Board of Directors
Chapter President
Patricia A Havens
Travelers
CPCU, AIAF
Patty is a Senior Director with Travelers Insurance and has over 27+ years of experience in financial data management and reinsurance. Since 2013, Patty has been part of and is now managing the reserving system used by Travelers’ Actuarial community for setting and booking reserves across the company. Prior roles include Premium & Loss Reinsurance processing at Aetna and The Hartford. Patty received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a Concentration in Management from Augustana College. She earned her CPCU in 2020 and then followed it with the AIAF designation in 2021. She has held several positions within the Chapter: Secretary, Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, stepped in to be Director of New Designees and Conferment Chair while being Chapter Secretary, Vice President and is now President.
Chapter Treasurer
Sminkal Kacha
W. R. Berkley
MBA, CPCU, ARM, AIDA
Sminkal has more than 20 years in P&C Insurance with experience driving strategic outcomes and transformation across IT systems, processes, operations, enterprise risk and finance. He has consulted for The Hartford, Farmers Insurance, Nationwide, Mercury, Zurich Insurance etc. in areas of systems integration, business process transformation, operating model design, ITO, and operations outsourcing across the P&C value chain. He is currently part of W. R. Berkley Corporate. Prior to joining WRBC, he was NA Leader for Cognizant's Insurance process consulting practice and Chief Risk Officer for Cognizant's Insurance business unit. Sminkal graduated as an electrical engineer, holds an M.B.A. in Systems and Marketing from Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow and received his CPCU designation in 2023.
Chapter Secretary
Tracy Mazerolle
Travelers Companies Inc.
CPCU, AIC, AIDA
Tracy is a Managing Director in Claim Auto Product Development at Travelers Insurance, driving how the company leverages telematics technology for optimal claim outcomes. Her prior experience at Travelers includes roles in Claim Business Delivery, Claim Operations, and the Auto Claim field organization. Tracy holds a B.A. in Government from Hamilton College and earned her CPCU designation in 2024.
Immediate Past President and Golf Committee Chair
Kathleen Malet
Chubb Group
MBA, CPCU
Kathleen Malet is the Vice President of Commercial Insurance Revenue Analytics & Panels Manager at Chubb, where she is spearheading cross-sell growth initiatives, analytics, and automation, as well as management of agency Panel agreements for Commercial Insurance. Kathleen previously held roles on Chubb’s Small Business Product & Underwriting teams, most recently as BOP & Umbrella Product Leader and SME. Before Chubb, Kathleen worked as an independent agency Account Executive at Tripoint and as an E&S Underwriter at IFG Companies. She graduated from UConn with a degree in English and is completing her MBA at Boston University as of May, 2024. Kathleen has held her CPCU designation and volunteered on the CT Chapter Board since 2014.
Golf Chair
Patricia A Havens
Travelers
CPCU, AIAF
Patty is a Senior Director with Travelers Insurance and has over 27+ years of experience in financial data management and reinsurance. Since 2013, Patty has been part of and is now managing the reserving system used by Travelers’ Actuarial community for setting and booking reserves across the company. Prior roles include Premium & Loss Reinsurance processing at Aetna and The Hartford. Patty received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a Concentration in Management from Augustana College. She earned her CPCU in 2020 and then followed it with the AIAF designation in 2021. She has held several positions within the Chapter: Secretary, Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, stepped in to be Director of New Designees and Conferment Chair while being Chapter Secretary, Vice President and is now President.
Conferment Chair
Elita Lilly
Sedgwick Bill Review IQ
CPCU
Elita is a Senior Audit Attorney with the Bill Review IQ division of Sedgwick Claims Management Services. Elita has over 25+ years of insurance industry experience as in-house counsel adjusting directors & officers, errors & omissions, employment practices liability and securities claims, as well as auditing attorney invoices for insurers. She has been a Board Member of the CT State Insurance and Risk Management Board (2008/2009). She earned her CPCU in 2012 and presented at the first Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM) first Claims College on the issue of settlement agreements at mediation in 2015. Elita is also a member of the CPCU’s Claims Interest Group and enjoys participating in the CPCU’s Professional Growth book club. She is a new dog owner of a 3-year-old mini goldendoodle. Elita lives in Cheshire, CT with her husband and two daughters.
Director of Membership
Karen Kirklin
Liberty Mutual Insurance Companies
CPCU
Karen is a Director of Business Analysis for Liberty Mutual, as part of the North America Data Office she oversees reporting and dashboards for its North America Specialty Insurance and Liberty Canada. She has previously worked in either data management or actuarial support roles at The Hartford, OneBeacon and Ironshore. Karen has a BA in Political Science from Siena College and earned her CPCU designation in 2004.
Director of Education
Lawrence R Farber
The Hartford Insurance Group
Larry is the Regional Vice President of the Personal Lines Eastern Auto Claims Department for The Hartford. Prior roles since 2000 are all within the Claims organization leading teams that oversaw pollution, asbestos and construction defect claims. Before starting at The Hartford, Larry worked at AIG and Travelers in various claim handling capacities. Larry earned his CPCU in 2002 and holds an Associates in Reinsurance and a Master of Laws degree in Insurance Law from the University of Connecticut School of Law.
Director of New Designees
Andrew Sweeney
Chubb Limited US
CPCU, ARM, AINS, CFPS, AIS, CRIS, ERIS
Andy serves as a member of our board and the Director of New Designee for the Connecticut Chapter of the CPCU Society. He brings a wealth of leadership and technical expertise to the insurance industry. After retiring from a distinguished 22-year career as an Officer in the United States Coast Guard, where he specialized in Maritime Safety for the commercial shipping industry, Andy transitioned to the insurance sector. He continues to demonstrate his commitment to service and excellence in this new field.
Currently, Andy is the AVP, Risk Control Services Branch Manager at Chubb in New Haven, CT. In this role, he leverages his extensive safety background and leadership skills to help clients manage and mitigate risk. He holds numerous professional insurance designations, including the CPCU designation earned in 2021. Andy believes that continuous learning is essential for both personal and professional growth.
Outside of work, Andy is dedicated to giving back to his community. He volunteers as a boating safety educator for the State of Connecticut, sharing his maritime expertise to promote safe practices on the water. Andy also enjoys spending quality time with his family, fishing, and fixing things—not only around his own home, but also for friends and family.
