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The new officers of the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents were installed during the group’s September meeting in Savannah, Ga. Each officer will serve a one-year term beginning Oct. 1, at which time Donna Pile, of Lexington, Ky., becomes president; Robert P. Page of Houma, La., becomes president-elect; Kenneth R. Auerbach, of Eatontown, N.J., becomes vice president/ treasurer; Jon D. Spalding of Perry, Michigan, becomes secretary/assistant treasurer; and outgoing PIA National President Ray L. Peretti, of Renton, Wash., becomes immediate past president.

Maine-based TD Banknorth Insurance Agency Inc. announced several personnel moves, including the promotion of Ellen L. Dupuis to senior vice president in the personal insurance division in South Portland, Maine. As a product line/profit center manager, she will continue to be responsible for sales and service to clients throughout northern New England. Dupuis joined TD Banknorth in 1977 and has 30 years of experience in the industry.

Also, Vince A. Daboul has been promoted to senior vice president in Springfield, Mass. He will continue to be responsible for the sales, retention and profitability of the employee benefits division in Massachusetts. Daboul joined TD Banknorth Insurance in 2003 and has 19 years of insurance experience.

Joann M. Reis has been promoted to vice president in North Conway, N.H. A marketing specialist, she will continue to be responsible for marketing commercial insurance programs for businesses throughout New England.

Peter M. MacDonald has been promoted to assistant vice president and sales manager for personal lines in South Portland. As a sales manager, he will be responsible for managing 11 personal lines salespeople in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. MacDonald joined TD Banknorth in 2004 and has 20 years of sales experience. He previously served as an inside sales team leader and an account executive.

Melody A. Laskey has been promoted to assistant vice president in the education and training department in South Portland. She will continue to manage the training and education of all insurance agency employees. Laskey joined TD Banknorth in 1979 and served for 20 years in commercial lines before moving into education.

Swiss Re has announced the appointment of Roger W. Ferguson Jr., as head of financial services and a member of Swiss Re’s executive committee. Ferguson joined Swiss Re from the U.S. Federal Reserve Board as chairman of Swiss Re America Holding in June 2006, and will continue in that role. He will have responsibility for Swiss Re’s proprietary asset management and for the capital management and advisory unit, which serves as the company’s capital market platform, specializing in the growing insurance bond market and derivative activities. He will also oversee credit risk underwriting.

The Society of Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters elected these new officers during its recent annual meeting in Nashville:

President: Betsey L. Brewer, senior vice president of The Rule Company in Pasadena, Calif. Brewer is a member and past president of the Los Angeles Chapter. Nationally, she has served as a CPCU Society governor from 1998 to 2002, and as a third-year governor on the executive committee.

President-Elect: James L. Britt, a managing director of Marsh USA Inc. in Charlotte, N.C. An active member and past president of the Charlotte chapter, Britt chaired the 2004 annual meeting task force. He also served as a 1995-1996 regional vice president.

Vice President: Marvin Kelly, executive director of Texas Property and Casualty Insurance Guaranty Association in Austin. Kelly will serve a one-year term as vice president, and then automatically move into the positions of president-elect, president, and immediate past president. He will serve as the 2008-2009 president.

Secretary/Treasurer: Larry L. Klein, a vice president of pricing for the Alternative Solutions-Group Captives Business Unit of Zurich North America in Schaumburg, Ill. Klein is serving a second three-year term.

Also continuing her service on the board is Millicent W. Workman, the immediate past president. Workman is a research analyst with International Risk Management Institute Inc. based in Dallas. She is a past president and treasurer of the Memphis chapter.

The Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of New Jersey swore in new officers at its 113th annual conference recently. Brian F. Durkin of the Durkin Agency in Englewood and Ramsey was sworn in as chairman of the association for 2006-2007. William H. Malone Jr. of Continental Marmorstein & Malone in Paramus will serve as chairman-elect. Jacqueline Jungsberger of Tri-County Agency of Brick in Brick will assume the position of vice chairman, and Charles S. Stults III of Allen and Stults in Hightstown will continue his role as state director to the national association.

