MEET THE TEAM

Karin Branscombe started Quaker Special Risk in 1981 and spent decades leading the Worcester, MA office to become the successful agency it is today. Karin achieved countless accolades, but her proudest achievement has been mentoring other employees, making it a priority to value each of them the way she wanted to be valued early in her career. Karin serves on various E&S carriers’ agency advisory councils. She also serves where her passions lead her, such as being a trustee at the Worcester Art Museum and a board member at the Worcester Country Club. In 2019 Karen was named the club’s first female president. She splits her time living in both Worcester, MA and Naples, FL. Her favorite pastime is being with her grandchildren and taking the occasional trip back to Germany to see family.

Thomas Prokop is the principal of Quaker Special Risk and is responsible for its overall management and operation. He also specializes in Professional Liability 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 was a partner at Morrison Mahoney LLP, focusing on insurance defense law. Ten years of practicing law makes him a valuable asset as an in-house legal consultant. One of Tom’s roles is overseeing the handling of claims for which Quaker has delegated authority. Tom is a member of the state and federal bars 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, and their 2 children. In his spare time, Tom enjoys playing golf, skiing, and spending time in Florida with his family.

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 since 1988, after graduating from the College of the Holy Cross and Saint John’s High School in Shrewsbury, MA. During his years at Quaker, Jim gained extensive knowledge of the Excess and Surplus market and has handled the placements of all sizes of accounts including Fortune 100 accounts. His areas of expertise include working with contractors, real estate accounts, and environmental and property risks. Jim serves on the agency councils of several E&S carriers, including one of the industry’s largest, and has excellent rapport with all carriers. He’s 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) and Associate in Surplus Lines Insurance (ASLI) designations. In addition, Jim sits on the boards of several local nonprofit organizations. In his spare time, Jim enjoys golfing, skiing, coaching high school football, and relaxing on the beach in Harwich Port, MA. Jim lives in Worcester with his wife, Leslie, and their three children.

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.

Phil McGinnis, Vice President, is a Property and Casualty insurance specialist, serving retail agencies across New England. Phil graduated from Babson College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. He joined Quaker Special Risk in June of 2008, after spending three years as a sales representative for Assurant Health. Phil keeps his Massachusetts Property and Casualty license active and earned the Associate in Surplus Lines Insurance (ASLI), Construction Risk Insurance Specialist (CRIS), and Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designations. He is a member of the Cape Cod Independent Agents Association and New England Surplus Lines Association. He lives in Northborough with his wife, Jill, daughter Violet, and two sons, Griffin & Callan. In his spare time, Phil enjoys hanging out with his family, coaching youth sports, golfing, and reading.

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.

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.

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.

Austin Chamberlain joined Quaker Special Risk in 2011, after graduating from Nichols College with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration. Since then, he’s grown his knowledge on various surplus lines products and carriers. He works directly with Phil McGinnis, underwriting new and renewal Property and Casualty business. In his spare time, Austin enjoys playing hockey and gathering with family & friends.

Katie Penny 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.

James Menard joined Quaker in 2022. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from Framingham State University. Jim is quite the outdoorsy guy. When he isn’t taking in all things nature has to offer, he enjoys art, movies, reading, playing guitar, and spending time with his wife and daughter.

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.

Marybeth Sbrogna joined Quaker in 2022, after spending 10 years in the healthcare field. She is responsible for quoting new Flood and Personal Article Floater business as well as Admitted & Non-Admitted renewals. Marybeth enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and pets. She also has a passion for volunteering – particularly empowering vulnerable individuals and families to help break the cycle of poverty. One of the best experiences of her life has been recently mentoring refugee youth through her work with Ascentria Care Alliance (formerly Lutheran Social Services of New England). Marybeth also proudly serves on the board of directors for the Wachusett Area Social Justice Alliance (WASJA), which is a locally-run non-profit organization committed to the furtherance of issues of social justice.

After working 18 years in the insurance industry, Kellie Dougherty, chose her forever-career as Claims Manager with Quaker Special Risk in 2022. Kellie has worked many facets of the insurance industry – at the agency, carrier, and wholesale levels. Most recently, Kellie was an underwriter for a National Pest Control Insurance program. Her favorite career experience so far was from 2010-2015, working in the claims department of a wholesale brokerage shop in RI, assisting retail agents to find solutions to their problems. She is motivated by the human connection! She especially has a passion for supporting our Nations’ veterans through charitable work. She is a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, holding an office in her local unit, and at the state level, and is a member of her local Elks Lodge.

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.