MOCIA’s revitalised board discuss their aims for captive insurance in the region in 2024
The Missouri Captive Insurance Association (MOCIA) took advantage of opportunities in 2023 to redefine its mission to serve the risk community. It stands ready for 2024. This transformation blossomed at the Western Region Captive Insurance Conference in St. Louis, where Missouri hosted the event in June. Since hosting, the organisation’s board of directors has revitalised its commitment to lead as a regional partner in the industry.
The 2024 MOCIA board of directors is led by president Alan Fine, tax partner at Armanino, with John Talley, president of TAL Consulting as vice president and Sherry Doctorian, partner at Armstrong Teasdale, as secretary. The team also includes Todd Bottorff, director of risk management at Stella-Jones Corporation, Rhonda Day, principal risk analyst at Electric Cooperative, Melissa Huenefeldt, consulting actuary at Milliman, Nick Meriage, principal at Pitzer Snodgrass P.C., Mark Morris, managing director at Strategic Risk Solutions, and Trish Staub, director of risk and insurance at Graybar Electric Company.
Looking forward, president Fine says he’s excited for the organisation’s resurgence, “particularly given our strengthened relationship with the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance, and its captive manager, Sam Komo. We have been able to add several new members to the association and our board of directors. We are working together to let everyone know that Missouri is a key player in the captive insurance space.”
Fine adds: “I encourage people, particularly those with captives domiciled in Missouri, to join our association because we are working on several initiatives which we believe will strengthen our position as a domicile. However, we need input to make sure that the needs of all of the constituencies are met. Everyone’s voice matters!”
Vice president Talley views his role with MOCIA as a way to help establish the association as a strong proponent of the captive insurance industry in Missouri.
“I see MOCIA and the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance building Missouri into a strong captive domicile with a continued commitment to the present and future captive insurance companies domiciled in the state,” he comments. Talley also aims to increase the number of captive service providers in the state as well as the membership of the association.
“Being part of this movement provides an opportunity to see how captive insurance companies can aid the risk management process of your company, to be a part of the growing captive insurance industry, and keep abreast of captive insurance issues in Missouri and the US,” he affirms.
Secretary Doctorian has been involved with the group in various capacities over the years, including as a lobbyist, advising on related legislation and statutes.
“In my current role, I leverage my experience in the legal industry and do whatever I can to ensure the association continues to be an active and vibrant captive organisation,” she says.
Doctorian would like to see Jefferson City-based MOCIA’s headquarters continue to build connections and work closely with the legislature. “I see the organisation adding members and being increasingly active at the national level as well,” says Doctorian.
“Growing MOCIA elevates the interests of all Missouri captives and helps amplify our voice. We have much work ahead of us to take the association to the next level. More hands with varying skill sets will certainly help us achieve our goals.”
Bottorff, a new member of MOCIA, is also the president of the Greater Kansas City RIMS chapter. “I perceive my role on the board as a conduit between the Missouri and Kansas risk communities and other organisations supporting our industry,” he comments. “Working together creates more opportunities for everyone in the region and beyond.”
Day, another new member of the board and president of the Ozarks Area RIMS chapter sees her role as an ambassador to share the opportunities that the organisation provides to Missouri businesses. “This organisation is growing and gaining visibility as having the expertise for captives in Missouri,” according to Day. “It can provide resources for niche markets and hard-to-insure risks so that Missouri companies can mitigate risks and continue to thrive through current and future challenges. The more organisations that know about MOCIA and the better people understand what it has to offer, the higher the value of this group.”
The board also recruited Milliman’s Huenefeld. As an actuary, she represents clients who own captives. “My role includes offering expert advice and insights, while also contributing to the association’s educational efforts by leveraging my actuarial knowledge and experience with captive insurance,” comments Huenefeld. “As a function of my profession, I stay updated on the latest trends and developments in the captive insurance industry, enabling me to offer informed guidance to both existing and prospective members of MOCIA.”
Huenefeld says: “Through our educational materials, seminars, and active participation in industry conferences, we aim to raise awareness about the benefits of forming captives and domiciling in Missouri. Being a part of the association means belonging to a community that is dedicated to advancing the captive insurance industry in Missouri. We offer education and resources to help members stay informed about the latest trends, developments, and regulations in the captive insurance industry, provide networking opportunities to help foster collaboration and potential business opportunities, and serve as advocates for the interests of captive insurance companies in Missouri.”
The St. Louis chapter of RIMS is also contributing to the visibility of the risk management community on the MOCIA board with their local president, Trish Staub. “I intend to share my perspective as a practising risk manager and (as of yet) a non-participating captive buyer,” Staub says. “Hopefully domestic captives become more attractive to insureds, compared to offshore captive domiciles. I predict the association will elevate the Missouri captive solution and compete with better-known state captives.”
Missouri captive programme manager Komo has worked hand in hand with MOCIA since accepting his role in 2021. “I have seen this group continually look for ways to support the risk community in Missouri and beyond as intended after captive legislation was passed in 2007,” he comments.
“This collaboration became a reality last summer when the board amended their bylaws to include others in the risk industry regardless of their captive affiliation. Due to this bold step, the board currently represents a diverse group of people with different backgrounds in the risk industry and areas of the state. I see an engaging future for MOCIA and encourage others in this arena to join their coalition.”
