A pair of insurance organizations have announced leadership appointments, spanning agency alliance operations and insurer governance.
SAN Group, the largest alliance of independent insurance agencies in the Northeast, has appointed Tom von Jess (pictured) as chief operating officer, effective October 19.
The appointment comes as independent agency alliances face growing pressure to demonstrate operational scale and carrier access against direct writers and digital platforms. SAN Group’s structure, which gives member agencies access to more than 45 carriers, positions it as a consolidation point for smaller independents looking to compete without giving up ownership.
Von Jess brings more than 20 years of experience in insurance, benefits, partnerships, and multistate distribution. In his new role, he will work with SAN’s member agencies, carrier partners, and SIAA leadership to support agency growth across the group’s nine-state footprint. The appointment appears to separate the COO role from the presidency of Tom Lizotte, who had previously held both titles.
He joins from LegalShield, where he served as national sales director of strategic partnerships, according to SAN Group. Prior to that, von Jess held several senior leadership positions at Liberty Mutual Insurance, managing multistate teams focused on distribution networks.
Kansas City Life Insurance Company has appointed Kellie S. Needham to its board of directors, effective October 26, filling a seat vacated by board director Nancy Hudson.
Needham is the great-great-granddaughter of J.B. Reynolds, whose family has held the majority of Kansas City Life shares since the early 1900s, and the company said her election marks five generations of board representation from that founding family. She currently works as a manager for Hofmann Trucking, LLC, a national crude oil transportation company, and serves as a volunteer firefighter with the Douglas Volunteer Fire Department in Wyoming.
