People – West
The members of the Surplus Line Association of California have named Denis Brady, president of Burns & Wilcox Brokerage in San Francisco, chair of the SLA board of directors.
Brady’s election was finalized after the SLA tallied the final ballots from members who were unable to attend the SLA annual meetings on Feb. 3 and Feb. 5 in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Also elected to leadership were Chris Houska, California managing director of R-T Specialty LLC, who becomes vice chair, and Tom Ciardello, senior vice president and manager of Worldwide Facilities Inc., who becomes secretary/treasurer.
Brady takes over from Ian Fitt, vice chairman of Catalytic Holdings LLC, who completed his 2014 term as chair and was elected to a seat on the board.
Newly elected to seats on the board are Bob Gilbert, director of underwriting and production with Markel West Insurance Services, and Terri Moran, senior vice president and western region executive with Vela Insurance Services.
Completing the 13-member board are: Janet Beaver, Scottish American; Rupert Hall, M.J. Hall & Company Inc.; Chris Kiley, AMWINS; Davis Moore, Worldwide Facilities Inc.; Pam Quilici, Crouse & Associates Insurance Services of Northern California Inc.; Les Ross, Wholesale Trading Co-Op Insurance Services LLC; Gerald Sullivan, The Sullivan Group.
Additionally, SLA members reelected the Honorable Harry Low, a former insurance commissioner and retired presiding justice of the California Court of Appeal, as mediator.
All those elected to the 2015 board will serve until balloting is completed following the next SLA annual meeting in February 2016.
San Francisco-based SLA operates as a self-governed private organization.
Hawaii-based Island Insurance Company Ltd. has named Michael A. Onofrietti senior vice president of actuarial services, product development and management.
Onofrietti, who previously held the title of vice president, will continue to be responsible for developing techniques for pricing insurance products, loss reserving, data analysis as well as the development, management and implementation of new products.
Onofrietti has more than 30 years of experience in the property/casualty insurance industry. Prior to Island Insurance, he was vice president of AIG Hawaii Insurance Co.
Island Insurance offers a range of property/casualty insurance.
Grass Valley, Calif.-based Networked Insurance Agents has promoted Michael Carrington to vice president of service and Tam Duong to vice president of commercial lines account management.
Carrington leads a team of customer service representatives and business processors. Duong leads a team of account managers.
Carrington joined Networked in 2007 and was promoted to assistant vice president in 2010. Carrington was previously with Berkshire-Hathaway in an underwriting management role.
Duong has more than 17 years of industry experience and has been with Networked since 2009. She was promoted to assistant vice president of commercial lines in 2013.
Networked has offices in Northern and Southern California, and serves more than 1,200 affiliate members in 10 Western States.
American Modern Insurance Group has named John Gerhard senior territory manager for its Pacific Northwest Territory, which includes Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Idaho.
He will be responsible for growth and profitability in the region.
Gerhard has more than 20 years of marketing, underwriting and sales experience in personal and commercial lines with insurance companies, including Oregon Mutual, North Pacific and Foremost. He has experience as an agency owner and manager.
American Modern delivers specialized products and services for residential property – like mobile homes and specialty dwellings – and for consumers in the recreational market, including owners of boats, personal watercraft, classic cars, motorcycles, ATVs and snowmobiles.
Barney & Barney Insurance Services LLC has named Knight Hinman the Bay Area sales director in its San Francisco, Calif., office.
Hinman is responsible for managing a team of 15 insurance and employee benefits professionals in the firm’s San Francisco and Walnut Creek offices.
Hinman has 14 years of experience, including experience in commercial insurance and risk management. He worked for Liberty Mutual Insurance in Denver, Colo., and Phoenix, Ariz., in a series of positions of increasing responsibility.
He was a senior account representative, business sales manager and territory manager for the company. He also worked as a sales executive for BBVA Compass Insurance Agency in Denver.
