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Dr. James Driscoll – Lead Underwriter and Head of Underwriting Department

Head of the Watts and Associates, Inc. Underwriting Department and responsible for underwriting guidelines on new crop insurance products in excess of 20 years;
Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Oklahoma State University;
Performed analysis and advised management of FCIC on the structure of the 1990 and 1998 Standard Reinsurance Agreements, including gain/loss share parameters, fund designation, and limitations on fund allocations.;
Successfully completed the examinations for CPCU 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, and 9;
Successfully completed the examinations for ARM 54 and 56;
Successfully completed coursework in Basic Reinsurance Principles and Advanced Reinsurance Principles;
30 years of analytical work experience with USDA;
20 years experience in multiple peril crop insurance, with substantial underwriting and actuarial responsibilities;
Seven years experience as senior actuary for United States Department of Agriculture, Risk Management Agency, with responsibility for FCIC’s ratemaking methodology;
Principal Investigator for numerous United States Department of Agriculture, Risk Management Agency funded projects;
Extensive experience seeking innovative answers to crop insurance issues raised by Congressional, producer, and other interests;
Seeks pragmatic and effective solutions, both procedurally and customer oriented, to problems and issues in crop insurance; and
Lead Underwriter and Principal Investigator for the following USDA-RMA funded development efforts:

Named Peril Weather Insurance,
Research and Development of a Pilot Crop Insurance Program for Silage Sorghum,
Christmas Tree Research and Development Insurance Program,
Revenue Insurance Program Development,
Pasture and Rangeland Program Insurance Development,
Group Risk Plan Rangeland Program New Index Research & Development,
Sweetpotato Pilot Program Development,
Development of a Risk Management Program for Pasture/Rangeland and Forage, and
Development of a Pilot Program for Indexing for Category B Crops (Declining Yields) (Subcontractor)

Watts and Associates, Inc. - Economic Consultants