Meet The Team

Management

Karin Branscombe

CEO
kbranscombe@quakerma.com
Ext. 107

Karin Branscombe started the agency in 1981 and is responsible for its overall management and operation.
Karin serves on various E&S carriers’ Agency advisory councils. She is actively involved with the Worcester Art Museum and serves as a Trustee. She serves on the board of Governors at Worcester Country club and several other non-profit agencies and is involved in various civic activities. Karin resides in Worcester. Her favorite time is being with her grandson and spending time with family here and in Germany.

Thomas Prokop

Operations Manager
tprokop@quakerma.com
Ext. 128

Thomas Prokop is an Account Executive, specializing in Professional Liability – particularly cyber liability coverage and claims. Tom graduated from Boston College in 2000 and the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University in 2004. Prior to joining Quaker Special Risk in 2016, Tom as a partner at Morrison Mahoney LLP, focusing on insurance defense law, especially as it pertains to first party property, liability, and bad faith claims. Ten years of practicing law makes Tom a valuable asset to Quaker as an in-house legal consultant. One of Tom’s roles is also overseeing the handling of claims for which Quaker has delegated authority. Tom is a member of state and federal bar in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island. he is also a member of the Professional Liability Underwriting Society, and is presently pursuing the RPLU designation. Tom resides in Northborough with his wife Kelley, their 2 children, and Fritz, their beloved boxer. In his spare time Tom enjoys playing golf, skiing, and spending time in Florida with his family.

Commercial Lines

James Andreoli, CPCU, A SLI

Senior Vice President
jandreoli@quakerma.com
Ext. 103

Jim Andreoli is a Senior Vice President specializing in Property and Casualty insurance placements as well as Environmental and Excess. Jim has been with Quaker for 24 years after graduating from the College of the Holy Cross and Saint John’s High School in Shrewsbury, MA. During his 24 years at Quaker, Jim has gained extensive knowledge of the Excess and Surplus Market and has handled the placement of all size accounts including Fortune 100 accounts. His areas of expertise are with contractors, real estate accounts, environmental and property risks.

Jim serves on the Agency Council of several E&S Carriers including one of the industry’s largest, and has excellent rapport with all carriers. He is a member of the Holy Cross Varsity Club, New England Surplus Lines Association and the Worcester County Insurance Association. He holds the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation, as well as Associate in Surplus Lines Insurance (ASLI). He sits on the boards of several Non-Profit organizations locally.

Jim resides in Paxton with his wife Leslie and three children. In his spare time Jim enjoys golf, skiing, and is active in coaching youth sports and high school football.

James Hawkins

Senior Vice President
jhawkins@quakerma.com
Ext. 118

James Hawkins is a Senior Vice President specializing in Property and Casualty Insurance placements as well as Environmental, Professional and Excess accounts. Jim has been at Quaker for 27 years and deals primarily with Massachusetts agents throughout the entire state. Prior to joining the Quaker organization, he spent 5 years working in the Commercial Department of The Travelers Insurance Company in Worcester, MA. Jim’s responsibilities at Travelers included the underwriting and marketing of all the various lines of Commercial business. Jim graduated from Babson college in 1979 with a Bachelors degree as well as a major in Marketing.

Jim served 6 years as chairman of his Condominium Association and still keeps active with giving advice to the current Board members. In his free time, he loves spending time with his 3 year old granddaughter and volunteering in his local community of North Oxford, MA.

Tony O’Donnell, CPCU, ASLI

Vice President
todonnell@quakerma.com
Ext. 104

Tony O’Donnell is a Vice President specializing in Brokerage Property and Casualty Insurance. He joined Quaker Special Risk in 1995 after a successful career as an Educator. He attended the University of Nottingham in England where he earned his Bachelors Degree and he then earned a Masters Degree in the USA. He provides insurance services to retail agents in MA, CT, RI and NH.

Tony earned his CPCU designation in 2000, his Associate in Surplus Lines Insurance (ASLI) the same year, and he is a licensed Property & Casualty Broker in MA. In his free time, Tony enjoys coaching soccer, recently earning his National Coaches license. He is an avid cyclist and swimmer, participating in numerous charity events throughout the year.

Liam Staunton, CIC, ASLI

Assistant Vice President
lstaunton@quakerma.com
Ext. 109

Liam Staunton is an Assistant Vice President and specializes in Commercial Property and Casualty Insurance. Liam joined Quaker in 2002 after receiving a Bachelors Degree from the College of the Holy Cross. Since then he has spent his career building a vast knowledge of Commercial Lines Insurance and cultivating relationships with retail agents in New England. Liam is a member of NAPSLO Next Generation, Holy Cross Club of Boston and Young Insurance Agents of MA. He holds both Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and the Associate in Surplus Lines Insurance (ASLI) designations.

