The Main Street America Group Elects Four New Company Officers

Business Wire, Inc.

Friedlander, Killgore, McColley, Murman Named Assistant Secretary of Super Regional Property/Casualty Insurance Carrier

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Main Street America Group has elected four new officers -- Mark Friedlander, Kathy Killgore, Matt McColley and Lisa Murman.

Mark Friedlander, who heads corporate communications at The Main Street America Group, has been elected an officer of the Jacksonville, Fla.-based property/casualty insurance company (Photo: Business Wire)

They will all be an assistant secretary of the company. The officer appointments were approved by the super regional property/casualty insurance company’s board of directors at its recent annual policyholders meeting.

“Mark, Kathy, Matt and Lisa help drive Main Street America’s success in a challenging property/casualty marketplace,” said Tom Van Berkel, the company’s chairman, president and chief executive officer. “They embrace the leadership qualities that have enabled our organization to sustain profitable growth and outperform our peer companies and the industry on a consistent basis.”

Mark Friedlander, Assistant Secretary/Director, Corporate Communications

Mark Friedlander leads Main Street America’s corporate communications function and is based at its home office in Jacksonville. Friedlander is responsible for the company’s internal and external communications strategy. He also directs its employee communications, independent insurance agent-customer communications, reputation management, media relations, social media and multimedia programs. Additionally, Friedlander oversees production of the company’s annual report, as well as content management for its employee intranet, public Web site and agent portal.

Prior to joining Main Street America in 2005, Friedlander was director of public relations at HSBC North America (formerly Household International). He has also held senior management roles in corporate communications and marketing at Arthur Andersen LLP, Grubb & Ellis and Prudential Financial. Additionally, Friedlander worked at two Chicago-area public relations firms. He began his career as managing editor of a weekly sports publication in Chicago, covering the Chicago BearsNational Football League.

Friedlander is treasurer of the Insurance Marketing Communications Association board of directors and chair of the Communications Committee of the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety. He is also a member of the Trusted Choice® company partner advisory board and Consumer Agent Portal positioning group. Additionally, Friedlander is a member of the Jacksonville, Fla., Regional Chamber of Commerce (JAX Chamber) Board of Governors. He earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism/public relations from The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.

Kathy Killgore, Assistant Secretary/Claims Field Director

Kathy Killgore is a claims field director based at Main Street America’s Syracuse, N.Y., regional office. Killgore is responsible for the company’s overall strategic direction of our no-fault and workers’ compensation claims units. Killgore also directs planning, budgeting, staffing, quality control, regulatory compliance and financial management for these areas.

Killgore has extensive property/casualty industry experience. Prior to joining Main Street America in 2009, she held a variety of roles during her 15-year tenure at Harleysville Insurance. These included regional vice president – Midwest Claims Operations, litigation specialist and claims division manager. Killgore’s property/casualty experience also includes multiple claims roles at Aetna Casualty & Surety Company and Transamerica Insurance.

Killgore holds the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) professional designation. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Mich.

Matt McColley, Assistant Secretary/Director, Claims Technical

Matt McColley is Main Street America’s director of claims technical and is based at its home office in Jacksonville. He is responsible for the company’s claims technical strategy, file quality, best practices compliance, regulatory compliance, consulting on large/complex losses and claim intake.

McColley also oversees the organization’s engagement of outside counsel for claims litigation. McColley joined Main Street America in 2005 as a casualty claims unit manager. His other roles at the company have included manager, claims field unit; claim product consultant; and manager, claims product. McColley moved into his current role in 2009.

Prior to joining Main Street America, McColley held a variety of claims management roles with several national and regional property/casualty carriers including GEICO Insurance, Rockingham Group and Sentry Insurance.

McColley holds the Associate in Claims (AIC) professional designation. He earned his bachelor’s degree in history at the University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kan.

Lisa Murman, Assistant Secretary/Director, Business Technology

Lisa Murman is Main Street America’s director of business technology and is based at its home office in Jacksonville. She is responsible for planning and developing state-of-the-art underwriting and process automation solutions in line with MSA’s business strategy. Murman also oversees automation and system infrastructure integration of profit center products and processes that enhance the company’s independent agent-customers’ ease of doing business, as well as drive corporate profitable growth and achieve expense objectives.

Murman joined Main Street America in 2002 as director of marketplace planning and development. Her other roles at the company have included director, product lines marketing; and director, commercial lines product and deployment. Murman moved into her current role in 2010.

Prior to joining Main Street America, Murman spent 13 years at Bankers Insurance Group in a variety of management roles including vice president of marketing and operations division officer of Bankers’ property and casualty companies. She began her career working at an independent insurance agency.

Murman earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration/marketing at the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point.

To learn more about Main Street America’s 2011 results and 2012 outlook, watch Main Street America Quarterly 2011 Results/2012 Outlook, a two-part interview with CEO Tom Van Berkel via the company’s YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/MRFMSAG. The interactive version of Main Street America’s 2011 annual report is available at http://www.mydigitalpublication.com/publication?i=102439.

About The Main Street America Group

With roots dating back to 1923, The Main Street America Group is a super regional insurance company that operates eight property/casualty insurance carriers: NGM Insurance Company, Old Dominion Insurance Company, Main Street America Assurance Company, MSA Insurance Company, Great Lakes Casualty Insurance Company, Grain Dealers Mutual Insurance Company, Spring Valley Mutual Insurance Company and Main Street America Protection Insurance Company. Based in Jacksonville, Fla., Main Street America offers a wide range of commercial and personal insurance, and fidelity and surety bond products to individuals, families and businesses throughout the United States.

With nearly $900 million in premium written exclusively by 2,000-plus independent insurance agents, the 88-year-old company insures more than 600,000 policyholders in 27 states and writes bonds in 44 states. A.M. Best Company rates The Main Street America Group as an "A" (Excellent). Main Street America is the founding company partner of Trusted Choice®, the global branding program of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America. For more information about Main Street America, please visit www.msagroup.com or connect with us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MainStreetAmerica.

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