Bringing Together Expertise to Deliver Reliable Coverage
At Bardon Insurance Group, our team brings together expertise in underwriting, claims, operations, and client support to deliver reliable medical excess loss coverage for employer groups of all sizes. Guided by our core values of honesty, integrity, and excellence, we partner with trusted Third-Party Administrators to provide stability and service backed by American National Insurance Company (A, Excellent by A.M. Best). As active members of SIIA, HCAA and SPBA, we are committed to building strong relationships and delivering lasting value for every client we serve.
Don Thaler, ASA, MAAA, CLU, Chairman
Don Thaler is the founder and Chairman of Bardon Insurance Group and has led the firm since its inception in January 1996. Over nearly three decades, he has guided Bardon’s growth into a respected boutique Managing General Underwriter serving TPAs and brokers nationwide, while maintaining a disciplined, relationship-driven operating model.
Don brings more than 40 years of executive leadership experience across health insurance, reinsurance, and underwriting organizations. Prior to founding Bardon, he held senior executive roles at several national insurance organizations, including Executive Vice President at Home Life Insurance Company and Senior Vice President at Crown Life Insurance Company. Earlier in his career, Don served as Chief Actuary at Electronic Data Systems (EDS), working within the organization founded by Ross Perot, where he developed deep expertise in actuarial science, risk analysis, and large-scale insurance operations.
Don’s background combines actuarial rigor, underwriting discipline, and executive judgment. His long-term perspective continues to shape Bardon’s strategic direction, partner philosophy, and commitment to remaining boutique by design.
Adam Thaler, MHP, CSFS®, President & Chief Operating Officer
Adam Thaler serves as President and Chief Operating Officer of Bardon Insurance Group, having joined the firm in June 2007. He oversees strategy, operations, underwriting coordination, and partner engagement, helping guide Bardon through multiple market cycles while preserving its boutique, partner-focused operating model.
Prior to joining Bardon, Adam held senior roles with national advisory and carrier organizations, including Willis Group and The Segal Company, where he focused on self-funded plan strategy, financial analytics, and underwriting support for large employer groups. Earlier in his career, he worked at CIGNA Healthcare in underwriting leadership and training.
Adam began his career in the healthcare insurance industry in 1996 and brings nearly three decades of experience across carriers, consultants, MGUs, and third-party administrators. He holds the Managed Healthcare Professional (MHP) and Certified Self-Funding Specialist (CSFS®) designations.
Andrew Milesky, Vice President of Sales
Andrew Milesky serves as Vice President of Sales at Bardon Insurance Group, where he leads national sales strategy and partner engagement. He works closely with TPAs and brokers to align stop-loss solutions with market needs and long-term partner objectives.
Prior to joining Bardon, Andrew served as Director of Client Services at The Phia Group from March 2007 through August 2014, where he worked closely with self-funded employer groups, TPAs, and consultants on plan support and client-facing operations.
Andrew brings a strong foundation in insurance services, relationship development, and market insight, supporting Bardon’s partner-focused growth model.
Byrd Preston, Vice President & Chief Underwriting Officer
Byrd Preston serves as Vice President & Chief Underwriting Officer at Bardon Insurance Group, where he leads underwriting strategy, risk governance, and portfolio discipline.
Byrd joined Bardon in January 1998 and has been with the firm throughout its growth, with the exception of a one-year period from July 2010 through August 2011. His long tenure reflects deep continuity in underwriting philosophy and institutional knowledge across multiple market cycles.
He works closely with TPAs, brokers, and internal teams to ensure underwriting decisions remain thoughtful, transparent, and aligned with Bardon’s long-term partner expectations.
Patricia Adams, Vice President of Claims Administration & Operations
Patricia Adams serves as Vice President of Claims Administration & Operations at Bardon Insurance Group and has been with the firm since March 1999. She leads claims operations, overseeing audit standards, reimbursement accuracy, and coordination across underwriting, clinical, and operational teams.
Patricia brings decades of experience in the self-funded market, with a background spanning claims adjudication, stop-loss auditing, reinsurance administration, and medical review. Her focus at Bardon is on consistency, compliance, and clear execution throughout the claims lifecycle.
Julie Dorweiler, Assistant Vice President Claims
Julie Dorweiler serves as Assistant Vice President of Claims at Bardon Insurance Group. She is a results-driven claims professional with deep expertise in employer stop loss and self-funded health plans. She thrives on building strong teams and scalable operations that deliver accurate, timely, and compliant claims outcomes while protecting employers from high-cost risk.
