Names & Places
JULY
Adam Sachs, CLU, CFP, CLTC, ChFC, a financial advisor with Centinel Financial Group, LLC, of Wellesley, Mass., is the first recipient of NAIFA's YAT Leader of the Year Award. Sachs has been recognized for his service to NAIFA, his success in his career and his commitment to his community.
The Young Advisors Team (YAT), a NAIFA subcommittee established in 2001, provides networking and educational programs for agents who are 40 or under or have been in the business for less than five years.
The YAT Leader of the Year Award recognizes an agent's commitment to NAIFA, including service on local, state and national committees and participation in the Leadership in Life Institute (LILI); involvement with state or federal legislators; participation in external service work such as charities or other entities; and his or her ability to inspire others. This is the first year for the award. Sachs served on the original Young Advisors Team Task Force, which helped set up YAT groups across the country. He is immediate past president of NAIFA-Massachusetts. He is a multiyear winner of NAIFA's National Quality Award, and consistently qualifies for membership in the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT).
David B. Shannon has joined Goldwasser-Appel Insurance Advisors, LLC, Newton, Mass. In his new position, Shannon will serve as a Senior Associate with the firm, working exclusively with David E. Appel, CLU, ChFC, Managing Partner.
A graduate of Syracuse University, Shannon entered the life insurance business in 2001 in Raleigh, N.C. In his first year in the insurance industry, Shannon earned the ìRookie of the Yearî award from the insurer with whom he was affiliated. In addition, he is a two-time qualifying member of the international Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT). Prior to joining Goldwasser-Appel Insurance Advisors, Shannon spent three years as an external insurance executive representing a Fortune 500 insurance company throughout New England.
Steve Selinsky is the new president of the National Association of Health Underwriters, making him a spokesperson for one of the leading trade associations representing health insurance professionals across the United States.
As an active member of several professional organizations, Selinsky is well known within the health insurance industry. He has served as president of the Metro Detroit Association of Health Underwriters and sits on the local board of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. He has been active in the health insurance industry since 1990 and is the current director of sales and marketing for BeneSys, Inc.
Mel Schlesinger has been elected to the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU) Board of Trustees as president-elect.
Schlesinger has more than 25 years of insurance sales experience with his major focus being on employee benefits. In August 2008, he created an employee wellness company, Plans For Health, Inc., to help people make positive health decisions to improve their quality of life. As an active NAHU member, Schlesinger has served as a local and state president as well as a regional vice president and national vice president.
Bruce Benton was elected to the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU) Board of Trustees as vice president.
As a 29-year veteran of the employee benefits industry, Benton co-founded Genesis Smith Benton Insurance & Financial Services Inc. in 1998, where he continues to work today. He has held many leadership positions with NAHU, including president of his local chapter and state vice president of public affairs. On the national level, he has been the media relations chair, a regional vice president, secretary and treasurer.
Linda Erlenbach was elected to the NAHU Board of Trustees as secretary.
Erlenbach, founder of L.M. Erlenbach, Inc., has been licensed in the life and health market since 1975. During the course of more than 30 years in the industry, she was a partner in a life and health agency, worked several years for a health insurance carrier, and owned and operated a home health care agency. In 1986, she opened her own independent agency, specializing in individual health insurance and the small-employer group benefits market.
She joined NAHU in 1986 and has been actively involved since then, serving as a member of her local and state board, and most recently as regional vice president.
Tom Harte was elected to the NAHU Board of Trustees as treasurer.
Harte, president of Landmark Benefits, has worked for many years to improve the health insurance industry through his extensive legislative work. As a member of NAHU since 1996, he has served as chairman of the Legislative Council and president of the New Hampshire state chapter. He has also received numerous awards and recognitions for his legislative work from professional organizations and the New Hampshire state legislature.
Keith Raymond has been named Vice President, Information Technology at Futurity First Insurance Group.
In this new position at Futurity First, Raymond will be responsible for the strategic development of all technology systems, e-commerce initiatives, and management of the company's IT group.
Prior to joining Futurity First, Raymond held the position of Assistant Vice President of Distribution Systems and Field Technology at MassMutual in the U.S. Insurance Group where he was accountable for technology strategies and solution development for the portfolio of applications and technology services sshannonpporting agents and field offices across North America. He also previously held the positions of Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Trumbull Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Hartford Financial Services Group as well as Manager of the National Product Development for Kaiser Permanente, the largest not-for-profit HMO in the country at that time.
JUNE
Heidi Wachholz has been named new vice president of sales for the Northeast Region of Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America. Wachholz will be responsible for driving annuity sales in the Northeast as well as influencing and preparing field partners for success in a rapidly changing environment.
