The National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM) elected Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) Deputy Commissioner Gary West as secretary-treasurer during its annual membership meeting in July. West, who oversees TDCI’s Fire Prevention Division (which includes the State Fire Marshal’s Office), was unanimously chosen by the organization’s principal membership to serve a two-year term in the board position.
NASFM is comprised of the senior fire officials in the United States and their top deputies. It operates with the primary mission of protecting human life, property and the environment from fire and related hazards. NASFM also seeks to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of State Fire Marshals’ operations.
West has led the State Fire Marshal’s Office since March 2011. West’s career experience includes serving as a fire and emergency services consultant with the University of Tennessee Municipal Technical Advisory Service, as well as fire chief of Gatlinburg Fire and Rescue Department.
Security First Insurance Co. has expanded and added new staff to its Ormond Beach, Fla.-based headquarters.
According to Werner Kruck, chief operating officer, the company has formed a new Regulatory Compliance Department that will report to Melissa Burt-DeVriese, chief administrative officer and chief legal counsel.
DeVriese said the company is embarking on a new stage in the management of the company that requires oversight of its Own Risk and Solvency Assessment (ORSA).
Security First has brought on board a new staff attorney, Charles J. Grimsley, and promoted a long-term key contributor, Kathy Wood, who will lead the initiative as vice president of Corporate Compliance.
Wood joined Security First Insurance in 2010 as a statutory accountant and was promoted to controller in 2011. She has an extensive financial background, as well as experience in regulatory compliance. She holds a B.A. in Accounting from the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.
Grimsley has nearly four decades of experience in the insurance industry in the state of Florida. He has served as an attorney and Bureau Chief for the Florida Department of Insurance; worked for 10 years in private practice focusing on insurance; and served as general counsel for Florida’s largest automobile insurance company.
For a decade, Grimsley also served as chairman of the Florida Property and Casualty Association, a trade group exclusively comprised of Florida domestic insurers.
Security First Insurance serves policyholders living across Florida.
EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, has added risk management and insurance professional Jim Williford to the firm’s National Energy Construction Practice as a Business Development manager.
He will be based in EPIC’s Birmingham, Ala., office and report to Crawford McInnis, managing principal of EPIC’s National Energy Construction Practice.
Williford joins EPIC from HRA Risk Services, LLC in Birmingham, where he specialized in strategic risk analysis and consulting, developing corporate risk management programs, the design and management of corporate insurance programs, project specific programs including wrap-ups, and other related risk advisory and consulting programs for large general contractors as well as other construction related clients.
Prior to this, Williford spent nearly 19 years with broker McGriff, Seibels & Williams where he also provided risk management and insurance options and was responsible for new business development and client satisfaction and retention.
Starr Companies has added Michael Ponder as the branch manager for its newly-opened Nashville office. He will be responsible for strategic growth, financial performance as well as broker and client relationships within Tennessee.
Ponder joins Starr with more than 14 years of experience with several major insurance companies. His expertise includes multi-lines commercial underwriting in areas of manufacturing, retail, wholesale, hospitality, religious & educational institutions, construction, risk management consulting, performance based marketing, and production results.
Starr Companies (or Starr) is the worldwide marketing name for the operating insurance and travel assistance companies and subsidiaries of Starr International Company, Inc. and for the investment business of C.V. Starr & Co., Inc. and its subsidiaries. Starr provides property, casualty, and accident & health insurance products as well as a range of specialty coverages.
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