People

The van Aartrijk Group LLC, a Washington, D.C.-area marketing and communications firm, is augmenting its branding and public affairs capabilities with the promotion of one executive and addition of another, according to Peter van Aartrijk, chief executive officer.

Maureen P. Wall, who has 20 years of senior-level branding, publishing and corporate communications experience, has been promoted to vice president, and she will lead Aartrijk’s branding activities. Jeffrey A. Myers, senior associate, has joined the firm to spearhead its public affairs efforts. He brings to the firm 21 years of branding, public affairs and media relations experience.

Wall began her career in editing at Murdoch Magazines and Conde Nast Publications, and went on to roles at the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America including the launch of the Trusted Choice brand program and the publishing of Independent Agent magazine. She joined Aartrijk in 2002 as a senior associate, and she will continue to focus on brand and communications audits, brand strategy, advertising, and Web and marketing creative.

Myers will oversee a new public affairs division. He also will support Aartrijk’s public relations, marketing communications, branding and editorial services. Most recently, Myers was executive director of the Trusted Choice program. Before assuming leadership of Trusted Choice, Myers was IIABA’s vice president of communications, with management responsibility for member, consumer and media communications programs. Prior to that, he managed the association’s public affairs communication activities for its lobbying arm.

Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour has been named the nation’s most outstanding governor and a 2006 Public Official of the Year in recognition of his resourcefulness and cool-headed leadership in the face of Hurricane Katrina. The award was given by Governing magazine, a Washington, D.C.-based magazine devoted to state and local government.

Barbour was profiled in the November issue of Governing for “being straight with the facts about the utter devastation in the area, but also for his own demeanor in public appearances that suggested the state would summon the will to rebuild.” The profile, titled “Steady in a Storm,” credits Barbour for putting his state on a road to recovery, as evidenced by the prompt reopening of public schools and the provision of temporary housing for more than 100,000 residents.

The former director of public affairs for Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, Liz Reynolds, has joined the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies as state affairs manager for the southeast. Reynolds, will be stationed in Jacksonville, Fla., and will advocate on behalf of NAMIC member companies before state legislatures and departments of insurance in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

Prior to joining Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance in December 2002, Reynolds worked at South Carolina Farm Bureau Insurance where she was policyholder and legislative representative and corporate communications director.

The Des Plaines, Ill.-based Property Casualty Insurers Association of America announced that Deirdre Manna, former acting director of the Illinois Division of Insurance, has joined PCI as vice president of industry and regulatory affairs. Manna will help lead the association’s activities with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, National Conference of State Legislatures, National Conference of Insurance Legislators and American Legislative Exchange Council.

Prior to joining PCI, Manna served as a government relations professional for Dykema Gossett, PLLC in Chicago. As acting director of the Illinois Division of Insurance, Manna led a department with a budget of $33 million and a staff of 336. Manna spent seven years with the American Insurance Association where she was assistant vice president, state affairs.

The American Institute of Marine Underwriters recently elected Richard J. Decker, president of AIG Global Marine, as chairman. He succeeds Robert V. Huffert, senior vice president and manager of the ocean marine department and a vice president of Munich Reinsurance America (formerly American Re-Insurance Co.).

Decker joined AIG Global Marine in April 2006 and is responsible for the commercial marine portfolio globally. Previously he served as senior vice president for ocean marine at ACE USA, and before that, worked Royal Insurance Co. He is also deputy chairman of the National Cargo Bureau and chairman of the Committee on Pilots of the Board of Underwriters of New York and has taught marine cargo insurance at New York University’s School for Continuing Education and at the World Trade Institute.

In addition to its new office in Delaware, niche general insurance agency Britt/Paulk has added another office in Atlanta. Lisa Finch will join the Britt/Paulk team as underwriting manager for builder’s risk and will report to Mike Pilla, chief underwriting officer, in the new office. Finch will be in charge of underwriting individual risks and building a book of business with large agencies, as well as wholesalers. She will also work to develop the OPUS (Online Policy Underwriting System) underwriting and distribution process.

Finch’s tenure in the insurance industry spans 25 years, and includes experience in multi-line middle market business, facultative property reinsurance, program management, wholesale brokering, and excess and surplus property underwriting positions.

Georgia Casualty & Surety Co. and Association Casualty Insurance Co., properties of Atlantic American Corp., announced management changes in their regional property and casualty operations. Dianne Morris, current president of Association Casualty in Austin, Texas, will also assume that same position in Georgia Casualty.

Craig Stufflet, former vice president of underwriting for Georgia Casualty, was named executive vice president of both companies and will assume overall responsibility for daily operations.

Other common appointments to both Georgia Casualty and Association Casualty include: Christy Payne, vice president of underwriting, Jeanne Marshburn, vice president of claims and Janice Duggins, vice president of sales and marketing.

Hilton H. Howell, Jr., president and CEO of Atlantic American Corp., said that the personnel moves represent the next step in the firm’s plan to operate the two companies seamlessly as one.