What makes Great American’s Environmental Division so GREAT? As one of only a handful of carriers who have served the environmental sector consecutively since 2008, the professionals at Great American Environmental take pride in their commitment to service excellence, technical expertise and the responsiveness needed to provide your clients with comprehensive risk management. Learn more about our experienced underwriting team and how they can work with you and your clients to craft coverage tailored to fit their needs by reading their bios below.
Leadership
Mark Vuono
Divisional President | Great American Environmental
Mark Vuono serves as Divisional President after previously holding the position of Chief Underwriting Officer since the establishment of Great American’s Environmental Division. Reporting directly to corporate leadership, his primary duties are to oversee the overall strategic goals and objectives of the Division. Accumulating over 40 years of underwriting experience, Mark is an experienced leader and is based out of the Exton, Pennsylvania main office.
Prior to joining Great American, Mark held the position of Senior Vice President and Executive Underwriter for a leading P&C global insurance company. While serving in that role, he had corporate home office responsibilities for all pollution lines of business. His duties included business planning, product development, underwriter training, underwriting audit referral and approval of large or complex accounts and product lines.
He began his professional career in 1980 when he joined one of the nation's major waste disposal firms as an Environmental Specialist and Health and Safety Officer. In this capacity, he developed guidelines and procedures as required by Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and safe handling guidelines for chemicals at a hazardous waste treatment facility. In 1981, Mark joined the pollution legal liability division of a global insurance company as one of its original underwriters. He was responsible for overall profitability and became the youngest corporate officer at that time. His broad responsibilities included coverage and underwriting guideline development, supervision and training of personnel, preparation of risk control guidelines and reinsurance placement.
He later served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for a leading environmental insurance carrier where he was responsible for the overall operations of the company. In this role, he developed and managed the underwriting program which began with 300 accounts and $30 million in volume and grew to 2,500 accounts and over $250 million in volume. Mark later managed an operation that oversaw several commercial ventures including retail businesses, residential and commercial property management and management consulting.
Mark’s education includes a Master of Science in environmental engineering technology from Washington State University and a Bachelor of Science in earth science from Kean University.
Greg Kelder
Divisional Senior Vice President, Head of Claims | Great American Environmental
Greg Kelder is a Divisional Senior Vice President with Great American’s Environmental Division, serving as its Head of Claims. In this role, he manages the Division’s Claims department and serves as a member of its Senior Management team responsible for the overall strategic growth of the Division. With more than 30 years of environmental claim experience, he has developed particular business acumen in matters related to emerging environmental risks as well as broader challenges related to pollution, regulation, climate change issues and water policy. He brings specialized claim support and training to the Division and is based out of the Exton, Pennsylvania main office.
Greg joined Great American from a leading global insurance company, where he was Vice President of Claims with responsibilities including claims training coordination, environmental portfolio leader and participation on the corporate environmental product board. As a recognized leader on environmental and insurance issues, he has been requested to serve as a speaker for numerous corporations, universities and conferences throughout his career.
He is the President of the Steering Committee for the Environmental & Emerging Claim Manager Association (EECMA). In addition, he also serves on the Board for the Global Water Alliance and is a member of the Environmental Claims Journal Editorial Advisory Board, the Environmental Inn of Court, the PA Environmental Council, and the PA Bar Association.
Greg earned his Juris Doctor from Rutgers Law School. He is also a graduate of The University of Pennsylvania, holding a Master’s Degree in environmental science and policy. While obtaining his degree at Penn, he was presented the Dean's Scholar Award, the Institute for Environmental Studies Award for Excellence and was chosen as a Wharton Initiative for Global Environmental Leadership (IGEL) participant for an Antarctica Leadership Venture.
Eric McCabe
Divisional Senior Vice President | Great American Environmental
Eric McCabe is a Divisional Senior Vice President with Great American’s Environmental Division, serving as the Underwriting Director. In his role, he oversees underwriting operations for all lines of environmental insurance products and programs.
