Greg Veal is a Partner at Bovis, Kyle, Burch & Medlin and is a member of the firm’s Fidelity, Surety, and Construction group with related experience going back to 1982. He has been with the firm since 1993, but he has first-hand experience in both a smaller, boutique construction partnership as well as a 200-lawyer firm. His career began during the time when fidelity and surety claims alike were handled by the same company representatives, and he continues to work in both areas today.  He was born in Augusta, Georgia, has practiced in the Atlanta area for over 40 years, and currently lives in Peachtree Corners with his wife of over 30 years.

Greg has written and spoken often for groups interested in fidelity, surety, and construction law topics, including the Fidelity & Surety Law Committee (FSLC) of the Tort, Trial & Insurance Practice Section of the ABA (TIPS), the State Bar of Georgia’s Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE), the Surety Claims Institute, and most frequently at conferences of the Southern Surety & Fidelity Claims Association (SSFCA).

Rudy Dominguez is the Senior Vice President of Claims. In his role he oversees the Claims Department at Old Republic Surety. Under his leadership, the department is dedicated to resolving all claims with the highest level of professionalism and expertise.

Dana Thompson is the Washington Representative for Women Construction Owner's and Executives.

"JB" is Vice President with Miller/Wenhold Capitol Strategies specializing in government affairs with 19 years in advocacy, policy, and strategic initiatives. He began working in the Federal policy arena in October 2001 as an aide to a U.S. Senator. In 2005, JB was hired by John M. Palatiello & Associates, a public affairs consulting firm which merged with Miller/Wenhold in 2018. He is the registered federal lobbyist for the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) and was the first Government Affairs Manager for MAPPS. JB is also the lead staffer for the Council on Federal Procurement of Architectural and Engineering Services (COFPAES) since 2005, the Business Coalition for Fair Competition (BCFC) since 2009, the Digital Coast Partnership and Advocacy Coalition since 2012, the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) Coalition since 2014, and the Coalition for the White House Conference on Small Business (WHCSB) since 2015. JB now lobbies for the Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) Association, the U.S. Geospatial Executives Organization (USGEO), and the Geospatial Equipment & Technology Institute (GETI).

Mike Oscar is the Government Relations Director at the American Subcontractors Association (ASA). 

Mr. Howard is the Director of the Federal and Heavy Construction Division at the Associated General Contractors of America in Washington, D.C. He received his J.D. from the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University and earned his B.A. (Magna Cum Laude) in English and Political Science from Texas Tech University. He is licensed to practice law in the state of Maryland.  

Larry is Director of Government Relations at the National Association of Surety Bond Producers (NASBP) where he assumed that role in January 2010. Prior to joining NASBP, Larry has advocated for policy interests on behalf of trade and professional associations for over 25 years at both the state and federal level, which includes the American Tort Reform Association, the American Institute of CPAs and the North American Securities Administrators Association. 

In his role as Director of Government Relations at NASBP, Larry is the chief lobbyist for the association on Capitol Hill representing its interest on issues such as the SBA Bond Guarantee Program, preserving the Federal Miller Act, and educating and engaging members of Congress and their staff concerning the importance of the surety bond product.

Larry received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of Southern Maine in Portland, Maine and his Masters Degree in Public Policy from Georgetown University in Washington, DC.  Larry, his wife Barb, and their Welsh Corgi Jack, live in Potomac, MD.  

Based in Houston, Pat is Sompo Surety’s U.S. National Underwriting Officer.  This role encompasses portfolio management and credit modelling responsibilities for the U.S. Surety book, reinsurance placement activities, and other facets of surety executive leadership. Pat brings 15+ years industry experience to Sompo and its broker partners.  This experience includes underwriting and broking a variety of companies within the Fortune 2000 and private company equivalents, energy risks, and all facets of the surety life cycle including complex credit analysis, mergers and acquisitions, private equity involvement, collateral structures, and claims management. 

