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Jennifer McPhillips has been promoted to senior director of federal government affairs for the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (the Big “I”) and will serve as one of the association’s Democrat lobbyists on the group’s bipartisan Capitol Hill team. McPhillips previously served as senior director of political affairs in charge of the group’s grassroots program and assisting with the management of the Big “I” political action committee (PAC), InsurPac. She first joined the Big “I” team in 2006 after working for Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa) and has moved up through the ranks.

PIA Management Services named Christopher Koetzle to the position of vice president for the umbrella corporation that manages Professional Insurance Agents associations in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and New Hampshire. Koetzle most recently served as vice president at Support Services Alliance Inc., a subsidiary of Rochester, N.Y.-based Excellus. Before joining SSA, Koetzle was the media coordinator for the New York state Assembly, Minority Conference.

Specialty insurer Markel named James Gregory as business development specialist supporting retail agencies in the Northeast. Gregory, who joined Markel in 2008, will team with existing Markel producers and develop new agency partnerships in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.

New York-based specialty insurer Assurant appointed Alan Colberg to the position of executive vice president of marketing and business development. Colberg joins Assurant following a 22-year career with Bain & Company Inc. He founded and headed Bain’s Atlanta office, and for six years has served as Bain’s global practice leader for financial services.

Massachusetts-based Renaissance Alliance Insurance Services has named Robert R. Schackner director of Competitive Edge Services. He will further develop and deliver competitive edge exclusive benefits to members, staff and partners of the Renaissance, a network of specialty services for independent insurance agencies. Schackner most recently served as senior national account director for Enterprise Client Organization at Vertafore.

David Irwin has been named vice president of business development for Keystone Insurers Group, based in Northumberland, Pa. Irwin is a 20-year insurance industry veteran. He previously served as chief operating officer for Gilberts Insurance Agency and as director of marketing for Seubert & Associates. He spent 10 years with W.R. Berkley Corp.’s Berkley Mid-Atlantic Group and Presque Isle Insurance as territory manager, underwriting specialist, and commercial lines underwriting supervisor.

The Association of Insurance and Reinsurance Run Off Companies (AIRROC) has elected Art Coleman as chairman and Kathy Barker and Marianne Petillo as vice chairs to lead the group for the term starting in 2011.

Coleman is president of Connecticut-based Citadel Risk Management, which provides exit strategy reinsurance products through Citadel Reinsurance Co. He is a 30-year industry veteran and has held senior management roles with CNA, Munich Re and Continental Insurance Co. prior to establishing Citadel Risk Management in 2005.

Barker is group vice president of Bermuda-based Armour Reinsurance Group. Prior to joining the Armour Group, she was president of PRO IS Inc., a Swiss Re Group service company where she had responsibility for U.S.-based operations in New York and Boston.

Petillo is president and CEO of ROM Reinsurance Management Co. She is a 20-year veteran of the insurance and reinsurance industry, with a concentration in the asbestos and environmental fields.

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