Subscribers Advisory Committee (SAC)

 "A reciprocal has a governing board known as the SAC, which has general responsibilities for the finances and insurance activities of the reciprocal, much like the board of directors of a corporation. Our Flagship Carrier, Star & Shield Insurance Exchange is governed by our Subscribers Advisory Committee."

 

Sheriff Don Eslinger

Sheriff of Seminole County

Born Detroit, MI, July 13, 1957 Education Public schools in Warren, MI; attended Macomb County (MI) Community College and Seminole Community College, Criminal Justice studies; FBI National Academy, 168th Session; BA degree, applied behavioral science, National Louis University Wife Elise Children Four Church Catholic Career Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, 30 years, advanced to Major; appointed Sheriff of Seminole County, 1990, elected, 1992, re-elected, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 Honors and Affiliations Leadership Award, Republican Executive Committee; Service to Mankind Award, Sertoma; R. David Thomas Child Advocate of the Year Award, Children’s Home Society; Florida Partners in Crisis Leadership Award; Spirit of Youth Award, Girls & Boys Town of Central Florida; Optimist Club Friend of Youth Award; Seminole Community Mental Health Center Excellence Award; Florida Crime Prevention Association’s President’s Award; Elected Official of the Year 2005, Seminole County Regional Chamber of Commerce; Good Government Award from Private Business Association of Seminole County, 2006; Seminole County Leadership Award, Office of the State Attorney 18th Judicial Circuit, 2008; Leadership Legends Award, Leadership Seminole, 2008; chairman, Attorney General’s Region 5 Gang Reduction Task Force; Council member, Interstate Adult Offender Supervision State Council; Governance Board, Central Florida Intelligence Exchange; Board of Directors, Law Enforcement Technology Training and Research, Inc.; vice chairman, Board of Managers, Florida Sheriff’s Self Insurance Fund; chairman, Florida Sheriffs’ Self Insurance Fund Audit Committee; Task Force chairman, Florida Sheriffs Association; Board member, Treatment Advocacy Center, Arlington, VA; Board of Directors, Florida D.A.R.E., Envision Seminole and Keep Seminole Beautiful; Advisory Board, FDLE’s Missing Children Information Clearinghouse; Executive Committee, Central Florida Criminal Justice Association; Executive Board, Central Florida Boy Scout Council; Executive Board, Kids House of Seminole; Law Enforcement Advisory Committee, Seminole Community College; member, Florida Adult Protective Services Advisory Panel and Florida Attorney General Law Enforcement Advisory Commission; member, Florida Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council and Founders’ Council for Safe House of Seminole; former president, Florida Sheriffs Association; past Board of Directors, National Sheriffs’ Association; past Executive Board chairman and vice chairman, Central Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA); former state director, Florida Partners In Crisis; and past Commissioner, Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).


W.L."Mac" McLendon

United States Marshal, Ret.

W. L. “Mac” McLendon is a native Floridian born and raised in West Palm Beach. Mac earned his Associate Degree in Police Science and Criminology in Miami while working as a dispatcher for the Florida Highway Patrol. He became a Trooper and served in South Florida before being transferred to Saint Cloud, Florida.

He left the F. H. P. to become the Chief of Police and Public Safety Director of Saint Cloud. Mac then joined the newly elected Congressman L. A. “Skip” Bafalis as his District Aide for nine years. Mac was appointed as United States Marshal of the Northern District of Florida, by President Ronald Reagan and then by President George H. W. Bush, until his retirement in 1994.

Following his retirement from Federal Service, Mac served a short stint as legislative Director and Chief Lobbyist for the Florida P.B.A. Then Mac returned to law enforcement under Sheriff Eddie Boone and Sheriff Larry Campbell until he retired from the State of Florida.

Mac has been active in numerous Civic and Fraternal groups. He was President of the Saint Cloud Rotary Club, and has been a member of the Tallahassee rotary since l987. Mac has also held a membership with the Florida Sheriff's Association for over 28 years. He has served as Andrew Jackson XXIV and then as President of Springtime Tallahassee. A longtime Shriner, he has served as the President/CEO of the Marzuq Shriners in Tallahassee.



