People – South Central
Combined Agents of America LLC (CAA), with headquarters in Austin, Texas, hired William H. (Bill) Wade II as director of carrier relations and program management.
Wade has more than 40 years of experience in the insurance industry and holds the CPCU and CIC designations. He will report directly to CAA’s board. Before joining CAA, Wade served as president of IIAT Services Co., a subsidiary of Independent Insurance Agents of Texas (IIAT) from 2002-2013.
Prior to his leadership at IIAT, Wade was president of CGU Insurance Co. Southwest Region and was responsible for Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. He also had experience as the vice president and chief operating officer for a large San Antonio based insurance agency, and as the resident vice president for a national carrier. Wade served as past president of Independent Insurance Agents of San Antonio and earned the Outstanding Chairman of the Year award by the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas in 1992. He also previously served on the board of directors of Southwestern Insurance Information Services.
Wade has industry experience working for Liberty Regional Agency Markets, One Beacon Insurance Co., Commercial Union Insurance Co., Texas Insurance Agency and Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co.
CAA has 52 members based in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.
Watkins Insurance Group, headquartered in Austin, Texas, announced that Hanna Ogle became a shareholder in the firm in December 2013.
Ogle started at Watkins Insurance Group in 2005 as the personal lines manager, and has significantly advanced the way Watkins uses automation to achieve success and a competitive advantage.
She holds both Certified Insurance Counselor and Certified Risk Management designations and is a driving force in the industry to improve automation technology for independent agencies.
Michael G. Toole (Mike) has accepted the position of president of Fort Worth, Texas-based Worth Casualty Co.
Worth Casualty Co. and its affiliated companies – Agriculture Workers Mutual Auto Insurance Co., Ag Pro Services LLC and Ag Workers Finance Co. – are primarily focused on automobile risk associated with agricultural related exposures.
Toole has been in the insurance business since 1979. Prior to joining Ag Workers Group of Companies, he was chief underwriting officer of the Home State Insurance Group. Toole also previously held various positions with the Old American Insurance Group.
The Ag Workers Insurance Companies are licensed in several states and plan to expand the certificates of authority into additional states. They are rated A- by A.M. Best and have been in business for 60 years.
ClearView Risk Holdings LLC, the Dallas-based holding company of Southwest Risk LP, announced that Jason Dalton has joined Southwest Risk as a casualty broker with an emphasis on the transportation segment.
Dalton has more than 20 years of experience in the insurance industry and is a third generation insurance professional.
Southwest Risk is a specialty lines insurance broker for high hazard business exposures. The company delivers customized property and casualty insurance coverage for the real estate, construction, energy and manufacturing industries.
Korey Harvey was appointed deputy commissioner of health insurance at the Louisiana Department of Insurance (LDI).
Since 2012, Harvey has worked as a health insurance attorney at the LDI. During that time he has worked closely on implementation of requirements of the Affordable Care Act. Prior to joining the department, Harvey was employed at the Long Law Firm where he was involved in class action litigation related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
The Office of Health Insurance provides protection to Louisiana consumers of health insurance and works with issuers to assure continued viability of health benefit plans. Harvey replaces Emma Fontenot who has retired.
Caressa Plummer has joined Houston-based Insurance Market Solutions Group (IMSG) in a newly created position focused on independent agencies.
Formerly a senior underwriter for Travelers Insurance, Plummer has experience both on the carrier and agency sides of the business.
IMSG is a personal lines managing general agency.
Dallas-based MarketScout said that Alice Guevara has joined MarketScout to lead the firm’s new national fine arts and collectibles underwriting facility in Itasca, Ill.
Guevara has 20 years of experience in underwriting commercial and personal fine art exposures. Prior to joining MarketScout, she served as assistant vice president and fine arts and collectibles program manager at QBE North America.