The key strength of our company is our people, credentialed professionals with proven success records. The average underwriting experience of our team is 25 years with multiple brokerage life carriers. They are all HOVIN employees with respected reputations among carrier counterparts, reinsurers, actuaries and agents.
Our Team
Janet L. Vincent, President
Jan is the owner and President of HOVIN Underwriting Partners, Inc. She co-founded the company in 2005 with Jerry Holmes and assumed ownership in 2016 with Jerry’s retirement. During her 25 year career, Jan held several key management positions at major life insurance companies. Her experience as Assistant Vice President of Underwriting and New Business for one of these companies highlights her operational specialty in designing and implementing new business systems and underwriting programs such as Teleapp and Express Underwriting Teams. Jan is a member of AHOU, has completed various CLU and LOMA exams, and attends yearly industry meetings to keep abreast of current information and technology. Jan is ECG certified.
Leeann Hansen,
Executive Vice President, Underwriting
Leeann joined HOVIN in 2007 with 20 years experience in the life insurance industry, in positions of increasing responsibility. She is responsible for management of the underwriting staff, quality assurance and operational effectiveness. She has completed LOMA and ALU courses and attends several industry meetings each year. Leeann is ECG certified.
Beth F. Goulet, Vice President,
Operations
Beth joined HOVIN in 2009 with 19 years of experience in the life insurance industry. Prior to joining HOVIN she held the positions of Director Life New Business, Director Distribution Administration, and Director Sales Operations for a major life insurance company. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from the University of Vermont and was Series 6 licensed.
Tracey L. Bottum, Assistant Vice President, Underwriting
Tracey joined HOVIN in 2007 after working for a major insurance company as an Assistant Director of Underwriting. In her prior role, Tracey frequently represented the underwriting department on projects involving new system implementations, enhancements, workflow improvement and was responsible for underwriter training on systems and procedures. Tracey is proficient at EKG interpretation. She has completed LOMA coursework and attends several industry meetings each year.
Teresa McCullough, ACS, Assistant Vice President, Underwriting
Teresa joined HOVIN in 2009 with over 34 years life New Business and Underwriting experience. Her prior position was Underwriting Director for a major life insurance company. Teresa has earned an Associate in Customer Service (ACS) designation and has a strong background in operations and business processes. She has completed several LOMA courses and studied management and leadership at Indiana University Graduate School of Business and Indiana Central University.
Jill Wayson,
FALU, FLMI, ACS, AIAA, AIRC, ALMI,
Assistant Vice President, Underwriting
Jill joined HOVIN in 2010 with 15 years of life underwriting and finance experience. She obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from Pennsylvania State University and has earned FALU, FLMI, ACS, AIAA, AIRC, and ALMI designations and is ECG certified.
Kimberly Sawyer, ACS, Director, Underwriting
Kim joined HOVIN in 2009 with 16 years of New Business and Underwriting experience, advancing through increased levels of responsibility to her most recent position as Underwriting Officer at a major Life Insurance Company. Kim earned a Bachelor of Science from the School of Education at the University of Connecticut. She is an Associate in Customer Service (ACS) and has completed several LOMA and ALU courses. Kim is ECG certified.
Jennifer Grooms, ACS, Assistant Director, Underwriting
Jennifer joined HOVIN in August 2020 with over 21 years of major carrier life underwriting experience.
Her work includes underwriting large case amounts, long term care, survivorship cases, as well as large production environments.
Jennifer’s experience also extends to the business analyst/SME role for New Business products, workflow, auto underwriting and rules generation, business rules generation, enhancements, training and implementation.
Jennifer is an Associate in Customer Service (ACS) and has completed several LOMA courses.
Kimberly Grose, Assistant Director, Underwriting
Kim joined Hovin in March 2021 with 31 years of life insurance experience, including 27 years in underwriting, including management of underwriting and case management teams. Kim most recently worked for a major insurance company as a manager for multiple life underwriting teams. Kim has in depth experience with new underwriting system implementations for both whole life and term products, and frequently represented the underwriting department on writing rules, usability, enhancements, workflow improvement, and assisted with underwriter training on systems and procedures. She has taken both LOMA and ALU coursework.
Jackie Jackson, MBA, CLTC, ACS, Assistant Director, Underwriting
Jackie joined HOVIN in July 2020 with over 25 years of individual and group life and health underwriting experience with nationally known carriers and vendors.
She obtained her BBA from Tennessee State University in Nashville, TN and her MBA with a concentration in Risk Management from Walden University in Minneapolis, MN.
Jackie’s designations include ACS and Certification for Long Term Care, and is also a Georgia licensed Life, Accident and Sickness agent.
Shelia Jones, Assistant Director, Underwriting
Shelia joined HOVIN in June 2019 with over 20 years of experience working as a life insurance underwriter with several major insurance carriers,
including 4 years as a reinsurance underwriter. She has completed several LOMA and ALU courses.
