W. R. Berkley Corporation Names President Of Great River Insurance Company

W. R. Berkley Corporation has promoted Charles "Bill" Baumeister to president of the Great River Insurance Company, headquartered in Meridian, MS, effective September 1.

He succeeds Carl Carver, who was elected chairman of Great River's Board of Directors. Great River is a wholly owned regional property and casualty company, which provides a full line of property and casualty insurance through independent agents in Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas and Kentucky.

Prior to joining Great River in 1997, Baumeister was vice president of Stewart Sneed and Hewes, Inc. in Gulfport, MS, where he also served as a member of the Board of Directors. A 24-year veteran of the insurance business, Baumeister's previous experience includes a variety of underwriting and marketing positions with the Continental Insurance Companies.

Since joining Great River, Baumeister has been responsible for underwriting, marketing and loss control. He is a graduate of Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky with a major in Business Management and Accounting.

Carl Carver has been president of Great River since its founding in 1993. Prior to joining W. R. Berkley Corporation to lead the formation of Great River, he served as a partner in F. W. Williams, a managing general agency in Mississippi, and as general manager of USF&G's branch office in Meridian after USF&G acquired the agency.