People

J. David Daniel was inaugurated as the chairman of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (the Big “I”) at the recent Big “I” Leadership Conference in New Orleans, La. He will lead the organization as chairman for the 2009-2010 term.

Daniel is president of Daniel & Eustis Insurance in Baton Rouge, La.

Prior to his election to the Executive Committee by IIABA’s national Board of Directors in 2004, Daniel served on the Board of Directors of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of Louisiana (IIABL) for eight years and became president in 1997. Daniel served as on the national IIABA board as the director from Louisiana since 1998 and has acted as the state association’s representative to the Louisiana Insurance Rating Commission. Daniel received IIABL’s Lifetime Achievement Award as well as the Outstanding Committee Chairman Award.

On the national level, Daniel has also served on IIABA’s Technical Affairs Committee and was chairman of the Big “I” Governance and Communications Task Force.

The Big “I” also installed J. Michael “Mike” Miley of Gibson Insurance Group as the chairman-elect.

Miley began his insurance career in 1973 and joined Gibson Insurance Group in 1983. He began his involvement with the association at the local and state level, serving as president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Indiana from 1995 to 1996. In 1997 Miley was elected to Big “I” Board of Directors representing Indiana. The Independent Insurance Agents of Indiana has twice named him the Indiana Agent of the Year.

At the national association level, he has served on various boards and committees, and is presently a member of the Planning Committee and Finance Committee. He was elected to the Executive Committee in 2005.

Savannah-based insurance broker Seacrest Partners Inc. has expanded its staff with the addition of its tenth new associate in 2009. Jennifer A. O’Sako has joined Seacrest Partners as an account executive in the firm’s property/casualty practice.

O’Sako has 12 years experience in the commercial and personal insurance field. Formerly she was the chief operations officer of Willis HRH’s Savannah operations, where she also served as the lead account manager for large commercial accounts.

In her new position with Seacrest, O’Sako will assist with insurance company relationships, large account marketing and quality control initiatives as well as serving as an account executive for a number of Seacrest’s largest property-casualty clients.

Troy Markel has been named president of VFIS, a division of Glatfelter Insurance Group based in York Township, Pennsylvania. Markel has almost 20 years of service with VFIS, starting in 1990 as a sales and marketing representative for VFIS Life and Group operations. In 1992, he became a Regional Marketing Representative for VFIS Property & Casualty operations, with responsibilities gradually expanding over the years into his present role of regional vice president/Eastern Region. Since joining VFIS, Markel has been responsible for sales, marketing and distribution management for all VFIS lines of business, and has continued to assume ever-increasing management responsibilities.

Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen recently appointed 73 men and women to serve on 28 state boards and commissions. His appointments included three to the Advisory Council on Workers’ Compensation: David N. Davenport, Franklin; Keith Bradford Graves, Franklin, and Daniel J. Pohlgeers, Johnson City

The Workers’ Compensation Advisory Council monitors rules and legislation and also reviews filings by the National Council on Compensation Insurance. The council is comprised of the state treasurer; three voting members representing employees; three voting members who represent employers; 10 nonvoting members and four ex officio members.

W.R. Berkley Corp. has appointed Carol J. LaPunzina as senior vice president of human resources. In her newly established position, she will oversee human resource operations and personnel development.

LaPunzina began her career with W.R. Berkley more than 11 years ago and brings legal, human resources and personnel related experience to her new role. Since 2004, she has served as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary of Berkley Insurance Co., with prior oversight of human resources for several of the corporation’s operating subsidiaries. She previously served as an associate attorney at a private law firm in New York, and she has over 23 years of experience in the insurance and reinsurance industry.

The company has also appointed Sandra C. Nelson as president of Monitor Liability Managers. Nelson most recently served as executive vice president of Monitor – an underwriting management company specializing in professional and executive liability insurance – and has been with the company since its founding in 1992.

Aon Corp. has named John Bayeux as managing director of Aon Risk Services. Bayeux has 22 years of experience as a risk manager and insurance broker in the financial institutions sector. He will work with clients, the financial institutions markets and other financial institutions specialists to design coverages that address the exposures caused by the current financial crisis.

Prior to joining Aon, Bayeux served as executive vice president and financial institutions industry leader for Willis, a position he had held since 2004. Previously, Bayeux had spent 14 years at Aon Risk Services and its predecessor companies, ultimately serving as managing director of the firm’s financial institutions practice.