People

Jim Donelon has been re-elected commissioner at the Louisiana Department of Insurance. Donelon, a Republican from Metairie, on Oct. 22 defeated Democrat Donald Hodge. Donelon has been insurance commissioner since 2006.

Texas-based America First Insurance, a Liberty Mutual Agency Corp. regional company, has named Tiffany Reiner vice president, underwriting.

With more than 15 years of commercial insurance experience, Reiner will have overall responsibility for America First Insurance’s corporate and regional underwriting services and strategies in the company’s six-state territory.

Most recently, Reiner was vice president, commercial lines product management for Liberty Mutual Agency Corp., where she led the business owners, farm and small commercial package lines of business.

Prior to joining Liberty Mutual, Reiner worked for Ohio Casualty Group for nine years in various commercial lines capacities, including assistant vice president, commercial lines product management.

America First Insurance offers insurance products in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.

The Gibraltar Group, a risk and insurance advisory firm headquartered in Lubbock, Texas, has added Abie Rampy as director of communications and marketing.

With more than 10 years of organizational management and marketing experience, Rampy will oversee the firm’s communications and marketing department, applying her knowledge of public relations, marketing and social media to meet the unique needs of The Gibraltar Group and clients.

Prior to joining The Gibraltar Group, Rampy served as director of marketing for Chick-fil-A. Rampy also served as the director of communications for Visit Lubbock, the convention and visitors bureau.

Capps Insurance Agency of Mount Pleasant, Texas, added Jim D. Fraley as a sales executive who will primarily cover the Dallas/Fort Worth and East Texas areas. He brings more than 42 years of insurance sales experience to the Capps organization.

Fraley joins the Capps Insurance Agency following a long career in the insurance industry. Fraley’s most recent experience was with USI Southwest as a sales executive. He also previously served as managing partner for Fields-Stewart-Dolliver in Dallas, and as president of the J Fraley Company Inc., a large independent agency in Dallas.

Gunnar Kephart has joined the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas as E&O marketing specialist. In this newly created role, Kephart will advise agents on errors and omissions issues and assist with their E&O insurance placement.

Kephart’s insurance career spans 25 years concentrating primarily on commercial accounts with agencies in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Prior to joining IIAT, Kephart was an agency owner and held sales and management positions in a wide range of agencies including large national brokers. A former naval aviator, Kephart graduated from the University of Texas at Austin.

The IIAT also added Misty Baker as director of health insurance information. In this newly created role, Baker will serve as a member resource for agency personnel working in life and health lines, including employee benefits. She’ll advise members on life and health issues and develop related educational and training programs. Baker will also advise IIAT on legislative and regulatory issues in the life and health arena.

Baker has been in the insurance industry for 13 years. In 2000, she founded Lonestar Benefit Solutions, an independent agency that focused on individual health insurance needs, health savings accounts and small group plans. In 2006, Baker was named to the Texas Health Coverage Awareness and Education Program Task Force by then-Texas Department of Insurance Commissioner Mike Geeslin.

Brenda Jo Hornyak office manager, at Hendry Insurance in Plano, Texas, has been named Insurance Professional of the Year and Ashley Hansen of Buchanan Clarke Schlader LLP was named Claims Professional of the Year at the Texas council meeting of IAIP (NAIW International).

The awards recognize excellence among those who have been employed in the insurance industry a minimum of 10 years. Among the criteria considered in conferring the award are the candidate’s participation in: association activities; involvement in insurance industry; education programs; industry experience; current career position; activities undertaken in the community and response to an industry related essay question.

Zurich appointed Mary Merkel as regional chief underwriting officer for Zurich in North America. Merkel replaces Tim Carter.

Merkel joined Zurich in 1982 and has held a number of leadership positions, most recently as chief underwriting officer for General Insurance Casualty. Prior to Zurich, she served in various underwriting roles at Royal Insurance Co.

Merkel holds a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation.

The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA or the Big “I”) has installed Robert “Bobby” Bramlett chairman-elect of the IIABA’s executive committee.

Bramlett is president and CEO of the Bramlett Agency in Ardmore, Okla. He began his insurance career with The Bramlett Agency in 1975 and has served as its president and CEO since 1983. He purchased the agency, founded in 1948, from his parents, Jim and Janie Bramlett.

Bramlett has long been active at the state and national association levels. He is past president of Independent Insurance Agents of Oklahoma (IIAO) and served as a director on IIABA’s national Board. In 2008, Bramlett received the IIABA’s highest Government Affairs award, “The Sydney O. Smith National Legislative Award.” He also was honored with IIAO’s highest award, “The Eagle of Excellence Award,” in 2009.

The Woodlands Financial Group Inc. (TWFG) has opened six new branch locations in three states.

Desiree Garza has opened a new branch location in San Antonio, Texas. Garza has 13 years of experience in the insurance industry and has her ACSR designation.

Robin Boles comes to TWFG with 20 years’ experience in the mortgage business. Boles’ branch is located in Baytown, Texas.

Jared Weid has opened a new TWFG branch location in Spring, Texas. Weid has seven years’ experience in the insurance industry, most of which were with the Farm Bureau.

Darren Norris has opened a new TWFG branch location in LaVale, Md. Norris has 15 years of experience in the insurance industry.

Anjeanette Bumatai has opened a new TWFG branch location in Los Angeles, Calif. Bumatai comes to TWFG after many years with Farmers.

Malou Adams comes to TWFG after 13 years as an Allstate agent. Adams’ new branch location is in San Ramon, Calif.

TWFG has more than 250 exclusive branch office locations and 1500 independent agencies in 17 states.

Dallas-based Cunningham Lindsey has promoted Chuck Stoll, Joe Christie and Lynn Summers to its International & Executive Loss Adjusting division.

Stoll has more than 36 years of loss adjusting experience and specializes in the areas of general liability, premises liability, product liability, environmental claims, inland marine, professional liability, municipalities, E&O liability, D&O liability, and workers’ compensation. Stoll has earned the professional designations of Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriter, Associate in Claims and Associate in General Insurance and is a Registered Professional Adjuster. He is based in Lombard, Ill.

Christie began his career as a property adjuster in Philadelphia more than 21 years ago and has developed expertise in commercial and residential property and casualty, including specialty areas of HVAC, plumbing, electrical and mechanical based losses.

With more than 23 years of loss adjusting and management experience, Summers most recently held the position of state manager for the Texas operation. His combined experience was acquired from the independent adjusting and carrier market segments and includes the specialty areas of property, casualty, environmental casualty, and workers’ compensation.

Scott Kipper, who has served as deputy commissioner for the Office of Health Insurance at the Louisiana Department of Insurance and as CEO of Louisiana’s Office of Group Benefits, is now commissioner at the Nevada Division of Insurance. He previously was Nevada insurance commissioner from December 2008 to June 2010. He also has served as Oregon’s chief insurance regulator.

Topics Texas Agencies Louisiana Underwriting Property Training Development Market Casualty Professional Liability