People and Places

Richard S. “Dick” Geiger, general counsel of the law firm of Thompson, Coe, Cousins and Irons, was presented the Raymond Mauk Leadership Award on July 12 in Austin, Texas, at the 15th Annual Mid-Year Property and Casualty Symposium.

Geiger becomes the tenth recipient of the award.

The Insurance Council of Texas (ICT) presents the Raymond Mauk Leadership Award at its Mid-Year Property and Casualty Insurance Symposium each year. It is the Council’s highest honor and is intended to bestow recognition on those whose labor has made a significant difference in the business of insurance.

Geiger received his law degree from SMU and was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1972 where he served as a delegate to the Texas Constitutional Convention. In 1975, Geiger joined Thompson, Coe and began his 32 years of service to the Texas insurance industry.

Geiger’s work can be found in legal briefs, written and oral testimony for regulatory and legislative decision makers as well as the laws and plan of operation for the Texas Automobile Insurance Plan Association. His advocacy led to advancements in the residual market, workers’ compensation and general liability.

The Raymond Mauk Award honors former Texas Fire Commissioner Raymond Mauk and annually recognizes someone who has made a notable contribution to the Texas property and casualty insurance industry.

More than 70 years ago, Commissioner Mauk was convinced that fundamental change was needed to protect the insurance buying public and the integrity of the marketplace from the misapplication of rates and forms.

To accomplish his goal, Mauk envisioned the creation of a central checking office that would enforce good business practices and audit the insurance industry’s paperwork for errors and competitive greed. Often facing great opposition and the traditional resistance to change, Mauk labored for two years to build support form both agents and companies.

By February 1935, Mauk’s leadership had led to the successful establishment of the Texas Insurance Checking Office, an institution, which continues to serve the Texas industry today.

Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Corporation (LWCC) announced that Jill Breard has joined the company as operations manager in the risk management services (RMS) division.

In this position, Breard will be responsible for overseeing the daily claims operations at LWCC. She will manage three units within the RMS division: claims administration, recovery and special investigations. Breard was previously the director of the Second Injury Board for the Louisiana Office of Workers’ Compensation. She has 18 years of experience in the workers’ compensation field.

LWCC (www.lwcc.com) is a private, nonprofit mutual insurance company.

Chris Scott joined Dallas-based PWIB Texas as broker/underwriter, the company announced. Scott has been a broker since 2002 and previously was associated with other leading insurance wholesalers in the Dallas area.

PWIB Texas is part of Insurance Specialty Group.

Cary Schneider, senior vice president of the Insurance Information Institute, has been elected executive vice president by the organization’s board of directors. Schneider assumes new responsibilities for directing the internal operations of the I.I.I. while continuing to manage the I.I.I.’s Internet activities, provide support to state insurance associations and supervise the organization’s subscriber services division, an in-house public relations agency which provides communications services to other industry groups.

Following Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Schneider was part of the team that managed the first Hurricane Insurance Information Center, which served as a model for industry communications efforts in the aftermath of major disasters, including Hurricane Katrina.

Prior to joining the Institute in 1977, Schneider was assistant news secretary to Illinois Governor Dan Walker.

Colemont Insurance Brokers of Texas added Rob Cahill as a casualty broker in the Dallas office on Terry Moody’s team.

At Colemont, Cahill will specialize in construction casualty, but will also place a wide range of other coverages with nationwide market access.

Cahill has been in the insurance business since 2003, working as a casualty broker at another Dallas E&S operation where he started as management trainee.

New Orleans-based Hartwig Moss Benefits, a division of 135 year old Hartwig Moss Insurance Agency Ltd., added Jessica Blackwell to its Client Service Team as client relations associate.

Blackwell, like Client Relations Manager Tammy Percle, comes to Hartwig Moss Benefits from Metropolitan Gastroenterology, a large physician group with three locations in the New Orleans area. In her years there, Blackwell gained experience working with health insurance carriers assisting patients with billing and claim resolution.

Hartwig Moss Benefits is a full service employee benefits consulting firm based in New Orleans, La., with an office in Austin, Texas.

Independent insurance agent Brad Bourg, of Donaldsonville, La., was named to the national board of Allstate Independent Agency Council.

The council is made up of 11 outstanding independent agents from around the country who represent the Allstate brand. They volunteer their time to provide input on key business issues.

Bourg is with the Bourg Insurance Agency, Donaldsonville, La. With three locations, the agency has been serving the citizens of Ascension and the surrounding parishes for nearly 50 years.

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