Barney & Barney’s Bay area locations specialize in serving clients in technology, healthcare, construction and higher education. The firm also serves local governments and non-profit organizations, among other industry segments. In 2014, Barney & Barney joined Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC, a subsidiary of Marsh Inc. Barney & Barney has offices in San Diego, San Francisco, Walnut Creek and Orange County.
Hull & Company Inc. has named Sherif Azer a commercial underwriter/broker in its Irvine, Calif., office.
Azer focuses on commercial lines with the placement of E&S brokerage and MGA risks.
Azer began his insurance career at Bass Underwriters in Culver City.
Hull & Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Brown & Brown Inc. Hull & Company has offices throughout the U.S.
Lockton’s Denver, Colo., operation has hired Nate Bell as personal lines producer.
Bell has spent 13 years in the insurance industry, most recently as a personal lines producer and sales leader for IMA nationwide.
He has experience in developing customized insurance and risk management solutions for high net-worth individuals and families.
Kansas City, Mo.-based Lockton is a privately held, independent insurance broker.
Kayla Quinton was named a junior broker at Stone Creek Insurance Agency Inc. in Lafayette, Calif.
Quinton ‘s focus at Stone Creek is to assist in maintaining the agency’s growth and community presence in the private client realm
She began her career at Allstate as an insurance specialist. Previously she worked for Kibble & Prentice, a USI company, in Seattle, Wash., as a personal lines account manager and producer.
Stone Creek offers commercial, personal and health and life insurance.
California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones announced the members of the 2015-2016 Insurance Diversity Task Force.
The task force will make recommendations to Jones on ways to increase diversity in procurement and governing boards within the insurance industry.
Task force members are:
Linda Akutagawa – President and CEO of leadership education for Asian Pacifics Inc. Akutagawa joins the task force as an advocate/expert of governing board diversity.
Danielle K. Beavers – Economic equity program manager at The Greenlining Institute. Beavers joins as an advocate/representative for minority business enterprises.
Robin M. Billups – Director of business development at the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. Billups joins as an advocate/representative for women business enterprises.
Janice P. Brown – Owner and founder of Brown Law Group. Brown joins as an advocate/representative for minority business enterprises.
Pat Fong Kushida – President and CEO of the Sacramento Asian-Pacific Chamber of Commerce and president and CEO of the California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce. Fong Kushida joins as an
advocate/representative for minority business enterprises.
Melinda Guzman – CEO of the Melinda Guzman Professional Corp. Guzman rejoins as an advocate/representative for women business enterprises.
Craig E. Holden – Senior partner and chairman of the National Commercial Litigation Department for the law firm of Lewis, Brisbois, Bisgaard & Smith. Holden joins as an advocate/expert of supplier diversity.
Ramon Jones – Regional vice president of Nationwide Insurance. Ramon joins as an insurance industry representative.
Michael G. Keeley – President and CEO of MGK Risk and Insurance Services. Keeley rejoins as a representative for diverse business owners.
Mark Morales – Vice president of the U.S. Small Business Administration division of HomeStreet Bank and co-owner of Charles Jacobsen. Morales joins as an advocate/representative for LGBT business enterprises.
Salvador Peinado, Jr. – Senior supplier and diversity and innovation advisor at CSAA Insurance Exchange. Peinado joins as an insurance industry representative.
Cathy Schwamberger – Associate general counsel for State Farm. Schwamberger joins as an insurance industry representative.
Melanie M. Shelby – Managing director at Gray, Greer, Shelby & Vaughn LLC. Shelby joins as an advocate/expert of supplier diversity.
Randy Sinnott – Founding partner of Sinnott, Puebla, Campagne & Curet. Sinnott joins as an advocate/representative for disabled veteran business enterprises.
Scott Syphax – President and CEO of The Nehemiah Cos. Syphax rejoins as an advocate/expert of governing board diversity.
The first Task Force meeting will be held on March 23, 2015.