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The National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) has announced the promotion of Mike Becker to director of federal affairs.

Since joining PIA, Becker has managed the day-to-day responsibilities associated with running the Professional Insurance Agents Political Action Committee, including PAC governance and oversight, grassroots initiatives and fundraising. He also serves as staff liaison to the PIAPAC board of directors.

Becker began his career with PIA in March of 2007. Prior to that, he served as a legislative assistant for the Consumer Healthcare Products Association from 2004 to 2007. He joined CHPA after a short stint as a legislative correspondent on Capitol Hill.

Florida’s state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. announced the retirement of its board of governors’ chairman, Bruce Douglas. Douglas told fellow board members and the audience at a June meeting in Jacksonville of his decision to retire from public service and return to assist with the growth of his sons’ family-owned business.

Appointments of all board members expire on July 31, 2008. The governor, chief financial officer, president of the Florida Senate and speaker of the Florida House appoint Citizens’ board of governors.

The Florida Association of Insurance Agents named three new board members at its annual conference held June 13-15. Each will serve on the board for a term of three years.

Robert S. Ludwig, vice president of Ludwig-Walpole Insurance Agency in Sarasota.

John M. Pollock, president of Oswald Trippe and Company Inc. in Fort Myers.

Jeffrey M. Schlitt, vice president and commercial lines sales manager of Schlitt Insurance Services in Vero Beach.

Additional appointments: Arturo F. Hoyo, president of Coastal Insurance Group in Miami Springs, selected to serve as vice chairman. William D. Gunter, Jr., chairman and CEO of Rogers, Gunter, Vaughn Insurance in Tallahassee and CEO of Bill Gunter & Associates, selected as chairman-elect.

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear appointed two new judges in the Department of Workers Claims. Beshear appointed private practice attorney Joseph W. Justice, of Pikeville, who replaces John W. Thacker; Thacker’s term has expired.

The governor also appointed Otto Daniel Wolff, of Fort Mitchell. Wolff is the city attorney for Lakeside Park and replaces Aaron Thomas Davis II, whose term has expired.

These appointments will expire July 14, 2012.

Illinois-based Great American Insurance Group added Adam Grey to its Atlanta office as marketing representative for the firm’s executive liability division. Grey previously worked with the banking sector in providing insurance solutions for construction loan portfolios. His territory includes Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Novato, Calif.-based Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co.’s Specialty Business named Michael Berg vice president and product executive for inland marine and related property.

In this position, Berg will lead product strategy and client relationship management for the entirety of the Fireman’s Fund inland marine product line. A Fireman’s Fund veteran, Berg served as the former product director of inland marine from 1982 to 2000. He is returning to the company after working at OneBeacon Insurance, where he managed inland marine and monoline property underwriting staff for the western region.

Berg has 30 years of experience in the inland marine insurance business and began his career in 1976 as a property underwriting trainee, advancing to leadership roles at Fireman’s Fund, Industrial Indemnity, Kemper Insurance, and OneBeacon. He has served on the board of the Marine Underwriters of San Francisco and on the national board of directors of the Inland Marine Underwriters Association.

Berg will be based out of New York City.

The Travelers Cos. Inc. has named Joan Kois Woodward executive vice president for public policy.

Woodward, who will be based in Washington, D. C., joins the company from Goldman Sachs & Co., where she was the founding executive director of the company’s Global Markets Institute. During her nine years at Goldman Sachs, Woodward also served as vice president and director of Washington research for Goldman Sachs’ Global Investment Research.

Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Woodward served as deputy chief of staff for the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance. She also served as Senior Economist for the U.S. Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs and the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Budget.

The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America hired Marguerite Murer as senior vice president of public affairs.

Murer has experience in both the public and private sectors. She most recently served as The Allstate Corp.’s corporate relations manager and a member of Allstate’s CEO Support Team from its Northbrook, Ill., headquarters.

As special assistant to the president and director of presidential correspondence, Murer led the largest office in the White House. Before moving to D.C., Murer was the director of corporate communications and training for Alfa SmartParks, an amusement parks company. She also served in the front office of the Texas Rangers Baseball Club.

Topics USA Florida Property