Officers, Board of Directors & Regional Directors 2024
CCPAC Council Executive Director & CEO
David Nordt, CCP
Geodis – [email protected]
David Nordt, CCP was elected as the Executive Director by the membership at the 2023 CCPAC Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA on May 1, 2023. Previously, Dave served as the President of the Council, a position he held for the longest term of any CCPAC president to date. He joined CCPAC in 1998, making him a member of the organization for 26 years. Dave has over 40 years of experience in transportation management. He was recently promoted to the National Director of Claims at The Gilbert Company / Geodis. In this capacity he oversees cargo claims, OS&D, loss prevention, quality control, and operations. Dave serves as a board member of the Transportation & Logistics Council (T&LC), and arbitrator on the Transportation Arbitration Board (TAB). He also has membership in the Traffic Club of Newark, NJ, New Jersey Motor Trucking Association, and the Eastern Regional Transportation Security Council. In addition, he is a member of the Transportation Loss Prevention & Security Association, and the American Society of Industrial Security. He served as president of the Northeastern Motor Carrier Claims & Security Conference from 2000-2004. Dave is a proud Army veteran.
Chairman, Board of Directors
Carrie Frisbie, CCP
SEKO Logistics – [email protected]
Carrie Frisbie, CCP is Chairman of the Board for Certified Claims Professional Accreditation Council, Inc. Prior to being voted as President, where she served 2022 – 2024, she was also a Regional Director. She is a member of the Board of Directors for the Transportation & Logistics Council (T&LC) and, also, an Arbitrator with the Transportation Arbitration Board (TAB). She has over 20 years of experience in logistics and supply chain. Carrie received her CCP in April 2012 and has also since served as Proctor as well. She is currently the Director of Claims at SEKO Logistics where she specializes in domestic and international cargo claims, risk management, contract review and insurance working together with the global network to ensure best practices.
President
Carla Bay Rumford, CCP
BM2 Freight Services, Inc. – [email protected]
Carla Bay Rumford, CCP currently serves as Council President. She became a Certified Claims Professional (CCP) in March of 2022, and a Certified Transportation Broker, CTB in April of 2023. Carla is a member of the Board of Directors for the Transportation & Logistics Council. She also sits on the education & operations committee as well as the Anti-Fraud Task Force for Transportation Intermediary Association (TIA) and is also an arbitrator with the Transportation Arbitration Board (TAB).
Carla has been in logistics for over ten years. She started as a broker, hauling mainly produce, food and beverage loads. Carla is currently the Senior Operations Support Manager at BM2 Freight Service, a 3pl Broker out of Northern Kentucky. Carla manages the Claims & Compliance, Carrier Services and Afterhours Departments at BM2 where she manages all claims, carrier setups, system compliance, contract reviews and after hour track and trace. She is involved in creating and implementing policies that help keep the organization safe and keep freight moving safely across the nation’s highways. Carla has a passion for investigating, which leads her to great success when reviewing claims and new carriers.
Executive Vice President
Christine Gramse, CCP
Land O’Lakes, Inc. – [email protected]
Christine Gramse, CCP is the CCPAC Executive Vice President and is a long-time member of our Board of Directors. She is also the Region 5 Director of the Great Lakes Region. Christine works for Land O’ Lakes, Inc., based in Arden Hills, MN as a Transportation Claims and Audit Specialist since 2008, where she manages the review, negotiations, recovery, and reporting of cargo claims for most modes of transportation of their four divisions. She has over 25 years of experience in the transportation industry and is a knowledgeable and trusted transportation claims professional to her internal and external business partners. She received her CCP Accreditation in 2013 and served as the CCPAC Vice President Secretary from 2018 to 2021. Christine has been a Shipper Arbitrator for the Transportation Arbitration Board (TAB) since 2020. She is a member of Power Presenters a Toastmasters International Club where she has held officer roles as President, Secretary, and Vice President of Public Relations.
