Board of Directors:
Consumers' Board is a unique asset for a company its size. The Board has a tremendous
mixture of backgrounds, with strong representation of high level insurance professionals
and respected business leaders. The Board meets quarterly, but is involved
throughout the year.
Front Row Left to Right: Jack Harrington, Ed Nelson, Bill Legge, Amanda Farnsworth, Lou Patten
Back Row Left to Right: Lillard Brown, Ed Gibbons, Jimmy Clift, Jim Cunningham, Joe Lester, Dave Sciortino
Lillard Brown
of Nashville, Tennessee, has been a director since 1997. Mr. Brown is retired from
the Allen Agency, an insurance agency, where he was President and Chief Executive
Officer since 1988. Mr. Brown has been Treasurer and a director of Insurers of
Tennessee, an independent insurance agents’ trade group. He is a graduate of Middle
Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science degree. Mr. Brown is married
and the father of two daughters and grandfather to three grandchildren.
James F. Cunningham
of Winchester, Tennessee, is retired from V.R. Williams & Company Insurance Agency where
he was a partner and manager since 1962. He is a graduate of Vanderbilt University, with
a Bachelor of Arts degree, in 1956 and from the U.S. Army Intelligence School in 1956.
Mr. Cunningham has been active in various Professional groups, including service as a
director, regional vice-president and president of the Insurors of Tennessee, various
charitable and civic organizations and is a former director of the Tennessee Economic
Development Corporation. He and his wife have three children and three grandchildren.
Amanda C. Farnsworth
of Nashville, Tennessee, is Chairman of the Board of Consumers
Insurance Group and Senior Vice President of the investment firm of J.J.B. Hilliard,
W.L. Lyons Inc. Ms. Farnsworth graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude from
Vanderbilt University with a BS degree in Mathematics. She also earned a Masters
degree in Computer Science with related work in Business from Vanderbilt. She has
previously served on various corporate and charitable boards. Currently she serves
on the boards of Optimum Solutions Software and Franklin American Mortgage Inc. both
Inc. 500 companies. Additionally, she is active in and past Chairman of the Boys &
Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee.
R. Edward Gibbons
of Johnson City, Tennessee, is president of Watauga Insurance, Inc. in Johnson City,
Tennessee, and has been so employed for more than 31 years. He is a 1971 graduate of
East Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science degree. Mr. Gibbons is a
Navy veteran and is active in local community affairs. He is a member of Central
Baptist Church in Johnson City and past Chairman of Board of Directors. He is a past
president of the Johnson City Lions Club, past president of the Board of Directors of
the Johnson City/Washington County Boys and Girls Club and treasurer of Friends of Olde
Downtowne. He is currently a director of the Insurors of Tennessee and past president
of the Insuraors of Northeast Tennessee. He and his wife Theresa have two children and
six grandchildren.
John K. Harrington
of Nashville, Tennessee, is a Vice President at the investment banking firm of Brentwood
Capital Advisors LLC in Brentwood, Tennessee, which he joined in January 2003. Previously,
Mr. Harrington was employed by Nelson Capital Corp. for seven years. Mr. Harrington joined
Nelson Capital Corp. in 1995 upon receiving his M.B.A. from Vanderbilt University’s Owen
Graduate School of Management. Prior to that, Mr. Harrington was employed with Andersen
Consulting as an information technology consultant. Mr. Harrington also serves on the
board of directors of InfoPartners, Inc. Mr. Harrington earned his B.A., magna cum laude,
in mathematics from Vanderbilt University and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
L.W. Legge, Jr.
of Cookeville, Tennessee, is retired as Chairman of the Board and president of L.W.
Legge Agency, Inc. in Cookeville, Tennessee, an independent insurance agency owned
by Mr. Legge and other members of his family. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree
in Business Administration in Insurance and Finance with the University of Tennessee,
having graduated in 1972. He is a former director of the Citizen’s Bank of Cookeville,
Tennessee; is a past president of the Tennessee Jaycees and a past member of the board
of directors of the United States Jaycees. He is a former member of the board of
directors of Insurers of Tennessee. He is active in a number of civic and charitable
organizations.
Joe L. Lester
of Tullahoma, Tennessee, is president of Lester, Greene & McCord Insurance Agency, a
past president of the Elk & Duck River Insurers, an independent Insurance agency
association, and also manager of Harton Realty Company. Mr. Lester is active in various
civic and charitable organizations. Mr. Lester is a 1972 graduate of University of
Tennessee with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.
Edward G. Nelson
is Chairman and President of Nelson Capital Corp. of Nashville, a diversified merchant
banking company which he formed in 1985. Most of Mr. Nelson’s career has been spent
in the financial services industry, including 20 years in the commercial banking
business at Commerce Union Bank (now Bank of America, Tennessee) where he served as
Chairman and CEO. Mr. Nelson is a member of the Board of Trust of Vanderbilt University
and has chaired the Vanderbilt Medical Center Board for 20 years. He has served on the
board of numerous public and private companies and currently serves as a director of the
following corporations: Bucyrus International, Inc., Turnberry Homes, Evolved Digital
Solutions and Ohio Star Forge (subsidiary of Daido Steel, Japan). He is Honorary Consul
General of Japan.
C. Louis Patten, Jr.
, CPCU of Cleveland, Tennessee is an independent insurance agent and an Associate Partner
with Cornerstone Insurance Group. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business
Administration from the University of Tennessee. He served to terms in the Tennessee State
Senate where he served as Republican Caucus Chairman. Mr. Patten is active in numerous
civic, educational, governmental and charitable activities. He is a past Chairman of the
Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce and Past President of The Insurors of Tennessee.
He is currently a member of the Cleveland Municipal Airport Authority and a board member of
InsBank, which is headquartered in Nashville.
David A. Sciortino
, of Nashville, Tennessee, is a retired vice president and area manager of BB&T -
Cooper, Love & Jackson, Inc. an insurance agency in Nashville. He is currently
President and CEO of Lakeshore Estates, Inc., a non-profit nursing and retirement
company. He graduated from Lipscomb University with a Bachelor of Science degree in
Business Administration in 1972. He began his insurance career with Aetna Life &
Casualty in 1972 and purchased as insurance agency in Springfield, Tennessee in 1975.
Currently he serves as Board Member and Treasurer for Consumer’s Insurance Group,
Chairman of the Board for Lakeshore Estates, on the Lipscomb University National
Development Board and Vice President of the Fanning Foundation.