People – West

Richards D. Barger, a former California insurance commissioner and a former president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, died in late January. He was 87.

Barger, who went by the name Dick, devoted his practice to insurance services, with an emphasis in the formation, merger and acquisition of insurance companies, according to the website for Hinshaw & Culberston LLP, where he served as a partner emeritus.

Bager’s legal career spanned more than six decades, and he was well-known in insurance circles. In 1968 he was appointed by then-governor Ronald Reagan as a California insurance commissioner. Barger held the post from 1968 to 1972.

Barger became a partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson in October 2014 as a result of the merger of Hinshaw and the Los Angeles-based firm of Barger & Wolen LLP, of which Barger was a founding partner.

Joseph DeLucchi has succeeded Scott Hauge as the president and owner of CAL Insurance & Associates Inc.

Hauge has led CAL for the last 37 years. Hauge will remain on with CAL as a broker and member of the board of directors.

DeLucchi has a been a part of the firm as a commercial insurance broker/advisor since 1998. He was named the corporate vice president in 2006.

CAL is a regional full service brokerage in San Francisco.

Salinas, Calif.-based Leavitt Central Coast Insurance Services hired Deana Doyle as a personal agent. Doyle focuses on insurance for home and auto and is licensed in property/casualty and life and health.

Doyle worked in personal insurance prior to joining the agency. She worked in the financial industry, both in banking and mortgage lending, for more than 15 years before entering the insurance industry.

Leavitt Central Coast Insurance Services is part of Leavitt Group.

Rick Genest joined Premier Insurance Services as the company’s president.

Genest comes from Freeway Insurance/Confie Seguros, where he was the Houston, Texas-based president. Prior to Freeway he was associate vice president of Titan Auto (Nationwide) in nine states. He was also President of Eastwood Insurance in California before selling to Titan Auto.

Premier targets the growing Hispanic community in California and the West.

JLT Specialty USA has named Cari Hernandez senior vice president for its entertainment and hospitality practice.

Hernandez will be based in the Los Angeles office, where she will manage the needs of clients in gaming, resorts, events, sports and leisure.

Hernandez worked at Aon Risk Solutions as senior vice president of global strategy in the entertainment practice. Prior to that Hernandez was vice president of Near North Insurance Brokerage.

JLT Specialty Insurance Services Inc. is the U.S. platform of the specialty business advisory firm Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group.

Alliant Insurance Services Inc. has hired aviation industry specialist Darwin Hostelley as first vice president.

Hostelley will be based in Denver, Colo.

Prior to Alliant he was a senior vice president with a global insurance brokerage.

Newport Beach, Calif.-based Alliant is an insurance brokerage that provides property/casualty, workers’ compensation, employee benefits, surety and financial products and services.

Ironshore Inc. announced the opening of a branch office in Seattle, Wash., to be led by Daniel Sonon as branch executive.

Sonon will be responsible for marketing across all Ironshore business lines.

Sonon joined Ironshore in 2012 as vice president of the large account architects and engineers risk sector. Previously he was regional production specialist with Lexington Insurance Co.

Ironshore provides specialty property/casualty insurance coverages for varying risks located throughout the world.

USI Insurance Services has named David Goldman employee benefits leader and producer for its Mountain region.

Goldman is responsible for driving new business growth as well as managing a book of clients for USI.

Goldman has more than 25 years of experience in employee benefits. Prior to USI Goldman was executive vice president and employee benefits producer with Willis Group.

Valhalla, N.Y.-based USI is an insurance brokerage and consulting firm.

Topics California