Group serves health insurance professionals, brokers and consultants
(Boston, MA) June 16, 2016 — On May 5, 2016,The Massachusetts Association of Health Underwriters (MassAHU) installed its 2016-2018 board during their Annual Meeting held in Westborough during Benefest, the Association’s annual conference and trade fair.
MassAHU is a professional trade organization whose membership consists of health insurance professionals, brokers, and consultants.
Engaged and Passionate
“The Massachusetts Association of Health Underwriters board members are among the most engaged and passionate benefit professionals in Massachusetts. This dedication and commitment has made MassAHU a powerful and respected voice in this state and I am proud to have been a part of it” said Holly Taylor, President and COO, True North Insurance Agency in Pittsfield. Ms. Taylor officially steps off the board as of June 30th. Among her many professional roles, Ms. Taylor has also served as the Massachusetts Coordinator on the National Exchange Collaborative of NAHU.
Paul Pietro, Chairman, Mid-State Insurance, Employee Benefits, who after 20 plus years with MassAHU as an officer and director, will be stepping down from the board at the end of June as well. “MassAHU started as a voice for brokers and has grown to be the strongest and most respected voice with our legislators, Department of Insurance, the Attorney General’s office and the Health Insurance Carriers,” he said.
“The MassAHU board of directors is made up of the smartest, most knowledgeable and passionate brokers in the industry,” Pietro said. “What I will miss the most is learning something new about our industry at every board meeting. He gave thanks to MassAHU for what this association does for brokers everyday. Both Holly Taylor and Paul Pietro’s dedication to the growth and management of MassAHU cannot be over emphasized or appreciated more by colleagues and members both statewide and nationally.”
New Directors
Newly nominated directors are Jean Stone and Adam Russo, Esq.
Ms. Stone, from Williamstown, is a licensed Insurance Advisor and Broker with True North Insurance, a Digital Benefit Advisors partner. Jean is licensed in multiple states and holds the CEBS, GBA and CMS designations from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Russo is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Phia Group LLC and founder and managing partner of The Law Offices of Russo & Minchoff. He has been a frequent speaker and author on health care and employee benefits topics at webinars, conferences and seminars across the country.
Rounding off the MassAHU board officers and directors is David A. Shore, VP Employee Benefits Practice Leader, Borislow Insurance, Mr. Shore enters his final year as president of MassAHU, continuing the leadership and futurist thinking that has helped MassAHU maintain its industry recognized expert status. “MassAHU delivers extraordinary value to our members and the employers and employees that they represent each and every day. The association promotes and reinforces the critical stakeholder role of the broker as strategic advisor – advocating for sensible legislation, providing member professional development opportunities, and most importantly, serving as a voice from the trenches on behalf of employers. Health insurance is expensive because health care is expensive; actively influencing health care/insurance policy is critical to achieving our goal of sustainable, high quality, affordable health care.”
Christopher Powers, Senior VP with Benefit Development Group, a Risk Strategies Company, is President-elect and Mim Minichiello, president of HUB New England’s Employee Benefits Practice, also serves a co-chair on the membership committee with board member Brian Cavallo, Director of Sales/Health Services Administrators in Billerica. Joe Lawler, Benefits Consultant with The Gaudreau Group, continues as board secretary along with Todd McDonald, President of Aisling Partners, as treasurer.
Continuing on the Massachusetts Association of Health Underwriters’ board of directors will be Marie Chalmers, Senior Vice President|Partner Relations at Marsh & McLennan Agency; Julie Jennings RHU, CLTC, LIA, Vice President, Employee Benefits, Sylvia & Company Insurance Agency in North Dartmouth; Jean Russell, SVP-Employee Benefits HUB New England; Jeff Rich, CEO of NFP Health in Braintree; Rob DiMase AIF ®, Executive Vice President with Sentinel Benefits & Financial Group in Wakefield; Mark Gaunya, GBA, LIA, Co-owner/Chief Innovation Officer with Borislow Insurance in Methuen; Gary Fradin, President of TheMedicalGuide; and Matt Shadrick, Executive VP leading the Employee Benefits division of Eastern Insurance.
MassAHU is the state chapter of the National Association of Health Underwriters represents more than 98,000 professional health insurance agents and brokers who provide insurance for millions of Americans. NAHU is headquartered in Washington, DC. For more information, visit our web site at www.nahu.org.
