UIPI Workshop 2003

3rd Annual
National Urban Insurance Workshop
October 28-29, 2003
The Sofitel Water Tower
Chicago, Illinois


Please note speakers are subject to change

Donald W. Lewis Dan Sullivan Bruce W. Foudree
Andrew Nuttney Gwendolyn Jones Ken McEldowney

Werner E. Kruck

Darice M. Wright

Sue Johnson

Elizabeth (Liz) Handlin

Print this page


Biographical Information for
Donald W. Lewis
1976 - 1979
Sales Agent - Prudential Insurance Company. Completed Multi-line insurance training school and passed state licensing exams.

1979 - Present
President / CEO D.W. Lewis & Associates, Inc., an insurance brokerage firm.

1984
Passed The Pennsylvania Insurance Broker’s State Board Exams

1986 - Present
Owner of A-1 Auto Tags & Notary Service - licensed and bonded in Pennsylvania as an automobile registration plate issuer and Notary Public service.

1997 - Present
President/CEO of the “Affiliated Insurance Brokers & Agents Group” (AIBA) the first African American Insurance Cluster in Philadelphia’s history which brings together four (4) independent insurance agency CEO’s under one banner for the benefit of independent brokers and agents throughout Pennsylvania

1998 - Present
Founder / President / CEO of “The Insurance Cooperative, Inc.” A Property, Casualty, concern which partner’s with Insurance Companies and manages over 100 producers in urban areas.

2003 – Author Of “Everything To Win, Nothing To Lose” (Urban Insurance Solutions)


Citations

- Philadelphia City Council Citation recipient for Business/Community service
- Pennsylvania Governor’s Citation recipient for Commerce and Cultural achievements.
- Albert Letson Award recipient for excellence in service in the Real Estate Insurance field. (Mr. Letson was the Real Estate Commissioner for the State of Pennsylvania)

back to top

 

Biographical Information for Dan Sullivan

Dan has focused his 17-year career in industry and consulting on helping companies grow their top line sales more profitably. The majority of these efforts have been in the commercial end of new product development and in marketing strategy. Dan’s has broad experience and an extensive knowledge base of the food, nutrition and health-focused consumer goods industries. He has developed his strengths through a variety of work experiences and consulting projects.
Consulting project examples:

 

Biographical Information for Gwendolyn Jones
Director, Emerging Market Development
American Family Insurance


A graduate of the University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire, Gwen holds a BA degree in History and Political Science. After graduating college she began her advertising and marketing career in the sales department of WAXX-FM in Eau Claire, WI.

Upon relocating to Madison, Wisconsin she accepted a position with Waldbillig & Besteman Advertising, as a Media Buyer. Gwen later joined Armstrong Creative as Media Director and soon after was promoted to Vice President, Media Services.

In 1995, Gwen accepted the newly created position of Sr. Urban Advertising Specialist with American Family Mutual Insurance and set out to create a corporate identify for the company in urban/ethnic markets throughout their 17-state operating area. In addition to her position at American Family, she has also served as an advertising instructor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Journalism. Gwen is currently the director of Emerging Market Development for American Family Insurance.

Believing that through involvement a difference can be made, Gwen is currently a member of the UIPI (Urban Insurance Partners Institute) board of directors, the NHCC (National Hispanic Corporate Council and Tempo International. Very active in the Madison community, she serves as President of the Madison Chapter of the Links, Inc., and is a board member of the African American Ethnic Academy. In addition, she volunteers her time to the Urban League of Greater Madison, United Way of Dane County and the SPRITE program.
back to top

 

Biographical Information for Ken McEldowney

Ken McEldowney is executive director of Consumer Action; a San Francisco based consumer advocacy and education membership organization. Consumer Action has worked on food, insurance, utility, privacy, toxics, health care, banking, postal and telephone issues for 33 years.

Its current focus is on ensuring that the interests of low income and limited English-speaking consumers are protected during this period of deregulation and corporate mergers.

CA’s National Consumer Resource Center yearly distributes more than two million fact sheets in up to eight languages through a national network of 6,500 community organizations and social service organizations. An additional 500,000 people access its multilingual Web site (consumer-action.org). Along with other staff, Ken McEldowney represents the consumer interest before state and federal regulatory bodies, Congress and the California Legislature.

