President: Ken Avery, Owner at Utah Risk Management Consulting

Ken Avery is the founder and president of Utah Risk Management Consulting. With his 20+ years of experience in the insurance and financial services sectors, Ken has an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the intricacies of alternative risk management. As Ken has evangelized the good word of captive insurance in this great state over the past 10+ years, he recognizes the value captive insurance can provide to Utah businesses and the positive business it can bring to Utah! He recognizes that there has been abuse in the industry, along with burdensome scrutiny by the IRS, and recognizes that the Utah Captive Insurance Association can play a significant role in providing guidance and education to its membership regarding appropriate captive insurance business practices. Ken has worked hard to represent the captive insurance industry in a positive light, and has focused his time as a UCIA board member to promote captive insurance as a valuable, positive and powerful resource.

Vice President: Jim Leroy, President at JKL Enterprises

James LeRoy has had a 50 year insurance career beginning with Aetna Life and Casualty. In a 21-year career with Aetna, he managed commercial and personal lines offices in Indiana, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Missouri and Minnesota. Beginning in 1979, Jim began developing a specialty in forming and servicing self-insured pools and captive insurance operations. After Aetna, Jim served as Vice President of Northland Risk Management Services providing program design, loss control, third party claims administration and training services for self-insured commercial and public entity accounts of the Northland Insurance Companies. Following Northland, Jim served as Senior Vice President for Meadowbrook Insurance Group forming and managing captive insurance, public entity pool and private self-insurance group clients. Jim provided oversight of Meadowbrook’s third-party administration operations supporting captives, self-funded workers compensation groups, and public entity trusts representing over $70,000,000 in annual premium. He also formed and managed captive insurance operations in various industries (transportation, hospitality, staffing, agriculture, aggregate excess workers compensation) and was approved as a captive manager by the State of Nevada. Jim served as President and Vice President of Minnesota Self-Insured Groups, Inc., an advocacy organization for the promotion, support and effective operation of self-insured organizations. He frequently testified at the Minnesota legislature on issues impacting self-insurance. He also served as committee member on both the Workers Compensation and Alternative Risk Transfer committees for the Self-Insured Institute of America. He served for 11 years as the appointed representative for the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce on an advisory group for the Workers Compensation Research Institute. Currently, Jim is president of JKL Enterprises, LLC providing service oversight and consulting services for self-insured programs and captive insurance operations.

Matthew Howard

Matthew is senior tax partner at the law firm Moore Ingram Johnson & Steele and its wholly owned subsidiary, MIJS Captive Management, LLC (MIJS). MIJS is an approved captive manager in 10 different domestic jurisdictions, currently managing roughly 130 captives including 10 in the state of Utah. Under Matthew’s leadership, MIJS has been engaged by Captive Resources, the largest provider of group captive consulting services, to be their exclusive provider of pure captive management services for Captive Resources group members. Further, MIJS has been nominated by Captive Review as independent captive manager of the year for four years taking the top prize in 2014 and 2015 and honorable mention in 2017. MIJS also has a wholly owned captive insurance company (Patriotic RE) that is domiciled in Utah. Patriotic RE currently facilitated the reinsurance of roughly $30mm of premiums annually. In addition, Matthew heads up the MIJS’s tax controversy practice and has been engaged by a number of captive clients (sent from other managers) to handle their tax court cases pertaining to their enterprise risk captive insurance companies. Matthew's current board term is through June 2024.

Diane Thompson

Diane Thompson is a licensed CPA and Insurance Producer. She has over 30 years of experience in the automotive space, including C-Suite and senior level positions. She is a Senior Vice President at Kornerstone Administrative Services, and Kornerstone Guaranty Insurance Company. The Kornerstone companies are sister stores of Ken Garff Automotive Group. Diane has over 10 years of risk management and insurance placement experience at Ken Garff. Diane was involved with forming Ken Garff’s captive insurance company, which was one of the first captives licensed in Utah in 2004. Diane started her career at KPMG where she worked in the Audit Department for 5 years. Diane has a B.S. from the University of Utah in Accounting. Diane's current board term is through June 2026.

Jim Leroy

A resident of St. George, Utah, Jim is President of JKL Enterprises providing service oversight and consulting services for captive insurance companies and other self-funded programs. He has specialized in the formation, management and third-party administration of captive insurance companies and other self-funded programs since 1979. Former member of SIIA’s alternative risk committee. Previously approved as captive manager by the State of Nevada. Captive experience extends across multiple industries and lines of business including medical professional liability, commercial auto, aggregate excess workers compensation. liquor liability, property, contingent business interruption and temporary staffing. Currently serving as incorporator and resident board member for multiple Utah captives in the agricultural sector. Jim's current board term is through June 2026.

Chris Cozzens

Chris is the Risk Management Director for Sequoia Risk Partners. Chris began his 22-year insurance and risk management career at Sinclair Oil Corporation as Vice President, Risk Management where he managed the Property, Casualty & Health insurance activities in petroleum energy, hospitality, resort, & ranch operations throughout the western United States.

Chris played a significant role in the formation and management of Sinclair’s captive. Western Property & Casualty Insurance Company (WPCIC) was formed in 2001. Chris earned a degree in Finance from the University of Utah, is a licensed Insurance Adjuster in multiple states and has earned his Associates in Risk Management (ARM). Chris' current board term is through June 2026.

David Broadbent

David Broadbent has worked for Ivory Homes since 2003 in several capacities, currently as Chief Operating Officer; his primary day-to-day focus is on risk management, human resources, and overseeing field operations (construction, purchasing and warranty). Since inception in 2006, he has functioned as the President of I Builder, Ivory’s captive insurance company. I Builder currently offers three insurance lines: general liability, builders risk, and warranty. David graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance with a minor in Spanish. Prior to graduation and his career with Ivory, he worked many years in his family's food service business. Community involvement has included: Utah Captive Insurance Association board member, Better Business Bureau Northern Nevada and Utah board member (currently past chair), Utah Elected Official and Judicial Compensation Commission member. David currently resides in Lehi, Utah with his wife and three children. Dave's current board term is through June 2025.

Sonya Bergquist

Ms. Bergquist has five years of actuarial experience which includes performing feasibility, reserve and pricing studies for dozens of captive clients. Ms. Bergquist also provides supports to regulators in performing captive application reviews and financial examinations of captive insurers. Ms. Bergquist has passed three actuarial examinations. Sonya's current board term is through June 2025.

Bryan Ridgway

Bryan Ridgway serves as Managing Partner and COO of CIC Services, LLC (“CICS”), a captive management company based in Knoxville, TN. Bryan joined CICS in 2012 after successfully developing and implementing a captive management and administration division for a financial services company headquartered on St. Croix, USVI (Bryan’s hometown). Over his 20+ years in the captive industry, Bryan has been involved in the implementation and management of hundreds of captive programs both onshore and off. Bryan has served on numerous industry committees including those sponsored by SIIA, CICA, NCCIA and TCIA, and is regularly asked to participate on panel discussions during industry conferences. Bryan’s leadership played a vital role in CIC Services’ successful defeat of IRS Notice 2016-66 at the US Supreme Court and in US District Court. Currently Bryan continues to serve on various captive industry committees as well as participating with outside groups advocating for the captive insurance industry. Bryan's current board term is through June 2025.

Travis Wegkamp (Honorary)

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