An attorney with an extensive environmental background, Eric provides expert guidance to his team of underwriters. Eric has accumulated over 25 years of experience working within the environmental field - with over 15 years in environmental insurance. He is based out of New York.
Prior to joining Great American, Eric worked for a large internationally known insurance company. There, Eric gained environmental claims experience as he progressed within the pollution claims unit. After five years of claims, Eric decided to transfer internally to the underwriting group. This is where Eric honed his underwriting skills, dealing with complex accounts and risk transfer solutions.
Eric began his environmental career as an Environmental Chemist, conducting various organic and inorganic analyses in accordance with EPA and ASTM methods. After earning his Juris Doctorate degree, he started working at the Town of Smithtown’s Department of Environment & Waterways (DEW). At that time, the DEW had the largest environmental budget of any municipality in New York State. Responsibilities of the agency included landfill oversight, State Environmental Quality Reviews (SEQR), environmental enforcement, and oversight for town environmental compliance issues pursuant to federal, state and county statutes and regulations.
Sara Brothers
Divisional Vice President, Claims Consultant | Great American Environmental
Sara Brothers is a Divisional Vice President with Great American’s Environmental Division, serving as a consultant for the Claims Department. In her role, she provides expertise in loss control consulting to support the underwriting and claims units. She is responsible for identifying and communicating emerging environmental regulatory and technical trends as well as understanding how these emerging issues may affect Great American and its insureds. Sara is based out of the New York office.
Sara is a recognized environmental industry expert, who brings over 30 years of environmental consulting and construction management experience to Great American. Her background includes working as a Senior Geologist with extensive consulting and industry experience in the petroleum, industrial, commercial and government sectors.
Before joining Great American, she was a Senior Vice President of a highly respected consulting and engineering company, where she managed the unit responsible for the remediation and assessment of complex closed facilities and oil refineries. During her tenure, Sara formed and led the company’s environmental insurance practice, which specialized in providing underwriting and claims support to the environmental insurance industry. Prior to this, Sara worked in the consulting industry, managing Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) corrective action and closure projects in the U.S. and Canada for an international waste management company as well as leading teams responsible for semiconductor facility construction at a multinational corporation and technology company.
Sara obtained her Master of Business Administration from UNM Anderson School of Management, her Master of Science in geology from University of New Mexico, and her Bachelor of Science in geology from Harvard University, graduating Magna Cum Laude.
Paul Scian
Loss Control Manager, Risk Engineering | Great American Environmental
Paul Scian is a Loss Control Manager with Great American’s Environmental Division, serving as head of the Risk Engineering Department. In his role, he oversees all technical initiatives and provides expertise in loss control consulting to support the underwriting and claims units. Paul and his team contribute specialized technical guidance and training to the Division. Bringing over 30 years of environmental and pollution insurance consulting experience to Great American, Paul is based out of our New York City office.
Prior to joining Great American, Paul served as national engineering manager for a leading global insurance organization, where he managed the environmental engineering and underwriting support for the New York region while working closely with underwriters, claims analysts, actuaries and IT teams on implementing new systems.
Paul’s background includes extensive technical engineering, environmental insurance, risk assessments and environmental consulting experience, focusing on all aspects of due diligence, insurance placements, real estate projects, M&A financial transactions, product operations, site remediation and liability transfer opportunities. Through his work with environmental risk quantification, he has developed risk profiles for evaluating risk probabilities associated with property transfers, environmental remediation and investment opportunities. Paul also has detailed experience in prospect evaluation, risk management, crafting endorsements, claim and policy negotiation, policy re-writes, environmental consulting and remediation both in the United States and internationally.
Paul received his Master of Science in hydrogeology from the University of Massachusetts, Bachelor of Arts in geology from Rutgers University, and a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from Ramapo College. Paul is a licensed Professional Geologist and New Jersey UST Subsurface Evaluator and Closure. He also attended the United States Air Force Academy’s engineering program.