Bruce W. Hill of the R. Bruce Hill Agency in Millburn and Point Pleasant, having concluded his term as chairman for 2005-2006, will continue to participate in IIABNJ leadership as past chairman.

Also newly installed were the officers of the Young Agents Council for IIABNJ. David R. Strout Jr. of Cettei and Connell Inc. in Woodbury will serve as chairman of the YAC Board. Jacqueline C. Bethanis of the Van Dyk Group in Manahawkin will serve as chairman-elect. Tee Atkins of Allsopp and Co. in Summit will assume the role of vice chairman. Susan M. Gregory of Karl Weidel Inc. in Trenton, having concluded her term as YAC chairman, will continue to serve as past chairman.

Krauter & Co. LLC in New York City has hired Dennis Letsche as a new producer. He is responsible for developing new business in the property and casualty insurance practice. Letsche’s 12 years experience in the property and casualty sector includes being a vice president with USI Insurance Services. Prior to joining the insurance industry, he spent 15 years with 3M Company and was chief executive officer for Canfield Metals Group Inc.

Amity Insurance Agency Inc. has named Mae Teixeira manager of its Boston office. Teixeira, a licensed insurance broker, brings 24 years of industry experience to the position. Prior to joining Amity Insurance Agency Inc. she owned and operated an insurance agency in the Boston area.

John Mavroukas was recently named vice president of Property and Casualty for The Demetriou Group of Companies in New York. He is responsible for the overall property and casualty operations of the company. Mavroukas previously served as an underwriting manager for small business and middle markets, as well as marketing director, for a New York wholesale agency. Most recently he was lead underwriter in the primary casualty department at AIG.

Mercator Risk Services has appointed Dena (Cusick) Magyar to its professional liability practice as vice president based in the New York office. Prior to joining Mercator, Magyar served as a senior account manager at Rand Insurance, one of the largest independent insurance agencies in Connecticut. Before that time, Magyar served as vice president at Marsh.

Global insurance broker Willis Group Holdings has made several management promotions in its North American leadership team following the appointment of Don Bailey as chief executive officer of Willis North America. The unit has named Tom Ealy, chief operating officer for Willis North America; Joe Gunn, executive vice president and national partner, North American Client Development; and Eric Joost, client advocacy leader in North America.

Ealy comes to his new role bringing 20 years of insurance industry experience. He joined Willis in 2002 in the Chicago office. He will be relocating to New York.

Gunn will take a leadership role in recruiting and acquisitions. Previously the national partner for the south central region, Gunn brings 14 years in the insurance business to his new role, the last three of which have been with Willis. He will be relocating to New York.

Joost assumes leadership of the client advocacy initiative in North America in addition to maintaining his current responsibilities as North American middle market leader. He joined Willis earlier this year. He is based in Chicago and will work with the Global Client Advocacy Team led by Chris London.

Swett & Crawford appointed Kyle Chapman as vice president and director of business development. He will be working with Swett & Crawford’s senior management team in Atlanta on its acquisition initiatives. Chapman will also assist Terri Snell, Swett’s chief administrative officer in identifying operational efficiencies throughout the company’s network of 37 offices.

Prior to joining Swett & Crawford, Chapman worked as a senior associate at Banc of America Capital Investors, a private firm. He participated in Swett & Crawford’s divestiture from Aon Corp. in 2005.

Strategic Independent Agents Alliance has appointed William J. Fahy as executive vice president for programs and specialty markets. Fahy’s duties include working with SIAA’s senior staff and agencies to develop proprietary programs, specialty products and excess and surplus relationships. He will establish an office of SIAA in Rome, N.Y.

Prior to joining SIAA, Fahy was an executive officer of Bailey Haskell Associates Inc. a large independent insurance agency in the Syracuse, N.Y., region. In addition, he has experience in the alternative market arena and is a director of the Lewis and Clark Risk Retention Group.

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