Paula was named Executive Vice President, Specialty and Middle Market and appointed to State Fund’s Executive Committee in January 2021. She first joined State Fund as Senior Vice President, Specialty and Middle Market in March 2019. In her current role she is responsible for Specialty Operations (Large Accounts, Trucking, Other States Coverage, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Temporary Staffing/Professional Employer Organizations, and U.S. Longshore & Harbor) and Middle Market operations.
Prior to joining State Fund, she served as an Associate Vice President for Commercial Lines Middle Market Underwriting at Nationwide where she led the western region. Her responsibilities in that role included profit/loss management, business development, and talent management.
She began her career with Nationwide as an underwriter in 2000. There she served in a variety of positions in both Personal and Commercial Lines, including Underwriting Manager, Product Manager, Underwriting Director, and AVP of Underwriting and Product. She has extensive experience in multiline underwriting and business development and a track record of building and leading teams to successfully deliver for their customers while achieving organizational goals.
Paula earned her Bachelor’s degree from Simpson College in Management with a minor in Accounting. She maintains the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Construction Risk Insurance Specialist (CRIS), and Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designations. She also recently earned the WCIRB CompEssentials certification.