Liam lives in Milton, MA with his wife Tiffany and three children, Sophia, Julia and LJ. In his free time Liam enjoys spending time with family, traveling and volunteering in the Boston community.

Philip McGinnis, CIC, CRIS, ASLI

Assistant Vice President
pmcginnis@quakerma.com
Ext. 120

Phil McGinnis is an Assistant Vice President specializing in Property and Casualty Insurance and High Value Homeowners Programs. Phil joined Quaker Special Risk in June of 2008 after spending three years as a sales representative for Assurant Health. He has obtained his Property and Casualty license, Associate in Surplus Lines Insurance designation, and Certified Insurance Counselor designation. Phil graduated from Babson College with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration and resides in Worcester with his wife Jil, daughter Violet, and two sons Griffin and Callan. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with family, golfing, and reading.

Marilyn Boykin

Senior Account Executive
boykin@quakerma.com
Ext. 117

Marilyn Boykin, Senior Account Executive, has been with Quaker Special Risk since January 1996. She works directly with Senior Producer Liam Staunton. Her work includes underwriting Commercial Lines business and managing the support staff. Marilyn enjoys the beach, golfing, traveling, and most importantly spending time with her husband Lee, three grown daughters, and granddaughters.

Marvin Andre, ASLI, AU

Account Executive
mandre@quakerma.com
Ext. 114

Marvin Andre graduated from Stonehill College with a Bachelors degree in Accounting. In his position of Account Executive, he is responsible for assisting in Commercial Lines business and helping Commercial underwriters at Quaker. Marvin enjoys spending time with family and friends, sports, and reading.

EJ Bradley

Account Executive
ebradley@quakerma.com
Ext. 177

EJ Bradley joined Quaker Special Risk in September of 2013. EJ graduated from Roger Williams University with a Bachelors Degree in Business Management. He works directly with Jim Hawkins, underwriting Commercial Lines accounts. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with family and friends, and coaching basketball at the youth and high school levels.

Riley McLaughlin

Account Executive
rmclaughlin@quakerma.com
Ext. 170

Riley McLaughlin joined Quaker Special Risk in January of 2015. His main responsibility is underwriting Commercial Lines accounts. In Riley’s spare time he enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing softball, traveling and fishing.

Megan McMahon

Account Executive
mmcmahon@quakerma.com
Ext. 115

Megan McMahon joined Quaker Special Risk in September 2017 as a Policy Issuance Specialist. She is responsible for issuing commercial brokerage policies. Megan graduated from Bridgewater State University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications; Media Studies. She lives in Worcester and enjoys spending time with her friends and family. Megan loves books, movies, and trying new restaurants.

Katie Penny

Account Executive
kpenny@quakerma.com
Ext. 173

Katie joined Quaker in May 2018 after a brief sabbatical from the insurance industry. Prior to that she has worked in both employee benefits and the property & casualty sides of the business. Katie has been assisting the entire team on marketing their brokerage accounts and getting up to speed on our binding authority markets, working closely with Tony O’Donnell. Katie graduated from Worcester State University and resides in Worcester.

Katie enjoys staying active with the gym, yoga, Muay Thai and has recently rekindled her love of dance with adult classes at Dance It Up! She loves her Patriots football and never misses a chance to cheer on Tom! She has a passion for fashion and decorating. Spending time with friends and family is a priority and is the best auntie to Grace, Jack and Mason.

Kayla Smith

Account Executive
ksmith@quakerma.com
Ext. 110

Kayla Smith, Account Executive – Small Business Unit, joined Quaker Special Risk in February of 2016, where her main area of focus is issuing Commercial Lines policies. Kayla enjoys creating and listening to music – she has been a flutist for over ten years. In her spare time, Kayla appreciates shopping, eating, and making others laugh.

Austin Chamberlain

Account Executive
achamberlain@quakerma.com
Ext. 178

Austin Chamberlain joined Quaker Special Risk in 2011 after graduating from Nichols College with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration. He specializes in all forms of personal property and casualty business, including both new business and renewal accounts. In his spare time, he enjoys playing hockey and spending time with family and friends.

Professional Lines

Carol Kavorkian

Account Executive – Professional Liability
ckavorkian@quakerma.com
Ext. 105

Carol Kavorkian joined the Professional Liability team at Quaker Special Risk in May of 2012. She has over 30 years experience working in Commercial Lines and for the past two years she has specialized in Professional Liability on the retail side. She holds a Property & Casualty license in 23 states. In her free time Carol enjoys reading, all outdoor activities and spending time with family. She resides in Charlton with her husband Jack and two daughters.

