People

DeCotis Insurance Associates Inc. has named Devin B. Haughey chief operations manager. Haughey will oversee the general management and operations of DeCotis, an independent excess, surplus and specialty lines firm with offices in Providence, Rhode Island and Braintree, Massachusetts. Prior to joining DeCotis, Haughey served as vice president, and operations manager of an E&S and wholesale agency located in Massachusetts. He has over 15 years of commercial and personal lines insurance experience.

The Professional Insurance Agents of New Jersey Inc. (PIANJ) recently elected new officers. They are: President William R. Vowteras, owner of Fraser Brothers Group; Vice President Donna Cunningham, president of ADP/Statewide Insurance Agencies Inc.; Vice President Keith Savino, chief operating officer of WRG; Vice President Anthony Bavaro, vice president of sales and marketing for Jamison Insurance Group; Treasurer Thomas Henkler, president of Midlantic Agencies; Secretary Stephen Tague, principal of van den Heuvel & Fountain Inc.; and Immediate Past President Gary Rygiel, executive vice president of Liberty Insurance Associates.

In addition, PIANJ also elected the following board members: Bavaro; Savino; Tague; Robert Conner, president of William R. Mints Agency; Michael DeStasio, vice president of Donald F. LaPenna Associates; and Esther Salvidar-Tanez, principal of E.S.T.I.R. Inc.

MetLife Auto & Home has appointed Joanne Fagan as a regional sales manager in New Jersey, overseeing the company’s growth plans for the central portion of the Garden State. Fagan has over 38 years of insurance experience. Prior to joining MetLife Auto & Home, she spent the past 18 years with Encompass Insurance Co. as a territory sales consultant. Prior to that, she spent 20 years with Travelers Insurance Co. as a territory sales consultant and underwriter.

Boston-based insurance brokerage William Gallagher Associates has made a number of executive appointments. Sara LaVallee has been named senior vice pesident, while Paula Cabral, Janice Clifford, Paula Donovan, Anna Karchem and Silas Warner have each been promoted to vice president. LaVallee has spent the last 15 years with WGA’s Employee Benefits Practice where she is a senior thought leader. Donovan has been with WGA for the past 22 years, serving in various roles including account management, claims services and Training and Quality Assurance. Clifford has been with WGA for 17 years, specializing in Life Sciences and Biotechnology accounts. Cabral has been in the insurance industry for over 15 years, also specializing in Life Sciences. Karchem serves as WGA’s Business Technology manager within the Employee Benefits Practice, coordinating Zywave HR technology to WGA clients. She has almost 10 years in the insurance indusy, the last five with WGA. Warner joined WGA’s Employee Benefits Group with the opening of the firm’s Hartford office in 2007.

New York-based resinurance brokerage Holborn Corp. announced several executive appointments. Frank D. Pierson, who joined Holborn in 2005, has been promoted to executive vice president. He will oversee development of tools and technologies for specific client needs. The 20-year industry veteran has held previous positions with Centre Re, John Hancock Re and Liberty Mutual. In addition, Maureen Jones, Gloria R. LaGrua and Daniel C. Zitelli have each been promoted to vice president. Jones, who directs the account services division of Holborn, joined the firm in 1994 after holding positions with Tokio Marine Management and Skandia America Reinsurance. LaGrua joined Holborn in 2003, after serving with AXA Corporate Solutions Re and Gerling/Constitution Re. Zitelli joined Holborn in 1998 and serves in the analytics department.

Millers Capital Insurance Co. has named Brett Eater as assistant vice president of Marketing and Agency Services. A 10-year veteran of the commercial property and casualty insurance industry, Eater most recently served as the manager of the Small Business Unit at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based Millers.

William A. Catto has been elected chief operating officer of the Vermont Mutual Insurance Group. Catto also serves as executive vice president of both the Vermont Mutual and Northern Security Insurance Cos. and president of the Granite Mutual Insurance Co. The 36-year industry veteran joined the Vermont Mutual in 1995.

New York-based specialty insurance firm The Navigators Group Inc. has named Bruce J. Byrnes as senior vice president, general counsel and chief compliance officer. Byrnes will oversee legal, internal audit, state filings, and licensing and compliance efforts. Prior to joining Navigators, Byrnes was general counsel at PXRE Reinsurance Co. from 2001 until it merged with Argonaut Group, Inc.

Blue Bell, Pennsylvania-based VIST Financial Corp. has named Michael C. Herr as chief operating officer of the company’s insurance division, VIST Insurance. Herr had served previously as senior vice president with VIST Insurance and its predecessor Essick & Barr Insurance since joining the company in 2004. He assumes overall management responsibility of VIST Insurance, including sales, service and consulting. Prior to joining VIST Financial, Herr served as vice president of Operations with KDN Corp.