People – South Central

March 20, 2017

Teri Brinson, executive vice president of M.D. Jensvold & Co., has taken over as president of the Texas Surplus Lines Association (TSLA) for 2017.

She brings more than 35 years of experience and leadership in the insurance industry to her position. Brinson worked as a retail agent for 18 years before joining wholesale insurance broker M.D. Jensvold & Co. in 1992 as vice president. She has served as executive vice president since 2014.

Serving alongside Brinson in TSLA leadership positions are Vice President Garrett Sprowls and Secretary/Treasurer Matt Leicht.

SWBC Employee Benefits Consulting Group (EBCG), based in San Antonio, Texas, has promoted Andrew Grove to senior vice president of Sales & Market Development and Gary Birdwell to senior vice president of Service & Operations.

In his new role, Grove is responsible for the efforts of the EBCG sales team along with the support elements of the wellness program manager and the communications manager for the SWBC Employee Benefits Consulting Group.

Birdwell is responsible for account management along with the operational functions of budgeting, financial management, carrier/vendor management, and agency management systems supporting superior service to all EBCG clients.

SWBC is a diversified financial services company providing a wide range of insurance, mortgage and investment services to financial institutions, businesses and individuals.

Dallas-based Lockton Dunning Benefits added Paul M. Botkin as the newest vice president and subject matter expert for its disability consulting and leave administration practice.

Prior to joining Lockton Dunning Benefits, Botkin was responsible for building and managing multiple consulting practices within the employee benefit industry, specifically regarding life and disability management programs.

Botkin has provided direct audit and advisory services to more than 26 national disability insurers or TPAs, as well as disability/leave audit services for 15 Fortune 50 clients and for more than 100 Fortune 1,000 clients. He has worked with both public and private sector clients ranging in size from 500 employees to those with an excess of 300,000 employees.

Leavitt Recreation & Hospitality Insurance (LRHI) added Kim Ayers as an insurance agent providing commercial insurance to RV parks, campgrounds, dude ranches, lodges and resorts in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas.

Ayers attended the National School of RV Park and Campground Management, and is active in the National Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds (ARVC) and International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA).

Ayers is based in Augusta, Georgia.

Alliant Insurance Services Inc. named Jan Nowak first vice president in the firm’s New Orleans office.

Nowak has more than 37 years of insurance brokerage experience and extensive knowledge of marine-related exposures. She has worked with vessel operators, shipyards and other connected industries.

She was managing director and principal with a regional energy and marine insurance brokerage prior to joining Alliant.

Alliant also added Tom Hood to its energy and marine group in New Orleans. As first vice president, Hood will provide targeted insurance, risk management and finance solutions to a growing portfolio of regional clients.

A 28-year insurance veteran, Hood joins Alliant with experience servicing a broad array of energy and marine clients, including vessel owners and operators, shipyards, and oil and gas contractors. He also has expertise in identifying and mitigating a broad range of construction industry risks.

Prior to joining Alliant, Hood was managing director and principal with a regional energy and marine insurance brokerage, where he oversaw business development, client service, marketing, auditing and management.

Newport Beach, Calif.-based Alliant provides property/ casualty, workers’ compensation, employee benefits, surety, and financial products and services to clients.

Holmes Murphy & Associates has hired Jeff Marchino as a senior consultant for employee benefits in its Dallas office. Marchino joins the team with more than two decades of experience in the insurance industry.

Marchino will work closely in the business community to develop relationships and implement benefit strategies for new customers to the firm.

Prior to joining the more than 190-member team in the Holmes Murphy Dallas office, Marchino was employed by Aetna as a sales director in the Dallas area.