Leaders
Ryan Blakeney
Ryan Blakeney was named Director of the Consumer Services Division in March of 2024. He previously served as Deputy Director of Consumer Services and the Life and Health Specialist for the Consumer Services Division. He serves MID directors, private industry professionals, and public consumers in understanding complex insurance issues and resolving conflicts regarding life/health, property and casualty topics.
Ryan's experience in state government began as a Benefit Analyst for PERS, the Public Employees' Retirement System of Mississippi, where he advised members on disability benefits, survivor payments, and retirement finances. Appointed by Commissioner Mike Chaney, Ryan also represented MID on the Mississippi Autism Advisory Committee. He also served as President of the Gulf-States Association of Insurance Compliance Professionals; and as President of the University of Mississippi Medical Center's Alumni Affairs Board. Currently, he serves on Mississippi's Early Intervention-Childhood Development Board.
Ryan earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Mississippi followed by a Master of Health Sciences from the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He and his wife, Amy, live in Brandon with their daughter, Avery.
Mark Cooley
Mark Cooley, CFE
Chief Examiner
Financial and Market Regulations Division
Mark.Cooley@mid.ms.gov
601-359-2554
Joined the Mississippi Insurance Department and has been the Chief Examiner of the Financial and Market Regulation Division since 2012. Mark is currently responsible for scheduling, staffing and supervising financial and market examinations of Mississippi domestic insurers. Mark is responsible for monitoring foreign insurers that are financially troubled or impaired to analyze the possibility of Rehabilitation or eventual Liquidation. Mark also reviews the financial status of applying TPA’s and foreign Risk Retention Groups.
Mark joined the Mississippi Insurance Department, Financial and Market Regulation Division as a Financial and Market analyst in 2007 and later supervised junior analyst prior to becoming the Chief Examiner.
Prior to joining the Department, Mark worked for Knobias, Inc., a financial services data and information provider for professional traders and financial institutions. Mark served in several roles during his six years with that firm including internal control of customer accounts, manager of a private placement database and content director of a staff providing profiles and financial information for publicly traded companies.
Mark received his Bachelors of Professional Accountancy from Mississippi State University
Katherine Dehmer
Katherine Dehmer is a Senior Recruiter with C Spire and has been on the C Spire recruiting team for 11 years. She has managed the summer internship program for 10 years.
Patrick Ergastolo
Patrick Ergastolo
Area Assistant Vice President | Cyber Liability Practice
Chicago, IL
Joined Gallagher in 2019
Started in Insurance in 2018
Patrick Ergastolo advises clients on cyber risk and evaluates cyber risk transfer solutions. He uses proven and unique solutions to design and implement risk programs tailored to each client. Patrick works closely with clients to understand their needs, assess their vulnerabilities, and develop comprehensive risk management strategies. By leveraging his technical expertise and understanding of insurance policies, he ensures clients have the right coverage to protect their digital assets and recover from potential cyber incidents. Patrick has helped numerous organizations mitigate potential financial losses from cyberattacks, data breaches, and other cyber related incidents.
Patrick joined Gallagher's Cyber Liability Practice in 2019 after participating in the Gallagher Summer Internship Program in 2018. Pat earned his bachelor's degree in Finance from the University of Iowa and a Risk Management and Insurance certificate from the University of Iowa Vaughn Institute. Pat also has a Cyber COPE Insurance Certification from the Heinz College's School of Information Systems and Management at Carnegie Mellon University. Pat is a member of the Professional Liability Underwriting Society, PLUS.
Jim Essig
Jim Essig brings over 25 years of cybersecurity experience. He started his professional journey at PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) as a Consultant in the Threat and Vulnerability Assessment practice, eventually advancing to the role of Manager within the Mid-Atlantic Security Practice. At PwC, he directed large teams in conducting security consulting projects and audit support security reviews, emphasizing security strategy, policy creation, and diagnostic security evaluations.
Following his tenure at PwC, Jim has been involved with various startups and security software vendors, concentrating on several cybersecurity domains, including data protection, cloud security, encryption, and network security. Currently, Jim serves as a Strategic Account Director at Microsoft, assisting large organizations in mitigating their cybersecurity issues.
Bonney Henderson
Bonney Henderson has been with Renasant Bank since January 2020 and currently services as First Vice President and Treasury Solutions Sales Team Lead. Bonney has nearly 20 years of banking experience specializing in Treasury Solutions leadership and consultative selling as well as Public Funds management. She currently leads a Treasury Solutions sales team to include South Mississippi, Birmingham, Atlanta, and Nashville. Because of Bonney's experience and knowledge of Treasury Solutions, she's able work with companies to offer solutions that provide greater efficiencies, less risk and security of funds to meet the client's needs.
Bonney is a graduate of Mississippi State University and the Mississippi School of Banking. She and her husband have three children and reside in Madison.
