Associated Insurance and Risk Management Advisors

06/15/2026

Benefit costs are up 12-20%. 📈 The solution is in your claims data.

Specialty drugs, procedure variation and healthcare inflation are driving costs. Changing deductibles won't fix that—but your data can.

Understanding your data on benefits usage, recent claims, employee demographics and more helped one employer save $300K on their drug plan, and another save $1,000 per colonoscopy.

Employers that manage how dollars are spent—not just tweaking plan designs—are winning as benefits costs soar.

Connect with Trisha Payton ([email protected]) to help turn your benefits data into cost-saving action.

Article:

Too often, employers focus on benefits plan design changes to manage rising costs. Analytics are more useful in identifying healthcare cost trends.

06/05/2026

Our annual Ice Cream Social to welcome this year's interns was the perfect way to kick off summer!

Great conversations, sweet treats, and Bingo—couldn't ask for a better afternoon.

Welcome to the team: Eddy Avila, Paige Bolt, Juliette Druckman, Nicholas Garcia, Marc Gryzlo, Jacob Hirsh, Tyler Jallish, London Lim, Nate Stepankovskiy and…
Not on video, also please welcome: Ben Belardo, Joshua Fink, and Nathan Sabatini.

Stay tuned every Friday as we spotlight each of our interns and get to know them better over the next few weeks.

06/01/2026

Please join us in welcoming our newest team members to Associated!

Mary Ciarrachi returns to Associated after interning with us last summer! She joins the Select team as an Associate. Mary recently graduated from Illinois State University, where she double-majored in Risk Management & Insurance and Finance. Outside of work, she enjoys working out, hanging out with friends, and taking her dog, Milo, for walks.

Haley Cohen joins Associated as a Benefits Specialist in our Rolling Meadows office. She is new to the insurance industry and is excited to grow her knowledge and skills. Outside of work, Haley loves watching sports, traveling with friends, and trying new restaurants.

Kenya Conley joins our Commercial Lines team as an Account Manager in Rolling Meadows. With over 10 years of experience in the commercial industry, she brings expertise across multiple lines of coverage. When she's not working, Kenya enjoys traveling, working out, cooking, gardening, and spending quality time with family.

Shelley Samman joins Associated as a Bond Account Manager in Rolling Meadows. She brings over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry. In her free time, Shelley enjoys the outdoors—boating, pickleball, and long walks. You can also find her cheering on her children at their sporting events!

Welcome to the team! We're thrilled to have you.

05/22/2026

This Memorial Day Weekend, we pause to honor and remember those who gave their lives in service—and to hold their families in our hearts.

Our offices will be closed on Monday in observance of the holiday. We will also close at noon today.

05/22/2026

Please join us in welcoming Matt O'Connell, Erika Lara and Teresa Wurzinger to Associated.

Matt O'Connell joins Associated as a Customer Service Representative with our commercial lines team. He is based in our Rolling Meadows office. Outside of work, Matt likes to play sports, including tennis, basketball, and golf.

Erika Lara joins our Group Benefits team as a Senior Account Manager, based in our Rolling Meadows office. Outside of work, her life is full and lively—most weekends are spent cheering from the sidelines at her children's volleyball tournaments. She and her husband jump in on the fun and play sand volleyball as a shared hobby.

Teresa Wurzinger is our new Claims Intake Specialist. She is based in our Rolling Meadows office, bringing 20 years of experience in the claims industry. When she isn't working, Teresa enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, and reading!

We are excited to have Erika, Matt and Teresa join our Associated team!

05/12/2026

May is Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month!
This month, we honor the rich cultures, resilience, and incredible contributions of the AAPI community that have shaped our nation's history and continue to inspire us every day.

From art and innovation to food, music, and leadership — AAPI voices matter, and their stories deserve to be told. Let's celebrate, uplift, and listen.

05/08/2026

This weekend we celebrate mothers — the original multitaskers, problem-solvers, and leaders. Their strength inspires us in life and in business.

A special shoutout to all the incredible moms on our team — you show up every day, give your best, and still manage to be a superhero at home. Wishing you and all moms a beautiful Mother's Day!

05/06/2026

May is Jewish American Heritage Month — a time to celebrate the incredible contributions Jewish Americans have made to the fabric of our nation.

From science and medicine to arts, business, and civil rights, Jewish Americans have helped shape the United States in profound and lasting ways — often in the face of tremendous adversity and with remarkable resilience.

To our Jewish colleagues, partners, and friends — we see you, we celebrate you, and we are grateful for everything you bring to our world. 🕎

05/02/2026

Bring Your Children to Work Day Recap!
Before the week ends, we had to share some pictures from last week's festivities! Crafts, games, snacks, an office tour, a scavenger hunt, a magician, lunch, and ice cream — our little guests made sure every moment counted!

A huge thank you to our awesome parents and volunteers who gave it their all . . . rumor has it an afternoon nap was well-deserved! 😄

Days like these remind us why we love the people who make up Associated! What a great day!

04/29/2026

Welcome to the Associated team, Shammiran Aparicio and Daniel Naselli! We are thrilled to introduce two fantastic additions to our team, both joining us at our Rolling Meadows office!

Shammiran Aparicio joins Associated as a Sr. Customer Service Representative, bringing an impressive 24 years of experience in the insurance industry, along with a background in banking. Her wealth of knowledge and dedication to service will be a great asset to our team and clients alike. Outside of work, Shammiran enjoys gardening, staying active, and cherishing time with her family.

Daniel Naselli joins our Associated commercial lines team as a Customer Service Representative. A recent graduate of the University of Iowa with a degree in Economics, Dan is bringing fresh energy and sharp analytical thinking to our team. When he's not at work, you can find him enjoying the outdoors, staying active, and spending time with his dog and family.

We are excited to have Shammiran and Daniel on board and can't wait to see the impact they'll make. Please join us in giving them a warm Associated welcome!