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 300 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

David N. Blakesley, CPCU, CIC, ARM

David has earned numerous designations, including CPCU, CIC, and ARM and has been the Curriculum Director for IEA since 1989. David graduated from San Jose State University and soon afterward began working in the property/casualty industry first as a commercial lines underwriter, a marketing representative, then as territory-underwriting manager. David as been teaching various courses including CPCU, INS, and coverage seminars for IEA since 1979. He is best known nationally for teaching ARM 54. He is an... click for full profile

Robert J. Cornelow, CPDM, WCCP, ARM

Mr. Cornelow has been teaching for IEA since 1992. He teaches CA 8, CA 10, and CA 11 both online and in the classroom. He has authored various texts on the subject of workers' compensation. Mr. Cornelow has conducted specialized seminars in PD rating and compensability. He has over 30 years experience in the insurance industry as a multi-jurisdictional claims professional and manages Cornelow and Associates, a multi-line investigation firm for over 15 years.

Michael L. Hernandez, 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... click for full profile

Dennis R. 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... click for full profile

Don Ko

Don Ko has been with the State Compensation Insurance Fund since 1983 and has held various positions including claims adjuster, vocational rehabilitation counselor, reinsurance/structured settlement specialist, claims supervisor and most recently as a claims manager. He writes columns for various newspapers and magazines for the Korean community. Don has been teaching for IEA since 1992. His courses include CA 8, CA 10, CA 11, and CA 20. click for full profile

Victor F. Lorch, ARM, MBA

Victor Lorch as been teaching for IEA since 1992. He has over 30 years experience in the insurance industry. The last 13 years have been in the area of public entity risk management. Prior to his career in risk management he spent 15 years in various roles as a claims adjuster, claim supervisor, and general adjuster for several major insurance companies. He entered the insurance profession as a multi-line field claims adjuster for Safeco Insurance and ended... click for full profile

Tessa M. Lucero

Ms. Lucero has been an instructor for IEA since 1991 teaching various CPCU, AIAF and ARe courses. The American Institute for CPCU awarded her the prestigious Jack F. Derrickson Award for Outstanding Course Leadership in 2008 and has named her a Level V outstanding course instructor. She earned her CPCU in 1989. Ms. Lucero has worked in the insurance industry since 1985. She started at G.J. Sullivan & Associates in the excess and surplus lines broker division,... click for full profile

Barbara Marshall, CPDM

Ms. Marshall has been in the workers' compensation and disability management industry for 30 years and is the manager, Health and Absence Management, for FirstEnergy, a large electric utility in the Midwest. Barbara, a Certified Professional in Disability Management, is also a CPDM instructor. She was instrumental in organizing the Ohio Chapter of the Disability Management Employers Coalition (DMEC) and is past president. Barbara is a board member of the Ohio Self-Insurers' Association and the New Jersey Self-Insurers'... click for full profile

Jerry Snow MPA, WCCP, SIA

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... click for full profile

Susan C. Zoboli, CPCU, MBA

Susan Zoboli serves as the director for corporate purchasing and insurance for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in Williamsburg, VA. She is responsible for the property and casualty insurance program, assists with loss control and manages the procurement team who purchases all goods and services for the Foundation that are not consumed or re-sold. Ms. Zoboli's career in risk management and insurance spans over 30 years including underwriting management positions with Sequoia Insurance Company, TIG and CAMICO Mutual Insurance Company.... click for full profile