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Joseph Waked was named CEO of Buena Park, Calif.-based Freeway Insurance, a subsidiary of New York-based Confie Seguros. He will have responsibility for California, Texas and Arizona.

Waked replaces Freeway’s former CEO John Klaeb, who has been named chairman. Klaeb will focus on strategic planning, including merger and acquisition activity.

Founded in California in 1987, Freeway Insurance has more than 190 locations and 1,200 employees in Arizona, California and Texas, with related companies in New York, New Jersey, Washington and Oregon. In 2008, Klaeb and Waked partnered with private equity firm Genstar Capital to create Confie Seguros, a national provider of personal lines insurance with an emphasis on serving Hispanic consumers.

Freeway Insurance, formerly Westline, served as an operating platform for Genstar and the Westline team to build out the California region for Confie Seguros. Klaeb was founder and CEO of Westline. Waked, a former attorney, served as Freeway Insurance’s COO. He is responsible for leading the company’s sales and operations functions. In recent years, his focus has been on raising capital, as well as spearheading acquisition efforts and subsequent integrations.

Tony McIntosh joined Swett & Crawford as a California senior workers’ compensation broker. McIntosh comes to Swett with 25 years of specialty experience. He will be headquartered in California’s East Bay area.

McIntosh previously was sales vice president for the San Francisco Bay Area territory at Networked Insurance Agents. Prior to that, he was underwriting director for Everest National, where he managed worker’s compensation programs for the company. Earlier in his career, he held marketing and field underwriting positions with Discover Re, Wexford/Aon and Berkshire Hathaway.

Additionally, Robert Aquino rejoined Swett & Crawford as a broker in Fresno, Calif., after a long hiatus. He will report to Curt Biersch, Swett & Crawford executive vice president and West Coast Division leader.

Aquino returns to Swett from American E&S Insurance/RT Specialty, where he served as a vice president. In his 13-year tenure there, Aquino worked on coverages including directors and officers liability, professional liability and employment practices liability insurance. Prior to that, Aquino held positions at Crump E&S Insurance Services and at retailer Winthrop Insurance Plans.

Brett Rustand joined Tucson, Ariz-based Crest Insurance Group as a commercial property/casualty agent. He specializes in risk management for mid- and large-sized commercial clients.

Prior to joining Crest, Rustand was a commercial lines agent in Tucson with CBIZ. He served 10 years in the U.S. Army flying Blackhawk helicopters.

Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer made three appointments to the State Compensation Insurance Fund Board.

Elizabeth Best of Great Falls was named chairwoman. She is an attorney in private practice. She has served as a trustee for the Centerville School Board. Best previously served on the Board of Labor Appeals.

Joe Brenneman of Kalispell, Mont., served as a county commissioner for Flathead County and owns and operates a dairy. He also served on the board of Cenex Harvest States and is active in Rotary.

Wayne Dykstra of Billings, Mont., is president and CEO of Liquid Engineering Corp., an engineering and marine construction company. He’s been certified as a paramedic, and held an Arizona teaching certificate in emergency medicine.

The Association of California Insurance Companies (ACIC) named Armand Feliciano vice president. Additionally, members of the association nominated and appointed a new chair, vice chair, and board of directors to serve for a two-year term.

Feliciano has 17 years of legal, regulatory and legislative advocacy experience in California. He will be responsible for government affairs outreach on personal lines issues and regulatory efforts in California. Prior to joining ACIC, he managed regulatory advocacy efforts on managed care and quality issues as the associate director of medical and regulatory policy for the California Medical Association.

Kathleen Bissell, assistant vice president of Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., completed her two-year term as chairwoman. Gregory Parini, vice president of CSE Insurance Group, will move from vice chair to become board chair. Alice Bisno, senior vice president of Automobile Club of Southern California, was appointed vice chair.

Board of directors are: Kathleen Bissell, assistant vice president of Liberty Mutual Insurance Co.; Cary Cheldin, president of Crusader Insurance Co.; Cathy Crail, vice president of Western Mutual Insurance Co.; Eric DuPont, assistant vice president & government relations counsel for MetLife Auto & Home; Hank Edmiston, vice president for Fairfax Financial; John Fitts, deputy general counsel for Progressive Insurance Co.; John Hernandez, vice president marketing for Majestic Insurance Co.; Mike Mattoch, assistant vice president and senior legislative counsel for USAA; Robert O’Hollearn, regional vice president for Allied Insurance Co.; Steve Patterson, vice president and general counsel for Oregon Mutual Insurance; Richard Shrader, senior manager government affairs for AAA Northern California, Nevada and Utah Insurance Exchange; Jim Sevey, executive vice president and general counsel for California Casualty; Cinda Smith, senior counsel for GEICO; Robert Suglia, senior vice president and general counsel for Amica Mutual Group; Jim Werbeckes, vice president, government relations manager for Employers Insurance Group; and Kevin Wilson, president of Century National Insurance Co.

ACIC is an affiliate of the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America and represents 300 property/casualty insurance companies doing business in California.

One Risk Group LLC, a property/casualty insurance brokerage headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, hired Tad Brockie as senior vice president and director-life science practice. He brings 38 years of client advocacy and risk advisory experience to the company.

Brockie joins One Risk from Lockton Cos. in San Francisco, where he served as executive vice president. Other notable experience includes more than 17 years at Aon Risk Services as a senior vice president, and a stint at Woodruff Sawyer as an account executive. He has served on the Chartis/AIG Producer Council since 2004. He also has served on various committees for the Bay Area Council, including cyber security, healthcare, transportation and water.

Topics California Agencies Legislation Property Casualty Casualty Arizona