Underwriting Team
Kirk Davenport
Divisional Vice President, Senior Executive Underwriter and Programs Director | Great American Environmental
Kirk Davenport is a Divisional Vice President with Great American’s Environmental Division, serving as program director and an executive underwriter. By leveraging his technical expertise with his underwriting experience, he develops best-in-class solutions for unique environmental liability accounts. He also spearheads the development and management of the Division’s program initiatives. He has accumulated over 25 years working within the environmental insurance field and brings specialized guidance to the underwriting team. Kirk is based out of the Exton, Pennsylvania main office.
Prior to joining Great American, Kirk worked for a leading global insurance company where he most recently held the position of Senior Underwriter and underwrote environmental liability insurance related to fixed facilities throughout North America.
Kirk’s career began as a Laboratory Technician, conducting various analyses in accordance with EPA and ASTM methods. He then transitioned to an environmental consulting and emergency response company where he conducted and managed a variety of site investigation and remediation activities pertaining to brownfields, industrial facilities and underground storage tank sites. He was later hired by a leading provider of emergency response, environmental remediation and waste management services where he implemented and managed all aspects of maintenance and remediation activities for industrial clients.
Kirk obtained his Master of Business Administration in environmental management from University of Texas at Arlington and his Bachelor of Science in microbiology from Penn State University.
Rick Ringenwald
Divisional Vice President, Senior Executive Underwriter | Great American Environmental
Rick Ringenwald is a Divisional Vice President with Great American’s Environmental Division. In his role, Rick’s primary responsibilities range from product line management to contributing to program development and underwriting unique specialty accounts. He is a dynamic member of the Underwriting team, managing a number of key initiatives while focusing on supporting the strategic business of the Division and is based out of the Exton, Pennsylvania main office.
He joins Great American from his previous position as Executive Vice President and regional team leader for a leading global advisory, brokering and solutions company. During a successful 15-year tenure there, he directed all environmental brokerage and business development efforts in the Northeast and Atlantic regions.
Rick began his career as an Environmental Consultant, with his efforts focused on conducting environmental due diligence for clients in the mid-Atlantic. He then transitioned to a role as corporate environmental manager at a Fortune 500 company where he was responsible for environmental, safety and health compliance along with environmental due diligence of facilities that were being acquired. He eventually spearheaded the beginning of his environmental insurance career as a regional manager focused on site pollution coverage. The longevity and environmental experience Rick has gained throughout the years has made him a recognized leader within the industry.
Rick obtained his Master of Science in environmental health from Temple University and his Bachelor of Arts in environmental studies from University of Vermont.
Heather Boyd
Divisional Assistant Vice President | Great American Environmental
Heather Boyd is a Divisional Assistant Vice President with Great American’s Environmental Division. In her current role on the Underwriting team, Boyd works to provide best-in-class environmental insurance products and services to current and prospective clients. Heather has taken on a valuable leadership role within the Division, managing an experienced team of underwriters while actively participating in the business and budgeting process. With over 20 years of environmental knowledge, she combines her industry experience with best practices to deliver custom insurance solutions to clients and is based out of the Boston, Massachusetts office.
Heather began her career with a leading environmental consulting firm in Massachusetts as an environmental consultant. She later joined a multinational energy corporation, where she served as Site Manager and Environmental Consultant managing remediation and related claims concerns across the Rockies and West Coast. She continued her environmental career with an environmental and social risk management consulting company, consulting on extensive oil and gas development projects in developing countries. Before joining Great American, Heather began underwriting environmental exposures with a global insurance company, drawing from her extensive prior experiences which also include environmental compliance and environmental impact assessments. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in environmental affairs with an English minor from the University of New Hampshire.
Patrick Mahoney
Divisional Vice President | Great American Environmental
Patrick currently serves as a Divisional Vice President for Great American’s Environmental Division. In his role, Patrick works directly with the Underwriting team as an underwriter. Patrick also has the role of manager over all of the Underwriting team’s associate underwriters, helping to ensure high-quality products and efficiencies for the Division. Patrick has accumulated 20 years working in the insurance field and has been with Great American’s Environmental Division since 2008, served as the regional manager for the Division’s Midwest region until 2017 and is based out of the Exton, Pennsylvania main office.