Prior to Sompo, Pat worked to build JLT Specialty’s surety brokerage practice in the United States with an emphasis in Energy as JLT’s Energy Surety Practice Leader.  Upon Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc.’s acquisition of JLT, Pat became a Senior Vice President in Marsh JLT’s Surety Practice.  Prior to Marsh JLT, Pat worked at RLI Insurance Company in RLI’s Surety Group.  

Pat earned a B.B.A. in Finance and a B.B.A. in Economics from Loyola University of Chicago. He also holds the Associate in Fidelity and Surety Bonding (AFSB) certification.  Pat serves on the Houston Advisory Board for Heroes for Children, an organization that advocates for and provides financial assistance to families with children battling cancer.

John is responsible for servicing and consulting on the surety bonds for clients handled by CAC Specialty Natural Resources.

John specializes in oil and gas surety. Originally a surety underwriter, John started his career with Argo Surety before joining Wortham in 2015. In 2017 he was recognized as a top young broker by Insurance Business Magazine primarily for his extensive research and knowledge of Bureau of Ocean Energy Management regulations which enabled him to specifically target clients with offshore surety bond needs, limiting risk and countless hours of guesswork. Later, he helped develop and implement the use of the Dual Obligee Bond in the Gulf of Mexico for both BOEM and private obligations. He has a deep knowledge of all aspects of the energy market and their surety needs. Later this year, he will be speaking at NASBP on the State of the Union for Oil and Gas Surety.  Outside of energy, John has a strong grasp of contract surety and all forms of commercial surety.

John has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance with a specialization in Alternative Investments from Fordham University. He graduated with honors and was on the Varsity football team. He is a member of the National Association of Surety Bond Producers (NASBP) as well as the Houston Surety Association.

Jason joined the Applied team in Jul’23 as the Energy Practice Leader, where he leverages his extensive expertise in risk management and underwriting to lead the company's energy sector initiatives. With a career spanning over two decades, Jason has built a reputation as a strategic leader with deep insights into the complexities of the energy industry. Before joining Applied, Jason served as the Chief Risk Officer at Berkley Surety, where he was responsible for overseeing the company’s risk management framework, while ensuring underwriting best practices, and driving sustainable profitability. His tenure at Berkley Surety was marked by his ability to navigate the volatile landscape of surety and risk, earning him recognition as a key player in the industry. Prior to his role at Berkley, Jason honed his expertise in the energy sector as an Oil & Gas Underwriter at RLI. His hands-on experience in underwriting within this specialized field provided him with the knowledge and acumen necessary to assess and mitigate the unique risks associated with energy operations. Jason holds an MBA from the University of Houston and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) from the University of Denver and served five years as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces. 

Connor is an award-winning Construction Executive and Registered Architect with international expertise in Surety, Construction Management, Project Management, Risk Management, and Building Design. He unites these skills to specialize in resolving complex construction defaults, insolvency, and disputes for high-value commercial construction projects across North America. Connor is one of less than ten people with the Professional, Gold Seal Certification in Owner's Construction Management (P.GSC-OCM) designation from the Canadian Construction Association. He is a Registered Architect, Licensed Architectural Technologist, and is a LEED Accredited Professional in Building Design and Construction. As a design professional, he has contributed to large-scale commercial buildings projects in healthcare, education, retail, office and corporate work, holding positions on design teams for projects valued up to $1 billion.

Rodrigo is certified as a LEED Accredited Professional for Building Design and Construction. Mr. Monsalve provides Surety Consulting and Construction Management services for complex projects of all scales throughout the U.S and internationally. He has worked on a variety of projects in the public and private sectors including U.S military and governmental facilities, mid-rise residential and commercial projects, healthcare, education, hospitality, and roadway construction projects. Also, Mr. Monsalve has been a consultant and contributed to the success of LEED certified projects. His expertise at Vertex includes Project Management, Cost and Time Management, Risk Management, Quality Management, Owner’s Representation, and Contract Administration. 

Mary Jean Pethick is Senior Vice President, Head of Surety Risk Solutions, with Zurich North America. She is a graduate of Rutgers University and Georgetown University Law Center. She began her surety career as an associate at the law firm of Wolff & Samson in New Jersey. Before joining Zurich, she worked at Reliance Surety, Travelers Bond, and Arch Insurance in Philadelphia, and the American Insurance Association in Washington, DC. She has written and spoken on various surety topics throughout her career.

