Wheaton, Illinois, April 19, 2006--James Sullivan, president and CEO of Co-Operative Insurance Cos., Middlebury, Vt., was elected chairman of the American Association of Insurance Services (AAIS) at the organization's recent annual meeting, held in conjunction with the 2006 AAIS Annual Conference in Sarasota, Fla. AAIS is a national advisory organization that develops policy forms and rating information used by more than 600 property/casualty carriers throughout the U.S.

An economics graduate of the University of Vermont, Sullivan has 30 years' experience in property/ casualty insurance as an underwriter and company manager, and holds the designation of Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU).

Sullivan succeeds Kenneth T. Stover, CPCU, executive vice president of Western National Insurance Group, Edina, Minn., who remains a member of the AAIS board of directors.

Succeeding Sullivan as AAIS vice chairman is Darin Kath, president and chief operating officer of Jewelers Mutual Ins. Co., Neenah, Wis. A marketing graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Kath worked for Heritage Mutual Ins. Co. (now ACUITY), Sheboygan, Wis., before joining Jewelers Mutual in 1997. He was promoted to COO in 2001 and to president in 2005. Kath also holds the CPCU designation, as well as the designation of Associate in Underwriting.

A new board member was also elected at the AAIS annual meeting: Thomas J. Rozema, CPCU, CIC, vice president of underwriting for Brotherhood Mutual Ins. Co., Ft. Wayne, Ind. Leaving the board after several years of service, including two years as chairman, was Richard J. Zick, CPCU, president and CEO, Utica First Ins. Co., Utica, N.Y.

In addition to Sullivan, Kath, Stover, and Rozema, the other members of the AAIS board of directors are:

• Roy R. Bubeck, president & CEO, Badger Mutual Ins. Co., Milwaukee, Wis.;

• Thomas E. Claude, vice president and secretary, Pharmacists Mutual Ins. Co., Algona, Iowa;

• Judy S. Jackson, president & CEO, NLC Insurance Companies, Norwich, Conn.;

• Jack M. Rader, CPCU, AU, executive vice president and COO, Farmers Alliance Companies, McPherson, Kan.;

• Christopher P. Taft, CIC, CPA, president, Preferred Mutual Ins. Co., New Berlin, N.Y.; and

• Paul A. Baiocchi, CPCU, president, AAIS.