PRESIDENT: JEANNINE DuPLESSIS (Fidelity Life) Incumbent
Jeannine is the Director of Underwriting for Fidelity Life Association, responsible for overseeing both internal and external underwriters as well the collaboration of Fidelity’s automated underwriting engine. Jeannine has over 25 years of underwriting experience in both production and management, with all types of products including variable, universal life, term and currently accelerated underwriting. She was on the AHOU Program Committee 2017-2018, and was our Treasurer for 4 years and is our current President.
VICE PRESIDENT: RACHEL EBERLE , AALU, ACS, ALMI (Munich Re) Incumbent
Rachel is an Underwriting Consultant in Munich Re’s facultative underwriting team. Rachel had worked as a direct underwriter for many years and has experience underwriting life, disability income and long term care products. Since 2015, she held roles in both underwriting and marketing. Rachel has been involved in the Chicago Underwriting Association for the past 4 years and looks forward to continuing to serve our members.
TREASURER: DEBRA DRAYTON, AALU, ACS, ALMI (Protective) Incumbent
Debra is a Senior Underwriting Consultant for Protective Life. She has a broad background in group and individual life, and policy owner services. Debra has enjoyed her 20 plus year career in the insurance industry. Her career began at Allstate Life where she honed her underwriting skills. After leaving Allstate, she worked for what is now Protective Life for several years before landing at Voya Financial where she worked for twelve years. Debra also worked with Legal and General America before starting her current position at Protective Life. Throughout her career, Debra has continued to gain knowledge and expertise by asking questions and staying current in the insurance industry. Debra and her husband, Matthew, have one daughter and reside in Elgin, Illinois.
SECRETARY: NICK MILINOVICH, FALU, FLMI, AFSI, ARA, AIAA, AIRC , ACS (Northwestern Mutual) Incumbent
Nick has served for 16 years at Northwestern Mutual, beginning as a Life Underwriter. In his current role as Assistant Director- Risk Operations Vendor Management, Nick and his team engage with vendors, reinsurers, and internal stakeholders to support NM’s Life, DI, and LTC underwriting operations and transformation efforts. He is a frequent attendee at conferences including CUA, WAHLU, and AHOU and likes giving back to the underwriting profession as a member of the CUA board.
MEMBERSHIP: VAL MUNCHEZ-VAN DER WAGT, AALU, CLU (R), JD (Allstate Life) Incumbent
Val is a Chief Underwriter in the Underwriting Policy department at Allstate. During her many years in the insurance industry, underwriting Life, Disability, Health and Structured Settlements, Val has been an enthusiastic supporter of local and regional underwriting associations and especially the Chicago Underwriting Association, since 1992. She believes that an underwriter’s growth includes being actively involved in increasing ones knowledge about technical underwriting, innovation, product design, customer needs and expectations. Additionally, personal growth comes from networking, attending meetings, seminars and participating in a local association. Val is a former President of CUA and VP of AHOU.
BOARD MEMBER AT LARGE: LISA URBAN, FLMI, FALU (Allstate Life)
Lisa is a Consultant in the Underwriting Policy department at Allstate. She has been underwriting for 30 years at Allstate and has transitioned to Underwriting Policy. Underwriter education is critical, especially in our current environment of rapid change. Lisa values the educational opportunities that CUA has afforded her through the years and hopes to give back by serving.
BOARD MEMBER AT LARGE: CONNIE COSTA, ASC, FLMI, FALU (Protective Life)
Connie has been a Senior Underwriter Consultant and Trainer at Protective Life Insurance for the last 5 years. In her current position at Protective Life, she is involved in the training of new Underwriters as well as developing training programs to educate and enhance the current underwriting staff. In addition to training and education, she is also part of the contestable claims team providing underwriting reviews of contestable death claims. She has over 21 years of underwriting experience in the Broker, Captive, and Direct Market areas with all product types including term, universal, whole life, and simplified issue. Throughout her career she has felt that education and keeping current with industry knowledge is key to being a successful underwriter.
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THE CHICAGO UNDERWRITING ASSOCIATION 