Edwards, Church & Muse
Our Professionals

We employ the best talent and knowledge in the insurance industry. Our professionals have degrees from various universities and hold one or more professional designation. We consider ourselves students of the business and continue to learn every day as we work with our customers to influence and improve the risk management process.

Charles Alton, Jr.
Producer

Charles holds the CLU, CFC and CIC professional designations and has been active in the insurance industry since 1976.  His areas of practice include, but are not limited to, commercial construction, agribusiness, machinery and equipment dealers and wholesale distribution.  Charles also manages the North Carolina Tire Dealers and Retreaders Association's property, liability and workers' compensation programs.

    P: (704) 227-3132   |  F: (704) 227-1167
F.R. "Rocky" Atkinson
Benefits Consultant

Upon graduating from East Carolina University with an AB in History and English, Rocky began work as a Group and Pension Manager with Lincoln National, earned his CLU designation and served as President of the Charlotte Chapter of Chartered Life Underwriters.  He was a co-founder of both a large Third Party Administrator (TPA) firm and an employee benefit consulting firm (later sold to Arthur J. Gallagher).  Rocky resides in the Wilmington area and represents public and private employers.

    P: 704-574-0521   |  F: 910-842-9343
Bill Bobbitt
Producer

Bill graduated from Appalachian State University with a BSBA in Economics & Marketing. He handles Risk Management needs of large & small commercial accounts with average costs between $10,000 and $1,000,000 annually.  Bill holds the AAI professional designation and is working towards his CIC professional designation.

    P: (704) 496-7340   |  F: (704) 496-7341
Brad Causey
Producer

Brad is a 1992 graduate of North Carolina State University with a degree in Communications.  His areas of expertise are Heavy Construction, Trade Contractors and Auto Service Repair.  Brad holds the CIC professional designation.

    P: (704) 227-1161   |  F: (704) 227-1172
Rick Craig
Producer

Rick is a graduate of Ball State University with a B.S. in Business/Marketing.  Prior to joining ECM Insurance in 2004, Rick spent 13+ years with a national insurance carrier earning its top sales award "chairman's council" on numerous occasions.  Rick specializes in handling the risk management needs for a variety of business types, including:  Petroleum Marketers & C-Store Chains, Specialized Contractors, Multi-Retail, Wholesale Distribution, Automotive Related Services, Equipment Sales & Rental, Property Management, and Sporting/Social Clubs.  As a client, you will partner with Rick and his talented team insurance professionals (account manager, loss control, and claim) who possess a combined "85 years" of insurance industry experience.  Rick is a member of the NCPMA and SCPMA.  He holds the CIC and LUTCF insurance industry designations.

    P: (704) 227-1345   |  F: (704) 227-1347
Arnold Edwards
Founder & Executive VP

Upon graduation from Wake Forest University in 1968 with a BBA degree in Management, Arnold began his insurance career with Aetna Life and Casualty as an Agency Marketing Field Representative Trainee in Nashville, Tennessee. Following two years of military service as a First Lieutenant in the US Army his insurance career resumed in Charlotte, North Carolina as an Agency Marketing Representative with Insurance Company of North America. He began selling insurance as an agent in 1974 and worked with several local agencies and one national insurance broker before starting Edwards, Church & Muse, Inc. in 1987 with Bart Church and Jim Muse. Arnold obtained CPCU designation early in his career and served as President of the Charlotte Chapter of CPCU. Arnold serves a general client base including manufacturing, wholesale distribution, construction, and property management.

    P: (704) 227-3101   |  F: (704) 227-3118
Luke Ferguson
Benefits Consultant

Luke graduated with a BS in Business Management from Clemson University.  He specializes in group medical, dental, life, and short term disability insurance as well as voluntary supplemental benefits.

    P: (704) 602-9582   |  F: (704) 235-2933
Jim Gregory
Partner/Manager

Jim is the Managing Partner of the ECM Benefits Division. He is a 1969 graduate of Appalachain State University with a B.S. in Social Science & History and has worked in the medical insurance business since 1970.

