People – South Central
Rick Gentry, former executive director of the Insurance Council of Texas (ICT), was presented with the Raymond Mauk Leadership Award at the ICT’s Mid-Year Property and Casualty Symposium in Austin.
Gentry led the ICT for 17 years.
The Raymond Mauk Leadership Award is the ICT’s highest honor and is intended to recognize those who have made a significant difference in the business of insurance. It is presented in honor of former Texas Fire Commissioner Raymond Mauk.
Gentry was recognized for his leadership role in helping to merge two longtime Texas insurance organizations together to create ICT. Once ICT was established, Gentry began working to build a more cooperative approach within the insurance community. He helped to create and foster a stronger, ongoing relationship between ICT and the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas (IIAT), which remains evident today.
Previous to the ICT, Gentry led the Austin office of the Insurance Information Institute (III), speaking on behalf of the industry during the era of Gov. Ann Richards.
As executive director at ICT, Gentry led what became the largest state insurance trade organization in the country and the voice for the Texas insurance industry.
His vision led to the creation of ICT’s Education Foundation which has raised approximately $700,000 in scholarships and academic funding for more than 300 insurance and risk management students at nine Texas universities.
The Central Insurance Companies promoted Steven Mansfield to regional vice president of its Southwest regional office in Dallas, Texas.
Mansfield replaces Tim Rauch, who has been promoted to vice president of marketing in the group’s home office in Van Wert, Ohio.
Mansfield joined Central in 1998 and has since held several positions with the company including auto material damage claim representative, personal and commercial lines underwriter, marketing manager for Georgia, marketing and agency development director and, most recently, regional marketing manager for the Southwest regional office.
As regional vice president, Mansfield will oversee the day-to-day operations of the office including all underwriting, marketing, and claims functions serving independent agents in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Oklahoma.
Austin, Texas-based Service Lloyds Insurance Co. announced changes to its management team.
G. Steven Collier has been named vice president of underwriting.
Collier is a senior-level executive with over 34 years of success in all facets of insurance and risk management with both national and multi-line carriers. His expertise includes oversight and direction of claims, loss control and underwriting operations.
He joined Service Lloyds in 2000 directing the claims and loss control divisions of the company.
Jan Kearbey has been named vice president of marketing and sales.
Kearbey joined Service Lloyds in 2004 as director of agency relations. She has been in the industry since 1976, fulfilling executive level responsibilities in an independent agency, a managing general agency, a national insurance training company and a third-party administrator.
In 1983, Kearbey was selected as one of the first female members of the national faculty for CIC and since has trained over 15,000 insurance professionals on both managerial and technical topics.
Service Lloyds provides workers’ compensation and nonsubscription in the state of Texas and has been serving the needs of employers since 1982.
LevelFirst, a wholesale broker and managing general agency based in Dallas, Texas, announced Ryan Taylor has joined the company as a senior underwriter/broker.
Taylor brings 10 years of wholesale experience to the company. He will be responsible for underwriting all classes of business and lines of coverage with multiple binding authority facilities, in addition to brokering hard to place risks through outside facilities. Taylor will maintain a strong focus on transportation business.
In addition to Dallas, LevelFirst has an office in Houston.
USG Insurance Services Inc., a national wholesaler and MGA, has added Stephanie O’Bier as an associate producer/broker in its Arlington, Texas, office.
O’Bier most recently held the position of senior underwriter at Macchia General Agency. Past positions include junior underwriter at Macchia General Agency, team manager at PRC, LLC, and inside sales/sales assistant at Timber Blinds & Shutters.
Texas-based The Woodlands Financial Group (TWFG) honored the top branch offices and agents from across the network of more than 300 insurance agencies affiliated under the TWFG Insurance Services umbrella with awards.
The Personal Lines Agent of the Year recognition went to Stephen Lovecchio of Mandeville, La.; second and third place were awarded to Ricky Rogers and Anthony Voiron, respectively, both from Metairie, La.
Life Agent of the Year is Debi Moore of Quincy, Ill.
The Health Agent of the Year is Kathy Morrison of The Woodlands, Texas.
Rookie of the Year honors went to Brandon Richey of Beaumont, Texas.
Several agents won Commercial Agent of the Year awards beginning with Brian Johnson of Humble, Texas, in first place; Stephen Lovecchio of Mandeville, La., in second place; and Terry Cauthen of Port Arthur, Texas, in third place.
Mark Bartlett of Fremont, Calif., was inducted into the President’s Club. Special recognition was also given to current members of the special incentive program for top producers.
President’s Club members include Tony Voiron, Metairie, La.; Brian Johnson, Humble, Texas; Carlton Kon, Houston, Texas; Jenny Xu, Houston, Texas; Rick Rogers, Metairie, La.; Stephen Lovecchio, Mandeville, La.; and Kelly Lee, Lake Charles, La.
The TWFG Million Dollar Club membership grew by 16 additional agents in 2013-2014. Added to the membership roster were: Conrad Dale Ratliff, Humble, Texas; Adrian Saman, Dallas, Texas; Kerry Landry, Gretna, La.; Roger Larson, Walnut Creek, Calif.; Buffy M. Doiron, Port Arthur, Texas; Noel Sanchez, San Mateo, Calif.; Vlada Denisova, Los Angeles, Calif.; Bobbie Gail Torres, Corpus Christi, Texas; Khan Insurance, Houston; Chad Gunal, Houston; Ann Moore, Huntsville, Texas; Randall A. Costa, Missouri City, Texas; J. R. Zamorano, Dallas; Joseph R. Vu, Houston; Nick Young, Carrollton, Texas; Rick and Jeanne Burridge, Dallas.
Wyatt Stewart has joined the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (Big “I”) Capitol Hill team as director of federal government affairs. Stewart, a native of Washington, D.C., joins a bipartisan lobbying team primarily as a liaison to Republican congressional offices.
The position was previously held by Ryan Young who recently departed the agents’ association to serve as director of business development for Husky Rack & Wire in Denver, N.C., according to the announcement.
Stewart previously served as advisor for policy and coalitions for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.).