At Consumer Action, he has directed its contracts with the FTC, FDA, Federal Reserve, DOT, CPUC and HUD. Prior to coming to Consumer Action he was consumer editor for a weekly paper. Ken McEldowney is a graduate of the University of Michigan, with a BA in Political Science with graduate work in economics.

He is quoted widely on telephone, utility, health care, privacy, and banking issues and has been asked to speak on a variety of consumer related topics at conferences throughout the country. Major corporations seek his advice on a wide range of consumer issues and concerns.

He is president of the Consumer Federation of America—a federation of nearly 300 pro-consumer organizations with more than 50 million individual members and now serves as vice president.

Among his other responsibilities, he sits on the California Public Utilities Commission's Universal Lifeline Telephone Service Trust Administrative Committee and the California Department of Insurance’s low income auto insurance advisory committee. Last year, he chaired the Consumer Subcommittee of the FCC Consumer/Disability Telecommunications Advisory Committee. In addition, he serves on the Universal Service Task Force and the boards of the Consumer Literacy Consortium and the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud.
back to top

 

Biographical Information for Bruce W. Foudree
Of Counsel
bfoudree@lordbissell.com
www.lordbissell.com

Bruce Foudree is a former chairman and president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (1985-1986) and Iowa Insurance Commissioner (1980-1986). He has served on numerous committees and task forces of the NAIC.

Bruce concentrates in corporate and regulatory insurance law. Drawing on his experience in insurance regulation, he advises clients how to accomplish their goals while complying with U.S. insurance laws. He has been particularly involved in regulatory compliance and insurance transactions.

Bruce has testified before Congress and state legislatures and has appeared as an expert witness in numerous state and federal courts on insurance issues.

Insurance Corporate & Regulatory
Bruce works with insurers, brokers, and groups of insureds to create and offer insurance programs and new products. These include alternative risk transfer mechanisms and captive insurance programs designed to meet unique client needs.

Bruce has been particularly involved in market conduct regulation, privacy issues, intellectual property rights in insurance, and captive insurance programs.

Bruce is the former insurance commissioner for the State of Iowa and has served as president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), as well as on numerous committees and task forces of the NAIC. He has also served on several U.S. trade missions representing insurance and government organizations.

Experience

Education
LL.M., University of Pennsylvania Law School, 1975
J.D., Associate Editor, Law Review, Drake University Law School, 1972
B.A., Drake University, 1969
Visiting student, University of Geneva, 1968
Visiting student, University of Vienna, 1968


Bar Admissions
Illinois, 1986
Iowa, 1972

Courts
U.S. Supreme Court

Professional and Community Organizations
American Bar Association
Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind Foundation
Insurance Regulatory Examiners Society Foundation, Board of Directors
Iowa State Bar Association
National Association of Insurance Commissioners, Former President
Union League Club of Chicago (Risk Management Committee)
back to top

 

Biographical Information for Werner E. Kruck, CPCU, ASLI

Werner E. Kruck, CPCU, ASLI has over 25 years of experience in the insurance industry, both in the U.S. and over 30 countries, holding senior executive level positions in Product Management & Underwriting, Marketing, and Technology . As a Senior Vice President with American Modern Insurance Group, Werner was a member of the senior strategy team and served in various roles; developing and initiating the strategy to move from legacy to a multi-tiered infrastructure as CIO; leading the transformation to e-Business; directing the development of new and existing products; and building an innovative new distribution channel for the company.

In roles with American Modern, Markel American Insurance Company, Bankers & Shippers, and AIG, Werner worked directly with MGA and Retail Agencies, Life Agents, Financial Institutions, and Mobile Home & RV Dealers, fine tuning products and services to support unique value propositions. During his international experience with AIG, both in New York and SE Asia, he worked with various distribution approaches and products, including the development of a commercial package program for small to mid-sized exporters. . He also served as Vice President & General Manager of a small non-standard auto company in Atlanta, and managed Mobile Home for Foremost Insurance Company.

