View this article online: https://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/mag-people/2010/11/14/160487.htm
J. Michael “Mike” Miley of Indiana-based Gibson Insurance Group was installed as chairman of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (the Big “I”). Miley began his insurance career in 1973 and joined Gibson Insurance Group in 1983. He began his involvement with the association at the local and state level, serving as president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Indiana from 1995 to 1996. In 1997, Miley was elected to the Big “I” national board of directors representing Indiana. He has twice been named Indiana Agent of the Year.
Valencia, Calif.-based L/B/W Insurance & Financial Services Inc. hired Lou Suarez as senior account executive. Suarez has more than 20 years of experience in both benefits and property/casualty. He began his career at Health Net, where he worked his way up to become the executive director of the Member and Account Services Departments. He then began his sales and marketing career in 2002 with Aon Corp. as marketing director for its Worksite Solutions division. In addition to his health benefits background, he has worked in the areas of workers’ compensation and other property/casualty business.
San Diego-based Cavignac & Associates appointed Shawn Guffey director of loss control and claims. He is charged with designing, coordinating and delivering loss control and claims management services on behalf of the firm’s clients.
A four-year military veteran, he brings to the firm 15 years of career experience in risk management, including risk identification and analysis, asset protection, disaster planning and workers’ compensation. Most recently, he served as the division safety manager for TruGreen LandCare, a subsidiary of ServiceMaster Co., one of the largest commercial landscaping companies in the nation.
Steve Titus, president and chief operating officer of Pasadena, Calif.-based The Rule Co., was elected the 86th president of the Southern California Golf Association.
A graduate of University of Southern California and its golf team, the San Gabriel Country Club member began his tenure with the SCGA in 1998 and is active on the Rules and Competitions Committee as well as Audit, Finance and Insurance. He is a director on the board of the California Golf Association, and a current member of the Golf Course Management Inc. board of directors.
The Dentists Insurance Co. hired Robert Mayo as vice president of business operations. Mayo brings to TDIC more than 25 years of operational experience directing information technology initiatives that enable organizations to effectively achieve their business objectives. Mayo most recently worked as a management consultant for CastleBay Consulting. He has more than 15 years of experience in the insurance industry, with a focus on insurance processing systems and loss reporting.
EPIC (Edgewood Partners Insurance Center) added Cheryl Downey as a senior vice president in its San Ramon, Calif.-based Programs Group. She has more than 25 years of experience in commercial property and casualty insurance with a specialty in hospitality industry group insurance program development and management. She was the principal architect of a group insurance program for pizza restaurants, including independents, chains and large franchise organizations. She will continue to focus on the risk management and insurance needs of the pizza restaurant business and expand the Programs Group’s hospitality industry resources.
Reno, Nev.-based Employers announced that Richard P. Hallman was promoted to senior vice president and chief information officer. Hallman previously served for the past five years as Employers’ vice president of information technology infrastructure and operations, managing enterprise-wide IT systems and critical data center operations. Hallman is an IT veteran with more than 20 years of leadership experience. Prior to joining Employers, he held senior IT leadership positions at Intuit Inc.