Texas Mutual Insurance Company appointed Larry Wagner as its new vice president of underwriting. Wagner will serve as chief underwriting officer and will oversee loss prevention efforts.
Wagner has 30 years of underwriting experience with a focus on workers’ compensation and commercial property/casualty insurance. His resume includes five years as vice president of underwriting for General Fire & Casualty Company. He has also developed strategic plans for carriers such as SAFECO Insurance Companies, Royal Insurance Company and Kemper National Insurance Companies.
Debbie Harrington, a commercial underwriter for First Premium Insurance Group in Covington, La., was elected to serve on the Board of the Louisiana Surplus Lines Association. In addition to being installed on the LSLA Board, Harrington will serve as LSLA’s treasurer.
Harrington’s current standings include PIA Northshore Chapter Board member; Insurance Women of Greater New Orleans treasurer, Board member and past president; president of Young Insurance Professionals and president-elect of the National Association of Insurance Women of Louisiana.
First Premium also announced that Debbie Terese has joined the firm as commercial underwriter. Terese will assist with the marketing of programs.
She comes to First Premium from a national MGA/broker where she worked for many years as an underwriter/broker handling garage liability, auto liability, cargo, inland marine and other lines of commercial business.
Insurance and risk management firm McQueary Henry Bowles Troy LLP, Dallas, appointed Trey Halbert as a consultant in the employee benefits group in the company’s Austin office.
Halbert brings to MHBT more than 12 years of solid experience in the employee benefits industry, specifically in design and management of large accounts.
Prior to joining MHBT, he held positions of director of sales for Principal Financial Group and as group manager for Assurant Employee Benefits. Halbert also spent several years working exclusively with partially self-funded clients as a sales executive for Great-West Healthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas.
Beckie Huffman and Andrea McCall have joined Dallas-based insurance wholesale firm PWIB Texas.
Huffman, associate underwriter, has 16 years’ experience with leading wholesalers in the Dallas area.
McCall will serve PWIB Texas as a technical assistant. She attended Collin County Community College.
Brian Connelly joined Louisiana-based health plan manager and insurance services provider Gilsbar Inc. in its Product Development and Market Research unit.
Connelly will oversee the research, design and strategic launch of new products for Gilsbar’s clients.
He formerly was vice president of Product Development and Strategic Planning for HCap Strategies, a national benefit administration services company. He has also worked with Ceridian Benefit Services as senior product manager and as vice president for their Wisconsin service center.
Tryton Insurance Group LLC, based in Houston, Texas, added Becki Tucker as associate director of marketing. Tucker’s responsibilities include promoting Tryton to independent agents throughout the country.
Before joining Tryton, Tucker held numerous positions in the insurance industry. Mostly recently she served as associate director of Business Development for Myron Steves in Austin. Tucker has been working in insurance since 1967, and has experience working for independent agencies, managing general agencies and claims administration companies.
She is a member of the Federation of Insurance Women of Texas, serving as president from 1988-89. Tucker is a Certified Insurance Counselor, and a member of the Texas Chapter of Certified Counselors where she has served as president and faculty member.
Austin Surplus Lines, a managing general agency based in Austin, Texas, announced the following promotions to the position of underwriter:
Katy Campbell, transportation underwriter. Campbell began her career in insurance 22 years ago. She holds her CIC designation and has been with Austin Surplus Lines for three years.
Christina Demaray, transportation underwriter. Demaray started in the insurance business 11 years ago, during which time she has been an integral part of Austin Surplus Lines.
Jennifer Nosal, transportation underwriter. Nosal joined Austin Surplus Lines five years ago after serving on the retail side of the insurance business for several years. She holds a general lines solicitor’s license.
Michelle Williams with LegacyTexas Insurance Services of Plano, Texas, recently earned the Accredited Customer Service Representative designation from the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America. Williams is a homebuilders specialist with LegacyTexas.
Swett & Crawford named Neal Abernathy, its president and chief operating officer, as the company’s CEO. Abernathy has been president and COO since August 2005. He will also retain the president’s title.
In addition, the firm will move its corporate offices from Woodland Hills, Calif. to Atlanta, to streamline and consolidate administrative and support functions under Abernathy’s leadership.
IMA of Colorado Inc., Denver, named Gary Gaston senior account executive focusing on the energy industry with expertise in Gulf of Mexico exposures. He was previously vice president at Hibernia Insurance Agency. He will be based in Denver.
General Re Corp., a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., named Michael L. Sweeney chairman and CEO of its aviation underwriting subsidiary, United States Aviation Underwriters Inc. Sweeney replaces Harold J. Clark who retired from USAU April 26.
To submit information to the People column, e-mail sjones@insurancejournal.com.
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