People – West

St. Louis, Mo.-based Safety National Casualty Corp. appointed Tom Grove to the position of senior vice president – Business Development.

In his new role, Grove is responsible for leading Safety National’s business development, broker relations and sales functions.

Grove began his career with Safety National in 1992 and has held various sales and business development positions, including management of the western business development team.

He is based in Safety National’s corporate headquarters in St. Louis.

A member of the Tokio Marine Group, Safety National provides alternative risk funding products such as excess workers’ compensation, deductible casualty, loss portfolio transfers and reinsurance.

Scott Huiras senior vice president – Claims at Appleton, Wis.-based SECURA Insurance is retiring August 2015 after 38 years of service.

The company has promoted Larry Wright to vice president – Claims to take over leadership of its claims division upon Huiras’ retirement.

Huiras joined SECURA in 1976 and served in several roles. He most recently led Claims for 13 years and was a major contributor throughout his career to the company’s success and growth as a super-regional mutual insurance carrier.

Wright joined SECURA in 1997 as an analyst/programmer in the company’s IT division. Since that time, he welcomed numerous challenges and took on new roles.

Wright has achieved his Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation.

Portage, Mich.-based managing general agency and surplus lines broker J.M. Wilson promoted Jennifer Councell to fleet transportation underwriter.

Specializing in 11-15 power unit accounts, Councell is responsible for quoting new and renewal business for independent insurance agents in 21 states.

Councell understands the complexities of writing fleet accounts and knows the strengths and appetites of their “A” rated fleet carriers. She has been with J.M. Wilson since 2007, where she began as a transportation technician, before being promoted as fleet underwriting assistant.

Farmington Hills, Mich.-based Amerisure Mutual Insurance Co. promoted Tina McKenzie to director of service desk and operations.

McKenzie is responsible for Amerisure’s information technology (IT) service desk for the company’s corporate office and 12 core service centers, and for overseeing IT operations, production control and desktop management.

McKenzie joined Amerisure in October 2005 as a business analyst consultant and has held positions of increasing responsibility including during her tenure. In 2011 and 2013, she was an IT Professional of the Year finalist in Amerisure’s Champions Through Excellence program.

R. Douglas Haines, president and CEO of Buckeye Insurance Group, Piqua, Ohio, is the new chairman of the board of the American Association of Insurance Services (AAIS).

Also, the group elected David Kaufman, president and CEO of Motorists Insurance Group, Columbus, Ohio, to the AAIS board.

AAIS is a national advisory organization that provides policy forms, rating information, and automation support used by more than 700 property/casualty insurers.

Haines joined Buckeye State Mutual in 1972 and rose progressively until being named president and CEO in June 1992. He is a past chairman of the Ohio Insurance Institute and is serving his second tenure as a board member of AAIS.

Haines was elected at the group’s annual meeting, held in conjunction with its 2015 Main Event conference, in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Haines succeeds previous chairman Jeffrey Kusch, president and CEO of Austin Mutual Insurance Co., in Maple Grove, Minn., who remains a member of the board of directors.

Haines is succeeded as vice chairman by Herman Bontrager, president and CEO, Goodville Mutual Casualty Co. in New Holland, Pa.

New board member Kaufman joined Motorists in 1986 and rose through several senior management positions until being elected president in April 2012.

Kaufman replaces Judy Jackson, former president and CEO of NLC Insurance Companies, Norwich, Conn., who retired from the AAIS board after serving on it for 13 years.

In addition to Haines, Bontrager, and Kusch, the other directors remaining on the AAIS board are: Bruce G. Kelley, president and CEO of EMC Insurance Group Inc. in Des Moines, Iowa; Jeff Mauland, president and CEO of North Star Mutual Ins. Co. in Cottonwood, Minn.; Randy Shaw, president and CEO of Everett Cash Mutual Insurance Company in Everett, Pa.; Richard Zick, president and CEO, Utica First Ins. Co. in Utica, N.Y.; and Edmund J. Kelly, president and CEO of AAIS.

Topics Ohio