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Stephen M. Franz was named senior vice president of Dallas-based managing general agency and wholesale broker Capstone Underwriters LLC. Franz has been with Capstone since 2004. Prior to Capstone, he held positions at all levels of the property/casualty insurance industry during his 42-year career.

Will Davis, a partner with the law firm of Thompson, Coe, Cousins and Irons LLC, was presented the Raymond Mauk Leadership Award by the Insurance Council of Texas. Davis is the 13th recipient of the award.

The ICT presents the award annually at its mid-year symposium. It is ICT’s highest honor and is intended to bestow recognition on those who have made a significant difference in the business of insurance.

Davis began his legal career as an assistant attorney general of Texas. He was actively involved in the 1955 and 1957 sessions of the legislature that made many needed changes to insurance regulation, including the establishment of a three-member state board of insurance that directed the work of a single insurance commissioner.

In 1957, he became the general counsel of the insurance department and for the next three years, he helped to implement the new laws, including new capital requirements. In 1970, Davis was responsible for drafting the legislation regulating insurance holding company systems. He also played a major role in the rewrite of the Texas Insurance Code. In 2003, he was instrumental passing Senate Bill 14, which moved Texas from the benchmark rate system to a file and use system.

America First Insurance, a Liberty Mutual Agency Markets regional company headquartered in Richardson, Texas, appointed Thornton Cornell to vice president, Finance. Cornell has 18 years of experience in the property/casualty insurance industry. He joined America First Insurance in 2007, serving as its financial analysis manager. Cornell also managed the transition team for the company following Liberty Mutual’s acquisition of Safeco.

Andrew C. “Drew” Apperson was recently installed as president of the Alamo Chapter, Society of Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters in San Antonio, Texas. He received his CPCU designation in 1993 and also holds the CIC and CRM designations. Apperson is the managing partner of the San Antonio office of Willis.

Other chapter officers are: President-Elect Susan Shoemake of McGriff Seibels & Williams; Vice President Ruth Peterson of USAA; Secretary Traci Thaxton of Nationwide Insurance; and Treasurer Shirley Colyer of Castle Insurance Agency. Board members include: Geri-Lee Smith, Union Standard; Jeri Pressler and Paul Scrivano, State Farm Insurance; Mark Fisher, Allstate; and Hillary Law and Ken Goodman, USAA.

Simon Bancroft joined Southwest Risk as senior vice president and property manager. Southwest Risk is a member company of Southwest Insurance Partners and operates offices in Dallas and Houston. Bancroft comes to Southwest Risk from Van Wagoner, where he served as executive vice president. Prior to joining Van Wagoner, he spent 30 years with Swett & Crawford in Dallas.

Bancroft joins Randy Sutherlin who serves as senior vice president and casualty manager at Southwest Risk, a position he has held since January 2009. Prior to Southwest Risk, Sutherlin worked in an underwriting capacity with The Hartford.

State Auto Western Region announced the following staff additions and promotions in Texas:

Steve Harmon joined State Auto as a business insurance account executive, serving the Dallas/Ft. Worth market. He reports to Jim Simpson, sales manager for the Texas/Oklahoma business insurance markets. Harmon has more than 28 years of insurance industry experience and held leadership roles with Aetna Life & Casualty, Travelers, Hanover Insurance Co. and Zurich Small Business.

Dori LaCaille joined State Auto as a business insurance underwriter. She brings more than 15 years of commercial insurance underwriting experience. LaCaille previously served in underwriting specialist and supervisory capacities with Association Casualty Insurance Co. and the former Texas workers’ compensation facility (Texas Mutual).

Kristy Sowl relocated from Jacksonville, Fla., to join the business insurance underwriting team in Austin. She has underwriting responsibility for the North Texas market. Sowl brings more than 14 years of commercial lines experience. She was previously employed by Zurich Insurance Services, Zurich Small Business and Farmer’s Insurance Group.

Norah Linder brings more than 30 years of multiline underwriting experience to State Auto. Linder previously was employed by Columbia Insurance Co. as a supervisor of underwriting operations. Prior to Columbia’s acquisition of Association Casualty, she was a senior underwriter. She has also worked for Bunker Hill Insurance Agency and American Indemnity.

Stacey Florence has more than 25 years of industry experience working with several well-recognized insurance agencies. She has also served as a multiline underwriter with a large managing general agency. Florence has underwriting responsibility for West Texas.

Eric Hampshire relocated from Cleveland, Ohio, to Austin to serve as a business insurance underwriter. Hampshire started his career with State Auto as a personal lines specialist in 2003.

Terah Casey was promoted underwriter associate and will receive an underwriting territory upon completion of the State Auto Middle Market (SAMMI) underwriting training program. Casey has more than 14 years of industry experience and has earned the Certified Insurance Service Representative credential. She will continue reporting to Todd Richardson, regional vice president of middle markets.

Steve Warring joined State Auto’s risk control services division as a loss control specialist. He brings more than 30 years’ experience serving in technical consulting and loss prevention roles with Liberty Mutual Insurance Co.

Ford Burdett joins the loss control training program as an associate. Burdett has more than six years of business and field safety experience.

Scott Leggett will serve as a property general adjuster, bringing more than 27 years experience in property claims adjusting.

Dr. Donald Patrick joined the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation as medical advisor. A neurosurgeon, Patrick previously served as the executive director of the Texas Medical Board.

Topics Texas Auto Legislation Underwriting Property Market Casualty