Wachholz has more than 15 years of sales and marketing experience in the financial industry, most recently as senior director of Distribution Marketing for Allianz Life. Wachholz joined the company in 2001 as manager of Training and Development and has held several leadership positions within the Sales and Marketing departments. Prior to joining Allianz Life, Wachholz was with Prudential Financial, Inc. in Minneapolis managing Agent Learning and Development for financial services offices in the Midwest territory.
David E. Appel, CLU, ChFC, has been recognized as one of the top financial representatives nationwide for 2009 and awarded the Achieving Client Excellence award by John Hancock Financial Network (JHFN). Appel, a Managing Partner with Goldwasser-Appel Insurance Advisors, LLC, (GAIA) an independent insurance advisory firm that aligns with JHFN as a distribution partner, is based in Newton, Mass.
Appel's record of service to clients is reflected in the recognition received from not only JHFN, but many other professional organizations. He is a 14-year member of the international Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT), with one Top-of-the-Table honor and eight Court-of-the-Table honors which places him among the top 25 percent of the world's best life insurance and financial services professionals.
Joseph H. Rideout, Jr., CLU, ChFC, has joined Security Mutual Life as Regional Vice President, New England Region. In his new position, Rideout will be responsible for the recruitment, development and training of Security Mutual's general agents.
Rideout's career spans more than 30 years in the life insurance business and includes sales experience, as well as extensive experience in field recruitment and training, field office management, sales development, advanced marketing concepts and product development.
Eugene P. Clarke, MBA, CIA, CISA, has been promoted to the position of Second Vice President, Audit at Security Mutual Life. In his new position, Clarke will be responsible for coordinating the company's internal audit operations and for assisting Security Mutual's independent accountants in auditing the company's annual financial statements. Clarke joined Security Mutual as Associate Auditor in September 2006, and was promoted to Auditor in September 2007. He is a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors, the Information Systems Audit & Control Association, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, and the Project Management Institute.
APRIL
Michael Sclafani has been Named Brokerage Manager at First American Insurance Underwriters, Inc., Needham, Mass. In his new position, Sclafani will focus on case design, product support and agent support.
Before joining First American, Sclafani was employed by Sun Life Financial in Wellesley Hills, Mass., and worked as a sales coordinator and case manager for John Hancock Life Insurance in Boston.
Pat Glynn has joined Highland Capital Brokerage (HCB)-New England as sales vice president. In this role, Glynn will develop new broker relationships and life insurance sales.
Prior to joining HCB, Glynn served as senior wealth management consultant with Phoenix Life where he developed broker relationships and sales of life insurance through various advisors. He was consistently ranked a company leader in annualized production and was chosen to participate in various field advisory committees, including product development, underwriting, and marketing.
Stephanie L. Wyss has been named as a New Business Case Manager at First American Insurance Underwriters, Inc., Needham, Mass. In this position, she will manage the underwriting of life and annuity applications from submission to completion. Before joining First American, Wyss was employed as a Life Case Manager for The Palmer Agency in Decatur, GA. She is a graduate of the University of Georgia.
Christopher Stout has been appointed as a new regional vice president for The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian) in Georgia and Alabama. Guardian is growing its sales force to support its strategic focus of offering its suite of specialized retirement products to small and mid-sized businesses across the nation.
Stout joins Guardian from ADP where he served as retirement services district manager for the state of Georgia. He brings 15 years of experience in financial services from companies such as Merrill Lynch, Wachovia and ADP to his new post as regional vice president of Guardian's Retirement Product Sales for Georgia and Alabama.
More than 13 new regional vice presidents have recently been hired alongside an expanded internal sales support team. The regional vice presidents are responsible for sales and support of Guardian's group retirement products across all distribution channels.
MARCH
Josh O'Gara has been promoted to Brokerage Manager at First American Insurance Underwriters, Inc., Needham. Mass. In his new position, he will focus on case design, product support and assisting agents to become more successful and help their business grow.
O'Gara holds a BA in Economics from St. Lawrence University. He is a NAIFA member and a member of the Society of Financial Services Professionals.
Joe Perkins has joined Highland Capital Brokerage New England as sales vice president. Perkins specializes in developing innovative solutions in wealth transfer, estate liquidity, and retirement planning. His experience with business owners includes succession planning and providing non-qualified executive benefit programs for key employees.
Perkins has more than 20 years of sales experience in the financial services industry. He has worked with broker-dealers, wirehouses, banks, individual producers and producer groups, national sales organizations, and property-casualty firms. Prior to joining Highland, he held senior sales/distribution positions with The Phoenix, AIG Life, and John Hancock.
