Leslie Barker
Claims Specialist
Madisonville,LA
Summary
Collaborative leader with dedication to partnering with coworkers to promote engaged, empowering work culture. Documented strengths in building and maintaining relationships with diverse range of stakeholders in dynamic, fast-paced settings. Expert team leadership, planning and organizational skills built during successful career. Smoothly equip employees to independently handle daily functions and meet customer needs. Diligent trainer and mentor with exceptional management abilities and results-driven approach.
Overview
31
31
years of professional experience
6
6
years of post-secondary education
2
2
Certifications
Work History
IA Structure Manager
Crawford Catastrophe Services
Allen, Texas
05.2020 - Current
- Supervising and providing oversight to a unit of 5 to 20 claim adjusters depending on the season and oversee analysis, review, and validation of claims under the direction of the Managing Director
- Develops and ensures processes, procedures, and training material is current for storm preparedness and readiness
- Ensure legal principals and claim handling regulations are properly applied and adhered.
- Resolve staff member conflicts, actively listening to concerns and finding appropriate middle ground.
- Assist in organizing and overseeing assignments to drive operational excellence.
- Communicate clearly with employees, suppliers and stakeholders to keep everyone on same page and working toward established business goals.
- Monitor and analyze business performance to identify areas of improvement and make necessary adjustments.
- Cross-train existing employees to maximize team agility and performance.
- Accomplish multiple tasks within established timeframes.
- Onboard new employees with training and new hire documentation.
- Maximize performance by monitoring daily activities and mentoring team members.
- Manage and motivate employees to be productive and engaged in work.
- Use industry expertise, customer service skills and analytical nature to resolve customer concerns and promote loyalty.
Quality Assurance File Examiner
Pilot Catastrophe Services
Mobile, AL
05.2019 - 05.2020
- Review flood claims to verify that due process was followed in accordance with NFIP guidelines for regulatory requirements and carrier best practices.
- Examined forms to determine insurance coverage and validity.
- Diligently reviewed claims to ensure that no errors have been made in the estimating process
- Determine whether payouts were in compliance with the NFIP
- Approve or reject claims for payment and return to the adjuster for corrections if warranted
- Ensure compliance with regulatory standards, company policy and guidelines.
School Volunteer
St Tammany Parish Public School
Mandeville, LA
10.2011 - 05.2019
- Prepared materials for class activities and art projects.
- Monitored student behavior in hallways and classrooms to promote safe learning environment.
- Planned and executed field trips and special events for students and teachers.
- Helped students with homework and gave additional tips on studying techniques.
- Liaised between teachers and parents to help resolve issues or concerns.
- Developed and presented educational materials for students to learn about various topics.
- Helped with planning and implementation of school fundraisers to bring in needed monies for school.
- Assisted with organization and supervision of after-school activities for students.
- Participated in group activities with students to build teamwork and foster healthy relationships.
Auto Casualty Attorney Represented/Litigation Casualty Claims Adjuster
Allstate Insurance Company
Metairie, LA
08.2010 - 10.2011
- Managed complex attorney represented bodily injury (BI) claims
- Pending inventory of up to 70 files
- Handled high end cases with serious injuries and/or complex coverage scenarios.
- Conducted comprehensive interviews of witnesses and claimants to gather facts and information.
- Examined claims forms and other records to determine insurance coverage.
- Verified insurance claims and determined fair amount for settlement.
- Reviewed police reports, medical treatment records, and physical property damage to determine extent of liability.
- Prepared summaries of damage, payments, and policy coverage.
- Documented all investigation activity and presented reports to management.
- Substantiated legitimate claims and denied unjustified claims.
- Negotiate claim settlements with plaintiff counsel as indicated, or issue denials to claimant/claimant attorney as appropriate.
- Reviewed new files to determine current status of injury claim and to develop plan of action
- Conducted day-to-day administrative tasks to maintain information files and process paperwork
Property Claims Adjuster
Farmers/Foremost Insurance Company
Austin, TX
02.2007 - 05.2009
- Responsible for handling insurance claims from customers or clients whose properties have been affected by weather hazards, water, fire, flood, vandalism, or any form of accident.
- Investigated origin and cause of claims by contacting appropriate parties including insureds, claimants, agents, attorneys, contractors, experts, special investigation unit, other adjusters, public personnel.
