risk management, most recently serving as vice president of risk management. Prior to joining the company, she had 15 years of industry experience with carriers including Fireman’s Fund and Zenith Insurance.

Atlanta-based Beecher Carlson has expanded its National Environmental Practice by appointing Rick Craig and Kyle Strand senior vice presidents. The team expansion increases Beecher Carlson’s presence in San Francisco and expertise in environmental risk management.

Colemont Insurance Brokers appointed Matt Baxter to the position of assistant vice president and broker for Colemont-Atlanta. Baxter joined Colemont in 2004. Previous to joining Colemont, he worked for three years as an underwriter for AIG’s National Union Professional Liability division. He received a degree of Risk Management and Insurance from the University of Georgia.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist approved the nomination of F. David McKinney, chairman and CEO of J. Rolfe Davis Insurance, to The Florida Council of 100.

McKinney joined J. Rolfe Davis Insurance in 1974. McKinney has served in leadership positions with many community organizations as well as Lake Highland Preparatory School, the Central Florida Kidney Foundation and the University of Central Florida Foundation.

Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty promoted Robin Westcott to director of property and casualty financial oversight with the Office of Insurance Regulation effective Nov. 28. Westcott will report to Deputy Insurance Commissioner Belinda Miller. Westcott replaces Claude Mueller.

Westcott has served as assistant director of property and casualty financial oversight since October 2006, where she monitored companies for solvency and compliance with Florida’s financial requirements for property and casualty insurance companies.

Westcott began her public service career in 2002, working as a senior attorney with the Agency for Workforce Innovation. She joined the OIR in August 2004 as a senior attorney for the legal services unit. As a leader in the legal services unit, she focused on the creation and licensure of new insurance companies, acquisitions, solvency issues and a variety of other regulatory actions.

Upstate South Carolina-based insurance agent/brokerage and consulting firm, Rosenfeld Einstein, recently added Neal Ashley as controller.

Prior to joining Rosenfeld Einstein Ashley worked for Upstate accounting firms SuggsJohnson of Anderson and Elliott Davis. He began his public accounting career with KPMG.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc. has named Daniel S. Glaser, an American International Group executive who began his career as a Marsh broker, as chairman and CEO of its insurance broker, Marsh Inc.

Glaser currently serves as managing director of AIG Europe (U.K.) Limited and the regional president of AIG’s American International Underwriters (AIU), UK/Ireland division.

Glaser began his career in the insurance industry as a Marsh broker in 1982. He worked at Marsh for a decade, serving in roles in New York, London and Saudi Arabia. Thereafter, he spent eight years at Willis, where he served as president and chief operating officer of Willis Risk Solutions, the large accounts practice. In 2000, he joined AIG as president of the Global Energy Division and, in 2002, was named managing director of AIG Europe (U.K.), AIU’s largest division.

Glaser succeeds Brian M. Storms, who was forced out of the position in September. During the search for a successor, Michael G. Cherkasky, president and CEO of parent Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc. (MMC), served as acting CEO of Marsh Inc.

Topics Florida Agencies Kansas Property Casualty AIG Risk Management