Experienced Professionals Dedicated to Your Success
Meet our staff of customer-centered risk management experts.
Susan Bratton
Senior Account Executive
Susan is a native of Oregon and began her career at Willis 20 years ago as a Client Manager. She has been an integral member of the Alliance Insurance Group Healthcare Practice for the past sixteen years and currently acts as Client Advocate for some of its largest long term care and senior housing accounts.
While her experience has ranged across the healthcare spectrum, her primary focus is senior housing and long-term care, where she has been involved with strategic planning, marketing and the engagement of global insurance and reinsurance markets.
Susan also has significant experience in working with clients who are self- insured. She is currently working toward obtaining her Registered Professional Liability Underwriter’s (RPLU) designation.
Eileen Jo Brayman, CIC, CPCU, ARM
Senior Client Manager
Eileen began her insurance career in September 1975. She holds designations as CIC (Certified Insurance Counselor), ARM (Associate in Risk Management) and CPCU (Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter).
Eileen has experience in insurance, risk management services and underwriting, working for regional and national insurance agencies and insurance companies on behalf of clients in many market segments, including long term care. Eileen has underwritten complex and multi-state risk. Her experience on the agency side has helped her understand and know the issues of middle and large market firms.
Cory Coryell, ARM
Senior VP, Commercial Lines
Cory Coryell is fourth generation insurance broker with over 22 years experience in commercial insurance management. He is a graduate of the University of Kansas and holds a B.S. degree from the School of Business with an emphasis in Marketing. He also holds an Associate in Risk Management (ARM) designation.
Prior to joining Alliance, Cory was an Agent/Owner for Coryell Insurers, an Account Executive for Wausau Insurance Companies and Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., and a Managing Partner at Propel Insurance. Throughout his career, he has specialized in Risk and Insurance management for all types of healthcare facilities and is proactively involved at the State and Federal levels.
Cory has responsibility for providing his professional expertise, counsel and service to his valued clients and prospects. He not only works closely with his specialized staff but aggressively with his carriers and underwriters in developing both Standard and Alternative Risk Transfer programs to fit the needs of all commercial insurance buyers.
Jon Gehrett
Director of Marketing
As Director of Marketing for Alliance Insurance Group, Jon’s primary role is to analyze our clients’ business operations, help develop loss containment and risk transfer strategies and negotiate and implement those strategies with and through our insurance company partners.
Following graduation from Willamette University with a degree in economics, Jon began his 25+ year insurance career as a Commercial Casualty Underwriter for the Aetna Casualty & Surety Company. Utilizing this considerable knowledge in commercial liability coverage and risk analysis, his account marketing expertise was developed while working alongside the Fortune 500 clients of Marsh & McLennan. In addition to marketing, his career also includes time as an agent and as a wholesale broker.
Shannon Holt
Managing Partner
Workers Compensation Practice
Shannon has worked in the field of insurance for more than 20 years. She began her career at SAIF Corporation in 1991. Shannon’s worker’s compensation experience has afforded her extensive specialized training in the management of worker’s compensation claims, including reserving practices, a thorough understanding of Managed Care Organizations, permanent disability ratings and litigation.
She and her team are involved in every step of the worker’s compensation placement process, from risk analysis and liability projections to design, marketing and renewal negotiations.
By utilizing her experience in developing performance guarantees and providing claims oversight management through one-on-one discussion with adjusters, Shannon effectively influences the management and outcome of claims. These are the core components that help to provide her clients with lower experience mods and the best renewal outcomes. In addition to assisting with claims, Shannon closely follows new legislative rules and case law that may affect clients and their strategies for the claim cost mitigation.
Worker’s Compensation demands rigorous and persistent client advocacy consistently delivered though out the year. As a managing partner leading the Workers Compensation Team, Shannon brings workers compensation experience, along with local and national insurance carrier relationships to her clients, making her a vital member of the Alliance Insurance Group team of professionals.
She is a graduate of Oregon State University with a B.S. degree in Secondary Education.
Phyllis Kraal
Vice President, Quality Control
Phyllis has over 30 years of experience in providing specialized insurance services. She has been involved in program development and management of multi-state insurance programs in which she has underwritten and managed large blocks of business.
