About IEA

Industry Professionals with the Best Expertise

IEA's award winning services in training and education are made possible by the commitment and expertise of more than 150 faculty members all of whom are carefully chosen for their industry experience, superior knowledge, and excellent classroom skills. Scroll down to find biographical detail on some of our current faculty members

Ruth F. Cazden, CPCU, MA

Ms. Cazden, an independent consultant with more than 30 years experience in the insurance industry, has been leading IEA programs since 1978. In addition to instructing Prelicensing classes, Ms. Cazden develops and leads technical workshops in both commercial and personal lines. She is the author of two insurance textbooks, and has been a speaker at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Anti-Fraud Seminar.Ms.Cazden has a graduate degree in Medieval Spanish Literature and is an avid violinist in her spare time.

Professor Dave Chetcuti

David J. Chetcuti has more than thirty years experience in all aspects of workers' compensation claims. He is a former vice-president for the world's largest insurance broker, a former director of education and development for the second largest insurance company in California, as well as former director of workers' compensation for a Fortune 100 company.
Mr. Chetcuti is a professor of workers' compensation law having taught college accredited classes over the past 24-years in California and other states. He is also certified by the State of California, Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education, to teach Workers' Compensation Law and Procedures. Professor Chetcuti is one of the two co-founders of the IEA's professional WCCP designation for workers' compensation claims professionals.

John Chesebrough, CPCU, CLU, ChFC, ARM, AIM, AU

Mr. Chesebrough has extensive experience in the Insurance Industry in California and has been an extremely valued member of our faculty for many years. In addition to his active service as an IEA instructor in programs such as CPCU, INS, and many property casualty workshops, Mr. Chesebrough is also active with the Los Angeles Chapter of CPCU, and is involved with the Society of Insurance Trainers and Educators. He has written numerous articles and assisted for many years the Insurance Institute of America with textbook writing and editing.

Dave Edwards, CPCU

Dave Edwards earned his CPCU designation in 1996 and has held his insurance license since 1998. With only 5 years on the faculty, Mr. Edwards talents as a wonderful instructor earned him the honor of our Level 1 Outstanding Course Leader award. Mr. Edwards currently works as a Casualty Analyst in the Corporate Claims department at 21st Century Insurance Company.

Barbara Goodwin, MBA, CPCU, ARM

Barbara Goodwin, MBA, CPCU, ARM has over 20 years experience providing practical and leading-edge risk management consulting services to her clients.
In addition to operating a successful consulting business, Barbara is recognized as an excellent public speaker, and an outstanding IEA faculty member. Barbara has
recently received a prestigious award for the consistent pass ratio and success of her students in IEA's ARM 56 (Risk Financing) course. Included among her most popular workshops are, Alternative Risk Financing, Assessing and Managing Business Risk, Underwriting the Financial Side of Your Risk, and Financial Statement Analysis.

Michael Hernandez, MS, CPDM.

Michael Hernandez began his professional teaching career in 1976 as an Instructor/Counselor in a private rehabilitation center for troubled youth. He became a Vocational Rehabilitation counselor in 1982, upon completion of his Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology. Mr. Hernandez is employed by the State of California Division of Workers Compensation since 1989, and has been in charge of the Division Of Workers Compensation, Information Service Center since 1998 and is currently the Workers’ Compensation Manager over the Information Service Center Unit. IEA is pleased to have Mr. Hernandez teach in their Workers' Compensation and Disability Management curriculum including CA8, CA14 and CPDM 1.

Dennis Knotts, WCCP

Dennis Knotts, WCCP, is among IEA's leading experts in workers' compensation. With more than 20 years industry experience, Mr. Knotts has worked in a variety of companies from multi-line/muti-state carriers to TPAs and Public Entities. A published author in trade journals, he has also authored Administrative Regulation 9785(b), There shall only be one primary treating physician at a time, which was the focus of several en banc decisions. Mr. Knotts has also served as an expert witness in bad faith claims handling law suits. In 2008, Mr.Knotts received the 2008 Richard B. Masters Award for outstanding contribution to the Insurance community.

Robert Marshburn, CRM, CIC, ARM, CRIS, CISC

Robert Marshburn is a 30 year veteran in risk management, and a nationally recognized expert specializing in analysis, design, implementation, and presentation of risk management programs. A highly sought after IEA faculty member, Mr. Marshburn is a dynamic public speaker, and a talented professional educator, consistently rated by independent sources as one of the nation's top risk management consulting and training resources.

Caran Skoff

A long-term and valued IEA faculty member, Caran Skoff received her BA degree and secondary teaching credential from California State University at Long Beach. After a brief career as a junior high and high school teacher, she worked for six years as a claims adjuster and vocational rehabilitation counselor for the State Compensation Insurance Fund. Since 1979 she has worked for the Pomona, Norwalk, Long Beach and Anaheim Worker's Compensation Appeals Board as a Rehabilitation Consultant. She is currently employed as a Rehabilitation Consultant and Information and Assistance Officer at the Anaheim Worker's Compensation Appeals Board in Anaheim. She received the Division of Workers Compensation Employee of the Year award for 2001.

Jerry Snow, MA, WCCP

Mr. Jerry Snow has over three decades of educational and administrative experience in both the public and private sectors. This included time as the Director for the Law Enforcement Center at Southwestern Community College and a community college instructor. For five years, Mr. Snow was a bilingual vocational counselor in the worker's compensation system and is qualified with the State of California as an Independent Vocational Evaluator (IVE). He is a professional member of the California Association of Rehabilitation and Reemployment Professionals (CARRP) and a member of the Disability Management Employer Coalition (DMEC). Mr. Snow teaches Workers' compensation semester programs and one-day workshops for IEA.

Malaney Wood, MA

Ms. Malaney Wood has served on IEA's faculty since 1989, teaching both semester courses and one-day workshops in workers' compensation.She currently holds the position of Underwriting Manager for Majestic Insurance Company, and participates, supports and holds membership in the San Francisco Insurance Women's Association. Ms. Wood, a former language teacher, graduated with a MA from Florida State University.