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Jon Persky has spent the majority of his professional career in the insurance industry in positions such as Controller, Chief Financial Officer, and Personnel Director. The agencies Jon has been associated with range from a large commercial lines-only agency to a 35-location non-standard auto agency. Jon has also been the Vice President of Operations of a law firm.
Jon is the President of Optimum Performance Solutions, LLC, a company that provides management consulting on a nationwide basis to insurance agencies and carriers. The firm specializes in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, agency valuation, perpetuation planning, and expert witness testimony.
He is also the author of Maximizing Agency Value II: A Guide for Buying, Selling, and Pertpetuating Insurance Agencies, and Managing Human Resources in an Insurance Agency, both available from the Academy of Producer Insurance Studies. Jon is also the endorsed consultant of several state insurance associations.
Richard S. Pitts is a 1983 graduate of Wabash College and a 1986 graduate of Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis. Pitts clerked for the Honorable Patrick D. Sullivan, a judge of the Indiana Court of Appeals in 1986-87. Rick is admitted to practice before Indiana state and federal courts, the United State Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and is a member of local, state and national bar associations.
Pitts has served as a panelist and lecturer on a variety of continuing education subjects, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, “Mold: Issues Under the Microscope” for the Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum (ICLEF), and “Insurance Issues for Builders” for the Indiana Builders Association. Rick has also served as chair of ICLEF’s “Advanced Corporate Practice” seminar and as a faculty member for various construction law seminars for Lorman Education Services. Pitts has co-authored two articles appearing in the Indiana Law Review.
Pitts is a Vice-President and General Counsel to Arlington/Roe & Co., Inc., an insurance brokerage and managing general agent in Indianapolis. Rick also serves as general counsel to the Independent Insurance Agents of Indiana, Inc. As counsel to the Big “I”, Rick speaks annually at the association’s New Laws Seminars and teaches various seminars on insurance and employment related matters.
Daniel L. Myers has been involved in building two different Independent Insurance Agencies over a 21 year period. Prior to joining his family owned agency in 1980, Dan spent nearly 20 years in all aspects of radio broadcasting. His considerable radio broadcasting talents now serve him well as an entertaining public speaker who is able to educate his audiences in his unique style.
Dan has been working as an independent contractor for Professional Insurance Education, Inc. of Nashville since February of 2000. He is qualified to speak on various insurance topics and has presented CIC, continuing education, pre-licensing and E&O seminars in over 22 states.
As Illinois’ longest-serving chief executive (14 years), Governor James Thompson was noted for his skill in settling difficult labor management problems, his ability to manage one of the nation’s largest public budgets while maintaining one of the nation’s highest state bond ratings, and his leadership among peers.
After leaving public office in 1991, Thompson served as chairman of the Executive Committee of Winston & Strawn from 1991 to 2006, as well as Chairman and CEO of the firm from 1993 to 2006. In 1997 and 2000, The National Law Journal listed Thompson as one of the nation’s 100 most influential lawyers. He re-entered the public spotlight in 2003 as a member of the 9-11 Commission, gaining notoriety for his strong disagreements with former counter terrorism czar Dick Clarke.
A former U.S. Attorney in Chicago, Thompson argued more than 200 cases before the Illinois Supreme Court and argued the landmark Escobedo case in the United States Supreme Court. He also served as an associate professor at Northwestern University School of Law, as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Cook County, and is active in various civic and business groups.
With over 19 years experience in the property and casualty insurance industry, Andrea Farrell is an Assistant Vice President with Euler Hermes ACI, a company of Allianz. She oversees marketing and relationship management activities affiliated with the company's open broker distribution and strategic marketing partners.
Prior to joining Euler Hermes ACI in 2004, Andrea held various sales and marketing positions with Fireman's Fund Insurance Company, also a U.S. subsidiary of Allianz. Her positions included Regional Sales and Marketing Manager for Personal Insurance Division and Regional Manager of Affinity Group Sales for the Commercial Division. During her time with Fireman's Fund, Andrea developed and implemented business insurance programs for the membership base of various trade associations, purchasing cooperatives, and franchises.
Additionally, from late 1999 through 2003, she worked directly for the Allianz Group headquarters in Germany as a Strategic Brand Manager in International Marketing. Prior to 1996, Andrea was an underwriting and sales manager for Chubb & Son, Inc. She is a frequent speaker with trade associations, accounting firms, financial institutions and other professional societies. Andrea holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from Bucknell University.