DECEMBER
Tom Johnson has joined New York Life Insurance Company as head of business development for Retirement Income Security.
In this role, he has responsibility for overall business development of Retirement Income Security products, which include income and investment annuities, long term care insurance and mutual funds, with an emphasis on defined contribution plans and 401(k) rollover options.
Johnson joins New York Life with 33 years in this industry, most recently with MassMutual as senior vice president Retirement Income, Strategic Business Development, where he led business development of their retirement income platform.Ý In addition to over 10 years at MassMutual, he worked at Federated Investors, Inc. and his family firm, The Johnson Companies.
Thomas G. Seitz has been named Vice President, Relationship Management, and Daniel J. O'Shea is Vice President, Individual Life Sales at Sun Life Financial Distributors, Inc. (SLFD), the wholesaling and marketing organization of the U.S. division of Sun Life Financial Inc.
Seitz joins SLFD with significant investment management experience spanning over 25 years. Most recently, he was Senior Vice President at Mount Yale Capital Group in Minnesota, where he managed marketing and sales of the firm's high net worth private portfolio platform and its alternative investments to advisors and RIAs. Prior to that, he was responsible for the product and service capabilities of 900 financial advisors and $53 billion in AUM at Piper Jaffray. A former Sun Life Financial employee, Seitz served as President and CEO of a joint venture between Sun Life Financial and MFS from 2002 to 2004.
O'Shea brings over 20 years of successful distribution, life sales and marketing experience to his role at SLFD. Previously, he worked at Principal Financial, where he led the strategic development, design, execution and management of the company's Life Brokerage distribution channel. He also worked at Lincoln Financial in sales management leadership roles for BGA distribution and then as National Sales Manager of Retail distribution. Ý
Dayton Molendorp, chairman, president and CEO of OneAmerica Financial Partners, Inc., will serve as chair of the LL Global Board of Directors for 2010. Beth Hirschhorn, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for MetLife, Inc. was elected vice-chair and will succeed Molendorp in 2011.
Molendorp has more than 30 years experience in the insurance and financial services industry, 22 of those years with OneAmerica. In 2004, Molendorp was named president and chief executive officer of OneAmerica and in 2007, he was named chairman.
The board also elected seven new members to three-year terms:
Esfand E. Dinshaw, president, Annuities, Midland National Life
Steven Finch, president, John Hancock Life Division, John Hancock Financial Services
Peter A. Golato, senior vice president, Individual Protection, Nationwide Financial
Carolyn M. Johnson, executive vice president, chief operating officer, Protective Life Corporation
W. Kenny Massey, president and CEO, Modern Woodmen of America
Eileen C. McDonnell, executive vice president, chief marketing officer, Penn Mutual
David Pena, vice president, Sales, Seguros Bolivar in Colombia
SEPTEMBER
Russ Childers is the new president of the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU).
In accepting the position, Childers emphasized the need for sensible health care reform that puts consumers first. He plans to use the organization's unique opportunity to put in place real solutions to reduce costs, improve quality and ensure choice and access for all Americans in a way that will strengthen the United States health system and economy.
With experience in a wide range government organizations, including a current position on the Board of the Americus Sumter Chamber of Commerce as well as past positions on the School Board of the City of Americus and the Sumter County Board, Childers is looked to as a policy expert and industry leader. As a NAHU member for almost 18 years, Childers has served as president and legislative chair of both his local and state chapters, regional legislative chair and chair of the national legislative council. He also served as ethical guidance chairman of his local chapter of the American Society of Financial Services Professionals and was chosen as the Health Underwriter of the Year in Georgia in 2000.
Childers began his tenure in the insurance industry in 1972 and has been an independent broker of life and health insurance and investment products for the last 25 years.
Tom Harte has been elected to the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU) Board of Trustees as secretary.
Harte, President of Landmark Benefits, has worked to improve the health insurance industry through his extensive legislative work. As a member of NAHU since 1996, Harte has served as a chairman on the Legislative Council and the president of the New Hampshire state chapter. He has also received awards and recognitions for his legislative work, not only from professional organizations but also the New Hampshire state legislature.
Harte is a member of the National Human Resource Association, the Coalition for Better Health Insurance, and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors.
Gordon G. Dinsmore, Jr., has been appointed President of the Berkshire Life Insurance Company of America (Berkshire).
A 34-year insurance industry veteran, Dinsmore will be responsible for managing the risk and product portfolio for the two product lines Berkshire issues on behalf of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian), disability income insurance, both individual and worksite, and long term care insurance.