Patrick entered the insurance field as a Personal / Commercial Lines Underwriter with a fortune 500 mutual insurance company and has also worked with a large, publicly traded property and casualty insurance company as a multinational underwriter where he underwrote commercial property and casualty coverages for numerous global companies. Prior to Great American, Patrick worked for a multi-line reinsurer as an environmental underwriter underwriting pollution legal liability and real estate lenders pollution policies. Patrick earned his Bachelor of Science in conservation biology from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. He holds the CPCU designation.
Rich Viglianese
Divisional Assistant Vice President | Great American Environmental
Richard Viglianese is a Divisional Assistant Vice President for Great American’s Environmental Division. In his role on the Underwriting team, he provides unique solutions for key clients by analyzing and implementing environmental liability insurance while also managing a group of experienced underwriters. Rich is a skilled leader dedicated to coaching his team of experienced underwriters and is based out of the New York office.
Prior to joining Great American, Rich began his career at a leading multinational finance and insurance company as an Environmental Claims Assistant working with Secured Creditor and Cost Cap policies. He held various positions of increasing responsibility and ultimately became an environmental underwriter for the New York region. His underwriting focus was initially geared towards small business environmental service and construction industries across the U.S. and Canada. After which, he transitioned his focus to larger national and corporate accounts placing insurance in the Northeast. Rich earned his Bachelor of Science degree in environmental policy, institutions and behaviors with a focus in United States environmental and resource policy from Rutgers University. Additionally, he went on to obtain an Associate’s Degree in risk management from American Institute for Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriters.
Kent Pollaro
Senior Production Underwriting Manger | Great American Environmental
Kent Pollaro is a Senior Production Underwriting Manager with Great American’s Environmental Division. In his role, he focuses on understanding and assessing environmental liability to offer custom insurance solutions. Kent and his team are responsible for collaborating with new brokerages to diversify the Division’s clientele, as well as engaging with existing businesses to expand the Division’s service offerings. With over a decade of environmental consulting and underwriting experience, Kent has a proven track record of success in underwriting all lines of environmental insurance products and is based out of the New York office.
Kent began his career as a Hydrogeologist where he gained exposure to geoprobe drilling methods, soil and groundwater sampling and supervision of environmental testing. From there, he took a role as an Environmental Geologist, where he focused on project management of large-scale hazardous soil remediation efforts for numerous sites. Prior to joining Great American, Kent was a Senior Environmental Underwriter at a global insurance company where he was responsible for working across environmental pollution and casualty product lines. He focused on developing nationwide wholesaler relationships through evaluation of environmental engineering documentation and legal contracts to access risk and ensured retention of business growth. Pollaro is currently in the process of earning his third degree, a Master of Business Administration in marketing from the University of Cincinnati. He earned his Master of Science in water management and hydrological science (ecohydrology) from Texas A&M University and his Bachelor of Science in environmental science and geology from the State University of New York College at Plattsburgh.
Austin Connell
Environmental Underwriter | Great American Environmental
Austin Connell currently serves as an Environmental Underwriter with Great American’s Environmental Division. In his role, Austin is responsible for evaluating environmental risk in order to determine comprehensive coverage options for his clients. He is based out of the Boston, Massachusetts office.
Austin began his career as an environmental engineering intern with a multinational engineering firm where he gained knowledge of bio-remediation, technical reporting and engineering calculations. Prior to joining Great American, he moved on to a consulting engineering firm where he served as a Senior Environmental Consultant. During his tenure, he served as a Field Manager to coordinate and oversee subcontractor operations, reviewed and wrote Phase I environmental assessments, and managed large-scale project budgets and on-time completion. Austin earned his Bachelor of Science in environmental engineering with a minor in environmental economics and policy from University of Connecticut.
