People – South Central

Shreveport, La.-based Specialty Risk Associates Inc. hired three new commercial lines underwriters – Ryan Gore, Laura Schlidt and Patti Haigler.

Prior to joining Specialty Risk Associates, Gore worked in underwriting at Deep South Surplus. Gore has eight years of experience in the insurance business. He is pursuing the CIC designation.

Schlidt previously worked as a production underwriter for Hartford Steam Boiler in Houston, Texas. Schlidt holds AU and ASLI designations and is currently pursuing her CPCU. She has a total of 17 years of experience in the insurance business.

Haigler will be working in the Baton Rouge office. She has more than 20 years of experience in the insurance business. She comes to Specialty Risk Associates from a retail agency Baton Rouge.

Phil Swift has accepted a position as marketing manager at the Houston office of Swantner & Gordon Insurance Agency, an independent brokerage that merged with Higginbotham in 2010. Swift has 33 years of insurance marketing experience and currently serves as president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Houston.

He comes to Higginbotham/Swantner from Insurance Alliance. He also has worked at Financial Guardian Insurance Services and Texas Employers Insurance Association. Swift holds Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and Certified Risk Manager (CRM) accreditations.

IIAH inducted Swift as president on Sept 21 during its 2013-2014 officer installation dinner. Swift has served on its board of directors, executive committee as president elect, recreation committee as chairman, among other IIAH initiatives and fundraisers.

Managing general agency and surplus lines wholesaler, U.S. Risk Insurance Group Inc., named Jennie Reed senior broker of the Dallas office of U.S. Risk Brokers.

Reed brings with her more than 14 years of experience in the insurance industry and specializes in property and casualty insurance. Her focus at U.S. Risk will continue to be property and casualty insurance with an emphasis in contractors, hospitality and professional liability accounts.

MarketScout, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, has expanded its commercial insurance specialty program underwriting practice with the addition of Jackie Bourret as vice president, program development. Bourret was formerly vice president at Argo Group US.

MarketScout also added Daniela Pelligrinelli-Finch as national managing director of admitted markets. Finch was formerly a managing director of PCIG, the wholesale operation owned by Celedinas, a large high-net-worth retail broker in Southern Florida.

The western region office of State Auto Insurance, based in Austin, Texas, announced additions to its regional workforce to support a growing small business, middle market and large account portfolio.

The group has added nine new underwriting and claims associates: Susan Baker, business insurance account executive; Terah Casey, business insurance underwriter; Marta Tarnowska, business insurance account underwriter; Lisa Dornbusch, business insurance underwriting assistant; Ruben Rangel, claims adjuster; Mike Sharkey, claims adjuster; Steve Frye, claims adjuster; Jake Morphew, specialty underwriter-surety; and Marissa Maldonado, senior claims adjuster – RTW.

Retail insurance broker, IMA Inc. has added Rob Broz as its new president in Dallas and Kathie Maley as executive vice president.

Broz has more than 23 years of experience as a professional insurance broker and risk manager. Prior to joining IMA Broz was a senior vice president at USI Southwest Inc. He holds a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation.

Maley, who has transferred to the Dallas office, joined IMA in 2010 as vice president, risk manager for the Special Risk Services Division in Wichita. She also has served ast the commercial lines practice leader for the Wichita marketplace. Maley has earned the professional designations of Associate in Risk Management (ARM), Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC), Associate in Claims Management (AIC), and Certified Risk Manager (CRM).

The International Risk Management Institute Inc. (IRMI), based in Dallas, Texas, has appointed Lisa H. Harrington as vice president of marketing and sales.

Harrington began her insurance career in 1983 and has served in a variety of roles, including educator, writer/editor, underwriter, sales agent, field rep, and agency operations manager. She carries several insurance designations and best practices certifications.

The Texas Department of Insurance announced appointments for two deputy commissioner positions.

Mark Einfalt will serve as deputy commissioner of compliance. He will lead the activities of the consumer protection, enforcement and fraud sections.

Allison Castle was selected to serve as deputy commissioner of public affairs. She will lead the government relations office and the public information office.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin selected a longtime Oklahoma businessman Troy Wilson Sr. as her first appointee to the new Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Commission.

The Legislature created the commission as part of a transition from the current court-based workers’ compensation system to an administrative one. The governor appoints all three members of the commission, who must be confirmed by the Senate.

Wilson is a native of Blackwell and a longtime employee of Xerox Corporation. He also owned his own business brokerage company and was the CEO of Montgomery Bank.

Sean Wagner of Houston, Texas, is one of the 2013 recipients of the Andrew S. Frazier/The Institutes Honorary Scholarship.

This award, developed by The Institutes in collaboration with Western World Insurance Group, provides two Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation scholarships per year to full-time college and university students.

The scholarship was developed in honor of Frazier’s 18 years of leadership contributions to the insurance industry as the former president of Western World Insurance Group.

Wagner is a student at the University of Houston. He has remained on the dean’s list, received an Insurance and Risk Management Academic Scholarship, earned the University Associate Certified Risk Manager (USCRM) designation and was elected into the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.

All Risks Ltd. opened an office in Metairie, La., adding three new brokers.

Luke Butler is focused on energy and marine business in the Gulf South, onshore and offshore oil and gas fields. Butler’s family owned a boats and barges business that serviced the major drillers in the gulf and its surrounding inland waterways. This experience and his knowledge of the oil patch make him uniquely qualified to focus on these classes.

Carol Davis, a broker with more than 30 years in the insurance business, has expertise on both the company and wholesale sides. Starting with carriers, St. Paul Companies and General Accident, Davis later moved on with brokerages Montgomery & Collins, Crump Insurance and MSW Wholesale. At All Risks, Davis is a property/casualty broker specializing in medical malpractice insurance and a variety of healthcare related risks.

In the insurance industry since 1998, Paige Addison, a property/casualty brokerage underwriter, specializes in small and mid-size accounts for hundreds of commercial classes.

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