Previously, Dinsmore served as Vice President and Senior Actuary at MetLife. During his tenure there, he served as product head for individual disability insurance. He also served as Chief Financial Officer for MetLife's Health Segment, which included long term care, group disability, dental and critical illness.
Richard White has been appointed to serve as Chief Executive Officer for First Rehab Life (The First Rehabilitation Life Insurance Company of America) and to become a member of the company's Board of Directors.
White brings 25 years of experience in creating and implementing effective strategies for business growth, diversification, product development, sales expansion and operational excellence for several leading insurance companies. His most recent role was as Executive Vice President of Domestic Markets with Pan American Life Insurance Company in New Orleans where he was responsible for all businesses in the United States and Puerto Rico.
Prior to Pan American, White spent almost 20 years with The Guardian Life Insurance Company; the last five years as Senior Vice President of Group Insurance. Prior to that, he held leadership positions as Head of Sales, Head of Strategic Planning and Business Development and leader of the group medical insurance business. He started his career with Guardian as a Group Sales Representative and spent eight years in field sales.
AUGUST
Adam M. Sachs, CLU, ChFC, CFP, CLTC, has been named President of the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA-MA). Sachs is a Senior Financial Advisor with Centinel Financial Group, LLC, Wellesley Hills, Mass.
Sachs joined Centinel Financial Group, LLC in 1993 after graduating from Babson College in Wellesley. His planning process focuses on gaining an understanding of his clients' current financial situation, taking into consideration their goals and objectives. He then makes recommendations and assists in implementing solutions tailored to each client's issues and needs.
As a Senior Financial Advisor, Sachs is able to provide a wide array of investment and insurance strategies. Through his extensive network of CPAs, attorneys and other experienced professionals he is able to design strategies for the various stages of his clients' lives.
Jason Carlough has joined MassMutual as managing director for the Metro NYC Region. He brings more than eight years of experience to his role. Carlough was most recently regional vice president and retirement plan counselor with American Funds Distributors, Inc., where he was responsible for advisor development and distribution of American Funds' bundled and unbundled retirement plan solutions in New Jersey and upstate New York. Previously, he spent six years in a variety of retirement services roles with Principal Financial Group.
Dan Kretz has joined MassMutual as director, sales and business development for the Mid-Atlantic Region. Kretz brings more than eight years of experience in financial and retirement services to his new role. He was most recently a senior benefit and planning counselor with Principal Financial Group.
Michael Scott Pinkans has been hired as Senior Vice President ñ Marketing by Zenith Marketing Group Inc., with offices in Freehold, NJ, Charlotte, NC, York, PA, and Wayne, PA. Pinkans will lead the marketing effort for all product lines including life, annuity, disability, and long term care product lines. He will be based in Barre, Vermont.
With over 22 years experience as both an insurance company home office executive in charge of sales, product development and marketing and most recently as Director of Products and Markets for Brokerage Resources of America (BRAMCO), Pinkans brings a wealth of knowledge on the product and advanced marketing front.
JULY
Melissa Langa will serve as the President of the Boston Estate Planning Council for the 2009/2010 association year.
Langa is an attorney with the firm of Bove & Langa, P.C., Boston, Mass. She has built a dynamic practice guiding individuals, families, businesses, and charitable organizations in designing and implementing customized tax-efficient structures to meet their particular estate planning, business, and charitable needs.
As part of her practice, Langa has assisted families who wish to pass a business to certain children while treating their other children fairly, has helped clients navigate the legal and tax implications of a death in the family, and has designed complex gifting structures to meet specific philanthropic goals. Melissa's practice encompasses not only that of a trusts and estates advisor, but also as a family advisor and sounding board for all matters legal which a family faces in the 21st century.
Prior to Bove & Langa, Langa's legal experience included advocating for civil rights on behalf of the United States in the U.S. Courts of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court, specifically protecting the employment rights of minorities, women, the disabled and the aged. Langa's civic activities included leading a civil rights political action committee, spearheading the funding and building of a new elementary school playground, and serving as a town meeting member.
Upon re-entry to the law, Langa chose the field of Trusts and Estates as the ideal vehicle to allow her to continue her advocacy for clients' personal rights and to help them build a better legal blueprint for themselves and their families.
Thomas W. Bishop, CLU, The Bishop Company LLC, will serve as President-Elect of BEPC for the coming year with Lisa McAree, CLU, LTCP, The McAree Company, as Vice President. Also serving are Kurt R. Steinkrauss, Esq., Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky & Popeo, PC, as Treasurer, and Judith A. Saxe, Esq., Atlantic Trust Private Wealth Management, as Secretary.