Vice President – Council Secretary
Robyn Connelly, CCP, CCB
Syfan Logistics – [email protected]
Robyn Connelly, CCP was elected by the membership to the position of Vice President – Council Secretary. She previously served as Membership and Proclaim Editor over 5 years ago. She is Claims Manager for Syfan Logistics, and is an experienced cargo claims professional. Robyn’s knowledge of transportation operations enables her to work with a multitude of departments managing cargo claims, insurance, and mitigating risk to protect the assets of Syfan Logistics. She has worked in the trucking and logistics industry for 18 years and has managed the claims department for the past 9 years. Robyn earned her claims certification in 2015 through the Certified Claims Professional Accreditation Council as well as completing the Freight Claims Management Program through the Institute of Logistical Management. In her efforts to continue her education Robyn completed the TIA course in 2018 to become a Certified Transportation Broker. Robyn resides in Cornelia, Georgia, and has two daughters and five grandchildren.
Vice President – Treasurer
Bing-Syin (Benson) Ye, CCP
MSIG North America – [email protected]
Benson Ye, CCP was elected by the membership to serve as the Vice President Treasure of the Council. Benson is the Assistant Claims Manager at MSIG North America, New York City, NY. He has over 15 years’ experience in the marine insurance industry. In addition to CCP, Benson has two master’s degrees in law and the following designations: Senior Claim Law Associate (SCLA), Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Associate in Risk Management (ARM), Associate in Marine Insurance Management (AMIM), and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB). Benson’s integrated knowledge of legal, insurance, risk management and quality control provide him with the required expertise to manage freight claims. In 2020, Benson received the American Marine Claims Award co-sponsored by American Institute of Marine Underwriters, Inland Marine Underwriters Association, Marine Insurance and Claims Association, Association of Average Adjusters of the US and Canada, and International Cargo Insurance Conference in UK.
Vice President Communications / ProClaim Editor
Jessica Renner, CCP
Jarrett Companies – [email protected]
Jessica Renner, CCP is the Cargo Claims and Risk Manager for Jarrett Companies. She has been with Jarrett for 9 years. Jessica is currently the VP of Communications and ProClaim Editor for CCPAC and has been on the board since 2019. She is also a member of the Transportation & Logistics Council’s Board of Directors. Since 2020 Jessica has also been an arbitrator for the Transportation Arbitration Board (TAB). Jessica’s daily responsibilities include managing claims for three of the Jarrett vertices as well as supporting Jarrett’s customers in the area of risk management and claims prevention. She is married to her husband Josh, and they have an 11-year-old daughter and a 6-year-old son. She enjoys going to work every day and is blessed to have had the opportunities that have been provided to her through Jarrett.
Vice President – Certifications & Membership
Susan LePage, CCP
Kuehne + Nagel Inc. – [email protected]
Susan LePage, CCP was elected to the serve as the Vice President Certifications & Membership of the Council. In 2005, Susan started as the receptionist for a third-party billing company, Logistics Management Inc. She quickly moved into the data entry department and continued to learn more about the industry. She worked in roles as a freight bill auditor, customer service specialist and certified claims professional. She earned her CCP certification at the Transportation & Logistics Council’s (TLC) 48th Annual Conference in Orlando, FL on March 23, 2022. All of her transportation experience lies within the 3PL and motor carrier segments of the industry. She has been employed with the same third-party billing company for over 19 years through various name changes, LMI, Newgistics Freight Services, ReTrans Freight and currently known as Kuehne + Nagel Inc.
Susan currently holds the position of Certified Claims Specialist. She works with her clients and carriers to reach fair claim settlements for all parties. Susan possesses the industry knowledge to research and offer solutions to reoccurring shipping issues. She also assists her accounting, collections, and customer service teams with customer compliance issues.
Director of Social Media
Hannah Sosbee, CCP
Syfan Logistics – [email protected]
Hannah Sosebee, CCP with Syfan Logistics was elected as Region 8 Director in 2023. Hannah is currently a Claims Specialist with Syfan Logistics. She joined the Syfan team in May of 2022. She started her career as a Claims Administrative assistant. After two months of hard work and taking over trailer claims, she was promoted to Claims Specialist. She has shared her knowledge by training two other employees in processing trailer damage claims. As a team member, she is always willing to lend a helping hand. With determination and long hours, she took on the challenge of continuing her education in claims and insurance. Perseverance paid off, and Hannah passed the GA Insurance Adjusters Exam and obtained her Insurance Adjuster’s license.
