2025 – 2026 Officers
Abby Hoover – President
I’m the Vice-President of Sales for South Texas with Honor Capital where we offer SOLUTIONS to many agents- we are a commercial & personal lines finance company. I’m born and raised from “The Valley” (Edinburg, TX), I was born in the insurance industry with my parent’s owning their own agency in South Texas. Helping others is my Passion! Many have helped & guided me to where I am today. I worked as the Marketing Representative for Specialty Insurance Managers, Inc (Austin, TX) for 7 years and have been in the Finance side for 2 years. I attended Texas A&M University; graduated with a degree in Business Marketing. I’m always on the “Go”, as I enjoy being a Wife & Mom to my 6mth, 2 ½ ,15-year-old and can’t forget our weenie dog, Duchess who is 12 years old. I look forward to serving on the board this year!
Rhonda Bowles – President – Elect
Rhonda has been in the insurance industry for over 30 years. A majority of that was in the Workers Compensation carrier sector, but has also worked for MGAs and a risk management pool working with other P&C lines. She currently works at Summit Holdings. She has the following designations: AIS, AINS, CISR, CSRM & CPCU. She has been a member of AAIP for about 10 years. She loves traveling with her husband of 27 years, her dog Xena & her awesome grandkids Emme, Maggie & Ada.
Jessica Hahn – Vice President
Jessica Hahn is an underwriter/broker for XPT Specialty in Austin, TX. In addition to her service with AAIP, she also serves on the Education Committee for WSIA and is on the Regulatory Liaison Committee for TSLA. She has over 15 years’ experience in the insurance industry, specializing in transportation. She attended college at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, TX where she played soccer for the Lady Rams. She enjoys fishing and kayaking at the coast.
Meghan Welte – Past President
Meghan Welte entered the insurance industry working for The Littleton Group in the claims office when she was just 20 years old. From Littleton she moved to Service Insurance Companies and has been there for just over 23 years. In her time at Service Insurance, she has worn many hats, most recent is Claims Manager. She works closely with vendors and the internal IT department, ensuring claims projects and integrations go off without a hitch. Meghan is the proud recipient of AAIP’s 2024 Insurance Processional of the Year Award. She is mom to Maggie, a 24-year-old attending Texas State, Bella the dog, and cats Butter and Biscuit. In her down time, she and husband Jeff are typically found camping, at music festivals, or anywhere around water.
Nichole Richardson – Recording Secretary
Nichole Richardson is an underwriting assistant for XPT Specialty, she currently lives in Katy, TX. She grew up in Mansfield, and she played soccer for Texas Wesleyan University where she graduated with a degree in Mass Communications. This is her first year working in the insurance industry, she was a restaurant manager for several years prior. Nichole loves to watch her daughter Kora play soccer, she is a junior this year and is looking forward to playing in college just like her mom. They have 2 fur babies, Australian Shepherds Dakota and Honey.
Jared Holder – Director
Jared Holder of Imperial PFS is a proud and active member of AAIP. He also serves the Membership Services Committee for the Texas Surplus Lines Association and the Board of Directors for the Independent Insurance Agents of Austin. He has previously served on the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of King County’s Board of Directors. Jared attended the University of North Texas where he graduated from the College of Business with a focus in Finance. In his spare time, Jared enjoys being outdoors, staying active, and meeting new people.
Kate Mazza – Director
Based in Austin, Texas, Kate is a broker at QuoteWell — a fast-growing insurtech startup wholesale brokerage – where she specializes in construction and casualty business. She brings five years of experience on the wholesale side of the insurance industry and is passionate about building strong relationships and delivering smart solutions for her clients. She got her start in insurance through the University of Georgia’s Risk Management and Insurance Program and is excited to now be part of the growing insurance community in Austin. An insurance nerd at heart, Kate loves connecting with others in the industry, sharing ideas, and continuing to learn!
Danny Journeay – Website
Danny Journeay is Vice President of Customer Service at Dark Matter Insurtech, LLC with over 25 years of experience in the Excess & Surplus Industry. Prior to joining Dark Matter, Danny worked at 2 MGAs (Specialty Insurance Managers & Austin Surplus Lines) in Austin, TX. In between these he was an AIM software trainer at Vertafore. Danny has been a member of the Austin Association of Insurance Professionals (AAIP) since 2003 where he earned the esteemed designation of ‘Insurance Professional of the Year’ in 2005. He became the first male President of the organization in it’s 78 year history in 2018. Danny was born and raised in Austin, TX and has been married to Kelly for 16 years and has a 13 year old daughter named Olivia and a 9 year old daughter named Meagan. Danny enjoys spending time with friends and family and fly fishing anywhere that has good water or playing bass in a variety of music groups around Austin, TX.
