People and Places

Members of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners elected 2007 officers during the group’s winter meeting in San Antonio.

Alabama Insurance Commissioner Walter Bell was named president, Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger was chosen as president-elect, New Hampshire Insurance Commissioner Roger Sevigny was elected vice president and West Virginia Insurance Commissioner Jane Cline was elected secretary-treasurer.

Bell became Alabama insurance commissioner in January 2003. He began his insurance career as a financial professional with The MONY Group in 1983. He served as their national director of emerging markets from 1996 until 1999, at which time he became vice president of corporate diversity in New York City, until his retirement in 2002. His career also includes a stint with the Urban League in Indianapolis.

Praeger was elected Kansas’ 24th commissioner in 2002, and was re-elected in 2006. She previously served three terms in the Kansas Senate and one term in the Kansas House of Representatives. She also has served as mayor of Lawrence, Kan., and was a member of the Lawrence City Commission.

Sevigny was appointed as New Hampshire commissioner in 2003. He previously held the position of assistant commissioner and he also worked at Travelers Insurance for more than 30 years.

Cline was named West Virginia insurance commissioner in January 2001. Prior to her appointment, Cline operated a government consulting firm. From 1989 to 1997, she served as Commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles. Prior to her that, Cline served as deputy commissioner for the West Virginia Division of Highways.

The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies has named Nancy Grover as its new media relations director. Grover, who will be based in NAMIC’s Washington, D.C. office, will promote the positions of the organization and the member companies it serves to key target audiences. Grover has been a journalist in the broadcasting and publishing fields for two decades, serving most recently as managing editor for a Florida-based publishing company where she wrote a newsletter devoted to workers’ compensation, as well as articles for Risk and Insurance magazine. She has also been an account representative for MetLife.

John Latham has been promoted to senior vice president in operations for Markel Corp., reported Tony Markel, president and chief operating officer. Latham will work with CEO Markel and executive vice president Paul Springman in the direction of Markel’s worldwide insurance company operations. Most recently, Latham has served as Markel’s chief information officer.

Also at Markel, David Egbert, currently chief technical officer, is being promoted to chief information officer and will report to Latham in his new role.

A newly created Office of Business Development comprised of Letha Heaton, Brenda Phillips, and Jeff Lamb will also report to Latham, as his primary focus will be on business development.

Prior to his position as chief information officer, Latham was chief operating officer of Markel Re. Prior to that, he had been president and CEO of Colony Insurance Co.

Egbert joined Markel in March 2006 as chief technical officer. He had previously been chief information officer at Viasystems Technologies.

The President’s Award — the Professional Insurance Agents of Florida’s top honor — has been given to Communication Director Mary Frederick. Frederick writes, edits, and designs a variety of publications, and implements statewide marketing initiatives. Active in her community, Frederick is involved in local planning and development issues, sits on the Woodland Drives Association board, and is a Gaines Street Vitalization Committee member.

Summit, a provider of workers’ compensation insurance services, named James Wood as vice president of marketing for its multi-state Southeast territory. Wood joined Summit in 1998. He served as the project leader for Summit’s first Web site in 2000. Most recently he served as Summit’s director of underwriting.

Alex Sink, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer-elect, tapped Leslie “Les” Hallman to serve as the new director of the State Fire Marshal’s Office. Hallman, a 25-year veteran in fire and rescue services, law enforcement and emergency management, will assume his new duties next month. Hallman will be replacing Rand Napoli, who is retiring after more than 30 years in fire services.

As director of the Division of State Fire Marshal, Hallman will oversee four bureaus: the Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations, a sworn law enforcement agency; the Bureau of Fire Prevention, the Bureau of Fire Standards and Training, and the Bureau of Forensic Fire and Explosives Analysis (the Arson Laboratory).

Britt/Paulk has hired two underwriters to join its Carrollton, Georgia office. David Campbell is now underwriting operations manager, while James Swing has been hired as equipment chief underwriting officer.

Campbell has 25 years in underwriting, product development and agency roles. His focus will be new and existing products. He is currently rolling out Britt/Paulk’s new Self Storage Businessowners program and forthcoming Farm & Ranch Owners program.

Swing has 30 years of experience with Home Insurance, Royal, CNA, Continental, Liberty Mutual and TIG. He was most recently chief underwriting officer for Ramsgate Insurance Inc. He will focus on managing the Equipment Program, which includes construction, forestry, agricultural and lawn and garden. Additionally, he will oversee a new Timber Harvesting Program.

Risk Management Solutions, Newark, Calif., announced that Mary Lou Zoback has joined the firm as vice president of earthquake risk applications. A 28-year veteran of the United States Geological Survey, Zoback is a geophysicist. Most recently she was regional coordinator for the USGS Northern California Earthquake Hazard Program. In her new role, Zoback will help to manage earthquake hazard and risk networks, as well as build consensus among experts to develop earthquake source and earthquake risk models for new regions of the world.

Topics Florida Virginia Kansas West Virginia