In 2023 while attending the claims conference, she took and passed the exam to become a Certified Claims Professional with CCPAC. Hannah works alongside Robyn and Tiffany in the Claims department. Together they process Cargo, property, and trailer damage claims. She enjoys the problem-solving aspect and learns new things every day.
These past two years have brought many opportunities for Hannah. She was fortunate to buy her first home that she shares with her 4-year-old son Jaxon. When not with her Syfan family, she enjoys spending time with her friends, swimming, relaxing, and experiencing new adventures.
She enjoys coming to work every day and is excited about the company’s growth, along with her professional and personal development with Syfan Logistics.
Vice President, Regional Directors & Region 7 Director
Position Open– Vice Presidet Region Directors and Region 7 Director
REGIONS – REGIONAL DIRECTORS & Assistant Regional Directors – CCPAC Officers, Board of Directors, and Regional Directors in your area to assist with local area information, membership, and recruiting.
Region 1 Director – New England Region CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT
Susan LePage, CCP
Kuehne + Nagel Inc. – [email protected]
Susan LePage, CCP is the Region 1 Director and the Vice President Certifications & Membership of the Council.
In 2005, Susan started as the receptionist for a third-party billing company, Logistics Management Inc. She quickly moved into the data entry department and continued to learn more about the industry. She worked in roles as a freight bill auditor, customer service specialist and certified claims professional. She earned her CCP certification at the Transportation & Logistics Council’s (TLC) 48th Annual Conference in Orlando, FL on March 23, 2022. All of her transportation experience lies within the 3PL and motor carrier segments of the industry. She has been employed with the same third-party billing company for over 19 years through various name changes, LMI, Newgistics Freight Services, ReTrans Freight and currently known as Kuehne + Nagel Inc.
Susan currently holds the position of Certified Claims Specialist. She works with her clients and carriers to reach fair claim settlements for all parties. Susan possesses the industry knowledge to research and offer solutions to reoccurring shipping issues. She also assists her accounting, collections, and customer service teams with customer compliance issues.
Region 2 – Mid-Atlantic Region DE, MD, PA, NJ, NY, WVA, Washington, DC
Bing-Syin (Benson) Ye, CCP
MSIG North America – [email protected]
Benson Ye, CCP was elected by the membership to serve as the Vice President Treasure of the Council. Benson is the Assistant Claims Manager at MSIG North America, New York City, NY. He has over 15 years’ experience in the marine insurance industry. In addition to CCP, Benson has 2 master’s degrees in law and the following designations: Senior Claim Law Associate (SCLA), Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Associate in Risk Management (ARM), Associate in Marine Insurance Management (AMIM), and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB). Benson’s integrated knowledge of legal, insurance, risk management and quality control provide him with the required expertise to manage freight claims. In 2020, Benson received the American Marine Claims Award co-sponsored by American Institute of Marine Underwriters, Inland Marine Underwriters Association, Marine Insurance and Claims Association, Association of Average Adjusters of the US and Canada, and International Cargo Insurance Conference in UK.
Region 3-A Director (Position Open) – Southern Region AL, FL, KY, MS, TN, and Puerto Rico
Region 3-B Director – Southeast Region GA, NC, SC, VA
Ashley Grosch, CCP, CTB, CAPM
Overdrive Logistics, Inc. – [email protected]
Ashley Grosch, CCP serves on the Board of Directors in addition to being the Director of Region 3-B. She is a logistics professional with experience in sales, operations, and risk management. Currently she is Operations Administration Manager for Overdrive Logistics, Inc., a freight broker moving frozen, refrigerated, and dry product, primarily serving the food industry. She currently manages and negotiates carrier and customer contracts and the claims department. She manages the customer service support for account teams to assure seamless coverage for customer support. She oversees the carrier qualification process and carrier database, managing TMS settings to control carrier use and to assure proper function of carrier related integration pieces. She also manages Overdrive’s business insurance with the aim of aligning coverage with current contractual requirements and business needs. She also assists operations and sales groups with training. In addition to being a CCP Ashley is also an arbitrator for the Transportation Arbitration Board. She has certifications in transportation brokerage and project management as well as a Property & Casualty insurance license. She is a member of both the Education Committee and the Programs Committees for Transportation Intermediaries Association.
