Category: Property & Casualty Team

Responsibilities
Donna Chiancone is directly responsible for the critical exchange of underwriting and bond processing data between the customer and Surety. Donna plays a key role in the maintenance and maximization of surety capacity for the firm’s clients, with a focus on both construction and commercial accounts. With well over a decade in the surety business, Donna is highly experienced in developing and maintaining relationships.

Background
Donna has nearly 30 years of experience within the insurance industry, with a varied background that includes claims, commercial and personal lines client management. With nearly 15 years of specialized experience in Surety Bonds, she has acquired an impressive knowledgebase as well as an exceptional level of professional respect from customers and Surety companies alike.

Professional Designations
Certificate, Surety Level II from the NASBP
Certified Insurance Service Representative
Holds Property and Casualty Licenses in all 50 states
Notary Public State of New Jersey

Responsibilities
Brian Dietrich works closely with clients to develop innovative risk management solutions and insurance programs that offer optimal protection at the most competitive costs. He is responsible for program design and proper placement of policies with top insurance carriers in an ever-evolving marketplace. As Account Executive, Brian oversees the service team designated for each account, ensuring timely, informed, and professional support for every client.

Background
Brian has enjoyed a career in the insurance industry holding positions in management, sales, and service support. With a strong focus on proper insurance placement, he leverages his expertise to help organizations understand their exposures, protect their assets, and mitigate risk. His experience includes coordinating key agency services such as coverage and exposure analysis, contract review, loss forecasting, claims coordination, and safety and loss control initiatives.

Brian began his industry career with an internship at IBM, which led to positions with an insurance carrier, a risk management advisory firm, and successful insurance agencies.

Education
Susquehanna University, Sigmund Weis School of Business – Bachelor of Science in Management and Marketing

Professional Designations
Certified Risk Manager (CRM)
Certified Insurance Consultant (CIC)
Commercial Lines Coverage Specialist (CLCS)
Ethics Certified (EC)

Responsibilities
Michael Helfrich is responsible for establishing and maintaining relationships on an assigned book of business. He conducts thorough risk assessments to identify potential exposures and vulnerabilities. Michael is also skilled in leveraging market relationships to negotiate competitive premiums and secure optimal coverage for clients. He works closely with internal teams to deliver seamless and coordinated service to clients.

Background
Michael joined Conner Strong & Buckelew in 2016 after working two years as a broker at Apogee Insurance Group, a professional liability wholesale brokerage firm located in King of Prussia, PA. Prior to his time at Apogee Insurance Group, Michael was a Property Underwriting Assistant at XL Insurance America in New York, NY where he assisted the rating and policy issuance of large, multinational property insurance programs.

Education
Saint Joseph’s University – Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

Responsibilities
Tom Merchel serves as the Fund Risk Management Consultant to the Ocean County Municipal Joint Insurance Fund, the Professional Municipal Management Joint Insurance Fund, and the Monmouth Municipal Joint Insurance Fund. He also serves as the Risk Management Consultant to members of the Atlantic, Burlco, Camden, Garden State, Mid Jersey, NJUA, and Trico Joint Insurance Funds, as well as the Burlington County Insurance Commission.

Background
Prior to joining Conner Strong & Buckelew, Tom worked for 26 years at the Township of Moorestown as the Chief Financial Officer, Deputy Manager and Township Manager. Tom handled all accounting, financial and budgeting responsibilities for the Township. He managed over $200 million in capital projects, including the construction of a new municipal complex, three water treatment plants and major upgrades to a wastewater treatment plant. He is proud of his accomplishment in increasing the Township’s Moody’s Bond Rating from A1 to Aaa.

While at Moorestown, he served as Commissioner and Chair to the Municipal Excess Liability Joint Insurance Fund (MEL), New Jersey Cyber Risk Management Joint Insurance Fund, and the Professional Municipal Management Joint Insurance Fund (PMMJIF). Tom was also the Commissioner to the Environmental Joint Insurance Fund (EJIF) and the Residual Claims Joint Insurance Fund (RCF). In his capacity as commissioner, he served on various subcommittees including MEL, EJIF and RCF Claims.