Michelle Abasciano

Account Executive – Professional Liability
mabasciano@quakerma.com
Ext. 136

Michelle Abasciano joined the Professional Liability team at Quaker Special Risk in February of 2013. Michelle graduated from Worcester State College in 2002 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and holds a Property and Casualty license in Massachusetts. Her main responsibility is underwriting Professional Lines business. She resides in Worcester with her husband Erik, daughter Gabby, and their two dogs, Teddy and Max. She enjoys playing softball and spending time with her family.

Jaclyn Aliperta

Underwriting Assistant
jaliperta@quakerma.com
Ext. 154

Jaclyn Aliperta, Underwriting Assistant, joined Quaker Special Risk as a temp in January 2019 and was offered a permanent position in May of 2019. Jaclyn is responsible for assisting the underwriters in the Professional Lines department with their every day tasks. Jaclyn graduated from Anna Maria College in 2017 with a degree in Music Therapy and is currently enrolled in Anna Maria’s MBA program. Jaclyn loves to make music, play sudoku, binge Netflix, and have fun with friends.

Personal Lines

Mary Roy

Director Of Personal Lines
mroy@quakerma.com
Ext. 124

Mary Roy is the Director of Personal Lines, specializing in High-Valued Homeowners insurance placements for high-net-worth clients. Mary has been with Quaker Special Risk since November of 2003, after graduating from Worcester State University with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Communication Disorders. During her years at Quaker, Mary has gained extensive knowledge of the Commercial and Personal E&S Market, handling both binding authority and brokerage new business and renewal accounts. Her main focus caters to celebrity and publicly-recognized figures, with a concentration on coastal and high-limit property insurance placements. She continues to uphold strong relationships with agents and companies at all levels. Mary is an avid Pilates enthusiast, and in her spare time, also enjoys entertaining friends in the White Mountains of NH and visiting family on the beaches of Nahant, MA. Mary also serves on the Board of Directors for YOU Inc., a private, non-profit child welfare and behavioral health organization, serving at-risk children, adolescents, and families in her backyard of Worcester County. She and her husband, Rick welcomed their first child, Abigail Lillian, in 2012 and their second daughter, Charlotte Rose Marie, in 2014.

Philip McGinnis, CIC, CRIS, ASLI

Assistant Vice President
pmcginnis@quakerma.com
Ext. 120

Jonathan Sweeney

Senior Account Executive – Personal Lines
jsweeney@quakerma.com
Ext. 151

Jonathan Sweeney, Senior Account Executive, joined Quaker Special Risk in 2019. Jonathan is a graduate of UMASS Boston. Jonathan has over 20 years of Personal Lines insurance experience. He has worked as both an Account Manager and a Personal Lines Director for two large Independent Insurance Agencies in Massachusetts. For the past two decades, Jonathan has had direct dealings with high-net worth with clients. His experience working with affluent insureds has given him a unique perspective on how to serve our agents because he has been in their shoes. Jonathan is excited to channel his expertise of high-valued business and apply it to the non-admitted world. In his role at Quaker, he works directly with Mary Roy, helping to oversee the internal department structure and assisting Quaker to balance our Personal Lines market portfolio. Jonathan has the gift of gab, so feel free to pick up the phone and give him a call – he enjoys hearing from our Agents! Jonathan is an animal lover and has worked in the past with local pet adoption firms, opening his home as a foster. When Jonathan is not spoiling his own dog Niko, you might find him perusing the local Real Estate websites – he has his finger on property market values in Worcester County. That must be because Jonathan lives here in Worcester with his partner, Scott. Jonathan and Scott share an enthusiasm for renovations; they have given a handful of older homes in the area a new life. When Jonathan is not comparing insurance policies, trying to adopt a new pet, or renovating a house, his true passion is traveling by cruise ship to exotic destinations. Life is good!

Cathy Telemaque

Senior Account Executive – Personal Lines
ctelemaque@quakerma.com
Ext. 119

Cathy Telemaque, Underwriter, joined Quaker Special Risk in 1994, and is responsible for handling Personal Lines renewals and new business. Cathy is experienced in both Commercial and Personal Lines underwriting as well as policy issuance.

Joshua Carrignant

Account Executive – Personal Lines
jcarrignant@quakerma.com
Ext. 131

Joshua Carrignant, Account Executive – Personal Lines, has been with Quaker since December of 2010. Joshua graduated from Salve Regina University with a Bachelor’s degree in History/Secondary Education and from Framingham State University with a Master’s degree in Business Administration. His main work includes underwriting new business Dwelling Fire policies and Personal Umbrella renewal policies. In his spare time Joshua enjoys exercising, reading, and spending time with loved ones.

