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Jim Johnstone has joined Westbrook, Conn.-based The Gowrie Group of Cos. as a producer in the Boat/Yacht department. Jim brings deep marine and sailing industry expertise that will enable Gowrie to broaden its reach into the boating market and the Rhode Island community served by Gowrie’s Newport office. Jim’s sailing industry and racing pedigree can be matched by very few. For the past 14 years Jim has been a key sales manager and production manager for J/Boats Inc. Prior to working at J/Boats, Jim spent 3 years working and racing on Shamrock V, a classic J-boat.

W. Ronald Miller has joined Brooklandville, Maryland-based HMS Insurance Associates Inc. and will assume responsibilities for business development, focusing on the Washington DC and Northern Virginia marketplace. Miller, formerly a vice president with a national insurance brokerage, has managed the insurance and surety bonding needs of large construction enterprises as well as other commercial risks and will assist HMS in maintaining and enhancing its strong presence in the Mid-Atlantic Region.

New York State Senator James Seward (R-Milford) has been named president of the National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL), an organization of state legislators whose main area of public policy interest is insurance legislation and regulation. Most legislators active in NCOIL either chair or are members of the committees responsible for insurance legislation in their respective state houses across the country. The election slate also included the following officers for 2009: Kentucky Rep. Robert Damron as president-elect; North Dakota Rep. George Keiser as vice president; New Mexico Sen. Carroll Leavell as secretary; and Indiana Sen. Vi Simpson as treasurer.

In addition, the following committee chair appointments were announced: Financial Services & Investment Products: Assemblyman Joseph Morelle (N.Y.); Retirement Issues: Sen. Ann Cummings (Vt.); International Insurance Issues: Sen. Vi Simpson; Life Insurance & Financial Planning: Sen. Ralph Hudgens (Ga.); Natural Disaster Insurance Legislation (Subcommittee): Sen. Joseph Crisco (Conn.); NCOIL-NAIC Liaison: Sen. Neil Breslin (N.Y.); Property-Casualty Insurance: Rep. Charles Curtiss (Tenn.); State-Federal Relations: Rep. Greg Wren (Ala.); Workers’ Compensation Insurance: Rep. Susan Westrom (Ky.)

New York-based specialty insurance holding company The Navigators Group Inc. has appointed Reina Gregorio president of its Professional Liability division. Gregorio previously ran the domestic professional liability business of XL Insurance. She has over 27 years of insurance experience. Gregorio will be based in Navigators’ New York City office. The Navigators Group, Inc. is an international specialty insurance holding company with insurance company operations, underwriting management companies and operations at Lloyd’s of London.

The New York Insurance Association (NYIA) recently elected officers and directors for the group, a trade association for property/casualty insurers. New officers who will serve one-year terms are Cecilia Norat, American International Group Inc., chair; Richard Zick, Utica First Insurance Co., first vice chair; Jeffrey Rice, Wayne Cooperative Insurance Co., second vice chair; and Marlene Benton, Fulmont Mutual Insurance Co., treasurer. The following were elected to three-year terms as board members: Benton; Mark Prechtl, Chautauqua Patrons Insurance Co.; Thomas Ruane, Security Mutual Insurance Co.; and Richard Zick, Utica First Insurance Co.

Tim Ryan has been named chief operating officer for the newly merged Lockton Northeast, which combines the Connecticut and New York operations for the privately held insurance brokerage. In connection with the merger, Gary Giulietti, Bill Husic and Gary Mathieson will serve as senior executives.

Two recent mergers have brought a number of new executives into Short Hills, New Jersey-based insurance brokerage Bollinger Inc. Michael M. Rossi III, has been named senior vice president of the South Jersey Region of Bollinger Inc. Rossi served previously as principal owner of Vineland, New Jersey-based AIS, which merged with Bollinger in Dec. 2008. As part of a second merger, John Betz, David Kimball, Shelley Levine and Frank Lyon will join Bollinger as executive vice presidents in Bollinger’s new Greenwich, Connecticut office. All four had founded BK International Insurance Brokers, which merged with Bollinger in December. Kimball will act as chief operating officer of the branch.

American International Group Inc. (AIG) has named Russell Johnston president and chief executive officer of AIG Environmental, a unit of AIG Commercial Insurance and the nation’s leading Pollution Liability insurance provider. Johnston assumes management responsibility for AIG Environmental from Joseph Boren, who has left the company. Johnston joined AIG in 1990 serving in senior management positions within AIG’s Risk Management Group, most recently as president of AIG Risk Management.

In addition, Kimberly Hanna has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer of AIG Environmental. Hanna joined AIG’s Canadian operations in 1996 and in 2000. She most recently served as senior vice president and chief underwriting officer for AIG Environmental.