Background: Founded in 1821, Hickok & Boardman Insurance is the oldest and one of the largest retail insurance agencies in Vermont. In our Burlington office we provide property and liability insurance for both individuals and corporations of all sizes. Our agency was built, and has survived so long, on the principal of providing superior customer service to our clients. As a locally owned agency we know you, your community and your business operation. We employ 35 professionals in Burlington who are dedicated specialists in either personal lines, commercial lines, claims, or loss prevention which allows them to better serve our clients. As an independent insurance agency, we represent several insurance companies. Due to our premium volume with these carriers and our knowledgeable staff, we are able to negotiate for you the most competitive insurance solutions for our commercial and personal clients.
Management & Sales Personnel
Commercial Lines
Scott Boardman, CPCU, President
sboardman@hbinsurance.com
Scott is a large commercial property and casualty agent in addition to his responsibilities as President. Scott joined Hickok & Boardman, Inc. in July of 1982 as a Property and Casualty Agent and was elected Vice President in 1989. In 1994, Scott was elected President and became a principal in the agency. He is a member of the Vermont Chapter of CPCU and a past President. Scott is a board member of the Vermont Insurance Agent's Association and serves as their Vice President. He is a graduate of Holy Cross College where he received a B.A. in Economics in 1982.
Michael Boardman, CPCU, Senior Vice President
mboardman@hbinsurance.com
Mike joined Hickok & Boardman, Inc. in 1991. As a Commercial Insurance Producer for Hickok & Boardman, Inc., Mike is responsible for marketing and assisting clients in the management of their property and casualty insurance. In addition, Mike is Chief Operating Officer and a principal of the company.
Mike was elected to the Board of Directors in 1994, Senior Vice President in 2000, and Chief Operating Officer in 2002. Mike earned the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation in 1997. He is a graduate of Holy Cross College where he received a B.A. in Economics and New York University where he received his MBA in Finance in 1991.
Paul Plunkett, CIC, Senior Vice President
pplunkett@hbinsurance.com
Paul joined Hickok & Boardman, Inc. in 1988 as a Commercial Property and Casualty Agent responsible for the development of large strategic clients. Paul became a Principal of Hickok & Boardman, Inc. and was elected to the Board of Directors in 1994. In 1999 Paul was elected Senior Vice President. In additional to his producer responsibilities, Paul is the Corporate Director of Business Development for Hickok & Boardman and Denis, Ricker & Brown.
Paul is a graduate of St. Michael's College where he received a BS in Business in 1986. Paul holds a Certified Insurance Counselor designation and is a member of the Vermont Chapter of Certified Insurance Counselors.
Joanne Gile, Select Account Executive
jgile@hbinsurance.com
Joanne joined Hickok & Boardman in 2006 and is your Select Commercial Insurance Producer. She is responsible for marketing and assisting clients in the management of their property and casualty insurance. She is a licensed Property & Casualty Agent and has been in the insurance industry for over 20 years. Prior to Hickok & Boardman Joanne worked as an underwriter for a regional insurance carrier for 15 years. She is a member of the National Association of Insurance Women.
Jeff LaBonte, Commercial Account Executive, CLCS
jlabonte@hbinsurance.com
Jeff joined Hickok & Boardman, Inc. in 2007 as a Commercial Sales Executive responsible for the development of medium and large size clients. He worked for Merchants Bank for the last seven years. He served in many capacities with the bank such as Lender/Customer Service Representative, Corporate Banking Administrator, Senior Lender and most recently Branch President.
Jeff serves on the board of Mercy Connections, Inc. and is the chair of the Finance Committee for the organization. He is also a board member of the St. Michael's College Green Mountain Golf Classic.
Jeff is a graduate of St. Michael's College where he received a BS in Business in 1998. He resides in Shelburne with his fiancée and five year old son.
Rick Phillips, Director, Workers Compensation Risk Management
rphillips@hbinsurance.com
Rick joined Hickok & Boardman, Inc. in November of 2004. He has been in the field of workers compensation since 1987 in various capacities. For over 11 years, he worked for property casualty insurers with a national care management company, much of that time as manager for the VT and NH operations. He then worked in private practice as a case management consultant for 3 years, which ultimately led to a 4-year affiliation with Fletcher Allen Health Care as Director of Employee Health and Disability Management. He graduated Magna cum Laude from the University of Vermont with a bachelor's degree in 1983 and again with a Master's degree in Education in 1996. His credentials include the Associate in Risk Management designation, a Vermont WC Adjuster license, and a Vermont Property/Casualty Producer license.
Brenda Schill, Vice President of Administration
bschill@hbinsurance.com
Brenda joined Hickok & Boardman, Inc. as General Manager in April of 1999. She is a native Vermonter and has a degree in Allied Health from The University of Vermont and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Trinity College. Brenda completed the Insurance Executive Program at Appalachian State University in May of 1999. She is a licensed Property and Casualty Agent and was elected Vice President of Administration in 2003.
Brenda is an active member of the Champlain Valley Association of Insurance Woman where she served as President in 2001—2002 and is also a member of the National Association of Insurance Women.
Personal Lines
Carla Boardman Smalling, Vice President
csmalling@hbinsurance.com
Carla joined Hickok & Boardman in July of 1992 as a property/casualty agent specializing in the personal lines area of insurance. She continues in her role as producer for that division, became a principal in 1994 and was elected as Vice President in 1997. She is a graduate of the University of Vermont, and lives in Essex Jct. with her husband and two daughters.
Jeff Dion
jdion@hbinsurance.com
Jeff joined Hickok & Boardman Insurance in May, 2000 as a Personal Lines Account Executive. Jeff attended Lyndon State College and has several years experience in sales.
