People – South Central

Julia Miller Spracklen, J.D., has joined Texas-based independent insurance brokerage firm, Roach Howard Smith & Barton, as vice president of risk services, responsible for overseeing the employees and function of the risk services department.

Spracklen joins RHSB from Travelers, where she was senior claims counsel, serving as technical escalation manager for Southwest, South Central and Midwest regions.

She earned her Juris Doctor degree from Baylor Law School. During her time at law school, she had internships with the Killeen City Attorney and United States Attorney’s Office in Waco. She served in the United States Army in Heidelberg, Germany.

Roach Howard Smith & Barton has offices in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas.

Richard “Gordy” Bunch, founder, president and CEO of The Woodlands Financial Group (TWFG) was nominated Gulf Coast Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young, making him eligible for the 2015 national award.

The Entrepreneur of the Year program is designed by Ernst & Young to give recognition and visibility to entrepreneurial leadership by honoring a leader of a public or private company who is responsible for the financial performance and culture of a company. Regional award winners will be inducted into the Entrepreneur of the Year Hall of Fame and become eligible for the national awards.

The Woodlands, Texas-based TWFG is a multi-faceted business offering property and casualty insurance, personal lines, finance and agency software technology.

Texas Commissioner of Insurance David Mattax appointed Michael Berry of Cedar Park and Evelyn Miller of Baytown, and reappointed Jennifer Hoff of Cedar Park, to the Surplus Lines Stamping Office Board of Directors.

Their terms expire Dec. 31, 2017.

Berry is the chairman and CEO for Specialty Insurance Managers Inc. He has worked in the surplus lines industry for over 20 years. Berry is a member of the American Medical Group Association, Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America and Professional Liability Underwriting Society.

Miller is the risk and safety manager for the City of Baytown where she manages the city’s complex insurance program. She has 20-plus years of experience in procuring insurance, providing claims administration, and ensuring financial solvency. She is a member of the Public Risk Management Association, the Texas Public Risk Management Association, and the Risk and Insurance Management Society.

Hoff is the executive director for the Political Subdivision Workers’ Compensation Alliance, where she oversees and manages all operations of the organization. She has more than 15 years of experience managing casualty, property and health insurance coverage for public entities. She holds the Associate in Risk Management (ARM) and, Managed Healthcare Professional (MHP) designations and is a member of the Risk and Insurance Management Society.

Chicago-based CNA appointed John Cox as vice president of the Arkansas and Oklahoma branches. He will report to Greg Vezzosi, senior vice president and Central Zone officer.

Cox brings nearly 30 years of experience in the insurance industry to his new role, including serving in CNA’s Worldwide Claim organization from 1990 to 1995.

Most recently, Cox served as the vice president of national accounts for the American International Group (AIG), where his responsibilities included leading marketing strategies in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia for the national account market segment. Cox also has experience leading underwriting functions in the environmental and professional liability space.

Fort Worth, Texas-based InsureZone added Renee Gage as vice president of business development.

Gage brings more than 25 years of operational experience to InsureZone. She started her insurance career with Union National Life and Fire Insurance Co. Gage also has had retail agency management experience with the Gwen Foster Agency and wholesale broker experience with Myron Steves.

Gage holds property/casualty and life/health licenses, has been a CIC since 2002, and is currently enrolled in the CPCU program.

InsureZone is an insurance holding company with operations that include software development and licensing, wholesaling, retail agencies and comparative rating.

Insurance wholesaler All Risks Ltd. added three new producers in the South Central region: Zach Burdine in Dallas; Alan Doyle in Houston; and Aaron Ross in New Orleans.

Burdine joins the Dallas office as a broker and brings proven abilities in sales, marketing and business development. Previously, Burdine was a broker with an international wholesale firm focusing on energy, environmental and industrial accounts.

Doyle joins the Houston office as a broker. He previously was with Burns and Wilcox in Houston. Prior to that, he was with a local retail insurance agent.

Ross, a broker in the New Orleans office, began his career in the Nashville, Tenn., office of Crump/SCU. Ross will focus on professional lines.

All Risks Ltd. is based in Hunt Valley, Md.

Dave Wagner has joined Southwest Risk LP in Dallas as relationship manager.

Wagner began his insurance career in 1987 in western New York and has 28 years of marketing experience.

Most recently, Wagner was with the Independent Agents Association of Texas representing IIAT Advantage offerings to its Texas independent agent membership. Previous to IIAT, Wagner worked for Heartland Marketing Group in Dallas.

Southwest Risk LP is a specialty lines insurance broker for high hazard business exposures.

Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak named Gordon Amini as general counsel of the Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID). Amini held the same title when he previously worked at the department in 1981.

Amini recently retired from Physician Liability Insurance Co. (PLICO) after nine years as senior vice president and general counsel.

He also has served as a board member for the Oklahoma Association of Life Insurance Cos. and the Oklahoma Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association in addition to state vice president of the American Council of Life Insurance.

Prior to working at PLICO, Amini was senior vice president and general counsel for C.L. Frates and Co. and First Life Assurance Co.

Amini’s predecessor, Susan Dobbins, retired in March.

The Hartford named Kathy Bromage chief marketing and communications officer.

Bromage joined The Hartford in 2004 as chief marketing and strategy officer for Personal Lines. She served as the senior vice president of e-business with oversight responsibility for The Hartford’s digital assets, channels and marketing activities before assuming the role of The Hartford’s chief marketing officer and senior vice president of strategy for the company’s Small Commercial insurance segment.

Prior to joining The Hartford, Bromage spent 11 years in various strategy and finance roles in the commercial banking, credit union and accounting industry.

Topics Texas Oklahoma