Board of Directors

Gary S. Dworkin, CLU, RHU
2009 NAILBA Chairman
Dworkin is the founder (1976), president, and owner (along with his partner and wife of 38 years, Lin) of DAI (Dworkin Associates, Inc.), based in Rochester, N.H. He considers his early involvement in NAILBA and service as part of the first elected board of directors, among his greatest professional accomplishments. In 2003, he was reappointed to the NAILBA Board. In addition to NAILBA, Dworkin has been a long-standing member of the Risk Appraisal Forum and is currently a member of the Marketing Alliance, Inc. During his career, he has served in all local and state chairs of NAIFA, including his term as president of the state association as well as serving on the New Hampshire board of the Society of Financial Services Professionals (formerly known as the CLU Society). He has been listed in Who's Who in America since 1991. Gary and Lin live in Barrington, NH and have two grown children; Rob and Alexandra. 

Mark D. Rosen, CLU
Chief of Staff/Chair-Elect
Mark Rosen is president of Underwriters Brokerage Service, an independent life and health brokerage agency located in Pittsburgh, PA. Established in 1970, Underwriters was an early participant in NAILBA. Rosen's career in insurance began in 1978 when he started out at Security-Connecticut Life in Hartford for an initial training program. He then returned to the family business as a marketing associate.

Mark has been active in numerous industry organizations including LifeMark Partners where he currently serves on the Board; LIFE, Inc., where he previously served as president; a past member of the board of his local NAIFA chapter; as well as a member of the Society of Financial Service Professionals; the Estate Planning Council; and the International Association for Financial Planning. Mark is a graduate of Miami University of Ohio. He and his wife Georgia have two children, Zachary and Rachel and currently reside in the Pittsburgh suburb of Mt. Lebanon.

Christi Daughenbaugh
Treasurer
Christi Daughenbaugh has grown up in the independent brokerage business. Her father, Reed Ashwill, helped start the Borden Hamman Agency back in 1975 so Christi loosely learned about the insurance business early in life. Christi joined her father full-time at Borden Hamman in 1998 after working in another industry for several years after she graduated from college. Christi is a graduate of Baylor University, where she earned her B.B.A. in Business Management. Christi has worked in various roles at Borden Hamman over the years. Currently, Christi is the Brokerage Manager and enjoys working closely with Reed to build and expand the agency. Christi earned her CLTC designation from the Corporation for Long Term Care in 2002 and her Certified Senior Advisor (CSA) designation in 2004. Christi has been very involved in leadership positions in the industry over the last few years. She was on the Board of Directors for the National Brokerage Consortium, a national marketing group, for five years. She has also been very involved in NAILBA's Education Committee, serving as committee chair for three years. Christi lives in the Dallas area with her husband, David, who is a Pre-AP Chemistry teacher at Waxahachie High School. Christi’s primary activities, when she is not helping agents make more money, revolve around spending time with family and friends. Christi and her husband are also avid outdoor people and enjoy camping, fishing, and hunting in areas around Texas.

Dexter S. Umekubo, CLU, ChFC
Secretary
Dex began his insurance career with Metropolitan Life in 1978 after graduating with a BA from California State University, Long Beach. In 1984, after a successful sales career with Metropolitan, he joined First Delaware Life and attained the role of assistant vice president of sales development. In 1988, Dex joined John Rupright, founding partner of Producers XL, (a BRAMCO Partner Agency) as a co-owner and managing partner of the agency. Dex has authored articles for numerous trade publications and has spoken at seminars across the country on advanced sales concepts, industry trends and ethical sales practices. Dex's professional area of expertise is the advanced life markets, with an emphasis on Business and Estate planning strategies. Dex is FINRA Securities licensed with a Series 7, 24, 63 and 65. Dex is an OSJ/Branch Manager for INGFP-Wholesale Broker Dealer Network. Dex is a long time attendee of the SFSP Arizona Institute and has served as a two term President of the Wichita Chapter of SFSP. When away from the insurance business, Dex enjoys his time traveling with his wife Audrey. Audrey and Dex have two sons, Dana and Adam.

Douglas Mishkin
Immediate Past Chairman
Mishkin, a third-generation insurance professional, is Managing Director of Algren Park Avenue Brokerage LLC, an independent life and health insurance general brokerage agency with offices in New York City and Union, NJ. Algren Park Avenue Brokerage is the coming together of 2 of the premier life insurance wholesalers in the Northeast, Algren Associates, Inc (founded in 1960) and Park Avenue Brokerage Inc (founded in 1971).  Prior to founding Algren Park Avenue, Mishkin was President and CEO of Algren Associates, Inc.  Algren Park Avenue offers products and services to independent brokers and advisors in the areas of life insurance, long-term care insurance, and annuities with an emphasis on impaired risk. Mishkin chose a different career path from his father and grandfather who built one of the nation's largest multi-line and benefit firms. He started his career as an agent with MassMutual and The Guardian. In 1993, he moved to independent brokerage by joining a BGA in Manhattan as their brokerage manager. He was offered the opportunity to join Algren Associates in 1997 and, in 2001 was named president of the agency.  Algren Park Avenue Brokerage was formed in 2008 in order to offer producers a wider breadth of products and services.   Prior to joining the NAILBA Board of Directors, he was chairman of NAILBA's Membership Committee. His other insurance affiliations include: NAIFA, Sub Centers, TYGERS and LifeMark Partners. He is a graduate of Franklin and Marshall College where he earned a bachelor's degree in business management. Mishkin splits his time between Maplewood N.J. and Manasquan N.J. with his wife, Nora-Jean, and sons Aidan and Gavin.

