People

Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Robert Wooley announced that Clarissa A. Preston has been named deputy commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Insurance Office of Property and Casualty, and Scott Kipper is now deputy commissioner of the Office of Health Insurance.

Clarissa A. Preston, a New Orleans native, started her career at the Department of Insurance in 1997 in the Agent Licensing Division. She also worked in the Office of Management and Finance, and then moved to P&C, where she was most recently director of Insurance Rating and Policy Forms, before being chosen by Commissioner Wooley to head the entire division.

In addition to being a licensed Property and Casualty and Life and Health producer (licenses temporarily suspended while a department employee), Preston is also a Certified Insurance Counselor, a Commissioned Civil Law Notary Public and a Paralegal. She is a member of many professional and civic organizations, including the Association of Insurance Compliance Professionals and the Insurance Regulatory Examiners Society.

She also serves as president of the Kiwanis Club of South Baton Rouge and holds offices in several other community service organizations. The employees of the Department of Insurance also named Preston Employee of the Year in 2002.

Preston’s appointment comes as former P&C Deputy Commissioner Paula Pellerin-Davis heads to the private sector. Commissioner Wooley credits Davis for her vital role in the implementation of such insurance reforms as Flexible Rating, Commercial Deregulation and the Citizens Corporation.

Until his recent appointment at the department, Scott Kipper served for more than four years as senior regional director of State Affairs for America’s Health Insurance Plans, where he was responsible for the management of health insurance-related legislative and regulatory activities in eight states, including Texas and California.

Kipper has also worked as government relations manager and field product leader for long-term care insurer General Electric Capital Assurance Company, in California. He also served as a health analyst for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) in Washington, D.C. While at the NAIC, Kipper was a primary resource on federal and state senior health insurance issues, and he assisted state regulators in implementing changes to senior health insurance laws and regulations.

Benefit Planners Inc. of San Antonio, Texas, appointed Brian Greenwood vice president of sales for the Southeast. Greenwood will oversee the newly opened Atlanta sales office and business development in five states.

With 28 years of experience in sales and marketing, Greenwood comes to Benefit Planners from North American Health Plans, where he served as regional director. His career began with Jefferson Pilot’s group division.

Caliber Collision Centers, an Irvine, Calif.-based operator of collision repair facilities in California and Texas, named John M. Hovis as the company’s president. Hovis will assume responsibility for the operating divisions of the company, including California and Texas field operations, client services, vendor relations and facilities management.

Hovis brings over 25 years of operations and management experience to Caliber Collision Centers. Prior to joining Caliber, Hovis served as president of Production Resource Group (PRG), a worldwide, multi-unit entertainment services and production organization with annual revenues in excess of $300 million.

Shelly Diegel was elected chairman of the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents’ company council of executive officers for 2006. Diegel currently serves as vice president, small business distribution at Zurich in Baltimore, Md., and has represented Zurich Small Business on the PIA-CCEO since 2003.

The PIA-CCEO consists of senior insurance company executives committed to working to improve the agency-company partnership. PIA-CCEO participating carriers include; AIG Agency Auto; The Central Insurance Companies; Drive Insurance from Progressive; The Hartford; Liberty Regional/Agency Markets; Main Street America Group; MetLife Auto & Home; Safeway Insurance Group; Travelers Property Casualty; and Zurich Small Business.

Paul Braithwaite, managing director at Navigant Consulting, was elected president of the Casualty Actuarial Society based in Arlington, Va., and Thomas G. Myers, vice president, product management for High Point Safety and Insurance Management Corporation, was named president-elect.

Braithwaite has been a fellow of the CAS since 1983. He served in a variety of leadership positions for the CAS, including vice president of administration and on the board of directors. And served as the chairperson of several committees, including the audit committee.

Myers earned his CAS fellowship in 1986. Since then, he served on the examination committee for 19 years, including three years as chairperson.

Darryl Siry was promoted to senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company in Novato, Calif. Siry most recently served as vice president of brand development leading the establishment of Fireman’s Fund Heritage, a branding and community relations program that partners with fire service organizations nationwide to protect the communities they serve.

Through this program, which was initiated in 2004, more than $5 million in grants have been donated to fire service organizations. Siry is now responsible for the Heritage program, marketing, communications, community relations, customer research and strategy, and certain strategic business development initiatives. With this appointment, Siry also joins the company’s strategic advisory group.

To submit information to this People & Places, e-mail ijtexas@insurancejournal.com.