She has worked with numerous clients including those in Senior Housing, Manufacturing, Life Science, Technology, Hospitality, Public Entity, Consumer Products, Construction and Financial Services.
Her experience in coverage analysis, Insurance placement and programs are invaluable to the Alliance marketing and placement of its customers.
Ken Leatherman
Managing Partner
Ken Leatherman is a Property & Casualty and Health Producer at Alliance Insurance Group. Ken combines his Insurance and organizational development experience to provide a unique product to his clients entitled RiskMap, which identifies the underlying system and cultural causes of loss in the insured’s environment then creates a strategically benchmarked plan of Insurance and risk management to address and change those factors.
Ken began his career as a property claims adjuster with Aetna Casualty & Surety, handling the entire southern California areas hazardous waste claim files, which included serving clients such as Lockheed and General Dynamics. He has been in the Insurance business for over 25 years and has been correlating his organizational work with risk management and has reduced the total cost of risk for clients by well over 7 figures.
Ken has consulted and taught business and risk seminars in China and Eritrea. Ken is a qualified Speaker, Certified Business Consultant, Senior Business Analyst and performs training and speaking engagements throughout the United States. He has provided leadership training for many companies including Unum, LISI, and Hearthstone Senior Living. He has presented seminars on Risk Management, Leadership, Personality and Hiring at Oregon Health Care Association, Washington Health Care Association annual conventions, Risk Management forums, Western RIMS conference as well as other venues. Ken also currently sits on the Board of Willowcreek Management.
He received a B.A. degree in Communications from California State University at San Bernardino.
Marianne McCrary
A graduate of the University of Washington with a degree in Business Administration emphasizing Accounting and Marketing, Marianne has been in the insurance industry for over 25 years. Marianne began her insurance career at LaBow, Haynes, which was subsequently purchased by Sedgwick James. She was with Sedgwick for 11 years, initially as an Account Manager, subsequently leading a team of service individuals, developing procedures for service to gain the ISO 2001 designation, and finally sales. She then joined Willis, where she worked for 9 years, as a part of the public entity practice, and also the Healthcare Leader for Washington State. She then had a short stint with Brown & Brown, before joining the Alliance Group, a firm that was a perfect match for her clients in the Senior Living Industry.
Her specialty is Senior Living, but she also has a significant amount of experience in Construction and Public Entities. One of her initial clients was a contractor who built and operated nursing homes. Through this experience, her passion for the senior living industry grew and she became not only adept but enthusiastic about her senior living clients.
She has worked extensively with Alternative Risk Management placements, authored layered property placements, and instructed courses for employees of the city of Seattle. Marianne is an expert on insurance software, as well as authoring and implementing quality procedures. She is a skilled team manager and led Sedgwick Seattle’s national quality improvement team 1990-1993.
Joe Mullens
Loss Control Consultant
Joe’s hands-on experience provides the “on the ground” approach to Alliance’s loss control services. His extensive experience includes working with companies in providing safety-training classes, mock OSHA inspections and safety audits. Joe is very qualified to provide the in depth loss control analysis and review that your company can use.
Joe attended College of the Redwoods, Evergreen College, and Portland Community College. He participates in ongoing OSHA Certification Programs.
His experience includes Past Board Member (Northwest Wood Products Assoc.), Past Fire Commissioner Del Norte County, Resident EMT in Del Norte Count, Past Boy Scout Commissioner in Shasta County, Member of ASSE (American Society of Safety Engineers), Member of IIABO (Oregon Insurance Association), Member of (CERT) Community Ergonomic Resource Team, Member of Oregon Health Care Association.
Scott Reese, ASP, ARM, OHST
Principal, Managing Partner
As Principal and Managing Partner of Alliance Insurance Group, Scott Reese currently oversees the efforts of his firm to develop insurance, risk management and financial protection strategies that fit today’s complex financial environment and our customers’ personal and commercial needs. In addition to serving as client advisor to several national accounts, Scott designs and implements association group insurance programs including risk management programs for clients, alternative market arrangements, educational training and quality management initiatives.