Although currently an internal technology consultant for a national specialty commercial lines company, Werner continues as an advocate for increased insurance services for lower income communities through writing, consulting and other related activities on his own.

Mr. Kruck received a BBA in Finance from Western Michigan University, and has earned his CPCU and ASLI designations. He currently serves as a member of the Executive Committee of the Personal Lines Section, CPCU Society, and is a member of the National Insurance Task Force (NITF) Marketing Committee.
back to top

 

Biographical Information for Sue Johnson

Sue Johnson is a Vice President at GeneralCologne Re. She began her career at the Royal Insurance Company as a Commercial Underwriter.

Since joining General Re she has served in the Property/Facultative Department as an Underwriter and Branch Manager, and currently serves as a Team Leader/Account Executive in the National Business Unit Treaty Division in Stamford, Connecticut.

Ms. Johnson is chairman of the Urban Insurance Partners Institute board of directors.

She received a BA in Business Administration from California State University, Fullerton.

back to top



Biographical Information for Andrew Nuttney

The Research and Advisory Group.

Andrew is a Partner with The Research and Advisory Group, the New York based consulting firm specializing in the ethnic marketing of Financial Services. Over the past several years, he has helped many of North America’s leading Financial Institutions develop, implement and maintain market-leading ethnic and urban market strategies. Clients include major Retail Banks, leading Life Insurance groups, large Property and Casualty insurers, and Credit and Mortgage companies. Andrew helps clients focus upon strategically sustainable, highly profitable, opportunities, which allow them to develop best in class strategies, within typically resource-constrained frameworks.

Andrew’s career background is in business consulting, specifically to Financial Services and Technology clients. His previous role encompassed over three years as Head of Research, Analysis and Consulting with Datamonitor Inc. in New York.

Andrew was educated at Cambridge University, where he also did a PhD in Medieval History.
back to top

Biographical Information for Darice M. Wright

Darice M. Wright is Director, Financial Services Sector of MetroEdge and has over 20 years of financial services, marketing, business development and entrepreneurial experience. At MetroEdge, she assists banks and other financial institutions in effectively tapping into urban markets with diverse ethnic and income segments. Throughout her career Ms. Wright, has operated in leadership roles of early stage and start-up projects---spearheading the growth and development of both private, for-profit businesses and not-for profit organizations into solid revenue producing enterprises poised for continued expansion.

Prior to joining MetroEdge, as Executive Director of the LaSalle Street Project, Ms. Wright helped leading corporations penetrate emerging domestic markets by facilitating partnerships between them and minority-owned businesses and consumers. Ms. Wright developed and organized the LaSalle Street Project’s annual Capital Access Forum, with the widespread support of banks, venture capital firms and other financial institutions interested in financing talented entrepreneurs with solid business platforms.

Ms. Wright also previously served as Senior Vice President, Marketing and Client Services for Ariel Capital Management where she was responsible for developing and maintaining the firm’s investment management clientele among Fortune 500 companies, state and local governments, and non-profit institutions. While in charge of marketing and client services for Ariel Capital, the firm’s assets under management grew from $8 million to more than $2.1 billion. She received her BS in Finance from the University of Illinois-Chicago.
back to top

Biographical Information for Elizabeth Handlin
Elizabeth (Liz) Handlin is manager of external affairs for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, responsible for managing the Chicago Fed's financial literacy and economic education outreach programs. In that position, Handlin oversees various programs and has authored numerous articles that focus on the unbanked community and cross-border money transfer issues.

Ms. Handlin also oversees Money$mart Week, a program that brings together
organizations to highlight financial literacy in Chicago. In addition, Handlin leads Financial
Empowerment for the Unbanked, a program organized in cooperation with the U.S.
Department of the Treasury, which serves as a catalyst in influencing public policy on
issues pertaining to the unbanked population. She also manages programs that promote financial education and oversees projects related to consumer access to mainstream financial services. She oversees a Web site, called "Midwest Bank Comparison" that helps consumers compare low-cost savings and checking accounts offered by more than 1400 Midwest financial institutions. She is the Bank's spokesperson for Chicago's annual Money $mart Week.

Ms. Handlin received her B.A. from the University of Chicago and an M.B.A. from the
University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.
back to top