People

The members of the Surplus Line Association of California have elected Robert Gilbert of Markel West Insurance Services as the new chair of the SLA Board of Directors.

Gilbert’s election was finalized after the SLA tallied the final ballots from members who were unable to attend the SLA Annual Meeting, which took place Feb. 6 and Feb. 8, in San Francisco and Los Angeles, respectively.

Also elected to leadership were Terri Moran of Cove Programs Insurance Services, who becomes vice chair, and Janet Beaver of Tokio Marine-HCC Casualty, who becomes secretary/treasurer.

Gilbert takes over from Tom Ciardello of Worldwide Facilities LLC, who becomes vice chair, who completed his 2017 term as chair and was elected to a seat on the board.

Completing the 13-member board are the following individuals who also served on the 2015 board:

Tim Chaix, R.E. Chaix and Associates

Rich Gobler, Burns & Wilcox

Hank Haldeman, The Sullivan Group

Cameron Kelly, Worldwide Facilities, LLC

Pam Quilici, Crouse & Associates Insurance Services of Northern California Inc.

Les Ross, Wholesale Trading Co-Op Insurance Services LLC

Kathy Schroeder, Sierra Specialty Insurance Services Inc.

Gerald Sullivan, The Sullivan Group

John Washington, Arch Insurance Group

Additionally, SLA members reelected the Honorable Harry Low, a former insurance commissioner and retired presiding justice of the California Court of Appeal, as mediator.

The 2018 board will serve until balloting is completed following the next SLA Annual Meeting in February 2019.

The SLA operates as a self-governed private organization and serves as the statutory surplus line advisory organization to the California Department of Insurance.

Cypress, Calif.-based Bowermaster and Associates Insurance Agency Inc. has named Adam Bowermaster president.

Bowermaster has more than 20 years of experience.

Mike Bowermaster, the firm’s previous president, will continue to serve as a mentor and advisor to Adam and the executive team.

Bowermaster and Associates offers services including insurance and risk management, employee benefits, and personal and small business insurance.

Woodruff-Sawyer & Co. has named Josh Pasek assistant vice president in the property/casualty practice of the firm’s Southern California office.

Pasek will be responsible for developing risk management programs for clients.

He was previously a sales executive and producer for Moreton and Co. He was vice president of business development at Oeste Capital Management before that.

San Francisco, Calif.-based Woodruff-Sawyer has offices throughout California, and in Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Hawaii and New England.

Lockton has named Sharon Rogerson assistant vice president and account executive in the firm’s signature client group.

The firm has also named Matt Cundith a producer in Lockton’s Los Angeles, Calif., office.

Rogerson will be based out of Lockton’s Irvine, Calif., office and focus on assisting high-net worth clients.

Rogerson was previously a senior account executive at Ericson Insurance Advisors. She was a personal lines customer service representative for Insurance Planning Co. before that.

Cundith comes from Aon, where he consulted contractors, developers and Fortune 1000 firms.

Kansas City, Mo.-based Lockton is a global professional services firm.

MJ Insurance has named Sean Evans an employee benefits consultant in its Phoenix, Ariz., office.

Evans previously was a franchise owner and operator of Jimmy Johns – Cali Subs LLC in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Indianapolis, Ind.-based MJ Insurance is a commercial insurance, risk management and employee benefits consulting agency.

Burnham Benefits Insurance Services Inc. has named Mirna Medina an account executive in the Los Angeles, Calif., office.

Medina was previously senior client manager at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Before that, she was at Bolton & Co.

She began her career as an analyst at EOI Service Co.

Irvine, Calif.-based Burnham Benefits is an employee benefits consulting and brokerage firm.