Region 4 Director – Central Region IN, IL, MI, OH, QCN
Tony Bennett, CCP
Kenco Group – [email protected]
Tony Bennett, CCP with Kenco Group was appointed as Region Director, Region 4 in 2023. Tony has served the logistics industry for over 40 years since his graduation from the University of Tennessee (’83), earning a BS degree in Marketing and Transportation Logistics. He began his transportation career as a Rate Clerk with a regional LTL Motor Carrier and for the past 34 years has served with Kenco, a Third-Party Logistics Provider having facilities all over North America. He started there as a Logistics Analyst, moving up the ranks to Manager over Motor Carrier Compliance and Loss and Damage Claims for all provider clients. These clients include the Consumer-Packaged Goods/Retail, Food and Beverage, Industrial/Durable Consumer Products, and Life Science sectors.
In June of 2023, Tony earned his certification as a Certified Claims Professional (CCP). As a CCP, he oversees and manages the complex details pertaining to all aspects of the Cargo Claims process. In addition to CCP responsibilities, Tony also serves with the Transportation Arbitration Board (TAB). He completed writing his first TAB case decision in August 2023.
Tony’s responsibilities at Kenco include but are not limited to managing all aspects of Client Cargo Claims from first knowledge to final resolution, creation of Client specific claim reports and presentations, the writing of legal documents on behalf of Clients, the writing of SOP’s concerning the Kenco Compliance process, and oversight of Motor Carrier Compliance with Kenco Brokerage. Tony earned a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt in 2015 by reducing Kenco’s Brokerage liability exposure by over $50,000.00 annually.
Tony is actively involved in limiting Kenco’s exposure to liability through Property Broker and Motor Carrier fraud that is rampant in the trucking industry. One of Kenco’s founding principles is, “Integrity above profitability.” Adherence to this principle is what drives Tony to protect Kenco to the best of his ability from double-brokering scams and fraud in both Compliance and Cargo Claims.
Region 5 Director – Great Lakes MN, WI, Upper Peninsula Michigan
Christine Gramse, CCP
Land O’Lakes, Inc. – [email protected]
Christine Gramse, CCP is the CCPAC Executive Vice President and is a long-time member of our Board of Directors. She is also the Region 5 Director of the Great Lakes Region. Christine works for Land O’ Lakes, Inc., based in Arden Hills, MN as a Transportation Claims and Audit Specialist since 2008, where she manages the review, negotiations, recovery, and reporting of cargo claims for most modes of transportation of their four divisions. She has over 25 years of experience in the transportation industry and is a knowledgeable and trusted transportation claims professional to her internal and external business partners. She received her CCP Accreditation in 2013 and served as the CCPAC Vice President Secretary from 2018 to 2021. Christine has been a Shipper Arbitrator for the Transportation Arbitration Board (TAB) since 2020. She is a member of Power Presenters a Toastmasters International where she has held officer roles as President, Secretary, and Vice President of Public Relations. Christine and her husband have four children and six grandchildren.
Region 6 Director – Southwestern Region AR, IA, KS, LA, MO, MS, ND, NE, OK, SD, TX
Tessy Merrick, CCP – Region 6 Director
Armstrong Transport Group – [email protected]
Tessy Merrick, CCP serves on the Board of Directors and as Regional Director for the Southwestern Region 6. She is currently the Legal Operations Specialist for Armstrong Transport Group based in Charlotte, NC. She is a graduate of The McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin earning a Bachelor of Business Administration with an emphasis in Business Law. She previously worked for a civil litigation firm in the construction industry for 15 years and has been in the transportation industry since 2013. She has been a member of the Transportation & Logistics Council (T&LC) since 2015, became a Certified Claims Professional (CCP) in March of 2019, and was appointed as an Arbitrator with the Transportation Arbitration Board (TAB) in 2020.