Olivia Derderian
Production Underwriter Supervisor | Great American Environmental
Olivia Derderian is a Production Underwriter Supervisor with Great American’s Environmental Division. In her role, she analyzes environmental risk and provides coverage determinations based on data presented for Pollution Legal Liability (PLL) and Contractors Pollution Liability (CPL) products. By understanding and assessing environmental liability, Olivia offers custom insurance solutions to domestic clients. With an extensive environmental background, Olivia brings nearly a decade of engineering and underwriting experience to Great American and is based out of the New York office. In addition to her strong underwriting capabilities, Olivia spearheads the Division’s training efforts including policy form language, risk control, underwriting and evaluating environmental data training.
Prior to Great American, Olivia worked for an environmental consulting company as a Senior Staff Environmental Engineer. During her tenure, she focused on soil, groundwater, soil vapor and air sampling as part of remedial investigations and activities in the Northeast Region. In addition, she has experience in Remediation Technologies such as In-Situ Chemical Oxidation Injections. In 2021, Olivia was awarded the Break Out Award by Business Insurance which recognizes next generation insurance industry leaders. Olivia earned a Master of Science degree in Environmental Engineering and a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Manhattan College. While working as a graduate research assistant, Olivia led projects monitoring water quality and field sampling to detect coliform bacteria, total phosphorous and other contaminants.
Dan Downing
Underwriting Specialist | Great American Environmental
Dan Downing is an Underwriting Specialist with Great American’s Environmental Division. In his role, Dan leverages his background in environmental sampling, testing and consulting to analyze risk and assess coverage for multiple environmental liability insurance policies. Dan brings nearly a decade of environmental experience to the team and is based out of the Exton, Pennsylvania main office.
Dan began working in the environmental industry as a public works intern with Upper Dublin Township where he performed outfall mapping and concrete inspections. Downing began his career as an Environmental Scientist with a multi-disciplinary firm providing geotechnical, environmental, ecological, water, and construction management services, where his main responsibility was extensive environmental sampling including residential wells, air, groundwater, gas station baseline, soil and soil vapor. Prior to joining Great American, Dan was an Environmental Specialist at an international professional services company where he focused on environmental consulting, testing and reporting. Downing earned his Bachelor of Art in environmental planning from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.
Emma Giordano
Environmental Underwriter | Great American Environmental
Emma Giordano is an Environmental Underwriter with Great American’s Environmental Division. In her role, Giordano uses her extensive knowledge of Phase I environmental assessments to fully understand associated risk and underwrite comprehensive coverage solutions while developing working relationships with her clients. She is based out of the New York office.
Emma began her career as an apprentice at an innovative organic farm. She was responsible for collaborating with her team to increase hydroponic greenhouse and micro-greenery operational efficiency. Prior to joining Great American, Giordano was a Staff Assessor at a leading environmental engineering and consulting agency. Her main responsibility was to complete Phase I environmental site assessments and present her findings to project managers and clients. Emma obtained her Bachelor of Science in environmental science from Emory University.
Karen Grassi
Production Underwriter Specialist | Great American Environmental
Karen Grassi is a Production Underwriter Specialist with the National Underwriting unit of Great American’s Environmental Division. In her role, Karen is responsible for evaluating risk and presenting comprehensive and best-in-class environmental coverage to her clients by drawing on her extensive background in environmental underwriting and consulting. She is based out of the Exton, Pennsylvania main office.
Karen’s diverse technical background includes working as a Hydrogeologist and Geologist with both governmental agencies and private industry. In her roles at these agencies, Karen performed a variety of environmental consulting and enforcement activities. Prior to joining Great American, Karen started her insurance career at a global insurance company. As a Senior Environmental Underwriter, Karen underwrote and managed a large book of business which included commercial and industrial facilities, mergers and acquisitions, land transfers and general real estate and as well as helping to develop a rating program for larger real estate portfolios. Karen holds a Master of Science in geology from the University of Wyoming and a Bachelor of Science in geology from Temple University, as well as an Associate in risk management.
