Wheaton, Ill., April 20, 2011--Christopher P. Taft, president and CEO of Preferred Mutual Ins. Co., New Berlin, N.Y., was elected chairman of the American Association of Insurance Services (AAIS) at the association’s recent annual meeting held in conjunction with its “Main Event” conference, April 10-12 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Taft succeeds Jack M. Rader, executive vice president and COO of Farmers Alliance Companies, McPherson, Kan., who remains a member of the AAIS board of directors.

In addition, Herman Bontrager, president and CEO of Goodville Mutual Casualty Co., New Holland, Pa., was elected a member of the AAIS board.

The other AAIS board members are:

• Edward T, Berg, president and CEO of Pharmacists Mutual Ins. Co., Algona, Iowa;

• R. Douglas Haines, president and CEO of Buckeye Insurance Group, Piqua, Ohio;

• Stuart C. Henderson, president and CEO of Western National Insurance Group, Edina, Minn.;

• Judy S. Jackson, a director of NLC Insurance Companies, Norwich, Conn.;

• Jeffrey B. Kusch, president and CEO of Austin Mutual Ins. Co., Maple Grove, Minn.; and

• Paul Baiocchi, president and CEO of AAIS.

AAIS is a national insurance advisory organization that develops policy forms and rating information used by more than 700 P/C companies of all sizes throughout the U.S.