Kathi began her insurance career with American Mutual in 1985. While there, she handled multi-line / multi-state claims. In 1989, she joined OneBeacon and began specializing in workers’ compensation claims. She became a Claims Supervisor in 1994. In 2002, Kathi joined the Trust as a Claims Manager utilizing her 17+ years of experience.
Kathi holds an Associate Degree in Business Management as well as WCLA, WCLS and AIC professional designations.
Brian joined the staff in July 2004. His responsibilities include managing the Trust’s network of participating medical providers to ensure quality and cost-effective medical care is provided to injured workers. Mr. Downs has over 18 years experience in the workers’ compensation insurance industry in both the private and healthcare sectors. In 1992, he joined the staff of Manchester Memorial Hospital as Manager of Safety & Occupational Health for ECHN, the parent company of Manchester Memorial and Rockville General Hospitals. In 1997, he was named Director of CorpCare, the occupational health center for ECHN, where his successful efforts led to an increase in patient care visits and clinic revenue.
In 2000, Mr. Downs was named Vice-President of Network Operations and Business Development for Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners, the occupational health joint venture between ECHN’s CorpCare, Bristol Hospital’s Medworks Program, and Saint Francis Hospital’s Occupational Medicine Program. In this position, he provided operational and management services for all three programs that led to a coordinated network of five occupational medicine centers in the greater Hartford area.
Mr. Downs holds a Masters Degree from the University of New Haven.
Bob joined the Trust in July 1996. Bob has over sixteen years experience in the field, starting his career in the New London area handling workers’ compensation claims for large self-insured accounts. In 2001, Bob was promoted from Senior Claims Representative / Hearing Officer to Claims Manager. Bob supervises a unit dedicated to serving self-insured employers, including municipalities.
Bob holds an Associate in Claims Designation and is currently pursuing a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter’s Designation.
Terry’s underwriting experience began over 30 years ago at Commercial Casualty Insurance Company. In 1976, Terry moved to the Hartford Insurance Group where she underwrote, priced, and managed large commercial casualty accounts. Terry gained considerable experience in the use and selection of large deductible, retrospective rating and retention plans as well as in-depth knowledge of pricing, coverage and the market.
Terry joined the Trust in 1999. She holds a BS Degree in Insurance from Oklahoma State University.
Alexandra oversees a staff of loss control specialists who provide risk management services to the members of the Trust, all geared toward reducing losses.
Alexandra has over 20 years experience as a Safety and Health, Risk and Loss Prevention Specialist, primarily in municipal and healthcare industries. For the past several years, she has coordinated and evaluated loss control staff activities, providing specialized training and service programs to employers.
A State Registered Sanitarian (RS) and Certified Driver Instructor, Mrs. Powitz also successfully completed the program for Associate in Risk Management (ARM) and Healthcare Safety Professional at Masters Level (CHSP).
Over the years, Alexandra Powitz has served in an officer position for the Connecticut Safety Society.
Diane is responsible for the ongoing management, operation and future direction of the Trust, ensuring that the Trust remains a premier provider of workers’ compensation insurance and services. Services include claims administration, loss control, managed care, underwriting, and marketing for both insured and self-insured employers.
Diane began working with the Trust in 1994 as an employee of the Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA), who was then providing management services to the Trust. Her first role was Director, Claims Administration. In 1996, she was promoted to Associate Vice-President, the administration of the workers’ compensation claims, loss control, managed care, marketing, agency and underwriting services. In this capacity, Mrs. Ritucci also served as Chief Operating Officer of the Trust. During this time, Mrs. Ritucci also directed CHA Insurance Services, Inc. (CHAIS), a full-service insurance agency and CHA Securities, Inc. (CHAS), an entity established to provide various financial products.
Prior to 1994, Diane held various human resource positions during her 18 years of service with Yale-New Haven Hospital. She was instrumental in the design, implementation, and administration of the hospital’s self-insured workers’ compensation program. Additionally, Mrs. Ritucci was responsible for the management of their short and long term disability programs, paid time off, unemployment compensation and other employee benefit programs.
A licensed casualty adjuster since 1982, she holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Bridgeport.
Nathan brings over 20 years of commercial insurance experience to the Trust. Graduating with a BS Degree from St. Lawrence University in 1978, he began his insurance career with Aetna Life & Casualty in the loss control division. Over the next 6 years, he received several promotions and added responsibilities of commercial property and commercial casualty underwriting, eventually leading to a national marketing position covering the mid-Atlantic and southeastern United States.
Capitalizing on his sales and marketing experience, Mr. Shippee utilized an Aetna producer training program to enter an independent insurance agency where he greatly increased the size, scope and profitability of the agency over a 10 year period. He returned to the corporate side of insurance in 1997 as the regional vice-president of MasterCare, Inc., where he introduced MasterCare’s workers’ compensation product to the Connecticut workforce through the independent agency system. During a very competitive market cycle, MasterCare became a major player in Connecticut’s workers’ compensation market in just two years.
In 2000, Mr. Shippee left MasterCare to join the Connecticut Healthcare Workers’ Compensation Trust where he is responsible for marketing the Trust and managing Connecticut Healthcare Insurance Service (CHIS), an agency which provides Property & Casualty and Life & Health product to employees throughout the state.
Kathleen joined the Trust in June 1994. Her responsibilities include the planning, organizing and management of claims administration operations for one of three claims units within the Trust. Mrs. Yeager provides technical advice and guidance to claims adjusters, while overseeing and managing files to ensure appropriate and expeditious resolution of claims.
Mrs. Yeager has over 30 years experience in the insurance industry. She began her career at Underwriters Adjusting Company. In 1977, she joined Aetna Life & Casualty Insurance Company specializing in workers’ compensation claims. Over the years she became responsible for the training and education of new adjusters; in addition to managing claims. In 1989, Mrs. Yeager established and administered a self-insured workers’ compensation program for Yale University’s 12,000 employees before joining the Trust in 1994.