- Handled both 1st party and 3rd party claims under multiple policies types and numerous endorsements.
- Conducted on-site inspection, evaluated damages, and handled claim negotiations with insureds, claimants, attorneys, public adjusters.
- Responded to customer inquiries, made appropriate decisions and managed the file from report to close
- Prepared reports of findings of investigations.
- Scoped and photographed properties for defects and damage.
- Used Xactimate to compile estimates for personal property and structure damage.
- Prepared sketch of floor plan and roofline and entered data into Xactimate to develop line-by-line item costs of damages.
- Coordinated and managed field investigations, outside engineers, contractors and cause and origin experts.
- Identified insurance coverage limitations with thorough examinations of claims documentation and related records.
Accounting
New Mexico Drip and Irrigation
Deming, NM
02.2005 - 02.2007
- Processed accounts receivable and accounts payable, reconciled account balances and financial documentation, oversaw inventory and office supply purchases, managed electronic records database and handled all file requests, created detailed expense reports and requests for capital expenditures.
- Reported financial data and updated financial records in ledgers and journals.
- Applied proper codes to invoices, files, and receipts to keep records organized and easily searchable.
- Input financial data and produced reports using QuickBooks
- Reconciled account information and reported figures in general ledger by comparing to bank account statement each month.
- Managed payroll operations for team of 10 employees.
Claim Specialist
State Farm Mutual Insurance Company
Las Cruces, NM
01.1993 - 02.2005
- Worked in various departments within State Farm including auto/liability, Special Investigative Unit, Call Center Supervisor, State Farm Agent, and property/casualty field investigations including catastrophe (Wind, hail, NFIP flood, fire)
- 5 Years Auto/Liability/Bodily Injury (field and inside)
- 5 Years Field Property/Casualty
- 1 Years Special Investigative Unit for auto and property
- 1 Year Call Center Supervisor
- Also handled litigation property claims.
- Investigated losses and identified coverage issues.
- Handled full in-depth auto coverage for non-standard claims.
- Conducted confidential investigations of potential insurance law violations.
- Collected sworn written and recorded statements backing up investigations.
- Used industry expertise, customer service skills and analytical nature to resolve customer concerns and promote loyalty.
- Evaluated employee performance and conveyed constructive feedback to improve skills in the Call center
Education
Bachelor of Science - Health Sciences
08.1985 - 05.1991
Skills
Focuses on skill building, continuing education and providing direction and feedback where appropriateKnowledge of insurance contracts, investigation techniques, legal requirements, and insurance regulationsAn aptitude for evaluating, analyzing, and interpreting data and information in a fast-paced environmentExtensive experience handling water losses, detailed knowledge of water mitigationExperience with large lossesWorked in many team environments including claim central and call center managementTech-savvy working with many platforms including Excel and Word and having to learn them in a fast-paced environment, comfortable with change and flexibilityStrong negotiation and problem-solving skills handling the majority of customer complaintsCurrently serving as a manager of the Structure unit for Crawford Catastrophe Services-US based flood claims-Certified for residential, small commercial, large commercial, RCBAP and mobile home
Staff Management
Policies and procedures
Coaching and mentoring
Key Performance Indicators
Operations management
Verbal and written communication
Familiar with fraud statutes
Interior water damage background
Subrogation expert
Personal, casualty and property loss
Accident scene investigations
Administrative background
Certification
NFIP Residential, Small and Large Commercial and RCBAP
Timeline
IA Structure Manager - Crawford Catastrophe Services
05.2020 - Current
Quality Assurance File Examiner - Pilot Catastrophe Services
05.2019 - 05.2020
School Volunteer - St Tammany Parish Public School
10.2011 - 05.2019
Auto Casualty Attorney Represented/Litigation Casualty Claims Adjuster - Allstate Insurance Company
08.2010 - 10.2011
Property Claims Adjuster - Farmers/Foremost Insurance Company
02.2007 - 05.2009
Accounting - New Mexico Drip and Irrigation
02.2005 - 02.2007
Claim Specialist - State Farm Mutual Insurance Company
01.1993 - 02.2005
New Mexico State University - Bachelor of Science, Health Sciences
08.1985 - 05.1991