First American Insurance Underwriters

First American Insurance Underwriters is an insurance wholesaler and intermediary specializing in term insurance, second to die, impaired risk, sophisticated estate and business planning cases, life insurance on foreign nationals, critical care, long-term care, annuities, and worksite marketing.

Our principals are licensed or contracted with more than 50 companies in all 50 states.

Allan D. Gersten, CLU, ChFC, , Chairman and CEO, received BS in Business Administration with a major in Finance from Duquesne University, where he also served for a year as Assistant Director of Admissions.

In 1969, he joined Gold Associates, a business and personal financial planning firm, where he remained for 11 years. He became a Chartered Life Underwriter in 1973, providing specialized services to his clients, their accountants, attorneys and trust officers.

He is a Chartered Financial Consultant, a member of the International Association of Financial Planning, and a Branch Manager, Registered Representative and OSJ of Jefferson Pilot Securities Corporation.

Allan has expertise in estate planning, business insurance, tax strategies and retirement planning. He specializes in getting difficult cases approved for brokers.

In addition to his insurance designations, he has a Principal designation and holds series 6, 7, 24, and 63 security licenses.

Kenneth A. Shapiro, President, is a graduate of Northeastern University where he received a BS degree in Business Administration/Entrepreneurship. He began his training in the life insurance industry in 1993 representing Northwestern Mutual Life and then The Guardian Life Insurance Company.

An active member of the Boston chapter of NAIFA, he is licensed in life, accident & health and currently holds an NASD license in Series 6 and 63. Ken supports various charitable organizations, and serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, MA.

Stephen J. Azcona, Brokerage Manager, in our South Florida office. He entered the life insurance business in 1983 as a Registered Representative with IDS/ American Express in New Orleans. In 1985 he joined Pan-American Life as a Regional Sales Director in their Home Office. He was quickly promoted to Regional Vice-President and transferred to Florida where he was responsible for agent recruitment and production. He stayed with Pan American for 10 years developing the state into one of the leading territories in the country for Pan American. In 1995 he left the company and began his own brokerage operation. Steve is a graduate of LSU, holds a 2-15 insurance license as well as NASD license. He has extensive experience in all aspects of Estate, Retirement and Business continuation planning.

Denise Desautels, Vice President of Brokerage Sales, brings more than 20 years of brokerage experience to her new role with First American. She spent much of her career with Baystate Financial Services, where she was most recently Co-Managing Partner. She is a former member of the Boston Life Underwriters Board of Directors and has served as the co-chair of its Annual Sales Congress and Public Service Committee. She is a past winner of the organization’s National Public Service Award. She presently serves on the Executive Board of Directors of the New England Women’s Sports Fund. Denise has a Principal designation and holds series 6,7,24,63 security licenses.

Denise was a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic field hockey team and was a member of the U.S. National Field Hockey Team from 1975 through 1981, where she traveled extensively throughout the world. She continued to play an active role in the sport following her field hockey career, serving as a board member of the U.S. Olympic Committee in 1982-1983 and as Vice President/Teams and member of the Board of Directors for the U.S. Field Hockey Association.

She is a graduate of Springfield College, where she was enshrined into the Springfield College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995. She was a Trustee of the college from 1992-2000. She has a Masters’ Degree in Education from the University of Connecticut. Denise has taken that competitive spirit from the sports arena to help you with your most difficult cases.

David Colburn, LUTCF, Brokerage Manager, has worked in the insurance business since 1977 with Prudential Life as a Producer, Trainer and Sales Manager.

Dave has a thorough understanding of all our products and is especially adept at Estate and Long Term Care planning. He is an expert salesman and was responsible for training new salespeople at Prudential. His personal sales experience supports the methods he uses to help his Brokers "make the sale." Because of this sales experience, he is available to make client visits with brokers.

Gregory E. Schwabe, National Marketing Director, joined First American in October 2005, after being with The Marketing Alliance, Schenectady, NY, since 1999 where he was responsible for recruiting new brokerage agencies and promoting the company's insurance carriers and their products with its members.

Greg entered the life insurance business in 1984 as a field agent for MetLife. After one year, he moved to Underwriters Service Agency, Farmington, CT, where he remained until going with The Marketing Alliance.

Frank F. Marmorek, CLU, Brokerage Manager, has more than 35 years experience in life insurance brokerage. Before joining First American, he was with Underwriters Service Agency and BISYS, its successor, for many years. Before that, he managed the Boston office of SFO, another brokerage agency.

Frank's background makes him a valuable resource for advisors because of his product knowledge, underwriting background and carrier relationships.

A resident of Newton and a Babson College graduate, he is a Chartered Life Underwriter and past board member of the Society of Financial Services Professionals.

Justin M. Jurs, Brokerage Manager, has a strong background in life insurance brokerage. As a Sales Manager with BISYS Insurance Services, Boston, MA, and Career Brokerage, Garden City, NY, he was involved in long-term care, annuity and life insurance product sales and was also responsible for integrating industry software programs with the company's business activity.

Originally from Guilderland, NY, Justin is a graduate of Oswego State University, Oswego, NY.

Carol Ruggiero, Vice President of Annuity Sales, has over 20 years experience in financial services, and extensive background in retirement products. She will provide key support to annuity producers, who will benefit from her expertise in the area.

Ruggiero comes to First American following a successful career at Penn Mutual Life in Horsham, PA, where she served as Annuity Sales Director and earned the company's Director of the Year Award in 2002 and 2004. A graduate of Cambridge College in Cambridge, MA, where she earned her Masters in Management, Carol and her husband, Danny, reside in Winchester, MA.

Karen N. Kappler, Brokerage Manager, is responsible for working with agents and carriers to process new cases quickly and efficiently.

Before joining First American, Kappler was employed by Commonwealth Financial Network in Waltham, MA, where she served as Executive Vice President and was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company's insurance department, including marketing & sales, operations and business management.

Originally from Kingston, NY, Kappler currently lives in Newton, MA.