Michael Cohen, CLU
Michael Cohen is President of the Eugene Cohen Insurance Agency, Inc. located in Skokie, IL. The agency was founded in 1981. Michael joined the agency in 1990 after earnings his Bachelors of Science degree in finance, with an insurance emphasis, from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. Since 1990, the father and son executive team has grown the agency tremendously and currently specialize in life, disability, annuities, and long term care insurance. The agency is a member of LifeMark Partners, Inc. and The Plus Group. Michael has previously served as a director in the Chicago chapters of NAIFA and Society of Financial Service Professionals. Michael is also a member of Risk Appraisal Forum. In addition, Michael has served on the NAILBA Editorial Advisory Panel for Perspectives magazine and several insurance company advisory boards. Michael and his wife Irene have three children and make their home in Highland Park, IL.

Barbara A. Crowley
Barbara Crowley is a Principal of Brokers Clearing House, Ltd., located in West Des Moines, IA.  BCH is a multi-carrier wholesale distributor of quality life insurance, long term care, and annuity products.  Barbara started her brokerage career in 1977 with BCH.  She has worked as a consultant for insurance carriers, served on numerous insurance company advisory boards and spoken at various industry meetings.  Barbara is an active member of NAILBA, NAIFA, SFSP, and she has served as President of Life, Inc. and as a Board Member and Officer for LifeMark Partners, Inc., of which she is a founding partner.

Paul (P.J.) Doyle, Jr., LUTCF
Paul (P.J.) Doyle, Jr. is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi and joined his father at Crisis Management Agency in 1990. In 1997, the agency merged with the Harrison James Group where P.J. was a partner and regional brokerage manager. In 2002, P.J. and long time business partner Angie Dean opened up a CPS affiliate office, CPS/Gulf States Brokerage, LLC, where he serves as Principal/Owner. In 2008, CPS/Gulf States Brokerage assumed control of Crisis Management Agency. P. J. has been an active member of the TYGERS, Mississippi and Alabama NAIFA, FSP and Rotary International and is a Paul Harris Fellow. P.J. served in the US Army from 1982-84. He and his wife Jennifer, with children Camille and Jonathan, are members of St. Paul’s Church in Daphne, Alabama.

Steven J. Finkle
Steve Finkle has built a strong reputation in the insurance world through his leadership style and strategic skills. During his 12 years of leadership at National Brokerage Associates (NBA), the business has grown from 2 employees into a 19 employee operation with a vastly increased value.  Finkle received his B.B.A degree in Insurance from Georgia State University in 1972 where he was a Kemper Scholar.  He joined Johnson & Higgins in 1972 as an assistant manager, National Life of Vermont in 1974 and in the fall of ’74, Steve became an original founder of the first franchised brokerage operation in the country.  In 1983 Finkle moved to the Washington DC area, becoming a partner in a nationwide broker-dealer in 1989.  Holding Series 7, 24, and 63 securities licenses, Steve Finkle serves on the advisory committee for multiple carriers, served on the board of directors of DCAIFA and is a proud member of Brokerage Resources of America, BRAMCO.  Steve has been married to Linda Finkle since 1974.  The couple has two daughters, one working in the business while the other is an attorney, and a 4 year old granddaughter.

Thomas A. Kirke, CLU
Kirke began his life brokerage career in 1992 and is currently CEO of The National Benefit Corp, an independent life brokerage agency located in West Des Moines, IA. Founded in 1977 by his late father and Mooers Award recipient Bernard M. Kirke, TNBC specializes in marketing to regional and national independent broker dealers. Kirke is a registered 6 and 63, an active member of the Society of Financial Service Professionals, and a proud member of Brokerage Resources of America, a national marketing organization of independent insurance distributors. A graduate of University of Dayton, Tom resides in West Des Moines with his son Drew.

Robert D. Lombardo
Robert Lombardo graduated from Central Connecticut State with a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration/Finance. After serving in the US Navy from 1965 to 1969, Bob started with Travelers Insurance Company in 1970 as a Life and Health Underwriter. In 1973, Bob joined Security Connecticut Life Insurance Company as a Senior Life Underwriter. Then, in 1978 he became Principal/Executive Vice President/Director of Underwriting for Life Plan Unlimited. Bob served on the advisory board for Security Connecticut Life Insurance Co, is a member of the Risk Appraisal Forum and past chairman of Life Mark Securities. He also serves on the NAILBA Membership Committee and NAILBA PAC Board. Bob and his wife Theresa have two daughters, Kimberli and Robin and a son, Robert Jr. Bob enjoys golf, cooking, wine, travel and sports cars.

Raymond Phillips, CLU, LTCP
Ray is the currently the immediate Past-President of the Society of Underwriting Brokers (SubCenters); is past-President of the Pittsburgh Chapter of National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors; past-President of the Pittsburgh Association of Health Underwriters; and has served on the board of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Society of Financial Service Professionals.  In 2006 Ray was presented with the prestigious Edward Haldeman Memorial Award from the Pittsburgh NAIFA Chapter for distinguished service to the insurance industry and community. He is a member of The Plus Group, the International Disability Income Society and the Pittsburgh Estate Planning Council.  He is a founding member of The Marketing Alliance. Ray is happily married to Susan and has three children, Zack, 13, Kelsey, 11, and Hanna, 5.  He is actively involved with Trinity Lutheran Church, Wexford, PA.  He enjoys hunting, fishing, biking and golf.  He serves on the Pittsburgh Community Development Fund’s loan committee.