MERIDIAN - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Head of the Meridian PEO Market Analytics Practice
Alex Lucas is Head of the Meridian PEO Market Analytics Practice, where he is driven by the goal of helping businesses, agencies and organizations thrive.
Utilizing his experience in the HR/Payroll space, Alex works with current and potential clients, identifying opportunities to streamline processes, maximize efficiencies and enhance profitability. His genuine interest in helping people fuels his interest in the Insurance industry, and specifically the PEO arena.
When Alex isn't working with or thinking about his Meridian clients, he enjoys spending time with his family, checking out new restaurants, and during the warmer months, trying to make it as a weekend golfer.
Alex graduated from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and was a four-year starter on their Men's Lacrosse Team. He currently resides in West Hartford, CT with Olivia and their golden-doodle, Brooklyn.
Amy's start in insurance came in high school thanks to Project InVEST, where local agents and c...
Andrew C. Emery has spent his entire career in the insurance industry. His first glimpse into the world of insurance came in 1985 during a stint in London with Lloyd's insurance brokerage. Back in the U.S. he trained with The Chubb in their Department of Financial Institutions division and spent six years in Manhattan followed by 15 years in the Midwest managing the DFI operation out of Cincinnati, Ohio. He worked with numerous Fortune 500 clients including American Stock Exchange, Paine Webber, Fifth Third Bank, US Bank, Sumitomo Bank, and Nomura Securities. Andrew handled multi-line Property & Casualty coverages with special expertise in Directors & Officers Liability, Errors & Omissions, Employment Practices Liability and Cyber Liability.
With a family of four, Andrew returned back to his East coast roots and to the welcoming community of Pelham. He moved into consulting with a boutique insurance brokerage in Westchester that caters to private equity firms and their portfolio companies. Restless for a sales role, Andrew joined the Meridian family.
The journey to a second career with Meridian brought Andrew full circle in the insurance industry, as an underwriter, consultant and now independent agent. His roots growing up were always in Manhattan which was home base each year for a family returning from living in a foreign country. His father was an international banker with Citibank for 30 years and Andrew spent his childhood living in 13 different countries. His checkerboard overseas education received a boost with the opportunity to attend St/ Paul's School in the northeast where he was introduced to the game of squash, a game he played with distinction in high school as well as his alma mater, Trinity College.
Andrew is active in the Pelham community and enjoys the opportunity to serve with the following organizations:
Pelham Traveling Soccer Club - assistant coach Girls U-11 - A team
Christ Church Pelham - vestry member, Sunday school teacher
Pelham Manor Volunteer Fire Dept - active member
Siwanoy Elementary School - Dad's Club
Sarah Lawrence College - squash instructor for PE credits
Business Network International - member of Chapter 12 NYC
Andrew and his wife Lea met through her Trinity roommate at a college alumni event in NYC. They have been inseparable since marrying in 1992 and have two wonderful children - Alison and Aidan. Lea went to Mt. Holyoke College and went on to get advanced degrees in business and arts administration. She is currently the acting director of the Neuburger Museum of Art in Purchase, NY.
When not focused on the insurance needs of current and prospective clients, Andrew enjoys family time, coaching his kids in their growing sports interests and being pulled around town by the family dogs, Bollo & Molly.
Bernadette was born in the Bronx but raised in Warwick, NY. She went to school for Fashion & worked in the Garment District in NYC until she switched careers to join the Insurance Industry in 2001. Bernadette enjoys being a customer advocate and caring for her clients at Meridian. When she's not at work she loves spending time with her husband, Keith & daughter, Elyse. They all savor cooking together and dining out in new restaurants. Then they burn off the calories by going for a bike ride or to the gym.
Job Titles:
- Account Manager I Benefits Division
Candice Ripoll has been in the insurance business - from service to sales - since graduating from Chestnut Hill College in the early 90s. She worked for Philadelphia- and New Jersey-based insurance companies before relocating to a Manhattan firm after marrying Charlie in 2001. As her family grew, Candice made the decision to stay home with their three children: Christopher, Francesca, and Giada. Now she's made the decision to return to the industry she loves, and we're thrilled to have her in the benefits division here at Meridian. "It's been very rewarding working with people who truly care about their customers and each other," says Candice about Meridian. We think she fits right in.
