People – Southeast

Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak was elected as vice president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).

McPeak was elected in a special election to fill the president-elect role vacated by former Kentucky Insurance Commissioner Sharon P. Clark. Last year, McPeak was elected NAIC Secretary-Treasurer.

The NAIC was created and is governed by the chief insurance regulators from the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the five U.S. territories. .

An active NAIC participant for nearly 20 years, McPeak has served on the NAIC’s Executive Committee since 2013. McPeak, who was formerly Kentucky’s lead insurance regulator, was appointed as Tennessee’s commissioner by Gov. Bill Haslam in 2011. She was reappointed to her post in 2015.

McPeak has more than 20 years of legal and administrative experience in state government and is the first woman to serve as chief insurance regulator in more than one state.

As TDCI Commissioner, McPeak is the chief regulator of the insurance and securities industries in Tennessee as well as the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office. In addition to her work in state government, McPeak is an Executive Committee member of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) and a member of the Federal Advisory Committee on Insurance (FACI).

Wallace Welch & Willingham (W3) promoted Jonathan Hammond to chief operating officer. Hammond began his insurance career with Wallace Welch & Willingham in 2000 as a sales producer. Later, he was promoted to sales manager.

Founded in 1925, Wallace Welch & Willingham is an independent insurance agency serving both businesses and individuals, offering commercial, homeowners, auto, boat and life insurance, as well as employee benefits coverage.

IFG Companies hired Mesale Solomon as senior vice president and chief people officer. She is based in IFG’s Alpharetta, Ga., office.

Solomon comes to IFG with more than 15 years of experience leading human resource professionals and helping businesses with their talent strategy including acquisition, development, performance management, total reward and other talent-management needs.

Solomon began her career in human resources at the Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Mich. After Ford, Mesale worked at Miller Brewing Company in Trenton, Ohio, as an Employee Relations manager. Most recently, Mesale was the senior vice president of Human Resources at Innotrac Corp. in Atlanta.

IFG Companies provides property & casualty insurance on both a non-admitted basis and an admitted basis throughout America.

Brentwood Services Administrators Inc. (BSA) promoted Nicole Brothers to the position of claim representative I in the Tennessee Claims Department.

Brothers’ responsibilities include reviewing, processing and handling workers’ compensation claims. In addition, Brothers will determine compensability of the claim and extent of liability and communicate directly with clients, employers, injured workers, physicians, and attorneys.

Brothers was employed by BSA in 2009 as a claim assistant, then was promoted to claim examiner II. Before joining BSA, she worked in positions providing clerical support.

Brentwood Services Inc. is an independent, employee-owned company headquartered in Brentwood, Tenn., specializing in structuring and managing alternative market products for employers and insurance providers.