Walter Holm
Environmental Underwriter | Great American Environmental
Walter Holm is an Environmental Underwriter with Great American’s Environmental Division. In his current role on the National Underwriting team, Walter combines his educational background in spatial analysis and ecosystem science to analyze risk for environmental insurance. He provides a variety of environmental solutions for clients seeking financial security. Walter is based out of the New York office.
Prior to Great American, Walter worked for the City of College Station in Texas as a Geographic Information System (GIS) intern. Throughout this experience, he expanded his GIS and analysis knowledge through updating and maintaining the Public Works databases for the department’s Streets and Landscape, Traffic and Facilities, Capital Projects and Irrigation Maintenance divisions. He also assisted in the development of presentation-grade maps for upper management. Holm obtained his Bachelor of Science in spatial science and remote sensing from Texas A&M University. During his time at Texas A&M, Walter served as a panel speaker for the GLBT community, was a member of the Society of American Foresters (SAF) and held positions as both an undergraduate teaching assistant and a research assistant.
BobbiAnn Murphy
Master Underwriter | Great American Environmental
BobbiAnn Murphy is a Master Underwriter with Great American’s Environmental Division. In her current role, she is responsible for evaluating risk to determine coverage for multiple environmental liability insurance policies and building broker relationships. BobbiAnn leverages her background in environmental consulting with her underwriting expertise to develop best-in-class insurance solutions for clients. With a broad range of environmental experience spanning more than 10 years, BobbiAnn brings a unique skill set to the underwriting team and is based out of the Exton, Pennsylvania main office.
BobbiAnn began her extensive environmental experiences with her internship at Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control as a Field Biology Aide. She later transitioned to an Environmental Scientist role for a service consulting and engineering firm. Her responsibilities included hydrogeological investigations, site characterization, remedial evaluation and implementation, potable well sampling, litigation support and data validation. Most recently, BobbiAnn worked for an international environmental, health, safety and sustainability consulting firm where she held multiple positions throughout her tenure. Her predominant job functions included operational leadership, business development, environmental underwriting, risk assessment, claim support and loss control training. She also served as the office leader for locations in Cherry Hill, NJ, Berwyn, PA and Columbia, MD. BobbiAnn earned her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from DeSales University, graduating Magna Cum Laude. While at DeSales University, BobbiAnn had the opportunity to participate in a study abroad experience at James Cook University in Cairns, Australia.
Erin Murphy
Senior Production Underwriter | Great American Environmental
Erin Murphy is a Senior Production Underwriter with Great American’s Environmental Division. In her current role, she is responsible for evaluating risk to determine coverage for multiple environmental liability insurance policies. With experience in both environmental practices and legal services, Erin brings a unique skill set to the underwriting team to develop best-in-class environmental solutions for clients. She is based out of the Exton, Pennsylvania main office.
Erin began her career at Great American as a Production Underwriter in the Environmental Division. She was responsible for preparing and presenting insurance proposals, tailoring coverage to fit clients’ needs and calculating premiums. Her extensive environmental experiences began with her internships at multiple public organizations including a marine science camp, environmental commission office and a scientific educational center. Erin also gained legal services experience as a Paralegal and File Clerk at a law firm. Erin is currently working towards obtaining her Master of Business Administration with a focus on environmental compliance and sustainability from Southern New Hampshire University and earned her Bachelor of Science in environmental science with a dual-minor in sustainability studies and public health from Muhlenberg College.
Master Underwriter | Great American Environmental
Kevin Rega is a Master Underwriter with Great American’s Environmental Division. In his role, he focuses on understanding and assessing environmental liability to offer custom insurance solutions. Kevin is a licensed professional geologist with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and holds a graduate level education with a focus on hydrogeology. With extensive knowledge in geology, experience as an environmental consultant and proven leadership skills, Kevin is the go-to industry expert in the Division and is based out of the Exton, Pennsylvania main office.