Candice is proudly involved in the Pelham community and has enjoyed volunteering for various organizations in town. She enjoys the beach, cooking, and spending time with her family. Be sure to say hi when you see her in town!
Cathi began her insurance career over 25 years ago flying airplanes up and down the east coast, insuring both airports and individual airplanes. She made the transition to the Commercial side of insurance and has never looked back. Cathi truly enjoys learning about each and every client's business every day. 10 years ago, Cathi and her husband left Long Island for North Carolina (lower taxes, less traffic).
Chrissy Kantrowitz began her career in the insurance industry in 2001 and has been working at Meridian Risk Management since 2004 as a Private Client Account Executive. Chrissy is passionate about delivering only the best for her clients as well as helping Meridian Risk Management grow as an agency. When she's not ensuring clients are happy and at ease, Chrissy loves to spend time with her husband Mark, son Michael and daughter Alexa.
Job Titles:
- Private Client Specialist
David grew up in Westchester, NY and graduated from Fairfield University's Dolan School of Business with a Finance degree in 2020. His role with the Meridian team includes assisting private clients as well as the personal lines department with all day-to-day insurance and client service tasks.
Outside of the office David enjoys competing on the golf course, always striving to be the best he can be…and for that elusive hole in one.
Erin is Meridian's "Everything Marketing" Manager and we mean everything. From local charity donation events to research to newspaper ads to producing our website, she is our "get ‘er done" gal. She grew up in Tarrytown, NY, attended The School of the Holy Child in Rye, NY and graduated from Hartwick College in 1993. Erin fell in love with horses at a young age and has competed throughout her life. She also trained horses and taught horse-back riding lessons at Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Scarborough, NY.
Erin spent most of the last 13 years at G2 (a division of Grey advertising, formerly J. Brown/LMC Group). Most recently as a Senior Partner/VP Account Director, Erin handled global strategic planning, compensation, new product launches and creative execution for major CPG manufactures like Colgate, GSK, Wyeth, Kraft, Tropicana and the DSNY. She brings an expertise in customer specific marketing for major retail outlets such as Wal-Mart, Kroger, Walgreens, and Target.
When she is not planning and producing Meridian's next marketing move, Erin can be found in Hartsdale with her husband Chris and their young son Bradyn. In her abundant (wink, wink) spare time, she enjoys yoga (keeps her calm), skiing, spending time with family, anything on HGTV and will ride any roller coaster you put in front of her.
Fehim joined the Meridian team in July of 2021 as Manager of our Commercial Lines Department. He brings with him over 22 years of experience in insurance, starting with Life & Health in 2000 and then kicked off a career in Commercial Lines insurance in 2012.
Fehim spent thirty years living in Central New Jersey before moving to New York in 2020. When not helping our business clients manage their insurance portfolios or shepherding new commercial business opportunities, Fehim calls the Bronx home
A transplant from Ohio, James made his way to the East Coast in the late 80s and began his employee benefit career in Boston. James believes in looking for new solutions to solve old problems. An innovator, James was an early adopter of partially self-funded health plans in the early 90's which led him to growing a TPA for a national payroll company in 2005. Over the years, James has worked with hundreds of health agencies and thousands of clients on their employee benefit plans, flexible compensation services (HRA, HSA, FSA, HRA), Ben/Admin technology and compliance needs.
James current focus is helping employers reset after the world shifted under Covid and consulting with clients on the Federal Cares Act and determine if they're eligible for Employee Retention Credit.
James graduated from Ohio University with a BA in Marketing and Management. He also holds designations from the American College and ECFC;
Janet Locascio was first introduced to the world of Insurance as a Part Time Receptionist at an agency while attending college to earn her degree. After graduating from Iona College in 1998 with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration, she started working as a full time customer service representative in the personal lines sector - During this time, she obtained her NY Property/Casualty Brokers license.
Janet joined Meridian Risk Management in its early existence in February, 2004. She is Manager of the Private Client Group and is responsible for overseeing all client service needs. In addition to Manager, Janet plays another important role in the office as the Director of Personnel.
After 13 years in the Insurance industry, Janet still finds enjoyment in her job on a daily basis as each day she makes it a priority to learn something new and finds that no two days are ever the same. Janet lives nearby in Wykagyl, New Rochelle with her husband, Vito and after making sure all of Meridian's Private Clients are happy, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, reading, routing for the NY Yankees and decorating her home.