Additionally, Tom previously worked for 5 years as the Treasurer for Pennsauken Township and for 4 years as a municipal and school auditor for Bowman & Company.

Education
Saint Joseph’s University – Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Minor in Finance

Professional Designations
NJ Property & Casualty Producers License
PA Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
NJ Certified Municipal Finance Officer (CMFO)
NJ Certified Tax Collector (CTC)

Community Involvement
Tom is a member of the Moorestown Breakfast Rotary Club where he participates in various community events such as the Adopt-A-Park and school backpack programs. He is a member of the NJ Government Finance Officers Association.

Responsibilities
Jessica Roche services a book of business that includes complex Life Science accounts based domestically and internationally. Her current clients include companies at various points in their life cycle ranging from the research and development stage to publicly traded multi-national pharmaceutical companies with approved products on the market. In her role, she focuses on program design and marketing, insurance placement, contract review and coordination of services. Jessica is also an active participant in the Life Science Practice Group and International Practice Group, both of which work to address current coverage issues and industry changes related to their respective lines of business.

Background
Jessica joined Conner Strong & Buckelew in 2014 after she graduated from Temple University where she majored in Risk Management & Insurance. Prior to her full-time employment, she interned with Conner Strong & Buckelew in 2013 where she supported teams in the Major Accounts department as they serviced their respective books of business.

Education
Temple University, Fox School of Business – Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Gamma Iota Sigma Professional Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science Fraternity

Responsibilities
Tim Svoboda is passionate about data-driven decision-making. As an expert in risk financing strategies, Tim equips clients with the tools they need to evaluate options such as captives, risk retention groups, and commercial market alternatives. As a trusted advisor, Tim guides clients through entire the captive’s life cycle: from feasibility and implementation until dissolution or divestiture. Tim is a member of the Alternative Risk Practice and aids the expansion of Conner Strong & Buckelew’s alternative risk offerings in both the Property & Casualty and Employee Benefits departments.

Background
Prior to joining Conner Strong & Buckelew, Tim was a member of the Risk Finance Practice at Lockton Companies, where he gained valuable experience consulting on efficient program design for complex clients. Throughout this role, Tim developed a strong foundation in quantitative risk analytics and a keen interest in alternatives to traditional methods of purchasing insurance.

Education
University of Kansas – Bachelor of Science in Finance

Professional Designations 
Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU)
Associate in Captive Insurance (ACI)
Associate in Risk Management (ARM)
Associate in Reinsurance (ARe)
Associate in Insurance Accounting and Finance (AIAF)

Responsibilities
Taruja Deshmukh is the InsurTech Solutions Manager for Conner Strong & Buckelew. In this role, Deshmukh leads labs. BY CONNER STRONG, the firm’s centralized innovation hub, focused on improving operational efficiencies, enhancing the customer experience, creating an innovation and inclusive culture, and driving innovation forward in the industry. Deshmukh manages various projects designed to explore, evaluate, and implement insurtech solutions to achieve the firm’s innovation goals through collaboration with leadership across all departments and active engagement with employees. Deshmukh also supports relationships with external partners in the insurtech community, as well as the company’s initiatives within BrokerTech Ventures, the first broker-centric, broker-led insurtech platform.

Background
Deshmukh joined Conner Strong & Buckelew in June 2011, after graduating Temple University with her undergraduate degree in Risk Management & Insurance and International Business. While at Temple University, Deshmukh was actively involved in the Risk Management & Insurance program and completed internships with Travelers Insurance and Marsh USA. Most recently, Deshmukh earned her AIDA (Associate in Insurance Data Analytics) designation, which focuses on the conception and application of utilizing big data in the insurance industry and adopting innovation into the company culture.

