The Main Street America Group Names Seven Employees to its Circle of Excellence

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., March 22 /PRNewswire/ -- The Main Street America Group announced today seven of its employees have received the company's highest honor by being inducted into its Circle of Excellence.

The diverse group of winners, who were honored at a recent ceremony in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., represents several of Main Street America's office locations, and were selected for their 2006 achievements and contributions to the company's success.

  Main Street America's 2006 Circle of Excellence honorees are:

   -- Jane Farish, regional underwriting manager, Jacksonville, Fla.

   -- Dawn Hallock, administrative lead policy processor--integrated
      customer solutions, Keene, N.H.

   -- Rae Kus-Young, supervisor, claims administration, Auburn, Mass.

   -- Karen LaPlante, human resources consultant manager, Keene, N.H.

   -- Darren Phaneuf, project manager II, Keene, N.H.

   -- Kathy Vasko, manager, application programming/analysis I, Keene, N.H.

   -- Jane Lowry, claim representative II, Richmond, Va.

"These seven employees truly embody our organization's core values of ownership, relationships and service," said Tom Van Berkel, Main Street America's chairman, president and chief executive officer. "They continually perform above and beyond the call of duty. They are highly regarded within our organization and always strive to keep the best interests of our company, our customers (independent insurance agents) and our customers' customers (policyholders) in mind."

Established in 1985, The Circle of Excellence is an annual recognition program for Main Street America employees. Circle of Excellence members are nominated by fellow employees and selected by the company's senior management team for their embodiment of the organization core values. More than 120 nominations were received for the 2006 Circle of Excellence. Including the 2006 winners, more than 150 employees have been inducted into the Circle of Excellence.

Following are profiles of each of the 2006 Main Street America Circle of Excellence honorees:

Jane Farishis responsible for developing, implementing and monitoring Main Street America's commercial lines underwriting strategy for the Jacksonville Region. Farish takes a "hands-on" approach with her staff and applies her first-hand underwriting experience to ensure her unit has the necessary tools to succeed. Her commitment to the insurance industry extends outside of work hours, as she is an active member and past president of Insurance Women of Jacksonville.

Dawn Hallock serves as administrative lead for commercial lines processing. She recently stepped to the forefront and managed her unit in her supervisor's absence. Her willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done makes her an invaluable asset to Main Street America. A coworker describes her as a "great role model and a huge asset to all of us."

Rae Kus-Young is responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations of all claims administrative services. She consistently displays a "can-do" attitude and takes ownership in every project she works on. Her work day does not end until she is confident her team's daily work has been accomplished in a timely and accurate manner.

Karen LaPlante works closely with her internal client groups on a variety of human resources issues, as well as manages recruiting, employee relations, benefits administration and performance management. She strives to be proactive in her role and always puts the client first. A coworker said, "I personally can attest to her level of professionalism, knowledge and concern for people." LaPlante was recently promoted from her role as a human resources consultant.

Jane Lowry consistently demonstrates ownership and service in her claims handling. She has received multiple complimentary calls and letters from Main Street America agent-customers on her stellar service. A coworker said she goes "the extra mile in explaining the claim process and shows tremendous empathy for our policyholders." Additionally, Lowry's cost-effective procedures for handling paint overspray claims have saved the company a significant amount of money.

Darren Phaneuf played a critical role in several key company initiatives, including Main Street America's new rating structure. He strives to respond quickly to his client's requirements and develops solutions to meet their needs. Phaneuf's hard work and "team" mentality enabled him to dramatically shorten the duration of project development time, which enables the organization to go more quickly to market with new products and services.

Kathy Vasko played an integral role in the implementation of ClaimCenter, Main Street America's new claims processing system. With Vasko serving as Information Technology project lead, Main Street America was able to retain its current claim system's functionality, while adding critical cutting-edge technology. A coworker described Vasko as a "positive" and "confident" leader who always finds a way to deliver on time.

About The Main Street America Group

The Main Street America Group operates four property and casualty insurance carriers: NGM Insurance Company, Old Dominion Insurance Company, Main Street America Assurance Company and MSA Insurance Company. Based in Jacksonville, Fla., The Main Street America Group has provided property and casualty insurance products, programs and services to individuals, families and small businesses since 1923. With nearly $850 million in direct premium written exclusively by more than 1,300 independent insurance agents, Main Street America insures over 500,000 policyholders along the Eastern Seaboard from Maine to Florida. The company has regional offices in Jacksonville; Keene, N.H.; Richmond, Va.; and Syracuse, N.Y., and a claims reporting center in Auburn, Mass. A.M. Best Company rates The Main Street America Group as an "A" (Excellent). For more information, visit http://www.msagroup.com/.