Jeannine (Solimine) Foxx has been a part of Pelham for many years, but it wasn't where she started her life journey. Jeannine was born in Asheville, North Carolina, during one of her dad's (Joe Sr.) minor league baseball road trips. It wasn't until 1972, when her dad hung up his cleats, that Jeannine landed in Pelham.
Jeannine attended Siwanoy Elementary School and then made her way through Pelham Middle School and Pelham High School. College of the Holy Cross was her next stop where she graduated with a B.A. in Psychology.
Not sure what to do with her newfound degree, Jeannine migrated back to the safety of her dad's nest, Rosol Agency. Working for and with Joe Sr. had its challenges, however, under his careful direction, Jeannine learned the commercial side of the business. Twenty four years later, Jeannine uses her accumulated knowledge and expertise to make sure her friends are properly protected by insuring their homes, autos, and lives.
Jeannine will tell you she's not a salesperson, at least not in the literal meaning of the word. She thinks of herself as more of a custodian. "It gives me a great sense of pride that I am able to protect my friend's assets for which they have worked so hard to earn. One car accident with the wrong person plus inadequate insurance coverage can spell disaster and put everything at risk. I mitigate that risk by making sure they have the appropriate coverages and feel great about doing the right thing for people!"
Jeannine resides in Pelham Manor with her husband, Bill, and their three kids, Cassie, Billy, and Erin. When she isn't driving somebody somewhere (track, field hockey, ballet, diving…sound familiar?), she enjoys playing on a tennis team at the New York Athletic Club as well as spending time with her family at the pool and/or beach. Being deeply entrenched in the community, Jeannine has contributed her free time (is there such a thing?) to various organizations including Pelham Children's Theatre and Prospect Hill PTA.
Ask Jeannine to make sure your assets are protected through insurance risk management. Trust her. Let her do "the right thing" for your family!
Jill Brideau is our Senior Account Manager, Benefits Division at Meridian Risk Management.
Jill has worked in the insurance brokerage industry for the past 18 years. Jill started her insurance career when she was a Human Resources Consultant. During her HR career she loved the insurance aspect and later went to work on the broker side of the business. Jill loves navigating through claims and most importantly helping employers and employees. She carries a Life, Accident and Health License and has a vast knowledge of all group sizes and account management.
Jill lives in Fairfield, CT with her husband and three sons. They are big Yankee fans and love watching the games together.
Joanna Cruz have been in the Insurance industry for a little over 6 years. Joanna enjoys Commercial Insurance because every day brings such a variety of needs to be met for her clients. When Joanna is not working, she is taking care of her two boys and working out. Joanna believes self-care is extremely important to a healthy lifestyle - both at work and at home.
Joe Marino is our Senior Account Manager, Benefits Division at Meridian Risk Management.
Joe is a transplant all the way from Michigan and has spent the past decade working in the insurance industry. Joe started as an Underwriter at Blue Cross Blue Shield and worked his way up to a Senior Account Manager role, servicing large group and key accounts throughout the United States. He carries a Life, Accident and Health License and brings a unique blend of financial and account management experience.
Being from Michigan, Joe is a Detroit Lion's fan and although they continue to hurt him, he still believes.
Joe lives in New York City with his wife and daughter. As a family, they love to explore the city.
Job Titles:
- Founder
- President
- Founder and President of Meridian Risk Management Has the Insurance Business
Joe Solimine, Jr., Founder and President of Meridian Risk Management has the insurance business in his blood. He followed in the footsteps of his father, Joe Solimine, Sr. who co-founded his own independent insurance agency in 1965 in the Bronx, and later brought Joe Jr. with him to Pelham, New York, beginning in 1972.
Joe Solimine Sr. has been advising insurance since 1965. While pursuing his dream of playing professional...
Joe Solimine, Jr., Founder and President of Meridian Risk Management has the insurance business in his blood….really. He followed in the footsteps of his father, Joe Solimine, Sr. who co-founded his own independent insurance agency in 1965 in the Bronx, and later brought Joe Jr. with him to Pelham, New York, beginning in 1972.
Meridian was founded in 2003 and to this day embodies the priorities Joe learned from his father - Knowledge, Integrity, Family, and Community. Just ask Joe, Sr - his office is a few doors down.
