People – South Central

Rick Bondurant has rejoined the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas (IIAT) staff as director of management resources. In this role, Bondurant is responsible for developing, implementing and managing strategic agency management initiatives and programs for member agencies across the state.

Bondurant brings more than 25 years of experience with the Texas independent agency system. He is a former member of the IIAT board of directors and a past president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Tarrant County. Bondurant was named Young Agent of the Year by the IIAT in 1997.

Bondurant has most recently served as senior vice president and statewide commercial lines practice leader at Frost Insurance.

The Austin Association of Insurance Professionals (AAIP) elected Jan Kearbey with Service Lloyd’s Insurance Co. as president of the organization for 2012/2013.

Kearbey also received the 2011/2012 Insurance Professional of the Year award for her outstanding service to AAIP.

Other recently installed AAIP officers and directors are: First Vice President Kimmi Cantwell with McGowan, Donnelly & Oberheu LLC; Second Vice President Nathan Lenss with State Auto Insurance Co.; Recording Secretary Mari Beth Matott with The Parks Group Inc.; Treasurer Kathy van Eeten with CRC|Crump; Director Polly Middlebrook with Independent Insurance Agents of Texas; Director Jean Patterson with Texas Surplus Lines Association Inc.; and Director Dennise Tittnich with McGowan, Donnelly & Oberheu LLC.

Greg Langford has joined Texas-based insurance brokerage Roach Howard Smith & Barton as a commercial sales executive for property/casualty insurance.

He brings six years of successful insurance sales experience. His areas of expertise include: construction; manufacturing; wholesale; oil and gas; transportation; and trade credit insurance for all industries.

Prior to his insurance and sales career, Langford spent eight years as a collegiate basketball coach at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches.

Lockton Dunning Benefits announced that Victor Wong has joined the Dallas-based health and welfare benefits practice’s actuarial consulting group as vice president and actuary.

With more than nine years of actuarial experience, Wong has specialized in health benefits for the last five. Before Lockton, Wong served as a senior associate and lead actuary with Mercer where he developed strategic plan designs for health and welfare plans, recommended pricing alternatives and reviewed cost projections and claims analyses for large self-funded health plans.

He is an associate member of the Society of Actuaries and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries.

Jay Thompson, a partner with the law firm of Thompson, Coe, Cousins and Irons, has been named the Raymond Mauk Leadership Award honoree by the Insurance Council of Texas (ICT).

The award was presented on July 12 at the 20th Annual Mid-Year Property and Casualty Symposium. Thompson is the 15th recipient of the award.

Thompson has been involved in and played a major role in insurance legislation that has shaped the course of the insurance industry in Texas for the last 30 years. Among other things, he has been influential in crafting reforms of the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) and the state’s workers’ compensation system.

The Raymond Mauk Award honors former Texas Fire Commissioner Raymond Mauk.

INSURICA Insurance Management Network announced that Bryan E. Berman has been named president of its Tulsa, Okla., office, Robert C. Bates LLC (RCB).

Berman is also owner and chairman of Tulsa-based The JRJ Agency, an affiliate of INSURICA.

RCB is one of Tulsa’s largest independent insurance agencies and has been part of INSURICA since 1999.

Berman purchased a well-respected insurance and bonding agency in 2010, forming The JRJ Agency. Robert C. Bates LLC and The JRJ Agency will become one organization.

INSURICA has more than $73 million in annual revenue and 25 offices located throughout Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, Arizona and California.

Texas-based super regional property/casualty insurer, The Republic Group, named Thomas M. Greenfield to serve as senior vice president and chief underwriting officer of the group’s member companies.

Greenfield has served since 2007 as senior vice president – field operations of the insurance companies of QBE Regional Insurance, a property and casualty insurer distributing its insurance products through independent agents.

Prior to his experience at QBE, Greenfield worked at Republic Insurance Co. before becoming vice president of its later subdivided, independent operations at Blue Ridge Insurance Co., which was thereafter integrated into General Casualty Insurance Co.

Greenfield holds CPCU, CFC and CLU designations.

The Republic Group also named Timothy R. Wiedmeyer vice president of Claims.

Wiedmeyer previously was with West Bend Mutual Insurance Co., where he served as vice president – Claims. He began his 23-year claims career with Heritage Mutual Insurance Co. (now Acuity).

Wiedmeyer holds the CPCU and AIC designations.

Midland, Texas-based CBIZ Stoltz has added Mollye Hillman as an account manager and Richard Howard has joined the company as an account executive.

Hillman will be responsible for developing, implementing and monitoring risk financing and insurance programs for several of CBIZ’ top oil and gas clients.

Howard, who comes to CBIZ after working for an oil and gas hedge fund in Dallas, will focus on business development and client relations for the National Energy Practice.

Becky Jackson of Austin, Texas, has been appointed by the Texas Department of Insurance to serve as a public representative member on the governing committee of the Texas Automobile Insurance Plan Association.

Jackson worked for the Texas Office of Public Insurance Counsel for more than 20 years.

CRC|Crump announced that Delia Wright has joined its Dallas office as a property/casualty associate broker.

Wright’s responsibilities will include underwriting MGA business and brokering for general commercial lines.

Prior to CRC|Crump, Wright held positions with American Underwriting Managers, Swett & Crawford and Aon.

Newport Beach, Calif.-based specialty insurance brokerage firm, Alliant Insurance Services, announced that Jerry D. Jones has joined the company’s Energy and Marine Group in Houston as senior vice president.

With 16 years of brokerage and risk management experience, Jones comes to Alliant after 11 years with a top five insurance brokerage firm. Most recently, he was a client advisor with the firm’s Global Energy Practice in Houston.