The Council is the voice of market leaders and the premier association for commercial insurance and employee benefits intermediaries in the United States and around the world. Council members annually place more than 80 percent of commercial property/casualty premiums and administer billions of dollars of employee benefits accounts in the United States.
The staff appointments and personnel changes are listed below:
Nicole Allen has been named Sr. Vice President of Strategic Resources. Allen takes on this new role after serving as The Council’s vice president for industry affairs since December 2007. Allen will manage the Strategic Resources arm of The Council as a member of the senior management team and will oversee The Council’s 501(c)3 educational foundation, The Foundation for Agency Management Excellence (FAME). Prior to rejoining The Council, Allen spent five years with Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company and its parent, Allianz of America Corp., specializing in regulatory and legislative affairs. Allen first joined The Council in 1994, and spent eight years working in state and government affairs. Allen is a graduate of American University and earned her law degree cum laude from George Mason University School of Law.
Alison Bowman Jones has been named Sr. Vice President of Membership Development. This change reflects The Council’s revitalized efforts in membership growth and retention. “Alison has done as outstanding job the last several years as senior vice president of member services,” Crerar said. “We anticipate continued success in her efforts to recruit prospective firms and ensure that current members are aware of the full range of Council services that bring added value to their membership.” Bowman Jones, who previously worked as an insurance broker with Aon Risk Services, holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in business administration from the University of Georgia.
Alycia Kiley rejoins The Council as Vice President of CouncilPAC and Member Services. Kiley returns to The Council after working as Vice President of RCM&D/JZA Affinity. Kiley previously served as The Council’s director of government affairs from 2002 to 2007. “I think I speak for everyone at The Council when I say we are thrilled to have Alycia back on board,” Crerar said. “We knew Alycia to be an effective and trusted member of our team when she first started here and we expect she will hit the ground running.”
Paula Karchner has been elevated to a member of the senior staff as Vice President of Meetings. In her new position, Karchner will take part in strategic discussions and be an integral part of the senior management team. She will continue to be responsible for overseeing the management and operations of the Meeting Department, which plans and executes all key Council meetings and events including vendor and site selection, proposals and contracts, registration, service provider management and on-site logistics. Karchner joined The Council in 1997 and most recently served as director of meetings. Paula received her Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation in 2004 and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Connecticut.
Christy Schmidt has been named Director of Meetings, a role that both recognizes her expertise in the field and reflects a more senior level position. Schmidt had served as The Council’s assistant director of meetings since 2008. Schmidt joined The Council after nearly three years with the Corporate Executive Board in Washington, D.C., including two years as the group’s meeting manager. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt University with a bachelor’s degree in human and organizational development.
Brianne Mallaghan joined The Council in May as Director of Communications. Serving as the organization’s primary media contact, Mallaghan is also responsible for assisting in the development of The Council’s overall communications and media strategy and overall public position and strategies. Prior to joining The Council, she spent more than two years as director of public affairs for the northeast region of the American Insurance Association. Mallaghan holds a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Syracuse University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Saint Anselm College. She is a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).
Other recent additions to Council staff include:
* Kerone Jones, Marketing and Communications Associate. Jones is a 2009 graduate of Cornell University where she majored in design and environmental analysis with a concentration in human factors and ergonomics.
* Susanna McElroy, Meetings and Member Services Associate. McElroy is a 2010 graduate of Boston University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental analysis and policy with a focus in economics.
* Danny Roach, Government Affairs Associate. Roach is a 2008 graduate of the University of California with a bachelor’s degree in economics.
Crerar also announced the impending retirement of Sr. Vice President Barbara Haugen. In 1981, Haugen joined the staff of the National Association of Insurance Brokers, which merged with The Council in 1998. Since then she has been a vital part of the organization, managing strategic resources for The Council as a member of the senior management team; serving as key staff liaison to the Council of Employee Benefits Executives; overseeing development of the annual Employee Benefits Leadership Forum and coordinating programs for Council Working Groups. While managing The Council’s 501(c)3 educational foundation, The Foundation for Agency Management Excellence (FAME), she built the FAME Scholarship program and designed research projects to advance and improve agency management and education tools. Haugen is scheduled to retire at the end of the year.
“It is with great sadness we see Barbara leave The Council,” Crerar said. “We thank Barbara for her dedicated years of service to The Council and wish her the best of everything in her retirement.”