Education
Temple University – Bachelor of Business Administration in Risk Management & Insurance and International Business Administration

Professional Designations
Associate in Insurance Data Analytics (AIDA)
Associate in Risk Management (ARM)
Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU)

Responsibilities
Charity Richart is responsible for the onboarding development and implementation of technical training programs for all Property & Casualty personnel. She develops, implements, and maintains processes, procedures and standard documents. Charity preserves an online database for trainings and standard materials to promote adherence to company procedures and guidelines. She is a proactive innovator of training and technical solutions, working on several key projects and practice groups to enhance efficiencies. She participates in various technology initiatives to promote professional development, efficiency, teamwork and commitment to Conner Strong & Buckelew’s corporate goals.

Background
Charity is an insurance professional with over 25 years of claims experience. Prior to joining Conner Strong & Buckelew, she spent 9 years with The Graham Company providing claims advocacy services including facilitating claims strategy meetings, overseeing claims, and providing proactive communication between clients and insurance carriers. Prior to her working in a broker advocate role, Charity gained experience as a Claims Representative. In this capacity, she worked with both carrier and Third-Party Administrator firms, managing a wide range of insurance risks across diverse industries in both public and private sectors throughout the nation.

Licenses & Certifications
Certified Strengths Coach – Gallup
Property & Casualty Producer License – NJ, PA & DE

Professional Designations
Associate in Claims (AIC)
Associate in Insurance Services (AIS)

Community Involvement
Charity is an active member of The Institutes Insurance Broker Advisory Board where she provides strategic guidance on educational programs and professional development initiatives, influencing the future of broker education. Charity also participates in The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers, where she collaborates with industry leaders to identify emerging trends and serves as a thought leader, promoting industry innovation and excellence.

Responsibilities
Carole Mack leads the Public Entity Practice for Conner Strong & Buckelew which provides risk management and insurance services to governmental entities in New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania.

Background
Prior to joining Conner Strong & Buckelew, Mack was President of Buckelew & Associates, a real estate and insurance firm located in Toms River, New Jersey. Buckelew & Associates was purchased by Conner Strong & Buckelew in November of 1996. Mack was responsible for overall agency operations that employed a staff of 50 people.

Mack has 45 years experience in the insurance industry and is currently maintaining the Certified Risk Manager, Certified Insurance Counselor and Certified Professional Insurance Women designations. She has successfully completed three parts of CPCU.

She has served on the Board of Directors of Liberty Bell Insurance Company and New Jersey Alliance, Bermuda Captives.

Professional Designations
Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC)
Certified Risk Manager (CRM)
Certified Professional Insurance Woman (CPIW)

Community Involvement
Mack served as a member of the Board of Trustees of Community Medical Center. She is a former President of the Toms River Sunrise Rotary.  She is a member and former President of the Board of Directors for Ocean’s Harbor House. Mack has been involved with the Princeton Insurance Company Advisory Council, the Agents and Brokers Advisory Council for New Jersey Department of Insurance, the Selective Insurance Company Producer Council and the St. Paul Producer Council. She is a former committeewoman of the Farmers Home Administration and is also a past chairwoman of the INA Producer Council. She is currently a member of the Toms River Police Foundation.

Responsibilities
Lisa Vanore is responsible for setting the vision and direction for the Claim Advocacy and Consulting Department, a key differentiator of Conner Strong & Buckelew. The department is a 45-member diverse team that is focused on protecting clients. Lisa manages daily operations to ensure efficient claim handling and superior consulting services to our customers. She works closely with senior executives to drive optimization of operational efficiencies, and elevation of client service.

Lisa is also an active participant in the Alternative Risk Practice Group and the Environmental Practice Group at the firm, both of which work to address current coverage issues related to their respective lines of business.

Background
Lisa brings over 16 years of enterprise-level risk management experience to Conner Strong & Buckelew. Her experience spans various industries including, public companies, hospitality, and higher education where she was responsible for directing claims and litigation management strategies. Prior to joining Conner Strong & Buckelew, Lisa served as the Director of Risk Management for a large casino, where she spearheaded the development and oversight of comprehensive risk management and loss control programs designed to reduce the total cost of risk.

Education
Temple University, Fox School of Business – Bachelor of Business Administration in Risk Management and Marketing

Professional Designation
RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP)
Management Liability Insurance Specialist (MLIS)