Published: November 09, 2009 09:04 pm         

Newsmakers: Nov. 10, 2009

United Life Insurance Co., a subsidiary of United Fire & Casualty, has appointed Jacque Pentell from Forrest Sherer Insurance to its advisory technology board for the 2009-10 term.

The advisory technology board was established in 2006 to assist United Life Insurance Co. in its efforts to enhance and expand its technological capabilities. The seven board members represent a cross-section of United Life’s agency force and meet annually to provide input on future projects.

Pentell is the vice president of Employee Benefits and Financial Services and manager for the Employee Benefits Department of Forrest Sherer Insurance.

Prior to working at Forrest Sherer Insurance, she worked as a large group underwriter for a major health insurance company and as a college instructor in insurance and medical coding classes. Pentell owned and operated an insurance agency that sold and serviced all lines of insurance, and served as an insurance investment manager and manager of bank-related insurance products for eight bank locations. She carries multiple state licenses, and is the recipient of several awards including the President’s Award for insurance based on sales and service. Pentell earned Forrest Sherer’s “Producer of the Year” award in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007.

III

Cassandra Burger has successfully completed the certification process with the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts to earn her designation of Certified Valuation Analyst.

Burger is an accounting senior with Larsson, Woodyard & Henson LLP, a regional certified public accounting firm with offices in Illinois in Paris, Casey and Tuscola, and in Terre Haute.

Requirements to earn the certified valuation analyst designation include being a licensed certified public accountant, completing NACVA’s five-day training program, and successfully completing the association’s comprehensive examination.

To maintain her certification as a certified valuation analyst, Burger will be required to periodically obtain continuing professional education in areas related to business valuation and/or litigation consulting and participate in programs sponsored by NACVA that promote quality and adherence to industry standards.

Burger is a 1991 valedictorian of Paris High School and a 1995 cum laude graduate of Indiana State University, earning a bachelor of science degree in accounting. She successfully completed the CPA exam in 1996. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Indiana CPA Society and the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts.

Burger and her husband, John, reside in Paris with their two children, Zachary and Sara. She is the daughter of Kenneth and Sandra Hall, also of Paris.

III

Certified Risk Managers International recently conferred the designation of Certified Risk Manager on Daniel I. Pigg, who completed the rigorous five-course program.

To attain the designation, Daniel completed all five courses in the program and passed extensive examinations in each of the following subject areas: Principles of Risk Management, Analysis of Risk, Control of Risk, Financing of Risk, and Practice of Risk Management. The Certified Risk Manager Program features practical, “hands-on” course content, designed to be applied immediately to the risk manager’s daily work.

Pigg is one of approximately 2,500 individuals worldwide who have attained this designation. “The CRM designation recognizes and confirms the higher level of knowledge and professional distinction that Daniel has achieved in the field of risk management,” stated William T. Hold, president of CRM International.

Pigg is a partner and agent at Howard Clare Insurance and adjunct faculty in the Insurance and Risk Management department at Indiana State University.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from Indiana State University and his master’s in Business Administration from the University of Missouri. Daniel also holds the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter, Associate in Risk Management, and Certified Insurance Counselor professional designations and is a licensed agent.

III

One of the founders of Purgatory Cellars/White Owl Winery, of Birds, Ill., presented a 75-minute seminar Saturday during the 42nd Annual Conference of the American Wine Society in Destin, Fla.

Joy Neighbors, marketing director for the winery, spoke on “The Sensual Pleasures of Fruit Dessert Wines.” She discussed the benefits of fruit wines and talked about winemaking situations and successes regarding some of her winery’s fruit and dessert wines. Attendees sampled six of Purgatory Cellars’ international award-winning fruit wines, including Vin de Papa, a dessert wine made entirely from undomesticated Midwestern paw paws; Old Blue, a port-style wine crafted from wild elderberries and local blueberries; and Persimmon Solera, a sherry-style wine created from wild harvested American persimmons. The Persimmon Solera has garnered more than 30 awards since its release in 2007, including the Illinois Governor’s Cup, a silver medal from Austria last year and a bronze medal this year from Japan.

Neighbors may be reached at joy@whiteowlwinery.com. Visit whiteowlwinery.com for more information about the winery.