Timothy Riordan

Account Executive – Personal Lines
triordan@quakerma.com
Ext. 152

Timothy Riordan, Account Executive – Personal Lines, joined Quaker Special Risk in February of 2012 after working at The Hanover Insurance Group for 2 years. He has over 10 years of experience in the customer service and financial services industry along with previous experience in residential construction and furniture making. Timothy lives in Webster with his wife Amy, daughter Scarlett, and dog Riley. Timothy is an avid DIY’er in the middle of a home renovation. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with friends and family, rooting for the local sports teams, and playing recreational softball. Timothy handles Personal Lines new business and renewal accounts.

Brian Siequist

Account Executive – Personal Lines
bsiequist@quakerma.com
Ext. 125

Brian Siequist graduated from Quinsigamond Community College with an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice. He joined Quaker Special Risk in August of 2012. Brian is an Account Executive in the Personal Lines Department, working on both new business and renewal accounts. Outside of work Brian resides in Rutland and spends time with his friends and family. In his spare time he enjoys music, sports, movies, traveling, and going to concerts.

Lori Budz

Account Executive – Personal Lines
lbudz@quakerma.com
Ext. 172

Lori Budz, Account Executive – Personal Lines, joined Quaker Special Risk in September of 2014 and is responsible for handling Personal Lines renewals and new business. Lori graduated from Rhode Island College with a BA in English. She has over 14 years of Personal Lines experience, previously working for a standard insurance company. Lori loves 1980’s pop culture and her hobbies include home decorating and giving old furniture a new life. In her spare time Lori enjoys spending time with friends and family.

Amanda Mitchell

Account Executive – Personal Lines
amitchell@quakerma.com
Ext. 176

Amanda Mitchell joined Quaker Special Risk in August of 2009. Her responsibilities include quoting both new and renewal Personal Lines business, processing personal lines endorsements, and processing cancellations. Amanda specializes in Personal Umbrellas and Comprehensive Personal Liability policies. She resides in Auburn with her husband and two daughters, Marley and Aria. While not at work, Amanda enjoys spending time with her family.

Melissa Mix

Assistant Account Executive – Personal Lines Renewals
mdelorey@quakerma.com
Ext. 127

Melissa Mix joined Quaker Special Risk in December of 2015. She currently works in the Personal Lines and Accounting departments. Her main responsibilities include quoting renewals, direct bill invoicing, and cancellations. Melissa is currently attending Worcester State University and is completing a degree in Business. She lives in Worcester, MA, and enjoys spending time with her dog. In her spare time, Melissa hangs out with friends and family.

Adrianna Gamble

Assistant Account Executive – Personal Lines Renewals
agamble@quakerma.com
Ext. 171

Adrianna Gamble, Assistant Account Executive – Personal Lines Renewals, joined Quaker Special Risk in January of 2014. Adrianna attended Bay State College in Boston, MA and graduated with a degree in Business Management. In her spare time she enjoys live music, photography, and traveling.

Jose Lopez

Assistant Account Executive – Personal Lines Binders
jlopez@quakerma.com
Ext. 116

Jose L. Lopez, Assistant Account Executive – Personal Lines Binders, joined Quaker Special Risk in September of 2017. Jose loves to spend time with his wife, Stephanie and their FIVE children. Despite being raised in Cleveland, OH, Jose is originally from the Bronx and enjoys visiting family back in NY. When Jose is not typing policies, you might find him playing the piano or listening to music.

Marika Simonian

Assistant Account Executive – Personal Lines Renewals
msimonian@quakerma.com
Ext. 142

Marika Simonian, Assistant Account Executive, joined Quaker Special Risk in December of 2018. She currently works in the Personal Lines department, with her main responsibilities being quoting renewals and managing renewed accounts. Marika resides in Worcester, and spends most of her time with her adorable puppy, friends and family. She enjoys traveling, and is always looking for a new restaurant to try!

Environmental Policy

James Andreoli, CPCU, A SLI

Senior Vice President
jandreoli@quakerma.com
Ext. 103

Jim resides in Paxton with his wife Leslie and three children. In his spare time Jim enjoys golf, skiing, and is active in coaching youth sports and high school football.

James Hawkins

Senior Vice President
jhawkins@quakerma.com
Ext. 118

Tony O’Donnell, CPCU, ASLI

Vice President
todonnell@quakerma.com
Ext. 104

Liam Staunton, CIC, ASLI

Assistant Vice President
lstaunton@quakerma.com
Ext. 109

Liam lives in Milton, MA with his wife Tiffany and three children, Sophia, Julia and LJ. In his free time Liam enjoys spending time with family, traveling and volunteering in the Boston community.