The road to Meridian was a colorful and rewarding path for Joe, Jr. He grew up in Pelham (where he still lives to this day). A strong childhood education and natural talent for baseball led him to Fairfield University in Connecticut where he was '89 Athlete of the Year and made All Northeast Region that same year. Graduation in 1989 was not the end of Joe's connection to Fairfield - he is very active with the Alumni Association and is Founder of the Mike Andrews Memorial Scholarship fund.
Post-college life found Joe, Jr. once again stepping in similar footfalls to his dad - this time in professional baseball. Joe was a catcher for the Chicago White Sox organization from 1989-1991. Joe, Sr. played for Pittsburgh - feel free to ask him, he will tell you ALL about it.
Joe, Jr. and the entire Meridian team place a high importance on giving back, especially where it matters most: close to home. Joe supports many local events and organizations, including:
Pelham Youth Football - Coach
Pelham Hockey Association - Board member and Dad
The Junior League of Pelham - Major sponsor of yearly fundraiser
Pelham Country Club - Past president and current and future golfer…sort of
Pelham Picture House - Restoration and awareness
Pelham Arts Center
Pelham Education Foundation - Annual Top Level Corporate Sponsor
Joe met his wife Annie through his Fairfield University roommate , and Joe and Annie have been married since 1996 (she is very patient). Annie went to Middlebury College and was Phi Beta Kappa yet still somehow still agreed to marry Joe (ah the mysteries of love). They have four great children together - Chandler, Tim, Maggie, and Shep. When not making sure Meridian is the best independent insurance agency around, Joe enjoys time with family, pursuing the art of golf, and boating in Maine where they visit Annie's family in Prout's Neck. All are welcome to come tubing - after signing a waiver, of course.
Kristen was an active member of BOMA NY (Building Owners and Managers Association of NY) and participated for more than ten years on the Judging Committee for the NYC Pinnacle Awards.
Kristen moved to Pelham in 2012 to raise her daughter in a small town with proximity to NYC. She has gained tremendous and valuable friendships, cherishes connections to the Pelham community and considers it to be one of the best decisions to have bought a home in Pelham Manor. In her free time, she enjoys playing USTA tennis and is a long-time member of the NYAC. She plays golf as well as paddle and loves to travel. Kristen enjoys spending time with family/friends both locally in Pelham and East Hampton, NY.
Kristen joined the Meridian team after experiencing a long, successful career focused on the Service Industry.
She initially began as the NY General Manager of a privately held contract guard service company and then moved on to the role of NY Division Manager at Stuart Dean Company.
Lisa is responsible for working with Meridian's clients and their advisors to develop personal life insurance, long term care and disability plans. Her focus is developing strategic plans for estate and income protection. She has 18 years of experience working to ensure that client plans meet their current goals and objectives.
Prior to joining Meridian, Lisa was Vice President of Marcum Financial Wealth Preservation where she led the insurance department and worked with Marcum's accounting clients on their overall insurance estate planning. Before her tenure with Marcum, she was a Senior Private Client Services Consultant at Chernoff Diamond M Financial Firm) for 9 years. She was awarded top 40 under 40 in 2012 by Long Island Business News https://libn.com/40-under-40-awards/40-under-40-awards-2012/.
Lisa has a Bachelor of Science degree from Boston University. Lisa currently resides in New York City with her husband. Aside from spending time with her family and friends, Lisa enjoys bike riding (on her Peloton and outside), donating her time to various charity organizations to give back to her community, the beach in the summer or winter and traveling.
Job Titles:
- Private Client Account Executive
Mercedes Crispin has been in the Insurance Industry for more than 15 years. "Meche", as her friends and co-workers call her, is licensed as a NY Property and Casualty Broker.
She has specific experience working in the Personal Lines sector and is happy to share her experience with clients and co-workers via the day-to-day business at Meridian. Meche enjoys Meridian's core values of relationships based on respect, motivation, teamwork, and inspiration and strives to achieve these in her client service role.
Michael came aboard to direct the firm's Life Sciences group, serving the needs of the commercial insurance marketplace, with a special focus on the biotech and technology industries. Welling ‘s background as an entrepreneur and in managing his own successful businesses for more than 10 years provides the foundation for leadership he brings to this growing market.
His expertise in Management Liability coverages such as Director & Officers Liability, Professional Liability and Cyber Liability, allows Michael to help protect Meridian's clients across all industries.
