People

Community Financial Insurance Center, Monroe, La., hired Jeanette F. Credo as senior vice president for its new Financial Institutions Division for the states of Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi.

Credo will establish and manage a Baton Rouge-based office, which will be solely responsible for interactions with financial institution clients and Community Financial Insurance Center employees. She also will secure new and retain existing financial institution accounts.

Credo, who brings more than 20 years of experience in the insurance and financial services industries to this position, will report to Eugene Montgomery, president and CEO of Community Financial Insurance Center.

Credo previously was assistant vice president with Zurich North America Financial Enterprises based in Baton Rouge. Prior to that, Credo was a financial services executive with Zurich. She also has worked as a property/casualty underwriter for Fidelity and Deposit Company, and Crum and Forster in Metairie.

Texas-based managing general agency RSI International Inc. has promoted Holly Beers to vice president.

Beers started her insurance career in 1994 with the J.D. Williams Company in El Paso. She joined RSI in 2002 as commercial lines underwriter; most recently she served as underwriting manager.

RSI International is headquartered in Arlington, Texas.

Dallas-based independent insurance brokerage Roach Howard Smith & Barton added sales executive Scott Henderson to its Commercial Risk Management Insurance division. Henderson joins as vice president, bringing 18 years of sales experience to the firm.

Henderson has extensive sales experience working with mid-size to large businesses related to the graphic arts industry. Having begun his career at Olmsted-Kirk Paper Company in Dallas, he brings strong business relationships with numerous Texas companies to Roach Howard.

RHSB also added Helen Stuart as a senior account manager in its Risk Management division. With a professional background that includes more than 25 years of experience in the insurance industry, Stuart previously held a position as account manager at Horizon Agency Inc. in Eden Prairie, Minn., where she was employed for 16 years. While in that position, she built the agency’s book of business from $1 million to more than $16 million in premium while also overseeing more than 750 new and renewing accounts.

Stuart also has extensive experience with property and casualty insurance for the health care industry, as well as corporate risk management for municipal and corporate accounts. She has an Associate in Risk Management (ARM) designation and is currently pursuing her Certified Insurance Counselors (CIC) designation.

The Independent Insurance Agents of Texas named Rebecca Young governmental affairs manager to help serve as a liaison between association members and legislators.

With more than 15 years’ experience cultivating positive relationships with constituents and colleagues, Young joins the staff from the Texas Education Agency where she was the director of external relations helping to solidify relationships with key stakeholders and partnerships with institutions of higher education.

Young also has worked within the Texas House of Representatives as executive assistant to Speaker of the House Tom Craddick and as chief of staff for State Representative John Smithee.

As IIAT governmental affairs manager, Young will analyze legislative measures and proposed actions, monitor regulatory activities, manage IIAT’s political action programs and handle member communications regarding governmental matters.

Young reports to Lee Loftis, director of governmental affairs.

Matt Arst has joined Higginbotham & Associates as a commercial account executive in the company’s Fort Worth headquarters. He brings to the agency niche expertise in hospitality industry exposures and related coverage to serve the hotel, restaurant, entertainment and special events market.

Arst worked in sales, marketing and management for his family-owned furniture company based in Wichita, Kan., until 2001 when he was promoted to president of its Kansas and Texas divisions.

In 2003, he began working for IMA of Kansas Inc. as a licensed property/casualty and life/health insurance agent for the states of Kansas, Florida and Texas. While at IMA, Arst developed a program for the country’s fastest growing hotel franchise and signed 80 percent of the franchisees in its first three years. IMA named him “2006 Producer of the Year” in response.

Louis A. Williams & Associates, one of the oldest active managing general agencies in Texas, promoted Chris A. Burke to president of the firm effective July 29, 2008. He succeeds his father, Billy R. Burke in this role.

Chris Burke will manage the daily operations of Louis A. Williams & Associates and will focus on continued expansion of carrier and client relationships. Billy R. Burke will continue as chairman of the board and chief executive officer.

Chris Burke, grandson of Louis A. Williams, founder of Louis A. Williams & Associates, joined the family business in 1991 and has consistently led the company’s production efforts. He previously served as vice president of the Commercial Lines Division.

Louis A. Williams & Associates, a managing general agency and excess, and surplus lines broker, has been serving Texas for almost 40 years.

Bill Manney is retiring from Texas-based insurance wholesaler Myron Steves after 40 years of service in the insurance industry. Manney served Myron Steves as West Texas business development representative.

In announcing his retirement, Manney said, “It has been great being part of the Myron Steves organization for the past 10 years.” He added that he knows he is leaving the organization in good hands.

Manney has been a part-time pastor in the Methodist Church for three years and intends to enter the ministry full-time.

Myron Steves President Rob Arnold said Manney “is a ‘bright light’ in the Texas insurance industry and will be missed by his friends and colleagues.”

State Auto Middle Markets added Leticia Bell to its Austin team. Bell will be responsible for executing all underwriting services for SAMMI, including policy design, issuance and delivery of services to Middle Markets/Large Accounts.

She brings more than 18 years of account management and underwriting support experience to SAMMI’s Austin office. She previously was employed by Wortham Insurance and Risk Management in Austin, and has also held responsible relationship management positions with Marsh, USAA and The Hartford Insurance Group in San Antonio.

Bell holds a Texas property and casualty license, as well as the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and Commercial Lines Coverage Specialist (CLCS) designations.

Greg Galloway joined Kansas City-based insurance wholesaler Westrope as a property broker in its Dallas office.

Most recently, he was the business development manager for Zurich. Galloway also has 10 years of underwriting experience with St. Paul.

Westrope is a commercial wholesale insurance brokerage firm specializing in property, casualty, executive liability, health care, agribusiness, transportation, construction and workers’ compensation.

Jim Braniff III, John Braniff Sr., Jim Braniff IV and John Braniff Jr. have joined USI Southwest in its Houston office as senior officers of the firm. This team represents the second and third generation of an insurance family that has served the Houston community since 1938.

Headquartered in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., USI distributes property and casualty insurance, and employee benefits products to businesses throughout the United States.

Topics Texas Agencies Underwriting Property Kansas Insurance Wholesale Market Property Casualty Risk Management Casualty Human Resources