Dr. Terri Vaughan Drake University Dr. Vaughan is a leading expert in insurance regulation, having spent the bulk of her career as a scholar of regulation, an insurance regulator, and a representative of U.S. insurance regulation domestically and internationally. She is currently the Robb B. Kelley Visiting Distinguished Professor of Insurance and Actuarial Science at the College of Business and Public Administration at Drake University. From 2009 to 2012, she was the CEO of the NAIC, where she led the NAIC s response to the financial crisis. In addition to domestic efforts, she represented the U.S. insurance regulatory system internationally, as a member of the Executive Committee of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) and of the steering committing for the U.S./E.U. Insurance Dialogue Project. In 2012, she chaired the Joint Forum, a Basel, Switzerland-based group of banking, insurance, and securities supervisors. Prior to joining the NAIC, Dr. Vaughan spent time in both academia, as the Robb B. Kelley Distinguished Professor, and in regulation, as Iowa Insurance Commissioner and NAIC President. She is the longestserving and first female insurance commissioner in Iowa. During her years in regulation, Dr. Vaughan led a number of modernization efforts, including financial data reengineering, development of the life insurance interstate compact, producer licensing reform, solvency modernization, and others. Dr. Vaughan earned a Ph.D. in risk and insurance at the University of Pennsylvania and a B.B.A. in insurance and economics at the University of Iowa. She is the co-author of two college textbooks on insurance, a past editor of the Journal of Insurance Regulation and a past president of the American Risk and Insurance Association. She has been recognized as one of the Top 25 Living Legends of Insurance (National Underwriter, 2012), Top 50 Women in the Insurance Industry (Reactions magazine, 2014), Distinguished Fellow of the IAIS (2013), Insurance Woman of the Year (Association of Professional Insurance Women, 2014), and and one of 24 insurance industry key influencers (Best s Review, 2016).
Mick Lovell EMC Insurance Mick Lovell joined EMC in 2003 as the first Director of Product Management. He came to EMC with more than 13 years of commercial underwriting and marketing management experience. In 2011, Mick was promoted to Senior Vice President of Business Development, and in 2015 he was promoted to Executive Vice President for Corporate Development. Mick became Executive Vice President of Operations on Jan. 2, 2018, and was named Chief Executive Officer of EMC National Life (EMCNL) on Feb. 9, 2018. Mick oversees Bond, Branch Operations, Business Development, Claims, Corporate Communications, Personal Lines Operations and EMC National Life. Mick received a bachelor s degree in business administration from Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa. He has the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation.
Mike Lex Continental Western Group Mike Lex, President, joined W. R. Berkley Corporation in 2017 with Continental Western Group. Mike comes with over 20 years of experience in the property casualty insurance industry and significant expertise in strategic planning, business development, distribution management and underwriting management. He most recently served as senior vice president, commercial product/ pricing, for a major U.S. insurer. He holds a bachelor of business administration from the University of Iowa and is a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter. He and his wife Kim have three children and are settling in Johnston, Iowa.
Jeff Tagsold Auto-Owners Insurance Group Jeff was named Chairman and CEO effective January 1, 2018. In 2015, he became Chief Operating Officer in addition to his President title, which was effective in 2010. Jeff was named Senior Vice President Actuarial Division in 2008, and was also elected to the Board of Directors that year. He became Senior Vice President in 2005 (personal lines underwriting). Jeff has held a number of management positions in the actuarial and underwriting departments, and was Regional Vice President, Duluth (Georgia) region. He has served on the board of directors for the Michigan Catastrophic Claim Association, the Michigan Automobile Insurance Placement Facility, and Habitat for Humanity of Michigan. He joined the Company in 1985 as an associate actuarial technician. Jeff is a graduate of Central Michigan University majoring in both Mathematics and Economics. He is married and has four children. In his spare time, he enjoys golfing, fishing and other lake activities.
Dr. Steven Weisbart Insurance Information Institute Steven N. Weisbart is senior vice president and chief economist for the Insurance Information Institute. Dr. Weisbart oversees the Institute's program of economic research and analysis, preparing studies in support of the organization's communications mission, speaking to media and conducting briefings for member companies, industry organizations and public policymakers. A specialist in annuities, pensions, and life, disability and long-term care insurance, Dr. Weisbart frequently also makes presentations on property/ casualty issues to industry audiences as well as legislative forums. Since joining the I.I.I. in 2005, Dr. Weisbart has authored several significant research papers and articles on a variety of insurance issues, including the threat of an avian flu pandemic and the effect of the aging U.S. population on the property/casualty insurance industry. Before joining the I.I.I., Dr. Weisbart served as vice president at Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association-College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA-CREF) in New York, where he was responsible for reports and informational publications for customers and others on insurance, pensions and related financial topics. Prior to joining TIAA-CREF he was associate professor of Insurance in the Department of Risk Management and Insurance in the Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University. Dr. Weisbart is a member of the American Risk and Insurance Association, the American Economic Association, and the Society of Financial Service Professionals. Dr. Weisbart received his Ph.D. and Master of Arts degrees in economics from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was an S.S. Huebner Foundation Fellow. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Cornell University. Dr. Weisbart also holds the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) credential. Dr. Weisbart has authored and co-authored four books as well as papers that have appeared in numerous publications, including the Journal of Risk and Insurance, the Journal of Financial Service Professionals (where he was previously an Associate Editor), the CPCU Journal, The Geneva Reports, and Best's Review. Currently he serves on the editorial board of the Risk Management and Insurance Review. He has been quoted in leading publications such as the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg Businessweek and has been interviewed on CNBC, Bloomberg TV and Fox Business Network.
