People and Places

Doug Eden joined Main Street America Group as senior vice president, field operations. Eden will be a member of the company’s senior management team based at its corporate headquarters in Jacksonville, Fla. Eden joins Main Street America from The Hanover Insurance Group Inc., Itasca, Ill., where he was regional president, Midwest.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. named Judith A. Patterson president of First State Management Group, a subsidiary of The Hartford that primarily underwrites surplus lines insurance for high risk accounts and distributes the coverage through licensed wholesalers.

Patterson, who previously was executive vice president of FSMG, replaces Ralph J. Palmieri, who is retiring after a 31-year career with FSMG and The Hartford.

Robert Franzese was named the 2007 PIA National Professional Agent of the Year by the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents. Franzese is CEO of Capital Bauer Insurance Agency Inc. of Albany, N.Y. He has been a PIA member since 1991, and served as president of PIA of New York in 1999. He is a spokesman on the association’s behalf on legislative and regulatory issues.

The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research selected Beverly A. Messer as vice president in charge of National Business Development. Messer began her insurance career in 1975, when she joined her family owned insurance agency in northwest Indiana. She has been honored twice as the Insurance Agent of the Year by the Independent Insurance Agents of Indiana, and is an instructor for Certified Insurance Counselors institutes and Certified Insurance Service Representatives courses.

Zurich Financial Services Group named Arun Sinha group chief marketing and communications officer. He will oversee marketing and communications functions worldwide . He served as chief marketing officer for Pitney Bowes since 2001, and held senior marketing and business development roles with Philip Morris and Young & Rubicam.

Risk Management Solutions, Newark, Calif., appointed Mary Lou Zoback vice president of earthquake risk applications. Zoback is a 28-year veteran of the U.S. Geological Survey. Most recently she was regional coordinator for the USGS Northern California Earthquake Hazard Program. She was a co-recipient of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute’s Northern California Chapter’s 2006 Award for Innovation and Exemplary Practice in Earthquake Risk Reduction.

Frank Crystal & Co., based in New York, made two appointments in its Portland, Ore., office.

Dale Barnard joined as a director in the Aviation department. Barnard will be responsible for the placement and maintenance of insurance programs for aviation clients in the Pacific Northwest. The Aviation department is part of the firm’s Commercial Insurance Services unit. Prior to joining Frank Crystal, Barnard oversaw the Western Aviation Practice at Acordia.

Blake Schellenberg joined as a director in the Production department. Schellenberg will be responsible for developing new business in the Pacific Northwest. The Production department is part of the firm’s sales unit. Prior to joining Frank Crystal, Schellenberg worked as a vice president at Hays Companies, where he opened its Portland office and was responsible for substantially building the office’s revenue and number of employees.

The California Commission on Health and Safety and Workers’ Compensation elected Commissioner John C. Wilson chairman. Wilson is a contract accreditation consultant to the California Association of Joint Powers Authorities and has held positions with the California Chamber of Commerce and the California Coalition on Workers’ Compensation.

Hamilton Brewart Insurance Agency in Upland, Calif., named Marci Schullo an account executive. Schullo has more than 20 years of experience in the property/casualty industry. Most recently, she was an account executive for Arthur J. Gallagher, handling clients in the healthcare, real estate, manufacturing, wholesale distributing and construction industries.

SullivanCurtisMonroe Insurance Services LLC, an agency based in Irvine, Calif., appointed Nick Kirkland vice president. Prior to joining the company, Kirkland was president of Kirkland Co. in Santa Ana, Calif.

Western Heritage Insurance Co. named Michael Horsman president. He has been acting president of the company since July 2006 and brings 30 years of insurance industry experience to the position. Prior to that, Horsman served as senior vice president of Claims for Scottsdale Insurance Co., which he joined in Feb. 1996.

M.J. Hall and Co. Inc. appointed Donald G. Rynders vice president and branch manager of the company’s Woodland Hills, Calif., branch office. Rynders spent the past six years as vice president and property manager for its subsidiary, Golden Bear Insurance Co., based in Stockton, Calif. Rynders brings 30 years of underwriting, reinsurance and brokerage experience to his new position. His emphasis will be on growing the excess and surplus market in Southern California.

Rafael Hurtado joined International Gateway Insurance Brokers in Chula Vista, Calif., as business development manager/regional marketing representative. He is the cofounder the Latin American Agents Association based out of El Monte, Calif., and has been in the insurance industry for more than 18 years.

Colemont Insurance Brokers, Woodland Hill, Calif., added Whit Brown to its team of property brokers as assistant vice president. Brown has more than 19 years of experience in the insurance industry, working on property accounts, with an emphasis in earthquake, builder’s risk, and high hazard fire accounts.