Kevin began his career in the field, performing water, air and soil sampling, screening and reporting. In the following years, he transitioned to a project level role at an international engineering and environmental consulting firm where in addition to site investigation and remediation tasks, Kevin was responsible for conducting claims investigations associated with underground storage tank cases and developing reports and recommendations for insurance clients. Prior to Great American, Kevin worked as a Professional Geologist at a multinational engineering firm. His responsibilities included overseeing contaminated sites through investigation, remediation, closure, development, and execution of active and passive remediation plans in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Kevin also acted as Remediation Group Business Development Lead and Deputy Project Manager. Kevin earned his Master of Science in geology from West Virginia State University and his Bachelor of Science in geosciences from The Pennsylvania State University. While obtaining his degree, Kevin worked as a graduate research and teaching assistant. He also holds numerous certifications, including Professional Geologist, 40-hour HAZWOPER training and HAZWOPER Supervisor.
Scott Tardif
Environmental Underwriter | Great American Environmental
Scott Tardif is an Environmental Underwriter with Great American’s Environmental Division. In his role, Scott uses his knowledge of environmental investigations and government regulations to properly assess risk for his clients seeking environmental insurance. He is based out of the New York office.
Scott started his career with an environmental consulting and contracting firm where he was responsible for performing site visits and maintenance at active and post-closure landfill sites throughout New England and New York. He then interned with the Connecticut Department of Public Health – Drinking Water Section where he conducted a state-wide risk assessment on the public water systems for the presence of the emerging contaminant, pre and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Prior to joining Great American, Scott was a Project Manager for New York City Mayor’s Office of Environmental Remediation (OER). During his tenure, he provided regulatory oversight for brownfield remediation projects enrolled with OER for hazardous materials, air quality, or noise. He held many responsibilities including reviewing and revising Phase II remedial investigation reports, Remedial Action Work Plans, Remedial Action Reports, and other environmental reports. Scott obtained his Master of Science in natural resources - hydrology from the University of Connecticut. He earned his Bachelor of Science at the University of New Haven where he majored in environmental science and forensic science, graduating Summa Cum Laude.
Benjamin Volin-Kelder
Senior Underwriter | Great American Environmental
Ben Volin-Kelder is a Senior Underwriter with Great American’s Environmental Division. In his role, Ben is responsible for spearheading the underwriting efforts and business opportunities for the Division’s new storage tank program. With experience in regeneration, conservation and development projects coupled with a background in environmental insurance, Ben brings a unique perspective to the underwriting team. He is based out of our Exton, Pennsylvania main office.
Prior to joining Great American, Ben began his career in an accelerated underwriting program with a leading global insurance company. He quickly transitioned to commercial underwriting focusing on general liability, property package, umbrella and liquor liability. In this role, Ben also served as co-product lead for the childcare business owners package and assisted in the process of expanding the admitted filing of the program. He then transitioned into the storage tank sector as an Environmental Underwriter handling pollution liability in the Midwest and New York regions for above and below ground storage tanks within the retail space. Ben obtained his Bachelor of Arts in communication studies with a minor in marketing from the State University of New York College at Plattsburgh.
Jillian Walsh
Senior Underwriter | Great American Environmental
Jillian Walsh is a Senior Underwriter with the Executive Underwriting unit of Great American’s Environmental Division. In her role, Jillian is responsible for evaluating risk and presenting comprehensive and best-in-class environmental coverage to her clients by drawing on her technical background in environmental consulting and is based out of the Exton, Pennsylvania main office.
Prior to joining Great American, Jillian worked as a Geologist for a global consulting and engineering firm where she was responsible for performing environmental due diligence, investigation, and remediation for a variety of industrial sites. Her diverse technical experience includes Phase I and Phase II site assessments, environmental compliance, and brownfield redevelopment. Jillian obtained her Bachelor of Science in geology from the University of Pittsburgh.
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