Prior to forming Alliance Insurance Group in 2007, Scott began his career as a Loss Control representative for both the EBI and CIGNA insurance companies, working on large, complex risk management accounts. From there he went on to develop and manage a risk management practice group for an independent insurance agency in Colorado. He later brought his knowledge to Willis to provide leadership in the development and building of their Senior Housing Healthcare Practice group. Scott currently holds the designations of Associate Safety Professional, Associate in Risk Management and Occupational Safety and Health Technologist.
He is a Cum Laude graduate of Oregon State University with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Safety and Health. He is a member of the Occupational Safety & Health American Society of Healthcare Risk Managers (ASHRM), American Health Care Association (Oregon Chapter member – OHCA), Captive Insurance Companies Association (CICA), National Investors Council (NIC), Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA), American Seniors Housing Association (ASHA) and the Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS).
Susan Rendsland
Senior Client Manager
Susan brings more than 20 years experience in the insurance industry to Alliance Insurance Group. She began her career at American States Insurance Company, and worked as an underwriter 10 years before moving to take a position on the agency side. Susan spent 11 years at Willis Insurance focusing on program business, marketing and customer service. She is excited to bring her experience and expertise to the Alliance team.
Carl Swan
Vice President, Senior Living Division
Carl came to Alliance from the profession of education. With over 20 years in education and having served twelve years as a middle school principal, Carl is well suited to systems solutions and collaborative leadership. His propensity to think outside the box benefits teambuilding and creative analysis. Focused on relationship building while also developing creative risk transfer solutions, Carl effortlessly leads teams of professionals committed to providing exceptional service. Carl holds an undergraduate degree from Northwest Christian University in Eugene, Oregon, as well as a Masters Degree from Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon and achieved his Administration Licensure from the University of Oregon.
Dan Terry
Vice President, Sales
Dan currently is a VP at Alliance insurance Group, focused on serving the Senior Housing Long Term Care community. Dan generates and develops new client partnership and business opportunities throughout the Northwest.
Prior to Alliance, Dan spent 9 years working with financial service firms and non-profit organizations such as Opus Solutions, IDP, Family Wealth Institute, Investment Properties of America, Portland Rescue Mission, American Heart Association and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Dan offered sales and development services through conferences, seminars, large events and one on one meetings with high profile investors and donors.
Dan has been a successful business leader for over 20 years in the Greater Portland Area with accomplishments such as the Development of the Oregon Economic and Business Forum. In 2004, Dan produced the highly successful Oregon Economic and Business Forum (OEBF) at the Oregon Convention Center. The two-day event was attended by nearly 3000 business leaders.
During Dan’s 9+ years with Imark Communications (formerly ASM), the business grew from facilitating, as few as ten events to more that seventy, becoming the largest producer of regional, business-to-business technology events in North America. Dan was instrumental in establishing the sponsorship programs that increased productivity for the clients and doubled revenues for individual events that led too much of the company’s growth in the late 1990’s. Dan was responsible for over seventy-five sales people and managers.
Dan and his wife Lauri reside in Milwaukie, Oregon. They have three daughters: Rachael (16), and twins, Caitlin and Lauren (11). He enjoys coaching his kids’ softball teams, and spending time with his family on the river.
David Thurber
Litigation Management Practice Leader
David serves as General Counsel for The Alliance Insurance Group. David graduated from the University of Nebraska where he received his B.S. degree in 1974 and his law degree in 1977. He was general counsel to an oil and gas firm before moving to a private trial practice firm for thirteen years in Nebraska. After moving to Oregon, David assumed the position of Assistant General Counsel to SAIF Corporation, where he also served as Vice President of Human Resources, and Policy Holder Services. In these roles he was a member of the executive team for 13 years. His operational responsibilities included all branch operations, a small business service center, customer service, customer risk management, marketing, sales, agency management and Group insurance.
He worked for a large multi-national operator, where he last served as Counsel, focusing on litigation management, and helping troubled properties; prior to that he was Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Canyon Creek Financial, LLC, and a licensed Broker Dealer. These companies focused on buying, building and managing senior housing communities nationally.
David joined Alliance in 2010 where his work now focuses on customer support in business and risk management, employment and HR practices and claims/litigation management for their commercial customers. Having been a successful lawyer and executive with 28 years of legal, business, insurance, and senior housing experience, he has demonstrated leadership in providing risk and litigation management in varying, complex business environments.