Meet The Board
Joe Stephenson
President
2018
Joe Stephenson is the Director of SIU for a national specialty insurance carrier. He has been in the insurance industry for 10 years, after retiring as a police officer from the State of Maine. He has been the President of NEIASIU since 2014 and previously sat on the Board of Directors. He is a certified insurance fraud investigator (CIFI), accident reconstructionist, and lectures to various groups regarding Internet and Social Media Investigations.
Matt Griffin
Vice President 2017
Vendor Coordinator
Matt Griffin is a SIU Regional Manager for Metropolitan Property and Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates (a subsidiary of MetLife Insurance Company). Mr. Griffin joined Metropolitan in 1994 as an investigator within the Special Investigation Unit (SIU). Before joining Metropolitan, he was an SIU Investigator with the Aetna Property & Casualty Insurance Company, and a Senior Trooper with the Vermont State Police.
Sue MacKay
Secretary 2018
Sue MacKay, FCLS, CIFI, CPIW is a senior special investigator with Hanover Insurance. She has been in the insurance industry for 37 years, starting her career with Middlesex Insurance but spending the last 30 years with Hanover. Sue is a Life Member of NEIAISU, past President of NEAIFI and the past President of the Massachusetts Chapter of IAAI. She has also sat on a number of Boards, including that of IAMI.
Steve LaVasseur
Treasurer
2017
Steve LaVasseur is a Special Investigator with National General Insurance Company. He has been employed in the insurance industry for 25 years. The first half of Steve’s insurance career was in various claim capacities. He then transitioned to SIU in 2003. Steve is a certified insurance fraud investigator (CIFI) and also Fraud Claims Law Associate (FCLA). Steve served on the Board of Directors prior to being elected to Treasurer.
John Leblanc
John Leblanc has been on the Board of Directors of the New England Chapter of IASIU since 2014. He began his career in insurance in 2008 as an intern in the SIU analyst unit with Metlife Auto & Home. Following this he went to work as a police officer at Babson College before returning to Metlife in 2010 as a special investigator.
Director (2017) / Awards & Certification Coordinator
Laura Kessler
Laura Kessler is Vice-President/General Counsel to the Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts. She serves as chief legal officer. Formerly, Laura served as counsel to the Special Investigation Unit of Arbella Mutual Insurance Company and enforcement counsel to the Massachusetts Securities Division. A graduate of Villanova University, Laura Kessler received a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School and was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 1985. She is a member of the Massachusetts and American Bar Associations, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, and NEAIFI.
Director (2017) / Bylaws & Procedures Coordinator
Suzette Cavanaugh
Suzette Cavanaugh is currently employed as a Senior Investigator with Pilgrim Insurance Company. After receiving her BA degree from Suffolk University she embarked on her career by joining the Massachusetts Attorney General's Public Protection Bureau as an investigator before moving into the Insurance industry. She is a Certified Insurance Fraud Investigator (CIFI), is a founding member of the New England Chapter of the International Association of Special Investigation Units (NEIASIU), is currently the Secretary for the New England Association of Insurance Fraud Investigators (NEAIFI), and is a member of the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators (IAATI).
Director (2017) / Seminar Coordinator
Tania Spring
Tania Spring is a SIU Supervisor with MAPFRE Insurance. She has been in the insurance industry for 25 years, starting her career with Amica Insurance but spending the last 21 years with MAPFRE. She has worked in MAPFRE’s SIU for the past 17 years. She holds SCLA, INS and AIC designations.
Director (2017) / Marketing & Merchandising Coordinator
Audrey Parr
Audrey C. Parr, Esq, is the founder of Parr Law, P.C., where she advocates for insurers and policyholders in all types of first and third-party insurance defense matters, including pre-trial investigation, coverage matters, litigation, and appellate work. Since 1991, Attorney Parr has specialized in suspected fraudulent injury and property damage claims, relating to automobile, PIP, homeowners, medical provider, and commercial liability coverage on behalf of both personal and commercial carriers. Before her private litigation focus, Attorney Parr served the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts, where she spent 12 years successfully prosecuting hundreds of District and Superior Court jury trials involving major felonies including homicide, child abuse, arson, and insurance fraud.