Chief Ronald R. Parrish

Fire Chief of St. Lucie County Fire Rescue District

Chief Ron Parrish has served as Fire Chief of the St. Lucie County Fire District since July 2007, having served as Assistant Fire Chief since 2004. He has been with the Fire District since 1985, serving in every aspect of the fire service.

Chief Parrish graduated with a Masters degree in Public Administration from Nova Southeastern University in August 2009, and obtained his Bachelors in Organizational Management from Warner Southern University in May 1997. Chief Parrish is also a graduate of the Executive Fire Officer Program (EFOP) at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsberg, Maryland. The four-year program focuses on leadership, research and change as well as individual self-assessment and development plans.

Chief Parrish is the Southeast Regional Director of the Florida Fire Chiefs Association, Secretary/Executive Board Member of the St Lucie County Firefighters Pension Trust, Vice President of the Big Heart Brigade and immediate past President of the Treasure Coast Fire Chiefs Association.

 

 

Allen Durham

President and Chief Executive Officer (Co-Founder)

Mr. Durham has 15 years of insurance industry experience. The majority of his career prior to Star & Shield was as a reinsurance broker, working with numerous insurance companies across the United States. This experience included placing the reinsurance for two large law enforcement self insurance funds in Florida for many years. During his involvement with these funds, Mr. Durham developed the idea of forming a member-owned auto and home insurance company dedicated to the law enforcement, corrections and fire rescue communities and their families. He approached Mr. John Hunt, at the time Chairman of Hunt Insurance Group (HIG), with the idea. HIG is an industry leader in the administration of self insurance funds for public safety entities. Mr. Durham’s proposal was in response to requests Mr. Hunt had received over the years to provide a specialized home and auto program for public safety personnel. Rather than just provide a specialized program, Mr. Durham proposed building an insurance company that would be dedicated to this well deserving group and owned by its members (policyholders). Mr. Durham joined HIG briefly as an Executive Vice President in 2007 to finalize the business plan that has become Star & Shield. In July of 2008 Mr. Durham left HIG to assume his role as President/CEO and build the operational infrastructure, raise the initial capital, hire the management team and proceed with the legal and regulatory approvals for Star & Shield.

Prior to joining Hunt Insurance Group in September 2007, Mr. Durham was a Senior Vice President of Benfield, Inc. (now Aon Benfield), the largest insurance and reinsurance broker in the world. Mr. Durham was a branch manager of Benfield’s Dallas, Texas office and held leadership positions on several of Benfield’s largest accounts. He was also a member of Benfield’s Senior Broker Forum, a Benfield Top Gun class graduate and an instructor in Benfield’s renowned education program. A great deal of Mr. Durham’s experience and expertise relates to personal lines homeowners business in Florida in addition to other lines of business including: professional liability, workers compensation, personal auto, commercial property and commercial general liability. In addition to his experience with Benfield, Mr. Durham has also held positions with Willis Re, E.W. Blanch Co., Transamerica and worked as an independent consultant. Mr. Durham holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Memphis School of Law and a Bachelor of Science in Risk Management and Insurance from the Florida State University College of Business. In addition, he also holds the Associate in Reinsurance (ARe) and Associate in Risk Management (ARM) designations from the Insurance Institute of America. Mr. Durham holds a Florida General Lines Property & Casualty 220 license.

He currently serves on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee for the Florida State University National Alumni Association, the Advisory Council for the Florida Catastrophic Storm Risk Management Center and is a past member of the Board of Governors for the Florida State University College of Business. He has been honored with the prestigious Circle of Gold Award by Florida State University and has been a guest lecturer numerous times for Florida State University’s Risk Management and Insurance major. Mr. Durham is also a past member of the Board of Directors for the Southwestern Insurance Information Service.