His passion for the life sciences derives from his own personal life. After experiencing first-hand the benefits of cutting edge bio-technology saving his infant son's life, he has dedicated himself to promoting growth in this field. Michael looks forward to delivering proactive solutions for the business side of science, so firms can focus on what matters most - helping people.
Michael and his family continue to support many pediatric and community related causes including bone marrow donor education and registration. They started "Matthew's Mission" to help raise awareness around this growing need.
Michael called Westchester home throughout his childhood and now, after living all over the globe, resides in White Plains, NY with his wife Susie and son Matthew. The Welling's are a close-knit family and love spending time together watching/playing sports, enjoying music and/or just hanging out on the beach on Cape Cod.
Michele began her career in the Insurance industry 15 years ago as an assistant working on middle market and large commercial accounts. She then transitioned to construction industry where she interfaced with clients and issued large volumes of certificates of insurance in order to meet critical deadlines. Michele was inspired to obtain her Property & Casualty broker's license in order to take on more responsibility and actively manage accounts. Michele is very happy to bring her years of experience to the Meridian team. Her goal is to provide the best quality service to her clients delivered with a dose of caring and understanding. When she is not making clients happy at Meridian, she enjoys taking long walks with her chorkie by the beach, playing outdoor sports with her son, Anthony and spending quality time with her family.
Monique Edwards grew up in White Plains, NY and loves spending time riding bikes with her family, enjoying the outdoors. A proud New York State Licensed Property & Casualty Insurance Agent, Monique has been with the Agency for over 20 years specializing in Personal Insurance. Monique is kind, loyal, generous and loves to bake. She will do almost anything for a slice of red velvet cake. Except share it.
Job Titles:
- Association - Board Member and Dad
PTA - All Pelham Schools (PMHS graphics helped choose our color scheme…it's the same as theirs!)
Peter is focused primarily on developing the property casualty business at Meridian. His background and expertise involves implementing P&C solutions for corporations and private clients.
Prior to joining Meridian, Peter spent fifteen years on Wall Street, the majority of which was spent at Ryan Beck, & Co. (since merged with Stifel Nicolaus). During this time he was SVP in the Special Products Group in the equities division of the firm. Peter has also spent many years as a derivatives trader, with an extensive background in precious metals and energy futures.
Peter graduated from Hobart College in 1990 with a degree in economics and four national championships in lacrosse. He puts his lacrosse background to use through his involvement in the Larchmont - Mamaroneck Youth Lacrosse program, where he serves on the board of directors of LMYL and coaches all of his children's teams.
Peter currently serves as President of the Board of Governors at Pelham Country Club.
Peter lives in Larchmont with his wife Claudia and three children - Sarah, Michael and Henry.
Sharon grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock before...
Taryn came from Long Island when she made the life decision to move to Westchester to be with her...
Tina began her insurance career in 1997 and joined Meridian Risk Management on December 3, 2007...
Job Titles:
- Head of the Employee Benefit Division
Tom Clements is the Head of the Employee Benefit Division at Meridian Risk Management. A native...
Tom Solimine has been advising his clients in insurance for over 30 years and has helped laid the...
Tracy joined the Meridian team in December of 2019 as a Commercial Lines Account Manager. She brings...
Job Titles:
- Personal & Business Risk Advisor
Tyler Garrow is a Personal & Business Risk Advisor here at Meridian Risk Management. Tyler's knowledge and expertise allows him to focus primarily on building and structuring the best property and casualty risk solutions for his personal and business clients.
He truly enjoys working and helping people protect the assets they have worked so hard to achieve.
Prior to Meridian, Tyler spent seventeen years on Wall Street, the majority of which was at Bear Stearns and Merrill Lynch. He worked in the fixed income division, primarily focused on sales and trading on the mortgaged backed securities desk.
Tyler graduated from Brown University in 2000 with a degree in Economies & Organizational Behavior Management. He was the captain of the Brown Men's Ice Hockey team his senior year. Originally from northwestern Canada (100 Mile House, B.C., Canada - look that up), hockey has been a big part of his life and he puts that to great use with his involvement in the Pelham Youth Hockey Association.
Tyler lives in Pelham with his two children Will and Anna. When he's not coaching Will's hockey team or Anna's lacrosse team, you'll likely find him at the golf course or on a stream near the mountains fly-fishing.
Yasmine began her insurance career at the early age of twenty. She started her first job in the...