The Texas Insurance Code Chapter 2210 outlines the composition and objectives of the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association’s Board of Directors. TWIA is governed by a Board of Directors appointed by the Commissioner of Insurance.
The primary objectives of the Board of Directors are to ensure that it and the Association:
- operate in accordance with Texas Insurance Code Chapter 2210, the Plan of Operation, and Commissioner rules;
- comply with sound insurance principles;
- meet all standards imposed under Texas Insurance Code Chapter 2210;
- establish a code of conduct and performance standards for Association employees and persons with which the Association contracts; and
- establish, and adhere to terms of, an annual evaluation of Association management necessary to achieve the statutory purpose, Board objectives, and any performance or enterprise risk management objectives established by the Board.
Composition
The nine-member Board includes three public members residing in the first tier coastal counties and representing certain regions of the catastrophe area, three non-coastal representatives residing more than 100 miles from the coast, and three industry representatives actively writing and renewing windstorm and hail insurance in the first tier coastal counties. All Board members must have demonstrated experience in insurance, general business, or actuarial principles sufficient to make the success of the Association probable. All Board members are unpaid volunteers.
Please visit the Texas Department of Insurance's website to learn about the application process.
Board Members
| Name | Member Representation |
|---|---|
| Chandra Franklin Womack Chair | First Tier Coastal Representative |
| Georgia R. Neblett Vice Chair | First Tier Coastal Representative |
| Karen Guard Secretary-Treasurer | Insurance Industry Representative |
| Michael Gerik | Insurance Industry Representative |
| Esther Grossman | Insurance Industry Representative |
| Tim Garrett | Non Seacoast Territory Representative |
| Tony Schrader | Non Seacoast Territory Representative |
| Peggy Gonzalez | First Tier Coastal Representative |
| Ron Walenta | Non Seacoast Territory Representative |
Training
A person who is appointed to and qualifies for office as a member of the Board of Directors may not vote, deliberate, or be counted as a member in attendance at a meeting of the Board of Directors until they complete a training program that covers:
- the law governing the operation of the Association;
- the programs, functions, rules, and budget of the Association;
- the scope of and limitations on the rulemaking authority of the Board of Directors;
- the results of the most recent formal audit of the Association;
- the requirements of:
- laws relating to open meetings, public information, administrative procedure, and conflict of interest disclosure; and
- other laws applicable to the Board of Directors in performing the Board's duties; and
- any applicable ethics policies adopted by the Association or the Texas Ethics Commission.
The General Manager of the Association must maintain a training manual that includes the information outlined above. The General Manager distributes a copy of the training manual annually to each member of the Board of Directors. Each member of the Board of Directors must sign and submit to the General Manager a statement acknowledging that they received and reviewed the training manual.