Known for her practical, data-driven approach, Julie partners across underwriting, actuarial, finance, and client teams to align strategy and improve performance. She is passionate about developing people, strengthening processes, and creating sustainable solutions that build long-term trust with clients and partners.
Heidi Pearson, Vice President of Accounting & Compliance
Heidi Pearson serves as Vice President of Accounting & Compliance at Bardon Insurance Group and has been with the firm since March 1999. She oversees accounting operations, financial controls, and compliance support across the organization.
Heidi works closely with leadership and operational teams to maintain financial accuracy, support compliance alignment, and ensure internal processes remain consistent with Bardon’s disciplined operating model.
Julie Rohde, Senior Underwriter
Julie Rohde serves as Senior Underwriter at Bardon Insurance Group and is responsible for managing the risk selection and profitability of new business and renewal stop-loss accounts.
Julie brings more than two decades of experience in medical stop-loss and health insurance underwriting, with a background spanning MGUs, carriers, and reinsurers. She is known for disciplined risk evaluation, sound judgment, and consistent execution.
Claudia Gonzales, Senior Underwriter
Claudia Gonzales serves as Senior Underwriter at Bardon Insurance Group. She brings more than a decade of underwriting experience from carrier and reinsurance environments, including extensive stop-loss underwriting work within global and national organizations.
Prior to joining Bardon, Claudia spent nearly nine years at Swiss Re in stop-loss underwriting and underwriting support roles and more than eight years at QBE North America in underwriting positions of increasing responsibility. Bardon represents her first role within a Managing General Underwriter, allowing her to apply carrier and reinsurance discipline directly within a boutique underwriting environment.
At Bardon, Claudia applies disciplined risk evaluation, pricing rigor, and portfolio management experience to support thoughtful underwriting decisions aligned with long-term portfolio sustainability.
Christine Fine, HIA Senior Underwriter
Christine Fine serves as Senior Underwriter at Bardon Insurance Group, having joined the firm in December 2025. She supports underwriting strategy, risk evaluation, and portfolio management across new business and renewal stop-loss accounts.
Christine brings more than a decade of experience in medical stop-loss underwriting across carriers and underwriting organizations. Prior to joining Bardon, she spent two years underwriting Provider Excess and HMO Reinsurance at Berkley, and three years as a captive underwriter within Berkley’s EmCap program. Her background also includes underwriting roles at QBE North America and IOA Re.
Christine applies disciplined underwriting judgment and collaborative problem-solving to support consistent decision-making and long-term portfolio sustainability.
Cynthia Freese, RN Clinical Nurse Manager
Cynthia Freese serves as Clinical Nurse Manager at Bardon Insurance Group, a role she has held since November 11, 2019. She provides clinical oversight and medical insight to support claims review, underwriting collaboration, and large-claim evaluation.
Cynthia brings decades of experience as a registered nurse across hospital, managed care, and stop-loss environments. She holds Certified Professional Coder (CPC) and Certified Inpatient Coder (CIC) credentials and has extensive experience in medical claims review, utilization management, and bill review focused on appropriateness of care and cost containment.
Erika Williams, Claims Audit Manager
Erika Williams serves as Claims Audit Manager at Bardon Insurance Group and has been with the firm since May 2017. She oversees claims audit operations from receipt through resolution, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and adherence to plan and policy provisions.
Erika brings extensive experience in stop-loss claims auditing, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance, supporting consistent and defensible claims outcomes.
Denise Leon, Compliance and Policy Coordinator
Denise Leon serves as Compliance and Policy Coordinator at Bardon Insurance Group, having joined the firm in February 2025. She supports compliance oversight and policy coordination across underwriting, claims, and administrative functions.
Denise works closely with internal teams to support consistency, accuracy, and adherence to regulatory and policy requirements.
AnnMarie Cooper, Premium Accountant
AnnMarie Cooper serves as Premium Accountant at Bardon Insurance Group and joined the firm in September 2023. She supports premium accounting functions including billing accuracy, reconciliation, and coordination with internal teams.
Her work helps ensure financial clarity and operational consistency across Bardon’s premium processes.
Nicole Boyd, Junior Underwriter
Nicole Boyd serves as Junior Underwriter at Bardon Insurance Group and joined the firm in November 2018. She supports underwriting operations through quote intake, submission setup, and cross-functional coordination.
Nicole’s background includes experience in premium administration and claims, providing a practical understanding of the underwriting lifecycle from intake through execution.