Tom Chappell
Tom Chappell is the chairman and CEO of Chappell, Smith & Associates, Inc., parent company of CS&A Aviation Insurance. He is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and is a member of several local and national professional organizations, including the Aviation Insurance Association (AIA). His articles are published in numerous aviation trade publications dealing with aircraft operations and the changing trends in aviation insurance. He has served on various boards and insurance company advisory councils. He was honored to serve on an advisory panel for the National Academy of Sciences advising NASA on its “Small Aircraft Transportation System Initiative.” Tom is considered one of the industry’s foremost authorities on aviation insurance, having been in this specialized field for over 30 years. He has distinguished himself in the area of aviation risk management and in the placement of insurance for high performance aircraft. He works extensively with FBOs and maintenance, parts, training, and service organizations, as well as regional airlines. He is respected as a speaker in the area of aviation insurance and risk management and frequently participates in aviation seminars.
Mary Lewis
Mary Lewis has over 30 years of insurance experience. She has been with CS&A since 1984 and has served on Agency Councils for Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. Mary’s success is built on the personal attention she gives her clients and her ability to place clients with insurance companies that meet their needs. In 2006, Mary was selected to head CS&A’s newly created Platinum Client Division that caters to the unique insurance needs of affluent clientele.
Steve Elliott
Steve Elliott, a recent addition to Chappell, Smith & Associates, comes to us with fifteen years of experience in the sales industry, with an emphasis in operations management. He transitioned from the sales industry into the insurance field in 2007. Commercial insurance products for industrial, wholesale, and retail facilities are his area of emphasis. Steve has a strong commitment to excellence and dedication to customer service.
Steve Lee
Steve brought over 40 years of experience in placing commercial coverages when he joined Chappell, Smith & Associates, Inc. in 2005. He began his career as an underwriting assistant with Employers Insurance Company of Wausau and then transitioned to the agency side of insurance with Corroon & Black. He was a partner with Security Insurance for 24 years. Steve earned his Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters (CPCU) designation in 1976 and served as president of the Middle Tennessee Chapter of CPCU in 1983. At CS&A, a large portion of Steve’s work is with the restaurant industry, franchisers and franchisees of fast-food and full-service restaurants, as well as with privately owned higher-end restaurants.
Todd Lee
Todd Lee is President of CS&A’s Property and Casualty Division and is a member of the company’s board of directors. Todd joined CS&A in 2005, having worked in the insurance field since 1997. He is a University of Tennessee graduate in Finance and Economics and began his insurance career as a claims adjuster with Travelers Insurance Co. He later worked as a catastrophe claims specialist in commercial property and business interruption claims. As a partner with Security Insurance, Todd produced commercial accounts. While attaining his Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation, he contributed to the formation of various successful corporate and franchisee restaurant insurance programs. Todd serves as an adviser on presidential councils for insurance companies. In addition to working at CS&A, Todd has worked with Covenant Risk Partners, assisting in the risk assessment, control, and placement of insurance for various national and international corporations.
Jodie Folk
A veteran account executive, Jodie Folk has over 35 years experience in insurance. He traces his insurance background to Liberty Mutual’s Loss Prevention Department in the 1970s and joined CS&A in 1996. Both a Large Account Agent and Risk Management Consultant, Jodie has strong technical knowledge and enjoys the challenge of the large commercial accounts and their unique risks. Jodie is a graduate of the University of Georgia, past President of the Insurors of Nashville, and has served on the Education Committee for the State Insurance Association. He also has taught continuing education insurance classes in Middle Tennessee.
Robert Alexander
Robert P. Alexander is a producer for CS&A’s Property and Casualty Division. He joined CS&A in May 2008 and has more than 36 years of experience in the insurance industry. Robert is a University of Tennessee graduate. He started his insurance career in 1972 at Ingram, Armistead & Wallace insurance agency. In 1980, Robert began his 28-year association with Security Insurance as an independent producer. His experience in the insurance industry includes writing both personal and commercial lines and surety bond business. He has experience serving clients in a variety of fields, including petrochemicals, boat manufacturing, construction, commercial real estate, financial institutions, as well as national accounts. Robert was one of the originators and a member of the board of directors of Capital Bank & Trust, which is now Renasant Bank. He currently serves as a member of Renasant Bank’s Middle Tennessee board of directors.
Gary Thompson
Gary joined Chappell, Smith and Associates bringing several years of experience in the employee benefits. He began his career in the field writing property and casualty coverage, but quickly developed a passion in the area of life and health. Gary spent the next phase of his career working with HealthSpring and Humana which gave him great insight to the changing landscape of healthcare. Gary is a graduate of Memphis State University, with a BBA in Finance. He has also completed some postgraduate work in Business Education studies at Middle Tennessee State University. He holds a series 6 and 63 FINRA Registration and a Life, Health and Variable Annuities License. Gary looks forward to working with both individuals and businesses to design and implement employee benefit and retirement plans. Whether you need coverage for your family or staff he is committed to finding a solution. He also understands business owners have a unique set of needs that must be addressed separately such as key person protection or overhead expense coverage. No task is too large or too small.
Christy Poteete
Every wheel must have a hub; the center of the operation; that person that just makes things run smoothly. At Chappell, Smith & Associates, Inc. our hub is Christy Poteete. Christy has been a key to the operations of CS&A for more than 16 years.
If you have ever called our switchboard, you will know Christy. She is the sweet little voice that answers our phone and just makes you glad you called us. She is always at her station and always in a good mood.
And if the stress of handling the phones for both the Franklin and Atlanta offices isn’t enough, Christy is responsible for the regulatory compliance for 30 of our employees, their licenses in 47 states and contracts with more than 50 insurance companies. Thanks to Christy, CS&A maintains more than 350 residence and non-resident licenses keeping the agency legal throughout the United States.
Focused on Risk 
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