Region 7 Director – Pacific Region AK, AZ, CA, CO, ID, HI, MT, NV, NM. OR, Provence of British Columbia, Canada, UT, WA, WY
Deena Walechka, CCP – Region 7 Director
FedEx Custom Critical – [email protected]
Deena Walechka, CCP is a Claims Specialist II in Risk Management at FedEx Custom Critical. In her current role, she is responsible for investigating and analyzing claims and mitigating risk for customers in a wide array of industries including technology, pharma, and food. She is passionate about education and enjoys being able to provide valuable feedback that can generate cost savings for her customers. Throughout her time handling cargo claims, she has spent time building strong relationships and credibility with her teammates, customers, and service providers through detailed efforts to educate and train stakeholders on claims laws and regulations and provide guidance on best practices to help reduce losses. She has also spent countless hours working on developing and documenting process improvements to ensure the best experience possible for both internal and external customers. Deena has been in the transportation industry for 20 years, and with FedEx (previously GENCO) for over 14 years. Prior to her Claims Specialist II role, she held multiple positions within Operations and Cargo Claims.
In 2021, Deena was elected to the Board of Directors for the Transportation and Logistics Council. She now serves as an Assistant Regional Director, and frequently is an expert panelist during the annual conference and on the numerous webinars offered through the Council during the summer and fall. She obtained her CCP Certification in April of 2022, and frequently updates and refreshes her knowledge by attending webinars, seminars, and conferences to learn from her mentors and peers.
Region 8 Director (Position Open) – Mid-Western Region IA, KS, MO, NE, ND, SD
CCPAC Counsel
George Pezold, Esq.
Pezold, Smith, Hirschmann & Selvaggio, LLC – [email protected]
George Carl Pezold is the senior member of the firm of Pezold, Smith, Hirschmann & Selvaggio,
LLC in Huntington, New York, engaged in general practice with a concentration in transportation law.
Mr. Pezold represents shippers, carriers, freight forwarders, brokers, and intermediaries in transportation matters throughout the country. In addition to his extensive litigation background, he has written numerous texts, manuals and articles and lectured widely on transportation subjects.
In addition to over forty-five years of experience with the law firm of Pezold, Smith, Hirschmann & Selvaggio, Mr. Pezold is the Executive Director of the Transportation & Logistics Council, the Executive Director/General Counsel of the Freight Users Association of New York, and former General Counsel of the Long Island Import Export Association. His prior experience also includes contract administration and corporate planning with Grumman Aerospace Corporation.
CCPAC Co-Founder, Historian and Advisory Consultant
John O’Dell, ACA, CCA, CCP
John O’Dell, CCP elected to retire as CCPAC Founder and Executive Director, a position he held from 2006 until 2023. During his career as Executive Director of CCPAC he relocated the headquarters from Fort Washington, NY to Jacksonville, FL, updated the By-Laws, created the organizations’ website domain, modernized, edited and published the ProClaim Newsletter, created the first CCP Exam Primer Course, introduced CCPAC on multimedia networks and at major transportation organizations annual meetings and conferences including SMC3, T&LC, TLP&SA. He has over 40 years of leadership positions held in all modes of transportation for some of the largest carriers and shippers in North America. John is the only Founding Member still active in the Certified Claims Professional Accreditation Council (CCPAC) which was incorporated in 1981. He has served as past Chair of the Board of Directors, Past President of the Council and a Carrier Arbitrator for TAB and continues to serve the Council on the Board of Directors.
Past President and Chairman of the Board of Directors
Wally Dammann, CCP
Wally Dammann, CCP served as the CCPAC Chairman of the Board of Directors from May 2023 to March 2024. He is also the Administrator of the Transportation Arbitration Board (TAB). He has been in a leadership position with various carriers and shippers since 1986. Wally retired from his most recent employer where he was the Assistant Vice President & National Recovery Manager at Mitsui Sumitomo Marine Management U.S.A., New York. From 1986 through 1999, he was the Director of Cargo Claims at Rutgers Express and Streichler Trucking. Wally served as the Cargo Claims Manager for Panasonic Electronics from during 1999 through 2005. Prior to his career in cargo claims, Wally worked for Zim Container Service and Maher Terminals as a Terminal Superintendent in Elizabeth, NJ. In 2003, Wally retired from the U.S. Army reserves, after 23 years of service, with his last position being Marine Cargo Operations NCO. He received a Bachelor of Science in Transportation and Logistics from St. John’s University in 1994 and is presently seeking his master’s degree from St. John’s College of Insurance. Wally served as CCPAC Council President and was presented a CCPAC Life Member Award at the 41st Annual CCPAC Conference in Orlando, FL, March 23, 2015.