Dean Brooks Miller, Fidler, & Hinke Dean has been in the insurance business for 46 years as an independent insurance agency owner, insurance company senior executive, consultant, educator and an expert witness specializing in E&O defense and complex general liability cases. He is a graduate of Drake University and has earned the CPCU, CLU and Associate in Loss Control Management designations. He has held state and national leadership positions for several insurance organizations, including CPCU, CLU, the Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa, and the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America. Nationally recognized for his many years of leadership on technical coverage issues, he has been a speaker at numerous insurance conventions, industry trade group meetings and IIABA conventions. He is a recipient of the Cantoni Technical and Risk Management Award from IIABA, Agent of the Year award from IIAI, and the Burkhalter Award from the CPCU Society. In recognition of his many contributions to the insurance industry, Dean was inducted into the Iowa Insurance Hall of Fame in 2007.
Bob Skow Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa Bob started his insurance career the day after graduation from Drake University. His first job was with Employers Mutual Insurance Companies claims. Bob joined IMT Insurance Company in 1975 and traveled the western part of the state as a claim adjuster. Bob purchased his first of three insurance agencies in 1978. He operated Skow Insurance and Real Estate in Guthrie Center, Iowa until 1990 when he joined the Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa Association (IIAI). He first ran for State Representative in 1980. He served in the Iowa House until 1988 as Assistant Majority Leader. Bob was the Chief Executive Officer of IIAI, retiring early this year from that position. He earned his Charter Property Casualty Underwriter designation (CPCU) in 1979 and his Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation in 1996. He was named IIAI Young Agent of the Year in 1984, and served on numerous committees for the organization while an agent. Bob was selected as a member of the Iowa Insurance Hall of Fame in 2007.
Mark Lyons LMC Insurance Employment Experience LaMair-Mulock-Condon Co. (1984 - Present) Executive Vice President Chief Financial Officer Education University of Iowa BBA Insurance & Finance Drake University MBA Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) Insurance Industry & Community Leadership Past President - Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa WDM Community Schools Board of Education 2004-2011; President 2008-2009 Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute Past President - Cambio Club Past President - West Des Moines Rotary Club Rotary Club of Des Moines, Member Youth Homes of Mid America Board Member
Bob Fulwider Wuestenberg Agency Academic history MS in High Education Administration, Iowa State University, 1972 BS in Agricultural Education, Iowa State University, 1967 Current and prior positions Adjunct Lecturer, Henry B. Tippie College of Business, The University of Iowa, August 2014 - Present CEO, Bob Fulwider and Associates, January 1985 - Present CEO, Fulwider Agency, Inc., and Wuestenberg Agency, Inc., January 1984 - Present Agency Director and Vice President, Fulwider Agency, Inc., West Branch, IA, January 1972 - December 1984 Program Staff - Teaching, Iowa State University, July 1971 - June 1972 Agency Director and Vice President, Wuestenberg Agency, Inc., West Liberty, IA, January 1971 - December 1984 Life Insurance Career Sales Representative, Life Investors Insurance Company, January 1969 - Present Vocational Agriculture Instructor, Tri-County Community Schools, Thornburg, IA, January 1967 - December 1969 Awards Woodworth Memorial Award, Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America, 2012 Iowa Insurance Hall of Fame, State of Iowa, 2003 Sidney O Smith Award, Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, 2003 Silver Beaver Award, Boy Scouts of America, 1993 ISU Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, Iowa State University Alumni Association, 1980 Phipps Outstanding Young Educator Award, NVATA, 1968
Tony Cañas Jacobson Group Tony Cañas is a young insurance nerd, blogger and speaker. He's the voice of the Millennial generation in the insurance industry helping the industry understand how to engage this large demographic that will soon make up over 50% of the workforce. Tony was born and raised in Costa Rica and moved to the US in 2002 receiving his BS in Management Information Systems and MBA both from Iowa State University. He has been in the insurance industry since 2009. During that time he has completed his CPCU, AU, AIC, ARM, ARe, ASLI, API, AIS and AINS designations along with his Toastmaster's Competent Communicator and Advanced Communicator Bronze public speaking designations. Having worked in claims, underwriting, finance and sales at four different insurance carriers, six cities and five states he has gained a broad understanding of the industry. Tony has been very involved in the industry's effort to recruit and retain Millennials and has become a well known speaker and blogger on the topic. He presented his session "Recruiting and Retaining Millennials" at the CPCU Society Leadership Summit in Phoenix, the CPCU Society Annual Meeting in Anaheim, the Ohio Insurance Education Day, the RISC Trends Conference in Virginia and at various local CPCU Society Chapters. He has been featured by "The Edge", the national magazine of the CPCU Society; the newsletter of the Iowa CPCU Society; American Agent & Broker and was named as one of the "Top Young Agents of 2013" by PropertyCasualty360. Tony is passionate about insurance, technology, innovation and about engaging Millennials in the insurance industry.