Todd A. Feuerman, CPA, CCA, MBA, is a director in the Audit and Accounting Department of Ellin & Tucker in Baltimore, MD. Todd has more than three decades of experience providing audit, accounting, consulting, and tax services for general contractors, specialty subcontracting, and construction-focused banks and surety firms. A published author and seasoned speaker, he is well-versed in a variety of issues affecting the construction industry including succession planning, obtaining funding, successful financial bids and much more. Todd has also presented on topics such as construction industry updates and forecasts, fraudulent back reporting, and special credit services to many of the nation’s leading financial institutions.

Travis T. Klein, CPA, MBA, is a director in the Tax Department of Ellin & Tucker in Baltimore, MD. Travis well-versed in tax compliance, planning, and consulting for closely held businesses in several industries, with a specialization in construction and commercial real estate. Travis has hands-on experience with tax research and planning for corporations ranging from small, high-growth start-up companies to established, multi-generational private family businesses and the high-net-worth individuals who own them. Travis has also been tapped by regional publications, such as the Mid-Atlantic Real Estate Journal, to share his insights and observations regarding the fast-changing landscape of mid-Atlantic office trends.

Allen Kirsh has served as the Head of Claims Judicial and Legislative Affairs since November 2021. He is responsible for the claims-led strategy to combat Social Inflation and related drivers including eroding tort reform. He regularly works with others in the insurance industry to build a coalition to work together on these and related issues.  In his role, Allen also has responsibility for the Staff Legal organization and our overall management of external counsel.

Prior to his current role, Allen was the Head of Staff Legal in Zurich North America. He was responsible for the leadership, strategy, and results of the Staff Legal organization. Allen started his Zurich career 22 years ago as a Senior Trial Attorney in the Chicago Staff Legal office. Since then, he has held several leadership positions in Staff Legal, Claims Administration and Operations, Claims Quality Assurance, and Strategic Planning. Allen has also served as the Claims Chief of Staff responsible for development and execution of the ZNA Claims’ priorities.

Allen began his career as an attorney representing plaintiffs in personal injury litigation. He moved on to represent Cook County government as the Head of Torts and Civil Rights Litigation with the Cook County State’s Attorney. Allen then spent several years in private practice representing corporations in civil litigation. 

Allen holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Illinois and a juris doctor degree from DePaul University School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in both Illinois and California.

Frank came to Liberty Mutual Surety with more than 35 years of diversified experience in the accounting field. This included working concurrently in two areas of specialized expertise: (1) traditional financial statement audit and accounting engagements and (2) litigation support and forensic accounting matters. With his experience including construction clients in commercial and residential real estate, Frank brings a well- rounded approach to a broad scope of issues that contractors face. The financial statement engagement-based experience serves Frank well in his ability to assess business operations, internal control environments, financial position, and operating results quickly and acutely. His litigation support and forensic accounting experience includes a broad range of frauds, investigation settings, industries, business types, and clients. Frank is a Certified Public Accountant with PA and NJ licenses and he holds a BS in Accounting.

Chris Garcia joined LM Surety (Safeco) in September 2001 as a field underwriter for Core Contract in the Pleasant Hill, CA office. He has held many positions throughout his tenure at LMS, including Contract Bond manager of the Denver, Colorado office and is currently an Underwriting Officer for Core Contract in the Western Region. Chris has been in his current role for the past 8 years and has worked at Liberty Mutual for 25 years.

Travis Remick is Chief Underwriting Officer, Contract Surety at Liberty Mutual Surety. Travis started his surety career at Insurance Company of the West in 1994. In 1995, Travis joined Liberty Mutual Surety, and from 1999-2016 served in a territory management capacity in the Portland, San Francisco, and Seattle markets. In 2016, Travis transitioned to the Home Office and now oversees Contract Surety underwriting for Liberty’s Western region. Travis graduated from Western Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration/Finance.