People and places

David Soucy, a third generation owner of the family independent insurance agency, Soucy Insurance Agency, of Woonsocket, R.I., was sworn in as president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Rhode Island at the association’s 106th annual conference.

IIARI also elected its officers for its 107th year, including: Nancy Mendizabal, president-elect; Tony Pires, vice president; Robert Slocum, state national director and Myron Mitchell as immediate past president.

Four district vice presidents elected were: Andrew Palazzo, Central District; David White, Northern District; Joyce Hartman, Southern District; and Collette McKeon, East Bay District. William Combies, Doug Mayhew, Melanie Loiselle-Mongeon, and John Meek were elected as the four district vice-presidents at-large. They were joined by eight district representatives: Ed Bishop and Mark Rotondo, Central District; Donald Curran and Greg Troy, East Bay District; Patrick Darcey and Mark Nadeau, Northern District; and Michael Dacey and Tom Regan, Southern District.

The Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of New Jersey presented Terry M. Ryan, president and chief executive officer of Hanson and Ryan Inc., with the Richard C. Hardenbergh Community Service Award. The award recognizes a New Jersey insurance industry individual for voluntary community service. Ryan has participated in numerous civic groups including the Jaycees, youth sports coaching programs, Paterson Diocese CYO, Passaic Valley 200 Club, Passaic County Historical Society and local Rotary Clubs. He has served on the board of trustees of St. Joseph’s Wayne Hospital and at St. Barnabas Health Care System and was liaison to Montclair State University’s Community Board. In his hometown of Little Falls, Ryan has held elected positions of committeeperson, police commissioner and mayor.

Insurance broker Beecher Carlson has promoted Geraldine Kerrigan to senior vice president. In this role, Kerrigan will be responsible for client services within Beecher Carlson’s National Energy Practice. Kerrigan operates from Beecher Carlson’s Boston office. Kerrigan originally joined Beecher Carlson in January 2005 as assistant vice president. Prior to joining Beecher Carlson, Kerrigan was with William Gallagher Associates.

The Main Street America Group has named Bonny Parker as vice president for personal lines. She will be based at corporate headquarters in Jacksonville, Fla. Parker joins Main Street America from Nationwide Insurance, Columbus, Ohio, where she was vice president for personal lines auto. In this role, Parker was responsible for a $6.3 billion personal auto portfolio. Prior to joining Nationwide, Parker was with GMAC Insurance, Winston-Salem, N.C.

The Insurance Information Institute has named Michael F. Barry as director of media relations. In this role, Barry will be developing strategic communications and will serve as a spokesperson for the Institute.

Barry joins the I.I.I. from the New York State Insurance Department, where he served since 2004 as the agency’s director of public affairs. He was corporate communications manager at The Depository Trust & Clearing Corp. between 1998 and 2003, and public information officer for the New York State Banking Department (1996-1998).

The Hanover Insurance Group Inc. has appointed Michael Hussey as vice president of underwriting for personal lines business in Massachusetts. Hussey joined The Hanover in 1986 as personal lines underwriting manager, and has served in numerous product development and underwriting roles since. Most recently, he was director of underwriting for personal lines in Massachusetts.

Tom Rodell, resident managing director of Aon Risk Services of San Francisco, has been named the 2007 chairman of The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers. Rodell succeeds Charles R. Daniels III, executive vice president of Rose and Kiernan Inc., of East Greenbush, N.Y.

Rodell, who has spent 30 years in risk management, has held a number of key positions with Aon including executive vice president and chief operating officer of Aon Risk Services Inc. of Illinois and managing principal of Aon Risk Consultants Inc. In his current job as resident managing director for Aon Risk Services of San Francisco, he oversees all management responsibilities for the office.

As chairman of The Council, Rodell will lead a committee of officers that includes Vice Chairman George A. Steadman, president and chief operating officer of Rutherfoord of Roanoke, Va.; Treasurer Markham McKnight, executive vice president and director of BancorpSouth Insurance Services Inc., Baton Rouge, La.; and Secretary H. Wade Reece, president of BB&T Insurance Services of Raleigh, N.C.

The Massachusetts insurance community has honored Daniel J. Johnston, president of the Automobile Insurers Bureau and a founder and executive director of the Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts, as the fifth annual Insurance Professional of the Year. Johnston was honored at a luncheon in Boston hosted by the The Insurance Library Association, which sponsors the award.

Johnston has served as president of the Automobile Insurers Bureau of Massachusetts since 1989, overseeing the insurance industry’s role in the annual auto ratemaking process. During 1990, Johnston was instrumental in creating the Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts, and was appointed as its first executive director, a position in which he still serves. He is the longest serving fraud director of any of the 41 fraud bureaus in the country. From 1999 to 2001, he served as president of the International Association of Insurance Fraud Agencies, an organization of over 100 similar entities from around the globe.

OneBeacon Insurance Group has appointed Paul DiFrancesco as president of its AutoOne Insurance subsidiary, effective Jan. 1, 2007. He succeeds Carey Benson, president and chief executive officer, who is retiring at year-end but will remain associated with the White Mountains Group.

DiFrancesco joined AutoOne in June 2005 as senior vice president and chief operating officer. Benson has been with the company since its formation in October 2001.