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

Frank Bermudez

Mr. Bermudez has extensive experience managing high exposure claims for prominent national insurance carriers and third party administrators and has performed specialized claims adjudication and resolution services. In 1992 he entered into the insurance industry where he positioned himself to experience the industry from several different perspectives. He began as an investigator - working for both in-house and private firms. As a senior claims examiner and litigation specialist, his claims adjudication involved large loss and catastrophic claims.... click for full profile

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

Eugene C. Bradford, Esq,

Eugene Christopher Bradford is a graduate of Loyola Law School of Los Angeles joining staff counsel at Aetna Casualty & Surety Co. in August of 1986 which became part of Travelers in 1997. Since 1986, Eugene has exclusively represented the defense in his Workers' Compensation practice. He has been a State Bar Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation since 1996 and an instructor with the IEA for 10 years.

Ruth Cazden, CPCU, CRIS

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. ... 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.

Donald E. Dodson

Don has been an outstanding member of IEA's faculty since 1996. He teaches various risk management programs including ARM 54, ARM 56, and Introduction to Risk Management. Known to keep audiences fully awake during his presentations, he has also been a keynote and break-out session speaker at national conferences including emergency medical services, fleet maintenance, peer support, organizational development and risk management. He has been a lecturer at University of California San Diego (UCSD) Extension. Don is... click for full profile

David R. Edwards

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.... click for full profile

Ellen A. Fizer, CEBS, CPDM

Ms. Fizer has been an instructor in the Certified Professional Disability Management designation program since 2003. She is a retired Benefits Director for a large public school system in northern Virginia where she was responsible for all employee benefit programs, including the implementation and administration of an integrated disability management program. She received her BA degree from Fisk University and her MS degree from Vanderbilt University, both in Nashville, TN. Ms. Fizer also teaches courses in the Certified... click for full profile

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

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

Michael N. Ridad, WCCP, CPDM

Michael Ridad, a talented and energetic instructor, with more than 16 years of varied insurance experience, has presented many IEA seminars including courses leading to the Associate in Risk Management, and Workers' Claims Administration Certification. Currently, he is the workers' compensation and general liability manager for Cost Plus World Market. He has worked in a variety of companies from multi-line/multi-state carrriers, TPA's, public entities, and insureds and has held various positions from medical only claims adjuster to risk manager.... 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