People

Henderson Brothers Inc., a Pittsburgh, Pa.-based independent broker, has hired Jeremy Taggart as a financial analyst in the employee benefits department.

In his new role, Taggart will use his three years of industry experience to help clients better understand current and future employee benefits programs.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in both actuarial science and applied mathematics from Robert Morris University. Taggart is originally from Butler, Pa.

Maryland Insurance Commissioner Al Redmer Jr. has appointed Victoria August as Associate Commissioner for Hearings, in which she will have management responsibility for all quasi-judicial hearings, including appeals of consumer complaint determinations and other decisions by the agency’s units.

The Maryland Insurance Administration is an independent state agency responsible for regulating Maryland’s $28.5 billion insurance industry. August has served as the Associate Commissioner of Compliance and Enforcement since August 2014. In this capacity, she was the senior staff authority on market conduct compliance issues involving domestic and foreign insurance companies and other regulated entities, including producers.

Prior to joining the Insurance Administration, August worked in multiple law firms, where her practice focused on insurance defense and civil litigation. She brings more than 15 years’ experience in the insurance industry to her role, previously serving as in-house counsel for State Farm Insurance Co. and managing a claims department at Nationwide Insurance Co.

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property and casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant headquartered in San Francisco, has appointed Thomas E. O’Neil as Northeast region president.

O’Neil will relocate to New York City from EPIC’s headquarters in San Francisco, where he has served as president of EPIC’s West region since January 2014.

O’Neil spent most of his nearly 30-year insurance industry career based in the Northeast, and his relocation and reassignment reflect EPIC’s priority to grow aggressively in the region both by expanding existing Northeast operations organically and through strategic mergers and acquisitions.

Prior to joining EPIC, O’Neil was the president and CEO of privately-held SafeHarbor Risk Management, a property and casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefit consulting firm with locations in New York and Boston, which he founded in 2009.

Earlier in his career, O’Neil held the positions of CEO of USI New York, CEO of USI’s Northeast region and senior vice president and chief operating officer for USI Holdings Inc.

EPIC has been on an aggressive national growth trajectory. Since The Carlyle Group became the firm’s major investment partner in December 2013, EPIC has added multiple locations and new team members across the country.

Rogers & Gray Insurance, a South Dennis, Mass.-headquartered independent insurance agency, has promoted Allison McEachern to senior vice president and director of human resources, effective January 2017.

In her new role, McEachern will oversee the agency’s hiring and training functions. McEachern worked in human resources previously for Frito Lay, Inn Seasons Resorts and The Black Dog.

She is a graduate of Stonehill College, earning her B.A. in 1992. She also has a human resources management certificate from George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

McEachern was licensed in Massachusetts in 2011 as a Life & Health producer. She is certified to teach secondary education in Massachusetts and is licensed in Massachusetts as a middle and high school teacher. Prior to beginning her human resources career, she taught social studies.

Philadelphia Insurance Companies (PHLY), a commercial property and casualty and professional liability insurance company for niche markets based in Bala Cynwyd, Pa., has promoted five employees to vice president.

Yvonne Burgess, Michael Ricca and Chris Rosecrans are now vice presidents in the marketing department. John Preston assumes the position of vice president in the compliance department, and Irene Varga is now a vice president in the claims department.

Burgess joined PHLY in 2006 as regional sales manager and was promoted to assistant vice president in 2011. Prior to joining PHLY, she worked in the industry for 13 years serving in various roles within claims, underwriting, and sales.

Ricca joined PHLY in 1998. He spent two-and-a-half years as a claims examiner before becoming a marketing representative for PHLY’s Metro Region. Ricca was promoted to regional sales manager in 2010 and assistant vice president in 2013.

Rosecrans joined PHLY as a marketing representative in 2007. He has worked primarily out of PHLY’s California Sunbelt Territory and developed relationships with agents throughout the region. Rosecrans manages a marketing team in Southern California.

Preston has 30 years of industry experience, including nearly 25 years with PHLY. While with PHLY, Preston spent 11 years in the underwriting department holding various positions and more than nine years in the corporate underwriting and compliance departments, where he most recently served as assistant vice president. His current responsibilities include managing underwriting audit and compliance, agency licensing, legal notices, statistical reporting, DMV reporting and assigned risk management.

Varga has more than 30 years of insurance claims experience including technical, operational and managerial positions. Varga joined PHLY in 2006 as a claims specialist handling general liability claims. She most recently served as an assistant vice president.

Capital BlueCross, a health solutions and insurance company headquartered in Harrisburg, Pa., has announced Susan Hubley as the company’s new vice president of corporate social responsibility. Hubley was most recently the director of community affairs at Highmark Blue Shield in Camp Hill, Pa.

Hubley brings nearly 30 years of community relations experience to Capital BlueCross. She will lead a team focused on strengthening outreach initiatives and the corporate giving process. This includes community partnerships and events, as well as expanding growth and relationships.

Hubley will lead the company’s volunteer strategy, driving the Capital BlueCross mission of engaging employees and supporting communities.

Additionally, Hubley will work to raise awareness and grow the company’s participation in the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) through education and community outreach in the Capital BlueCross service area.

As a partner in the community’s health for nearly 80 years, Capital BlueCross offers health insurance products, services and technology solutions for consumers and promotes health and wellness for customers. Going forward, Capital BlueCross is growing a network of Capital Blue stores that provide in-person service to help people reach their health goals. Capital BlueCross is an independent licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association.