Beth Ikerd
Beth Ikerd has been with Renasant Bank since September 2006 and currently serves as Senior Vice President and Director of Treasury Solutions Sales and serves in a leadership role within the Banks Commercial Payments and Treasury Solution Services team. Beth leads a team of fourteen sales professionals across Renasant Bank's seven state footprint to provide clients solutions to manage their payables, receivables and payment information as well as provide fraud mitigation services.
With over 30 years in financial services industry experience, Beth has held numerous leadership positions across various regional banks in the areas of Commercial Banking, Business Banking, Retail Banking, Audit and Compliance. Through these roles, Beth has developed an understanding of the daily strategic needs of the business client.
Beth is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning her Bachelor of Business Administration in banking and Finance. She and her husband have two children and reside in Tupelo.
Kimberly R. Joiner
Kim Joiner was born and raised in Benton, Mississippi. She graduated from Mississippi College in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics. She received a Certificate in Accounting from Mississippi College in 2004 and earned the Certified Public Accountant
(CPA) designation in 2006.
Kim joined Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company in 1999 as an actuarial student and, after several positions in General Accounting, was named Vice President and Controller in 2021. In this role, she manages the daily functions of the General Accounting department with responsibilities that include preparation of the Company's financial statements, preparation and filing of the Company's federal income and state tax returns, management of treasury functions, and work with external audit firms during their examinations of the Company.
Kim and her husband, Corey, have one daughter, Kaitlin, and are members of Pinelake Church in Brandon, where they reside.
Steven Mulhollen
Steve Mulhollen,
While obtaining his B.A. in Christian studies, his M.B.A., and his Certificate in Accounting from Mississippi College, Mulhollen embarked on a diverse career. Steve began his career working in the Investor Relations mailroom at WorldCom and worked his way up as a Financial Analyst while completing his M.B.A. at Mississippi College. After a short stint at Georgia Pacific as a Wood and Fiber Procurement accountant, Steve entered public accounting to pursue his passion for serving Not-for-Profit organizations. After a successful tenure at HORNE, he left to serve his client, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, and Phi Theta Kappa Foundation as the chief financial officer. While serving as the finance committee chair, his home church, Broadmoor Baptist Church, asked him to serve as the Executive Pastor and Treasurer.
Mulhollen was first introduced to teaching as an adjunct instructor at the collegiate level in the early 2000s at Mississippi College. His desire and joy for teaching have never left him. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Accountancy at Mississippi College, teaching principles, intermediate, and cost accounting. Steve also serves as the Mississippi College's Assistant Chief Financial Officer. Steve recently earned his Ph.D. from the University of Southern Mississippi and continues to serve the Not-for-Profit and Governmental community through his consulting services company, Poiema L.L.C.
Steve is a Certified Public Accountant and holds the SHRM-CP designation. Steve has served as the past Treasurer and President of the MSCPA Central Chapter and currently serves on the MSCPA Not-for-Profit Committee.
Eric Nash
Investigator Nash began his career with the U.S. Department of Labor/ Wage and Hour Division in the Jackson, Mississippi District Office, in 1998. He has worked on National, Regional and District Office initiatives where he has received Secretary of Labor Rewards throughout his career. He has been the team leader on numerous complex investigations to include the Fair Labor Standards Act, H-2A, H-2B, Davis Bacon, and Migrant Seasonal Protection Act. He has specialized H-2A and H-2B National Office training, and is a trainer for other investigators, staff, and the public. He also provides outreach to stakeholders, employers, and the community on all laws enforced by Wage and Hour. He represents the agency on the Mississippi Human Trafficking Task Force; where he works with Federal, State, and local law enforcement to combat human trafficking, concerning Wage and Hour laws.
Fred M. Sutphen
Fred Sutphen is a Certified Public Accountant currently in public practice, specializing in business advisory, tax advisory, and consulting services. With a background in project operation management across multiple industries, Fred brings extensive management experience in high-volume and multi-location operations. He holds bachelor's degrees in Aviation Management and Accounting, and is a member of the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants (MSCPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Fred values flexibility and communication as key components of success. He can be reached at Orsborn, Sutphen, & O’Neal, P.A. in Greenwood, MS, via email at fredmsjr@sutphencpa.com or by phone at 662-453-4175 (office) and 662-299-50019 (mobile).
Gilbert C. Van Loon
Gilbert Van Loon is a partner at Butler Snow. He has represented clients in in all aspects of retirement and health and welfare benefit plans design, administration, compliance, taxation, employee communications, fiduciary responsibility, defense of benefit claims, examinations, ruling applications, correction program filings and merger and acquisition transactions.
Gilbert was Lawyer of the Year, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law 2011, 2017, 2019, and 2024.
He graduated from University of Southern Mississippi with a B.S. in Business Administration, summa cum Laude in 1981. He became a CPA in 1981. He recieved his J.D, cum Laude in 1985 from the University of Mississippi in 1985 and his LL.M. in Taxation in 1986 from the University of Florida.