Legal Counsel
Robert J. Bodoni
Rob Bodoni, AIC, CIFI, FCLS is a SIU Regional Manager for Metlife and immediate past President of the NEIASIU Chapter. He currently serves on the International Board of Directors, holding additional positions there as chair of the Certification and Education Committees for IASIU. He is a Licensed Private Detective, Notary Public, and holds a Massachusetts Producer License. Before joining MetLife, Rob held a number of investigative positions in and outside the industry, and was a police officer in a north shore suburb of Boston. Rob holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice (Cum Laude) and a Master of Science degree in C.J. Administration, both from Northeastern University and has written a number of published articles addressing insurance fraud detection, prevention and investigation.
Past President / Chapter Liaison
Erin Bracken
Erin Bracken, CFE, AIC is an SIU Investigator with Zurich North America Claims. She obtained a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Northeastern University in 2003. After working as a private investigator, she began her career in the insurance industry in 2004. Over the years, she has held positions as a claims case handler, senior corporate compliance investigator and field investigator. Erin has been a Director with New England IASIU since 2016.
Director (2018) / Training Coordinator
Frank Loto
Frank Loto is a Sr. SIU Analyst with Liberty Mutual Insurance. He has worked in Liberty Mutual’s SIU for over 18 years, investigating insurance fraud in multiple lines of insurance including property & casualty, group disability and life. He holds CIFI & SCLA designations and is currently obtaining his MBA from Franklin Pierce University. Prior to working for Liberty Mutual, Frank was in law enforcement in New Hampshire. He is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire and has been a Director with New England IASIU since 2016.
Director (2018) / Venue Coordinator
Nicholas M. Haslam
Nick has worked for Vermont Mutual for over 5 years and oversees the everyday operations of Vermont Mutual’s SIU. Nick holds his AIC, AINS, AIS and FCLS designations. He is also a recent graduate of the first graduating class of the CLM Claims College School of Insurance Fraud, earning his CCP designation. Nick currently is the Vice President of the Vermont Arson Tip Award Program and on the Board of Directors of the VT Chapter of the IAAI. In addition to his work for Vermont Mutual, Nick has served as a volunteer firefighter for 10 years and is a current member of the Waterbury, VT fire department and is a past Lieutenant of the Stowe, VT fire department.
Director (2018) / Membership Coordinator
Michael B. Gottlieb
Michael Gottlieb is the North East Region’s Senior SIU Data/Field Analyst for AIPSO. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Providence College in 1997, prior to working for a major Rhode Island insurance carrier. He joined AIPSO in 2002 as an Assistant Data Analyst in Data Services and was promoted to Data Analyst in 2005. In June 2005, he transitioned into AIPSO’s SIU becoming the Eastern Region’s SIU Data Analyst and was directly involved in the “start-up” efforts for the region’s SIU program. In December 2008 he was promoted to Senior SIU Data Analyst. In 2011, he was instrumental in designing and implementing a robust SIU Data Warehouse/Case Management System with link analysis capabilities. Mike is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), the International Association of Special Investigation Units (IASIU), and the New England Association of Insurance Fraud Investigators (NEAIFI).
Director (2018) / Social Media & Website Coordinator
John Gasiorek
John M. Gasiorek became a Special Agent with the National Insurance Crime Bureau in September 2005 and was promoted to Supervisory Special Agent in May of 2009. John supervises six additional Special Agents overseeing all NICB investigations in New England. John is also assigned investigative responsibilities in Connecticut, specializing in property and casualty insurance fraud with a specific emphasis on multi-claim, multi-carrier, ring activity perpetrated by unscrupulous medical providers and attorneys. John organized and heads the Mini-Medical Fraud Task Force in CT where he assists in the coordination of criminal investigations with federal, state and local police agencies.
Director (2018) / Events Coordinator
Jacques Parenteau
Jack Parenteau, Partner, Parenteau & O’Hara, P.C. Police officer, Bodily injury claim rep., SIU Investigator, Auto Theft Unit Supervisor, SIU Manager and Lawyer licensed to practice law in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Jack has handled and litigated SIU cases for 25 years. He has handled SIU cases from inception through appellate decisions. Jack has developed strategy for handling medical fraud cases locally and as national coordinating counsel. He continues to handle SIU cases throughout New England and is a frequent lecturer on fraud related issues.
Legal Counsel