Below you will find information on U.S. Risk underwriters and brokers. Use the drop-down menu to filter by office location, program or specialty.
Gary Atkins
Executive Vice President/Branch Manager
Gary specializes in brokerage of casualty lines with an emphasis on energy, oil and gas, contractors (industrial, commercial and residential), environmental, equipment rental, and product-driven accounts. He has 38 years of experience in the insurance industry with the last 26 years as an E&S wholesale broker.…
Read moreGary specializes in brokerage of casualty lines with an emphasis on energy, oil and gas, contractors (industrial, commercial and residential), environmental, equipment rental, and product-driven accounts. He has 38 years of experience in the insurance industry with the last 26 years as an E&S wholesale broker. Gary joined U.S. Risk in 2000.
Product specialties
- Artisan/trade contractors
- Drilling rigs/oilfield property
- Environmental
- Excess liability
- Excess maritime employers (workers’ compensation)
- Foreign coverages
- General contractors
- Liquor liability
- Offshore oil drilling and service risks
- Pollution contractors
- Products liability
- Refinery/oil and gas contractors
- Refinery/petrochemical risks
- Residential and roofing contractors
- Umbrella
Drew Atkins, CIC
Broker
Drew joined U.S. Risk in 2015 as a broker in the Houston office. Drew currently brokers casualty for a variety of classes, including contractors, hospitality, manufacturing and habitational. He also works on casualty accounts that are difficult to place due to losses or to the industries in which they work.
Drew earned his Bachelor of Finance and Accounting from Texas Christian University.
Product specialties
- General contractors
- Artisan contractors (residential/commercial/industrial)
- Restaurants
- Bars/taverns
- Nightclubs
- Manufacturing
- Habitational
- Inland marine
- Excess/umbrella
- Liquor liability
Tim Bennett, CIC
Senior Broker
Tim joined U. S. Risk in 2013 and has nearly 25 years of experience in the insurance industry. For more than 20 years, Tim has focused on management, professional and cyber liability as well as fidelity/crime bonds. His book of business encompasses a broad array of professional exposures with a heavy focus on financial institutions including banks, insurance companies, assets managers, private equity, venture capital, hedge funds, mutual funds, trust companies, family offices, mortgage bankers/brokers, specialty lenders and much more. With experience in underwriting, sales and product development, Tim is here to assist his agent partners with the placement of accounts that are standard, complex and distressed risks.
Product specialties
- Cyber/privacy liability
- Financial institutions D&O
- Side A DIC
- Excess liability
- Financial institution bonds
- Insurance company E&O/D&O
- Mortgage brokers and bankers professional liability
- Professional liability (including financial services risks)
- Mortgage impairment
- Lender-placed and REO insurance
- Commercial crime/kidnap and ransom
- Broker/dealer and investment advisor E&O
- EPLI
- Fiduciary liability
- Trust E&O
Sheila Boatman
Vice President/Senior Broker/Underwriter
Sheila specializes in miscellaneous medical malpractice professional and general liability coverages. She started in the E&S business in 1989 and helped establish the Houston Healthcare Division of U.S. Risk in 2000. She is a Senior Underwriter with underwriting authority through our exclusive miscellaneous medical program through underwriters at Lloyd’s.
Sheila also has extensive experience as a senior broker. She partners with leading underwriters of highly rated national carriers to provide the expertise needed in today’s challenging market. Some eligible classes include surgery centers, home health agencies, staffing agencies, medical clinics, adult daycare, diagnostic imaging labs, MRI centers, DME, CRNAs, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and many more.
Product specialties
- Adult daycare
- Allied/misc. healthcare
- Assisted living centers
- Clinics
- For-profit D&O
- Hospitals
- Medical laboratories
- Non-profit D&O
- Physicians
- Professional liability
- Social services
Beth Boisseau-Coots, CIC
Vice President, Sales
Beth Boisseau-Coots joined J.B. Lloyd and Associates in 2006, and became part of the U.S. Risk team when the company was acquired in 2016. She specializes in insurance products for banks and real estate investors.
Product specialties
- Commercial general liability
- Cyber liability
- Directors and officers liability
- Financial institution bonds
- Foreclosed liability insurance
- Lender placed insurance
- Outsourced insurance tracking for lenders
- Real estate investor insurance
Grant Bryant, AU, AINS
Senior Underwriter
Grant has worked in the insurance industry since 2009, most recently as an underwriter for Chubb in their energy division in Dallas, Texas. Grant’s focus at U.S. Risk is underwriting oil and gas general liability, excess, and inland marine lines nationwide, as well as brokerage placements for all lines of coverage for the Energy & Environmental division.
Grant earned a Bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University.
