Advisory Council      

David Brooks, CPCU, ARM

Leslie Chapman-Henderson

Allen Durham

Jack Nelson, Ph.D.

Jack Nicholson, Ph.D.

Steve Wilder

Hugh Willoughby, Ph.D.
 

David Brooks, CPCU, ARM

David Brooks, CPCU, ARM is the SVP and Chief Risk Officer for XL Insurance, and is responsible for the identification and management of all material underwriting and enterprise risks throughout the organization. In addition to overseeing high risk underwriting and emerging risk activities, additional responsibilities include catastrophe aggregation management. This requires the development and utilization of “real time” catastrophe modeling tools to understand the impact of human and natural catastrophe perils during the underwriting process, as well as analyzing modeled results in the development of appropriate reinsurance structures to protect against severe catastrophic loss. He is also a member of the senior management board which is responsible for establishing policy and direction for XL Insurance.

Prior to joining XL in 1998, Mr. Brooks worked for 16 years in the insurance brokerage industry, with primary involvement in the sales and servicing of large, multi-national Fortune 1000 accounts. Many of these accounts had significant exposures to natural catastrophe events.

Mr. Brooks is a Magna Cum Laude BS graduate of Finance from the University of Southern California, and a MS graduate of Insurance and Risk Management from Florida State University. He also attended additional graduate studies in Finance and Insurance at the University of Pennsylvania (Wharton School). He has earned the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and Associate in Risk Management (ARM) professional designations.

Leslie Chapman-Henderson

Leslie Chapman-Henderson is President/CEO of the nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, Inc. - FLASH^®, and Managing Consultant of the ICC Foundation.  FLASH^® is an award-winning national, non-profit corporation founded in 1998 by a collaborative of organizations dedicated to strengthening homes and safeguarding families from disaster.  Today, FLASH is the fastest-growing disaster safety education organization in the United States with more than 100 partners.

Ms. Chapman-Henderson and FLASH have championed the cause of disaster-resilient construction methods through the creation of groundbreaking consumer awareness programs like the recently-launched StormStruck: A Tale of Two Homes® at INNOVENTIONS at Epcot® at the Walt Disney World Resort, and Blueprint for Safety®, an educational program on disaster-resistant construction techniques for homebuilders, homeowners and design professionals.

Among Ms. Chapman-Henderson’s civic, community and professional awards are the 2008 National Hurricane Conference Outstanding Achievement in Mitigation Award, 2008 Governor’s Hurricane Conference Corporate Award, 2006 Texas Silver Spur Award for Public Education Excellence, 2006 Governor’s Hurricane Conference Public Information/Education Award, 2005 National Hurricane Conference Outstanding Achievement in Public Awareness Award, 2005 National Weather Association Walter J. Bennett Public Service Award, 2005 NOAA Environmental Hero Award, 2002 National Hurricane Conference Outstanding Achievement in Mitigation Award, 2002 FEMA Special Recognition Award, 2002 Florida Fire Chiefs Association Excellence in Community and Public Education Award, 2002 Florida Emergency Preparedness Association Corporate Award, and 2001 Governors Hurricane Conference Public Education Award.

Ms. Chapman-Henderson currently serves as a representative on the legislatively-created My Safe Florida Home Advisory Council. Her past service includes consumer representative and chair for the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund Advisory Council under Governor Charlie Crist and former Governor Jeb Bush, guest lecturer at the University of Florida - School of Construction and one of the Florida representatives to the Federal Communications Commission WARN Committee. She was recently elected as a board trustee of the Florida International University - International Hurricane Research Center. 

Allen Durham

Allen Durham is the President and CEO of Star & Shield Risk Management LLC, the attorney-in-fact for Star & Shield Insurance Exchange, a home and auto reciprocal insurer for members of the law enforcement, corrections and fire rescue communities and their families. Prior to his work in forming this new venture, Mr. Durham was an Executive Vice President with Hunt Insurance Group, a leading administrator of self insurance funds located in Tallahassee, Fla.  Before joining Hunt Insurance Group, Mr. Durham was a Senior Vice President of Benfield, Inc. (now Aon Benfield) one of the largest reinsurance intermediaries in the world.  Mr. Durham was also Branch Manager of Benfield’s Dallas, Texas, office and held leadership positions on several of Benfield’s largest accounts.  He was also a member of Benfield’s Senior Broker Forum, a Benfield Top Gun class graduate and an instructor in Benfield’s renowned education program.  A great deal of Mr. Durham’s experience and expertise relates to personal lines homeowners business in Florida, in addition to other lines of business including professional liability, workers compensation, personal auto, commercial property and commercial general liability.  In addition to his experience set forth above, Mr. Durham has also held positions with Willis Re, E.W. Blanch Co., Transamerica and worked as an independent consultant.

Mr. Durham holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Memphis School of Law and a Bachelor of Science in Risk Management and Insurance from the Florida State University College of Business.  In addition, he holds the Associate in Reinsurance (ARe) and Associate in Risk Management (ARM) designations from the Insurance Institute of America.  He currently serves on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee for the Florida State University National Alumni Association and the Board of Governors for the Florida State University College of Business.  Mr. Durham is also a past member of the Board of Directors for the Southwestern Insurance Information Service.

