Our People
Marci Veronie - Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing Marci began her career with Avemco in 1986. She supervises all our underwriters and helps them serve our customers better. “I am passionate about representing the company that stands for aviation insurance. My job is to help the underwriters help our customers. And I’m proud of what we offer.” In March 2018 Marci was elected to serve as Chair of the Board of Directors of Women in Aviation International for a term of two years. In April 2019, she received the prestigious Good Company Award from Tokio Marine, and in April 2020, was nominated for the Geneva Association’s “Women in Insurance” Award.
Kim Skipper - CPCU, Aviation Underwriting Manager Since 1987, Kim has been forming relationships and even friendships with our customers. She says, “I love the fact that my experience combined with being a direct underwriter allows me to deliver immediate answers to the customers.”
Zeb Ahalt – Aviation Underwriter
Zeb graduated from Towson University with a degree in Economics. Before joining our team, Zeb worked in operations for a youth sports company and continues to share his love for baseball by coaching kids on the weekends. Since starting at Avemco, Zeb has developed a growing interest in aviation, particularly through his ground school experience. He enjoys helping customers find the answers they need and takes pride in educating them about their policies. Zeb’s passion for supporting others shines both at work and on the baseball field.
Paul Athey, CPCU - Aviation Underwriter SupervisorPaul has extensive insurance industry experience, as an underwriter and claims specialist working with homeowners, auto owners and boat owners for more than 28 years before joining Avemco in 2020. While Paul never imagined that he would be writing aircraft insurance, he’s found that pilots are great people to be around.
Tom Colbert – Senior Aviation Underwriter Tom had an easy transition into aircraft insurance from his two decades as a claims specialist working with owners of antique and classic cars. He sees similarities between the owners of those vehicles and the pilots he now assists. Both are detail-oriented and have a great passion for their all-consuming avocations.
Aidan McNulty – Aviation Underwriter
Aidan is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, where he earned his degree in Risk Management and Insurance. His passion for aviation grew from attending airshows, with a standout moment being the Blue Angels practice in Annapolis. Since joining our team, Aidan has embraced the opportunity to connect with customers, learn about their aviation insurance needs, and deepen his knowledge of the industry. Outside of work, Aidan enjoys playing tennis and is an avid sports fan. He’s excited to represent the company at tradeshows and continue growing both personally and professionally in the world of aviation insurance.
Alexis Palios - Aviation Underwriter Alexis Palios arrived at Avemco in 2020 with her insurance skill set already in place. Her background at a major, Fortune 500 insurance company entailed seven years of auto underwriting, a year of claims, and an additional six years in quality assurance, client services, and creating and teaching insurance curriculum. She is looking forward to meeting our insureds at events.
Owen Paolicelli – Aviation Underwriter
Originally from New York, Owen has lived in various places, including Missouri and Maryland, where he moved during high school. Owen studied Finance in college and has a varied work background, from serving in restaurants to working as a job foreman for a boat cleaning company. Owen has always had a connection to aviation, having attended airshows around military bases as a kid. Now, he’s enjoying ground school and loves learning about the different types of planes while interacting with a diverse range of customers. Outside of work, Owen is a talented musician who plays guitar, piano, and trombone in a band with friends. He also enjoys fishing and spending time outdoors.
Lucas Price - Aviation Underwriter Lucas is a recent college grad and is excited to put his business administration and customer service skills to use. He says, “Most everyone I interact with is genuine and positive; it really makes a world of difference and I’m grateful to be part of a team that produces such an awesome environment.” Outside the office, Lucas stays busy as a new dad and a high school girls’ basketball coach.
Justin Reed - Aviation Underwriter SupervisorJustin has extensive insurance industry experience, handling automobile accident claims for more than 18 years before joining Avemco. Although airplanes are a different animal, he finds the importance of exceptional customer service the same. Justin says it’s all about helping people.
JT Routzahn - Aviation UnderwriterJT Routzahn joined Team Avemco in October of 2022 with decades of insurance experience behind him. During his career, JT has been a commercial underwriter, operations team manager, and claims adjuster. He finds that talking with pilots is the most enjoyable part of his job. In his spare time, he loves to play golf, hang out with his college-student son, and serve on the board of a local bank.
Bre Schill - Aviation UnderwriterBre Schill is a Frederick native and a recent graduate of the University of Maryland with a strong background in customer service. She loves talking with pilots about their experiences in the air. Bre comes from an aviation family. Her uncle is an airline pilot, so she grew up around airplanes. She is close with her family and enjoys spending her free time working out and hiking in the Maryland countryside.
Sherri Webster - Aviation Underwriter Supervisor Sherri has lived in the Frederick, MD area for most of her life. Before joining Avemco in 2020, she had already racked up more than 30 years of experience in the insurance industry. When you ask her the difference between Avemco customers and her previous experience as an auto underwriter, she says, “Avemco customers are just so happy and love to talk about their airplanes, flying, and how much they love Avemco.”
Michael Donovan - PresidentMichael began his career with HCC in 1983 as an assistant aviation underwriter and since that time has served in various positions, including Director, Executive Vice President and President (of HC Aviation). He has been an officer of Avemco since 2007 and currently serves as President and Director of Avemco Insurance Company.
Tom Fraley - Senior Vice President, Support Operations Tom started at Avemco in 1997 and has continually watched the complexity of Information Technology expand. “My favorite part of this job is tackling the challenges associated with ever-evolving technologies and applying them to make Avemco a more efficient company.”