Product specialties
- Operators and non-operators
- Oilfield consultants
- Drilling contractors
- Well servicing contractors
- Roustabouts
- Pipeline operators
- Many other supporting classes
Cason Burdett, CIC, ARM
Vice President/Senior Underwriter
Cason joined U.S. Risk in 2012. He manages our in-house Energy & Environmental Division, which is responsible for underwriting general liability, professional liability, excess liability and inland marine in the oil and gas sector. In addition to his underwriting responsibilities, Cason is also a broker for all lines of energy coverage, handling mid-sized to large accounts. Prior to U.S. Risk, Cason was with AIG for six years as a business development manager and primary casualty underwriter.
Product specialties
- Operators and non-operators
- Oilfield consultants
- Drilling contractors
- Well servicing contractors
- Roustabouts
- Pipeline operators
- Many other supporting classes
Aaron Cardwell, CIC, RPLU
Vice President
Aaron specializes in solutions for all types of financial institutions. He began his underwriting career in 2001 working with financial institution crime bonds, D&O, bankers professional, and cyber insurance for financial institutions at St. Paul Insurance Company, which later merged with Travelers. He joined U.S. Risk with the acquisition of J.B. Lloyd & Associates in 2016. Aaron also works with lender-placed hazard and flood and mortgage impairment/errors and omissions insurance. Both of these unique programs are endorsed by the Texas Bankers Association and available throughout the U.S. Aaron works with banks, credit unions, mortgage bankers, mortgage servicers, real estate investors, insurance companies, investment advisors, and other financial institutions.
Product specialties
- Bankers professional liability
- Civil money penalties coverage
- Cyber liability and breach response
- Financial institution crime bonds
- Force placed/foreclosed hazard and flood
- Directors and officers liability
- Employment practices liability
- Lender liability
- Lenders single interest
- Monthly reporting policies for residential real estate investors
- Mortgage impairment/mortgage E&O
- Mortgage insurance tracking
- Repossesed auto
- Trust errors and omissions
Scott T. Carroll
Executive Vice President/Program Director
Scott has over 25 years of insurance industry experience that ranges from large company underwriting to small brokerage administration experience. He currently manages Take1, an all-lines underwriting program focused on the entertainment (film, TV, DICE, touring entertainers) and communication industries (audio, video, sound and lighting equipment specialists; event planners and event production service firms).
Product specialties
- Entertainment
- Special events
- Sports and recreation
Sera Chalayan
Underwriter/Broker
Sera began her career as a banker, moved to wholesale brokerage briefly, and spent the majority of her career with an admitted carrier. She has worked in customer service, account management, human resources, marketing, underwriting, and sales. She served as President of the Emerging Insurance Professionals and on the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation’s associate board. From 2016–2018, Sera spent 15 months in the Czech Republic, earning an MBA. In January 2018, she joined the sales team at Gallagher as Area Vice President of the Los Angeles office. In May 2019, Sera joined U.S. Risk as an underwriter with specialty program ArmorPark, focusing on parking garage and valet operations.
Product specialties
- Parking garage and valet operations
Chris Chiodetti
Vice President/Underwriter/Broker
Chris underwrites and brokers packages, monoline property, monoline general liability, excess liability, H&NO auto, professional and inland marine coverages for a large variety of property and casualty classes.
Product specialties
- Churches
- Contractors (artisan and general)
- Distributors
- Habitational (dwellings, apartments, etc.)
- Hotels/motels
- Lessor’s risk
- Manufacturers
- Mercantile
- Shopping centers
- Truckers
- Vacant warehouses
- Many more
Chris Christian, CIC, RPLU
Vice President/Senior Broker
Chris stumbled into insurance in 1985 as a temporary employee at GAF Insurance Services, a bank-affiliated insurance agency in San Diego. After six years with GAF, Chris moved to the carrier side, opening the San Diego branch office of RLI Corp, an underwriter of specialty lines of insurance. The San Diego office was dedicated to directors and officers liability coverage, and was the launchpad for Chris’s specialization in professional liability.
Product specialties
- Allied/misc. healthcare
- Computer consultants
- Cyber liability
- D&O (including difficult-to-place)
- Environmental
- EPLI
- Errors and omissions
- Fiduciary
- Financial institutions D&O
- Insurance agents E&O
- Lawyers
- Nursing/convalescent Homes
- Pollution contractors
- Professional liability
- Software design/development
Leslie Craft
Senior Vice President
Leslie joined U.S. Risk in 2003. She has over 30 years of experience in the property and casualty insurance industry, with backgrounds in both retail and Wholesale. She earned her CIC designation in 1997.