Jack Nelson, Ph.D.

Dr. Jack M. Nelson, CFA, is Vice President and Relationship Manager for Wellington Management Company. As a member of the Insurance Relationship Management Group, Dr. Nelson deepens the relationship and consultative partnership with clients. He is responsible for assisting clients with long-term investment strategy and policy issues, evaluating portfolio risks and performance, ensuring compliance with policy guidelines and applicable regulations, and resolving administrative and operational issues. 

Prior to joining Wellington Management in 2000, Dr. Nelson was a professor at Florida State University (1984 –1989). After FSU, he joined the College of Insurance in New York (1989 – 1999) and was later named the Robert F. Corroon professor and the chief academic officer. His work has been published in a number of journals and industry trade papers including: The Journal of Risk and Insurance, Journal of Insurance Regulation, CPCU Journal, Reinsurance Digest and John Liner Review. He is a past president of the American Risk and Insurance Association and the Southern Risk and Insurance Association.

He holds both a Ph.D. (1987) and an M.A. (1983) in applied economics and business from the University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) where he was a Heubner fellow. Additionally, he received a B.S. in finance and management from the University of Utah (1980). Dr. Nelson holds the Chartered Financial Analyst, C.L.U, Ch.F.C., C.P.C.U., and A.R.M. designations.

Jack Nicholson, Ph.D.

Dr. Jack Nicholson is the Chief Operating Officer of the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (FHCF) for the State Board of Administration of Florida. He is also on the board of directors and is the President of the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund Finance Corporation, a statutorily created public benefit corporation created for the purpose of facilitating the issuance of bonds following a major catastrophe. In addition, Dr. Nicholson serves on the Florida Commission on Hurricane Loss Projection Methodology (Commission) and served as its chair for the first two years. The Commission was created as a panel of experts in 1995 by the Florida Legislature for the purpose of providing guidelines and standards in the review and evaluation of hurricane computer models used to project losses in residential property rate filings. At the State Board of Administration, Dr. Nicholson has the additional responsibility of overseeing the Insurance Capital Build-up Incentive Program.

Prior to coming to the State Board of Administration in September of 1994, Dr. Nicholson worked for the Florida Department of Insurance for eight years. At the Department, Dr. Nicholson held the positions of Director of the Office of Insurance Research and Data Analysis, Deputy Director of Property and Casualty Insurers, Assistant Director of Rating, and Bureau Chief of Rates. Dr. Nicholson was involved in many of the regulatory activities following Hurricane Andrew. These activities ranged from data collection and analysis to operating the Department’s Miami Insurance Center. He served as the Insurance Department’s liaison with the State Board of Administration regarding the FHCF from its inception and has played a major role in its implementation and development. 

He received his Ph.D. in Risk Management and Insurance from the University of Georgia in 1980 where he also earned his undergraduate degree in Business with a major in insurance. He received an M.B.A. from the University of North Dakota while serving as an officer in the U.S. Air Force. Dr. Nicholson also has the professional designations of C.L.U. (Chartered Life Underwriter) and C.P.C.U. (Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter). He has taught in the area of Risk Management and Insurance at the University of Georgia, the University of Iowa, and Florida State University.

Steve Wilder

As the Vice President of Risk Management for The Walt Disney Company, Steve Wilder is responsible for directing Disney’s worldwide corporate Risk Management program. In 2004, Mr. Wilder gained recognition for his creative use of insurance programs to transfer risk and was featured as one of the “100 Most Influential People in Finance” by the Treasury and Risk Management magazine. He was also named “Risk Manager of the Year” by Business Insurance magazine in 1990. In addition to managing risk for Disney, Mr. Wilder has also served as National President of the Risk Management Society and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Verdugo Hills Hospital, a nonprofit hospital in Glendale, Ca. He has an M.S. in Risk Management from Florida State University, holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania, and has completed the UCLA Executive Management Program. Additionally he holds an Associate in Risk Management designation. Prior to joining The Walt Disney Company, Mr. Wilder served as Risk Manager for the Whittaker Corporation from 1982 to 1987 and also worked in the insurance brokerage industry.

Hugh Edward Willoughby, Ph.D.

Dr. Hugh Willoughby is a Research Professor of Meteorology in the Department of Earth and Environment  at Florida International University.  His hurricane-research interests include analysis of aircraft observations, formulation of theoretical models of motion and intensification, and analysis of economic and human impacts.

Until 2002 he was a Research Meteorologist at the Hurricane Research Division of NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, where he had worked since 1975 and served as director, 1995-2002.  He has made more than 400 flights into the eyes of typhoons and hurricanes.  Before joining HRD, Dr. Willoughby was a commissioned officer in the U. S. Navy.  He served as a flight meteorologist in Airborne Early Warning Squadron ONE (1970–1971) and on the Military faculty of the Naval Academy (1971–1974).

Dr. Willoughby has a Ph.D. (1977, Atmospheric Science) from the University of Miami, a M.S. (1969, Meteorology) from the Naval Postgraduate School, and a B.S. (1967, Geophysics–Geochemistry) from the University of Arizona.  He is a fellow of the American Meteorological Society and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is past chair the AMS Committee on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology.