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Steve Couch, J.D. President & CEO
Steve Couch, J.D. President & CEO
Steve joined TLIE in October 2023 as the company’s President and CEO. Steve is native Texan and graduate of Baylor law school. After several years as a trial attorney in Dallas, Steve worked as a Claims Attorney handling legal malpractice claims first for a national carrier, and later for a bar-related insurance carrier, and served in senior management roles within this niche insurance space. Prior to joining TLIE, Steve served for almost twelve years as the President and CEO of the Ohio Bar Liability Insurance Company, a bar-related insurance carrier very similar in mission to TLIE. Steve is excited to return to his home state and to help serve the mission of TLIE and protect Texas attorneys.
Steve is married to his wife Katherine and together they are proud parents of three young adult children. In his spare time Steve loves to golf, watch sports, hike, travel and explore National Parks.
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Diane Z. De Los Santos Executive Assistant
Diane Z. De Los Santos Executive Assistant
Diane joined TLIE in December 2014. She has over 17 years of experience in the insurance industry. She earned an Associate of Arts in 1996 from Blinn College and has completed coursework to earn her FLMI designation.
In her spare time Diane enjoys spending time with her husband and attending Texas A&M football games.
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Patricia A. Peterson Vice President of Claims & Risk Management
Patricia A. Peterson Vice President of Claims & Risk Management
Patricia joined TLIE in 2013 with a background in insurance and real estate litigation. She previously worked as an in-house litigation attorney for a national title insurance company and began her legal career in private practice at a law firm. Patricia is an honors graduate of the University of Texas School of Law. While in law school, she served as an intern for the Texas Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. When not in the office, Patricia enjoys snowboarding, water activities and traveling.
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Marvin Jennings Claims Attorney
Marvin Jennings Claims Attorney
Marvin joined TLIE’s claims department in 2022. Prior to joining TLIE as a claims attorney, he was staff counsel for a national insurance company representing the insurer or the insured in all litigated cases of liability exposure. Prior to transitioning to staff counsel, Marvin began his legal career in private practice as a criminal defense attorney. Marvin’s legal career was in the state of Michigan before he joined TLIE.
Marvin is a graduate of the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, and a graduate of Thomas M. Cooley Law school. As an undergraduate, Marvin was a member of the University of Michigan football team as a walk on. During his free time, Marvin enjoys attending sporting events (especially University of Michigan football games), visiting venues for live jazz, and playing the occasional round of golf.
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Shaela Leggett-Bresett Claims Assistant
Shaela Leggett-Bresett Claims Assistant
Shaela Leggett-Bresett joined TLIE’s Claims Department in 1991 after returning home to the Austin area from Dallas where she worked as a personal injury legal assistant. Shaela has an amazing daughter and extraordinary twin granddaughters – and says there is nothing better than a day spent with her three favorite girls.
She is on the Board of Directors of the non-profit Gaslight-Baker Theater in Lockhart where she also serves as the Volunteer Coordinator, and enjoys acting, singing and working behind the scenes.
Shaela and fellow TLIE employee Kate Murphy, known as the “Garage Sale Queens,” have been purchasing blankets, backpacks and winter clothes for the homeless since 1991. In 2008 they were featured on Texas Country Reporter for their efforts to help the homeless.
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Jason Syesta Vice President of Member Services
Jason Syesta Vice President of Member Services
Jason Syesta joined the TLIE Staff in 2009 as the Assistant Director of Member Services and worked his way up the ranks to his current position of Vice President of Member Services. Jason is a 2000 graduate from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor’s degree in Radio Television Film.
In his spare time, Jason enjoys rock climbing all over the world with his wife and three children.
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Edward Solis Assistant Director of Member Services
Edward Solis Assistant Director of Member Services
Edward joined TLIE in 1987 as an underwriter and moved up the ranks to Senior Underwriter. His current position is as the Assistant Director of Member Services. Edward recently earned his General Lines – Property & Casualty agent’s license.
In his spare time, Edward enjoys music, sports and spending time with his family.
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Olivia Thompson Member Services
Olivia Thompson Member Services
Olivia joined TLIE in September of 2022. She has over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry as a Property & Casualty agency owner. She is a native of Las Vegas and attended UNLV until she had an opportunity to travel abroad. She moved to Austin in 2015 to expand her Texas book of business.
Olivia enjoys spending time with her husband and family. She loves the wine country, live music, camping and weekend getaways.
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Lupe Cortes Member Services Assistant
Lupe Cortes Member Services Assistant
Lupe Cortes joined TLIE in 2006 as receptionist. She is a 1990 graduate of The South Texas Vocational Technical Institute. Since 1987 Lupe has worked in the reception, clerical and office assistant field.
Away from the office, Lupe enjoys reading, writing and spending time with her family.
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Gary Maitre Senior Vice President of Underwriting
Gary Maitre Senior Vice President of Underwriting
Gary began his insurance career in claims for several commercial insurers before joining TLIE as a Claims Attorney. After 10 years of handling claims, Gary was promoted to Vice President of Underwriting. Gary graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo with a BA in Sociology, summa cum laude, and as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas School of Law, where he obtained his JD degree. Gary also holds a Master in Professional Accounting from the UT School of Business, graduating with the Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence, as a Sommerfeld Scholar and as a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society for business schools.
In his spare time, Gary enjoys searching for new music to add to his collection.
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Amanda Azua Lead Underwriting Manager
Amanda Azua Lead Underwriting Manager
Amanda Azua joined TLIE in the fall of 2009 as an Underwriter and after a couple of years of hard work was promoted to Lead Underwriting Specialist. When Amanda is not underwriting lawyers’ applications, she is posting and tweeting status updates on TLIE’s social media accounts as the company’s Social Media Coordinator. Amanda graduated from The University of Texas at Austin in 2009 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing with a minor in Accounting.
In her free time, Amanda enjoys spending time with her husband and cheering on the Longhorns.
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Andy Cantiello Underwriting and Technical Project Manager
Andy Cantiello Underwriting and Technical Project Manager
Andy’s duties at TLIE consist of reviewing new and renewal applications, collecting and evaluating applicant information based on underwriting guidelines, preparing quotes and endorsements, post-scripts and contingencies where applicable, and issuing policies with premiums that reflect the level of risk of each new or renewal applicant.
Andy moved to Austin in 2014 from upstate New York. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University at Buffalo where he studied financial analysis. It was during his undergraduate studies that he got his first glimpse of the insurance industry by working for State Farm Insurance during his senior year. After graduating, he moved back to the Albany, N.Y., area where he worked for two years as an admissions advisor at the CL School.
He is enjoying the (non-existent) Texas winters and southern hospitality. In his free time, he likes to watch professional hockey and work on cars.
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Jeffrey Hobkirk Senior Underwriter
Jeffrey Hobkirk Senior Underwriter
Jeff Hobkirk joined TLIE as an underwriter in 2009. Previously Jeff worked as a claims adjuster for almost 20 years which has proven valuable in his current position of evaluating policy language and underwriting law firm applications.
Jeff is a 1989 graduate of Rice University with dual majors in Economics and Managerial Studies. In his spare time he enjoys reading, supporting local sports programs such as the University of Texas Volleyball and Swimming programs, and being manipulated by his two feisty Boston Terriers.
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Mike Franklin Computer Operations
Mike Franklin Computer Operations
Mike Franklin joined the TLIE staff in 1987 as Data Processing Supervisor and is currently responsible for the day-to-day aspects of computer operations. Mike is a 1981 graduate of Texas State University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. In his spare time, Mike plays rhythm guitar with Austin band Don Chani and helps out on the family ranch in Bastrop.
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Neal Hendrickson Vice President of Finance
Neal Hendrickson Vice President of Finance
Neal joined TLIE in 2021 as the Controller. He received his Undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Michigan Technological University in Houghton MI. He is a Certified Public Accountant with experience in manufacturing, insurance and construction accounting.
Neal and his wife moved from Hancock, MI (located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula) to escape the winter weather. In his free time, he and his wife enjoy the outdoors and abundant sunshine of central Texas.
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Dennis Haney Accounting Supervisor
Dennis Haney Accounting Supervisor
A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Dennis spent seventeen years in construction accounting before joining TLIE in 1997. A native of Houston, he has seen Austin transition from a sleepy college town to a major player in the tech industry during his almost forty years living in the area.
In his spare time, Dennis enjoys spending quiet time at home and working on home improvement projects. He is a graduate of the Travis County Sheriff’s Office 33rd Citizens Academy and is currently completing the Austin Police Department’s 82nd class of the Austin Citizen Police Academy. Through his involvement in these classes Dennis has developed a greater appreciation of the contributions made by the men and women of law enforcement.
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Vanessa Peña Accounting Assistant
Vanessa Peña Accounting Assistant
Vanessa joined TLIE in October of 1999; she worked as the AR clerk for six years then left to start a family. After a nine year absence she returned to TLIE in 2015. She’s received her General Lines – Property & Casualty Agents license and continues to educate herself in the Accounting and Insurance business.
Vanessa enjoys spending time with her husband, Ray and their two children. They love to travel and spend time at their condo in Destin, FL. In her spare time Vanessa also enjoys her volunteer work as a Girl Scout leader, reading and watching the latest Pixar and Star Wars movies with her family.
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Cris Chapa Receptionist, Member Services Assistant
Cris Chapa Receptionist, Member Services Assistant
Cris joined TLIE in 1999 as TLIE’s Receptionist. The following year Cris moved to the Accounting Department as an accounts payable clerk.
In her spare time, she enjoys the outdoors, especially going to the beach and spending plenty of quality time with her family.