Alabama State Representative Mike Hill, R-Shelby County, was honored by the Alabama Independent Insurance Agents as AIIA’s “Lawmaker of the Year” in an award presentation in Montgomery, Ala.
Hill was honored for his willingness to listen to AIIA’s perspective about various pieces of pending legislation and for assisting AIIA in efforts to educate other legislators on its position on various bills and how their passage would effect the insurance industry.
Hill was elected to the Alabama State Legislature in 1986. He owns a title insurance company and works as an agent. Hill is vice-chairman of the House Banking and Insurance Committee which puts him in a position to know what’s going on in the House related to insurance matters. He has actively filed bills on behalf of the insurance industry and has worked to defeat legislation that was not in the best interest of insurance consumers.
Tim Stark has become the 1,600th member of the Independent Strategic Agency in the Strategic Independent Agents Alliance. Stark joins the Mountain State Agency Alliance master Agency Network, a division of Ramsey Insurance Agency Inc. in Charleston, W.V. Stark is president of Stark Insurance Services of Buckhannon, W.V.
Tim Stark started the agency in July 1989 and has been in the insurance business since 1978. Stark Insurance is a family business providing multi-line services to its community. The agency represents SIAA Strategic Partner Companies, The Hartford, St. Paul/Travelers, Safeco and Zurich.
Stark was welcomed by Jim Masiello, SIAA chairman. Stark said that becoming an SIAA member has enabled his agency to gain access to additional markets, better serve clients and pursue previously unavailable business opportunities. He said Stark Insurance Services’ growth objectives will be greatly served by the support and guidance of SIAA and the Mountain State Agency Alliance.
Ed Kuhlcer and Toni Porterfield to senior vice president by the board of directors of the Main Street America Group in Jacksonville, Fla.
Kuhl joined The Main Street America Group in 1988 as controller. Since 1999, he has been treasurer of all operating companies; and in March 2000 became a vice president. In 2002, Kuhl became chief financial officer. Kuhl is responsible for all financial activities including accounting, treasury, tax, planning and internal audit functions.
Kuhl was formerly vice president and chief financial officer at Sedgwick James of Pennsylvania Inc. Prior to that position Kuhl managed corporate accounting at the PMA Group in Philadelphia. He began his insurance career as an accountant in the International Division of INA.
Porterfield has been named senior vice president, human resources. She joined Main Street America in 2004 as vice president of human resources. Porterfield will be responsible for strategic direction and implementation of human resources products and services. She has training, marketing, communications and human resources background, including manager of field sales and marketing training at Chrysler Motors.
Porterfield began her insurance career in corporate training and development at The Travelers and The Maryland Insurance Group. In 1994 she joined Zurich, in several senior positions including vice president, marketing; senior vice president, corporate development; and most recently, senior vice president, human resources, organizational development and rewards for Zurich North America.
Kim Wyles has been appointed vice president, and Noreen Graham has been named managing director of Beecher Carlson Holding’s Los Angeles office.
Wyles will supervise risk management accounts and new business. She has more than 20 years insurance experience, beginning as a casualty claims adjuster, moving into underwriting medical malpractice and professional liability prior to becoming a broker in 1996.
Wyles worked for Beecher Carlson for five years before joining Arthur J. Gallagher. In 2004, she became a Beecher Carlson account executive managing risk management accounts.
Graham’s primary responsibilities will be production and retention of risk management accounts as well as growing the Los Angeles office through recruitment and resource development. Graham will also focus on large account production, retention and oversight. Graham has more than 13 years of insurance experience, which she began as a large account underwriter, before moving to risk management brokerage in 1996. She has been a an account executive with Beecher Carlson for six years, specializing in program design and implementation for national accounts. In 2001, she joined Arthur J. Gallagher as an alternative risk financing specialist and new business producer.
Beecher Carlson’s Los Angeles office is at 21800 Oxnard Street, Ste. 1080, Woodland Hills, CA 91367, phone: (818) 598-4200.
John C. Laurie has been appointed a member of the board of directors of Northern Capital Inc. of Miami, Fla., the holding company for Northern Capital Insurance Co., a property and casualty company formed recently to provide homeowners coverage to Florida residents.
Laurie’s promotion was announced by Wayne Fletcher, NCI president and CEO. Laurie is a certified public accountant, principal of a well established independent insurance agency and a Florida Association of Insurance Agents board member. He will use Florida’s independent agency system to sell insurance products. Laurie will also play a major role in assisting in the investment of capital and surplus and developing relationships with independent agents.
In 2000, after a 10-year career as a CPA, Laurie became a principal and the COO of Wyman, Green & Blalock Inc. He previously served as founder and president of JCL Capital Management Corp., a private investment management firm which formed and managed a number of private investment funds. Prior to that, Laurie was a principal of Shinn, Laurie, Meadowcroft & Company P.A., CPAs and consultants.
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