Adam M. Sachs, CFP, ChFC, CLU, CLTC, has been named president of NAIFA Massachusetts for the 2009/2010 term.
Other officers include, Scott A. Mullen, President-elect; Benjamin A. Harding, CLU, CFP, Vice President; Mark C. Sullivan, Vice President; Harry E. Sechman,ÝLUTCF, ChFC, CRPC, CLU, Vice President; Alan J. Stearley, MBA, Secretary; Daryl F. Grawbowski, LUTCF, Treasurer; Thomas J. Harmon, CLU, ChFC. LUTCF, Immediate Past President; and Robert A. Matson, CLU, ChFC, National Committee Person.
Members of the Board of Directors are Boris Lokshin, ChFC; Hillary Koritz Price, CLU, ChFC; Robert J. Cunningham; James W. Burns., Jr.; and Douglas J. DiCerbo, CLU.
Patrick Herndon has been named National Sales Director at First American Insurance Underwriters, Inc., Needham, Mass.
With 25 years of industry experience, Herndon has held top-level positions at some of the area's leading insurance and financial services companies, including wealth planning business insurance specialist for Merrill Lynch in Boston, regional vice president for Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada in Wellesley Hills, Mass., and vice president/regional consultant for Fidelity Investments in Boston.
Scott Bunker has been hired as the new General Manager for Union Central Life's Reading, Mass., office. He will be responsible for the Massachusetts/Northern New England territory for the disability carrier.
Bunker, a graduate of Colby College in Waterville, Maine, entered the financial services business right out of school in 1988, spending 15 years with UNUM as a DI wholesaler and five years with Hancock as a brokerage manager in its Wellesley, Mass., office, focusing on life, LTCi and DI.
JUNE
Michael W. Grossi has been named AUL general agent in Warwick, R.I., by American United Life Insurance Company (AUL), a OneAmerica company. Grossi began working in the life insurance industry in 2000 as a registered representative for Quick and Reilly, Inc. In 2001, he joined the Providence Agency's MassMutual Financial Group as the agency's sales manager and registered principal. By 2004, Grossi became an agent with Graham Insurance, Inc. where he sold for Nationwide Insurance, Inc. Later that same year, he joined MW Financial Group, Ltd. in West Warwick as a registered principal and field representative. Most recently, Grossi served as director of brokerage and as a unit sales manager for John Hancock Financial Network/Independence Financial Partners, Inc. in Warwick, R.I. As a general agent for AUL and The State Life Insurance Company, Grossi will lead a team of producers and brokers in marketing the suite of life insurance and long term care solutions products to R.I. residents. Additionally, he'll work to recruit and train producers and brokers throughout the state in an effort to expand market share in the Northeast.
MAY
Jeremiah W. Doyle IV Esq. has been selected as the 2009 Estate Planner of the Year by the Boston Estate Planning Council (BEPC).
Each year the Boston Estate Planning Council honors one individual from the estate planning community who has made significant contributions to the profession. Since 1990, this award has represented the highest honor the association can bestow upon its members and industry colleagues.
Doyle is an estate planning strategist for BNY Mellon Wealth Management group and a Senior Vice President of The Bank of New York Mellon. He has been with the firm since 1981, providing high net worth individuals and families throughout the country with integrated wealth management advice on how to hold, manage and transfer their wealth in a tax efficient manner.
Doyle is admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and before the United States District Court, United States Court of Appeals (First Circuit) and United States Tax Court. He formerly served as a member of the Massachusetts Joint Bar Committee on Judicial Appointments. He is the editor and co-author of Preparing Fiduciary Income Tax Returns, a co-author of Preparing Estate Tax Returns, a co-author of Understanding and Using Trusts, a co-author of Drafting Irrevocable Trusts in Massachusetts, all published by Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, and a reviewing editor of the 1041 Deskbook published by Practitioner's Publishing Company. Doyle served as president of the Boston Estate Planning Council and as a member of its Executive Committee.
Kimberly J. Healy has been named Marketing Manager at First American Insurance Underwriters, Inc., Needham, Mass. She will oversee the positioning and strategic marketing, promoting corporate leadership and awareness within the industry.
Healy has extensive experience in marketing, which includes eight years with IDC, Framingham, Mass., where she most recently held the title of senior marketing specialist. She holds a BS in Entrepreneurial Studies and Marketing from Babson College in Wellesley, Mass.
Richard S. Wieder has been named Brokerage Manager at First American Insurance Underwriters in its Davie, Fla., office.
Before joining First American, Wieder was employed by New York Life in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and Canada Life in Atlanta, Ga., as National Sales Director. He holds a BA in Business from Florida State University.