Philip McGinnis, CIC, CRIS, ASLI

Assistant Vice President
pmcginnis@quakerma.com
Ext. 120

Claims

Cathy Deveno

Claims Manager
cdeveno@quakerma.com
Ext. 102

Cathy Deveno joined Quaker Special Risk in October of 2001. Cathy is Quaker’s Claims Manager, handling every loss that comes through our doors. She has built her career building relationships with claims adjusters, third party administrators, and all levels of claims executives within our agencies and on the Company side. Cathy obtained her Bachelor’s degree from Worcester State College and has completed several courses through the Insurance Institute of America. Cathy resides in Webster with her husband Chad, and their 3 dogs. In her spare time, Cathy enjoys sports, traveling and reading.

Note: All claims can be emailed to claims@quakerma.com

Thomas Prokop

Account Executive/Claims
tprokop@quakerma.com
Ext. 128

Accounting

Jodie Bjorklund

Accounting & Human Resource Manager
jbjorklund@quakerma.com
Ext. 108

Jodie Bjorklund, Accounting & Human Resource Manager, joined Quaker Special Risk in April of 2012. Jodie has worked in the Insurance Industry since graduating from Umass Amherst in 2007. She lives in Worcester with her husband. In her spare time, Jodie enjoys going out with friends, spending time with family, and traveling.

Note: All claims can be emailed to claims@quakerma.com

Victoria Lane

Account Receivables
vlane@quakerma.com
Ext. 126

Victoria Lane joined Quaker Special Risk in August of 2007. Her main responsibilities include handling account receivables and invoicing accounts. She enjoys her job, writing, quilting, reading, cooking, poker, being with family and friends, and is a Patriots, Red Sox, and Bruins fan.

Emily Billings

Accounts Payable/Audits
ebillings@quakerma.com
Ext. 130

Emily Billings joined Quaker in May of 2012. She is responsible for the account payables and billing. Emily graduated from Bridgewater State University in 2012 with a Bachelors of Science in Accounting and Finance. She lives in Grafton where she enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Emily loves going to the beach, reading, and watching movies.

Melissa Mix

Assistant Account Executive – Personal Lines Renewals
mdelorey@quakerma.com
Ext. 127

Administration

Adam Macek

Business Analyst
amacek@quakerma.com
Ext. 112

Adam Macek, Business Analyst, joined Quaker Special Risk in 2005. Adam graduated from Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester with an Associates Degree in Computer Information Systems. He is responsible for maintaining the agency’s management systems, web site maintenance, reporting, quality control, and overseeing various business processes. In his free time, Adam enjoys sports, running, and spending time with family and friends.

Christian Bermudez

Assistant Business Analyst
cbermudez@quakerma.com
Ext. 101

Christian Bermudez, Assistant Business Analyst, joined Quaker Special Risk in January of 2018. He is currently enrolled at Quinsigamond Community College in the Cyber Security Certificate Program but plans on continuing to take classes with the goal of receiving his Associates Degree. Christian is a huge fan of Boston sports, especially the Patriots. He loves to go fishing, traveling, playing sports and spend time with family and friends.

Sam Mullen

Policy Issuance Specialist
smullen@quakerma.com
Ext. 121

Samantha Mullen, Policy Issuance Specialist, joined Quaker Special Risk in January of 2015. Her main responsibility is to issue Commercial Lines policies. Samantha lives in West Boylston with her 8 year old daughter where she enjoys spending time with friends and family, sports, movies and being outdoors.

Ashley Lamb

Policy Issuance Specialist
apeterson@quakerma.com
Ext. 132

Ashley Lamb, Policy Issuance Specialist, joined Quaker Special Risk in February of 2018. Ashley graduated from Lesley University in 2012 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Child & Family Studies and went on to work in the Early Intervention field for about 5 years. Her main responsibility is to issue Commercial Lines policies. In her spare time Ashley enjoys going fishing and exploring the outdoors with her husband.

Tara Wykes

Policy Issuance Specialist
twykes@quakerma.com
Ext. 111

Tara Wykes, Policy Issuance Specialist, joined Quaker Special Risk in January of 2019. Tara graduated from Clark University in 2018 with a Bachelor’s Degree in History and Technical Theatre and worked with a few theater companies before joining Quaker. In her spare time, Tara is usually working with local community theater groups and spending time with her family

Polly Osborn

Receptionist
posborn@quakerma.com
Ext. 100

Polly Osborn, Receptionist, joined Quaker Special Risk in 2018.