Darina Barclay, MBA, FALU, FLMI, FLHC, ACS, ARA, AIRC, Sr. Underwriter
Darina joined HOVIN in 2021 with over 7 years of experience in life insurance underwriting and case management with a major insurance carrier. She earned a MBA with a concentration in Finance from Northern Kentucky University. Her professional accomplishments include Fellow, Academy Life Underwriting, Fellow, Life Management Institute, Fellow, Life and Health Claims, Associate, Reinsurance Administration, Associate, Customer Service and Associate, Insurance Regulatory Compliance.
Jane Brodigan, ACS, Sr. Underwriter
Jane joined HOVIN in 2017 with over 21 years of experience in the insurance industry, including 14 years working as a life insurance underwriter with several major insurance carriers. She has earned the ACS designation and has completed several LOMA and ALU courses.
Vickie Fleming, FALU, FLMI, CLU, ChFC, CPCU, Sr. Underwriter
Vickie joined HOVIN in November 2021 with over 30 years of experience as a Technical Underwriter and Quality Control Underwriter with major life insurance companies. She has a B.S. in Business Management and has earned the FALU, FLMI, CLU, ChFC, and CPCU designations. Vickie has been active with the Academy of Life Underwriting having served on the exam writing committee. She has been a contributing editor for OTR and is currently serving as OTR Advertising Manager.
Kristie Frein, FLMI, AALU, ACS, Sr. Underwriter
Kristie joined HOVIN in September 2021 with 40 years of experience in life underwriting and a background in disability income underwriting. She held the position of Senior Staff Underwriter for a major insurer with responsibilities of training and managing an underwriting team and helping to set and implement underwriting procedures. She has earned the FLMI, AALU, and ACS designations, and completed several courses in the HIAA program. She also held both a Series 6 and 26 securities license. Kristie earned an Associate of Business Degree from the American Institute of Business. She is a past President of the Iowa Home Office Life Underwriters Association.
Jerilyn Jenkins, ALMI, ACS, HIAA, Sr. Underwriter
Jerilyn joined HOVIN in January 2020 with over 25 years of experience as a Senior Medical Underwriter and Quality Control Underwriter with a major life insurance company. She also has experience as an Account Service Representative, Senior Claims Examiner, and Senior Benefits Analyst. Jerilyn has completed ALU and LOMA courses, as well as certificates of the Insurance Claims Association, I.C.A., Health Insurance Association, I.E.A.A., and is a Workers Compensation, I.E.A., graduate.
Jackie Kurowski, ACS, Sr. Underwriter
Jackie joined HOVIN in March 2020 with over 30 years of career and brokerage life underwriting experience with major insurance companies. She has experience with LTC rider underwriting as well as expertise in informal application cases, complex health and high face amount medical cases. Jackie holds an ACS designation and has completed several LOMA courses.
Andrea Levesque, FLMI, FALU, CLU, AIAA, ACS, Sr. Underwriter
Andrea joined HOVIN in July 2023 with over 30 years of life underwriting experience. She has worked for 3 major life insurance companies and her combined duties included reviewing large cases, quick quotes, training new underwriters, educating Agents in the field on underwriting, handling contestable claims, as well as developing and implementing an audit system. Andrea obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from Pennsylvania State University and her Master of Science in Physiology from the University of Connecticut. She has earned several designations including FLMI, FALU, CLU, AIAA and ACS and is EKG certified.
Michael Martino, Sr. Underwriter
Michael joined HOVIN in September 2020 with over 40 years of experience in Life Underwriting. His last position was a Senior Underwriting Director for the large case brokerage market for a major carrier. His experience includes estate planning cases, particularly older age substandard risks, traditional business needs, joint and survivor risks, as well as LTC rider business. Michael has worked for several carries over the years, both on the Reinsurance and Direct side. Additionally, he has done project work, audit work and represented carriers at industry meetings, company meetings and client visits.
Nancy Shirley, FLMI, ACS, Sr. Underwriter
Nancy joined HOVIN in March 2020 with over 30 years of underwriting experience and held various positions including Underwriting Manager, AVP of Multi-life and Chief Underwriter for major life companies. She is ECG certified and has taught ECG interpretation to Underwriters at several insurance companies. She has earned her FLMI and ACS designation, along with passing some ALU courses. Additionally, Nancy was a past President of the Georgia Underwriting Association and edited Selection of Risk for LOMA.
Laurie Bertini, Underwriter
Laurie joined HOVIN in October 2021 with over 20 years of experience related to underwriting life, health, disability, and long-term care products. Her accomplishments include project work, auditing, underwriter training, workflow improvements, and new system implementation. Laurie frequently represented the underwriting department on many company-wide projects. She has completed several courses in the HIAA program.
Jennifer Speziale, Sr. Operations Specialist, Operations
Jennifer joined HOVIN in 2013 and adds strong organizational and customer service skills to our operations team. She continues her educational pursuits working towards a Bachelor in Business Administration. Most recently she was the office manager for a high volume independent insurance adjustment office. She has worked in the insurance/financial planning industry for 25 years.
Madison Grooms, Operations Specialist
Madison joined HOVIN in 2023 with a strong background in customer service. She adds a fresh perspective to the operations team and possesses the perfect skill set to conduct telephone interviews. Prior to joining the team, she was in a demanding customer service atmosphere and excelled in her role as an accountant for a major grocery chain. Madison is currently pursuing her college degree towards a bachelors in math.
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