New Officers and Directors Take the Reins at TSLA

The Texas Surplus Lines Association Inc. announced a new slate of officers and directors at its 49th annual meeting held Nov. 7, 2005, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin, Texas.

The newly installed officers are: President Don Ethredge, managing partner, Texas Commercial Insurance Facilities, Tyler; Vice President Len Kaplan, executive vice president and chief financial officer, Delta General Agency, Houston; and Secretary/

Treasurer Lana Parks, president, The Parks Group Inc., Arlington.

The new TSLA directors, elected to three-year terms, are: Susan Gropp, Maclean, Oddy & Asso-ciates; Anita Herzog, Tejas American General Agency LLC; and Todd Teitell, Colemont Insurance Bro-kers of Texas LP.

TSLA existing directors include: Rob Arnold, Myron F. Steves & Co.; Gay Aulenbacher, Leicht General Agency; Lorrie Cheshier, McClelland & Hine Inc.; Shannon Dahlke, Mc-Clelland & Hine of Houston LLP; Paul Rainey, RSI International Inc.; and Monte Stringer, U.S. Risk Inc.

The TSLA Executive Committee consists of the current officers and the immediate past president, Marshall Leicht of Leicht General Agency.

During the business meeting, the President’s Award was presented to both Carl Roeder, chairperson of the Legislative Committee and Susan Gropp, chairperson of the Inter-Association Activities Committee. Roeder and Gropp each received a star-shaped paperweight engraved with their name and the year the award was received.

The Don King Com-mittee Member of the Year award was presented to Jim Devall, with Cunningham Lindsey U.S., for his service on the Inter-Association Activities Committee. He received a plaque for his service and dedication to the association. This award is given out each year in memory of past TSLA member and friend, Don King.

The Avrohm Wisenberg scholarship recipients were Pam Hooker, McClelland & Hine, and Jeanette DeLeon, Myron Steves. Hooker received a CIC scholarship and DeLeon received a CISR scholarship. In addition their scholarships, both recipients will receive a cash prize of $100 once their courses are completed. These scholarships are donated to TSLA annually by the Society of CIC.

Delta General Agency Corp. won the full ACSR scholarship donated to the association by the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas.

The Texas Surplus Lines Association celebrates its 50-year anniversary in 2006, with special programs planned for both its mid-year meeting in Carlsbad, Calif., in July, and its annual meeting in Austin in November.

For information about TSLA, contact Executive Director Jean Patterson at (512) 343-9058 or by e-mail at jptsla@tsla.org or visit the Web site at www.tsla.org.

Topics Texas