Product specialties
- Artisan contractors
- Hospitality
- Manufacturing
- Product liability
- Liquor liability
- Builders risk
- Contractors liability
- Habitational
- Property
- General liability
Karla Dacosta
Associate Broker
Karla began her career in the insurance industry in 2011 during her senior year in college, after working for two years as an administrative assistant and later an assistant account manager for the professional division of a surplus lines brokerage in Framingham, Massachusetts. In 2012, Karla graduated cum laude from Framingham State University. where she received her B.A. in Business Administration. She then joined the professional division as an account executive specializing in for-profit and non-profit directors and officers liability, employment practices liability, and small miscellaneous E&O accounts.
At U.S. Risk, Karla focuses on D&O, EPL, E&O, and cyber liability, as well assists in our program business.
Product specialties
- Cyber liability
- Computer consultants
- D&O (including difficult-to-place)
- Environmental
- EPLI
- Errors and omissions
- Fiduciary
- Financial institutions D&O
- Insurance agents E&O
- Lawyers
- Professional liability
- Software design/development
Gina Dobbs
Senior Underwriter/Broker
Gina became part of the U.S. Risk team when the company acquired IMS London American in 2017. She has more than 30 years in the insurance industry, starting as a temporary typist and working her way up to underwriter. Gina has an Associate degree from Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas.
Product specialties
- Commercial auto
- Commercial property and casualty
- Commercial umbrella
Dorothy Douglas
Senior Underwriter/Broker
Dorothy joined U.S. Risk in 2017 with the acquisition of IMS/London American and has more than 20 years of experience in the commercial underwriting of property and casualty business. She has a strong background in garage and is committed to delivering exceptional service. Other emphasis includes artisan contractors, lessor’s risk, vacant, warehouse, and directors and officers.
Product specialties
- Property and casualty
- General liability
- Packages
- Lessor’s Risk
- Garage Liability
- Inland marine
- Vacant properties
- Excess/umbrella
- Environmental
- Directors and officers
- EPLI
- Miscellaneous professional
Theresa Drago, CPCU, ASLI, ARM
Assistant Vice President/Production Underwriter
Theresa specializes in placing workers’ compensation nationwide and can include, if necessary, longshore and maritime endorsements. Theresa joined U.S. Risk in 2000 and has over 35 years of experience in the insurance business.
Product specialties
- Workers’ compensation
- U.S. Longshore & Harbor Workers (USL&H)
- Maritime Employers Liability (MEL)
- Foreign package
William Duvall
Underwriter
William joined U.S. Risk in 2014 as part of the U.S. Risk Pros division located in Dallas, Texas. He underwrites professional liability risks with a focus on miscellaneous professional liability, employment practices liability, and insurance agents errors and omissions.
William graduated from Tarlton State University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. William served in the U.S. Marine Corps as an aircraft mechanic.
Product specialties
- EPLI
- Errors and omissions
- Directors and officers
- Miscellaneous professional
- Insurance agents E&O
- Title agents E&O
Brian Edwards
Underwriter
Brian has over 12 years of experience in the insurance industry. He specializes in brokerage of E&S commercial property risks with an emphasis on the hospitality industry. At U.S. Risk, Brian is a member of the TCAP team that writes a wide variety of community association exposures across the country.
Brian earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Ohio University.
Product specialties
- Property
- Coastal property
- Wind deductible buyback
- Earthquake
- Habitational
- Condo associations
- Excess/umbrella
- Inland marine
Deborah Egel-Fergus
Vice President/Program Manager
Deborah Egel-Fergus is Vice President and oversees the Lawyers Professional Liability, serving firms in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona. She joined the company July 2018 after over 15 years at Travelers Insurance Company, where she was an Account-Executive Officer and Professional Liability Team Leader with bond and financial products. At Travelers, Ms. Egel-Fergus managed a $7 million lawyers professional liability book of business, consisting of two states in the South Central Region, and she handled excess lawyers E&O for the Northern California, Southern California, Midwest and Southwest regions of the U.S. Prior to joining Travelers, Ms. Egel-Fergus worked in property and casualty insurance since 1986 in various capacities for several major national companies, including TIG Specialty Insurance Company, Southern Risk Specialists Lexington an AIG subsidiary, and Bertholon-Rowland Corporation.
Ms. Egel-Fergus received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Music from Hood College in Frederick, Maryland. She currently serves as Chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee for Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS). Over the years Deborah has also served PLUS in other various capacities. She has served as a Director for the (PLUS) Foundation, on the national Events Subcommittee for PLUS, as well as served as Chapter Chair of the Texas Chapter PLUS in 2005, 2006, and 2007, and also as a member of the American Bar Association Conference Committee.
Product specialties
- Lawyers Professional Liability
- Cyber
- Management Liability Lines
- Excess Professional Liability