Environmental Team Welcomes New Members
In an effort to ensure we are the insurance company of choice for environmental insurance brokers, it is important we establish a strong and dynamic team. Each issue of Environmental Insider will introduce you to members of our team and describe the unique role they play to support you and your clients.
Meet our Valued Team
Kelsey Cortina, Production Underwriter – National Underwriting
Great American Insurance Group’s Environmental Division is excited to welcome Kelsey Cortina to its National Underwriting department as a Production Underwriter. In her role, Kelsey will focus on assessing environmental liability while developing and maintaining business opportunities for the Division. With more than five years of environmental consulting experience, she has acquired a professional skill set in technical report writing, site assessments, project management, account management and client relations.
Kelsey obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in environmental studies from Florida State University and recently earned her Master of Business Administration degree from Florida Atlantic University. During her studies, Kelsey worked as a technical professional for a multinational consultancy, engineering and project management company, managing various assessments for petroleum restoration and solvent/hazardous waste sites and conducting field activities such as soil and groundwater investigation.
Prior to joining Great American, Kelsey most recently served as an associate staff professional within the Hazardous Substance Division for an environmental consulting and geotechnical company. In her role, she coordinated with site professionals to implement environmental health and safety strategies for project sites. In addition, she performed a number of due diligence tasks which included conducting Phase I & Phase II Environmental Site Assessments and preparing technical reports such as regulatory soil and groundwater assessments and remediation plans.
“I’m excited to craft unique underwriting solutions by applying my environmental consulting background in a new industry,” Kelsey said.
Kelsey is based out of South Florida.
Jose Herrera, Underwriter – National Underwriting
Great American Insurance Group’s Environmental Division is excited to welcome Jose Herrera to its National Underwriting department as an Underwriter. In his role, he will be responsible for evaluating environmental risk in order to determine comprehensive coverage options for his clients and build sustainable opportunities for the Division. Jose has accumulated almost a decade of industry experience, bringing pollution coverage, site evaluation and account servicing expertise to Great American.
Jose received his Bachelor of Arts in creative writing from Hunter College in New York. By leveraging his unique educational and underwriting background, he will successfully assist the team’s development efforts to manuscript policies that offer best-in-class environmental solutions to clients.
“We are excited to have him join our team and put his experience to use,” Heather Boyd, Divisional Assistant Vice President, said.
Most recently, Jose served as an underwriting assistant for a leading insurance agency where he maintained underwriting documentations and manuscripts for the Northeast region. In addition, Jose was responsible for performing policy issuance duties for the entire Northeast Environmental Department and international accounts in Latin America, Puerto Rico and Canada.
Jose has enjoyed the team’s collaborative approach and willingness to lend a hand with training efforts.
“I am looking forward to collaborating with such a knowledgeable team and learning more about the environmental sector,” Jose said.
Jose is based out our New York office.
Kristin Leo, Production Underwriter Trainee – National Underwriting
Great American Insurance Group’s Environmental Division is excited to welcome Kristin Leo to its National Underwriting department as a Production Underwriter Trainee. In her role, she will assist underwriters in assessing risk while developing business relationships with both internal members and external clients to retain business opportunities for the Division. As an experience licensed insurance advisor with a proven track record in policy development, Kristin brings a comprehensive set of valuable skills to Great American.
Kristin obtained her Associate of Applied Science degree in veterinary technology from Cedar Valley College in Texas. She also received an economics certificate from the American Institute of Banking.
Prior to joining Great American, Kristin most recently worked as an insurance advisor for a leading multi-brand insurance company where she performed policy reviews and assisted clients in obtaining commercial polices tailored to their needs. Before transitioning to the insurance field, Kristin served as a veterinary nurse assisting surgeons and emergency staff by performing treatments on hospitalized animals. She currently owns horses and is starting a therapy farm program for veterans and their families.
Kristin’s love for animals is an underlining reason Great American Environmental sparked her interest.
“I’ve always tracked major pollution incidents and how certain contaminates may affect not only the environment but also the animals that rely on its resources. As I expand my career in insurance, I am confident the environmental sector aligns well with my background and passion,” Kristin said
Kristin is based out of our Exton office.
Alexander Schum, Production Underwriter Trainee – National Underwriting
Great American Insurance Group’s Environmental Division is excited to welcome Alexander Schum to its National Underwriting department as a Production Underwriter Trainee. In his role, he will assist underwriters in assessing risk to initiate appropriate loss prevention actions while developing, as well as maintaining business relationships. With almost a half a decade of insurance experience, Alexander is a licensed agent and brings both sales and underwriting experience to the Division.
Alexander received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from Miami University in Ohio. His educational background in biology heightened his interest for environmental studies and ultimately allowed him to deliver a compelling capstone project centered around environmental sustainability. While obtaining his degree, he worked as a pharmacy technician facilitating communication between patients, pharmacists, doctors and insurance companies. In addition, Alexander volunteered for Habitat for Humanity as a building coordinator responsible for assisting the director to further promote the organization, increase membership and plan weekend build trips.
Most recently, Alexander worked as an agent for a Cincinnati-based insurance company where he serviced personal and commercial insurance accounts with a focus on retention, relationships and account rounding. Additionally, he prospected accounts through data-driven efforts to improve efficiency in marketing to specific carriers or programs.
“My transition to the environmental industry has been seamless, everyone in the Division is very supportive and willing to help. The variety of expertise – ranging from lawyers and consultants to geologist and chemists – really allows me to gain knowledge from every sector of the environmental field. I’m excited to hit the ground running and apply what I’ve learned to craft pollution policies,” Alexander said.
Alexander is based out of the Cincinnati office.
The team of experts at Great American Environmental, can assist in uncovering the hidden risks in your clients’ operations and develop a custom program to help protect them. The Division offers a complete portfolio of environmental insurance products, including contractors and fixed premises pollution liability insurance that work across the U.S., U.S. territories, Canada and other select countries.
Welcome, Kelsey, Jose, Kristin, and Alexander! We can’t wait to see you all thrive in your new roles!
Allow us to customize a product specific to your needs. Contact us to learn more about how we can help minimize your exposure and protect your clients’ operation.