    P: (704) 227-1340   |  F: (704) 602-9573
Jeff Haney
Partner & Management Committee

Jeff graduated from Davidson College with a B.S. in Mathematics and went to work for Aetna Life & Casualty as an underwriting trainee. After spending 6+ years with Aetna in underwriting and marketing where he obtained his CPCU and ARM designations, he joined ECM in 1991. Currently Jeff is a Partner on the management committee and the Treasurer of the agency. He spends the majority of his time helping businesses with their insurance needs.

    P: (704) 227-3113   |  F: (704) 227-3135
Don Hanson
Producer

Don graduated from the University of North Caolina, Wilmington with a BS in marketing and holds the CIC professional designation. Don’s areas of expertise are construction, manufacturing and wholesale distribution.

    P: (704) 227-3107   |  F: (704) 227-1175
Mark Holland
Producer

A 30 year veteran of the insurance industry, Mark is a graduate of North Carolina State University with a degree in political science.  He started his insurance career as an adjuster with a national, independent adjusting firm.  His experience covers the agency, carrier and third party administrator ranks.  He served as marketing manager for a workers' compensation TPA and opened group self-insurance funds in several Southeastern states.  He has managed a branch office of a national workers' compensation insurance carrier and had Southeastern United States marketing responsibilities for an international insurance carrier.  Prior to joining ECM, Mark was president of M. Holland & Company, a specialty lines insurance brokerage, with an emphasis on healthcare related risks and workers' compensation.  Mark holds the CIC and ARM professional designations.

    P: 704-909-2572   |  F: 704-909-2565
John Ketner
Producer

John graduated from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill with a BA in Economics and Appalachian State University with an MBA.  His goals are to protect his clients, reduce his client's costs, increase his clients income, and provide his clients a partner for success.  John's clients are typically businesses with total cost of risk between $50,000 and $2,000,000 annually.  He holds the CPCU professional designation and is currently working toward acquiring the CRM designation.

    P: (704) 227-3116   |  F: (704) 529-4411
Jeff Little
Partner & Producer

Jeff is a 1977 graduate of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill with a BA in History.  He has created a successful landscape & lawn maintenance contractors program and his other areas of expertise include risk management, home builders, commercial general contractors, trade contractors, bonds, manufacturing, distributors and property insurance.  Jeff holds the CIC professional designation.

    P: (704) 227-3121   |  F: (704) 227-3137
Karl Long
Producer

Karl graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelors of Art Degree in 1987.  He is a decorated veteran of the Gulf War having served with the South Carolina Air National Guard from 1981-1992.  He is an insurance industry professional earning the CPCU, ARM, and ARe and AIC professional designations.  After spending several years with a national insurance carrier, Karl enjoyed success with a global insurance broker as well as a bank-owned regional agency.  Karl is dedicated to serving his clients in all facets of risk management, helping businesses control costs and protect assets in a wide variety of industry sectors.  His clients include chemical manufacturers, real estate and property managers, heavy construction contractors, technology firms and human services providers.  He has earned the endorsment of association groups and offers large and middle market clients unsurpassed customer service and industry expertise.

    P: 704-909-2570   |  F: 704-909-2571
Jae McGuirt
Producer

Jae graduated from Wake Forest University with a BS in Business. He is former Senior Vice President and Equity Partner in a large regional top 50 agency where he produced and managed a book of business in excess of $23 million in premium.   Prior to taking on a production role he was the Commercial Lines Marketing Manager responsible for the negotiation of pricing and coverage of all accounts.  He started his insurance career with Aetna and was a Senior Underwriter prior to leaving to join the agency business.  His team services middle market corporations with total cost of risk between $150,000 and $2,000,000 annually.  Typically his clients are involved with Construction, Manufacturing, or Distribution, or are Operations with Significant fleet exposures.  He has significant experience and expertise in Alternative Risk Financing  to include Group Captives and other forms of loss participation, such as, retrospective rating plans and large deductibles.  Jae holds the CPCU professional designation.

    P: (704) 496-7342   |  F: (704) 496-7343
Jessica Medlin
Producer

Jessica is a 2005 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she received a BSBA in Finance and Management with a concentration in Risk Management and Insurance.  She currently holds the CLCS professional designation and is working towards her CIC designation.  Jessica's area of expertise is to create insurance programs individualized to fit each client/business from small to midsized accounts. 

    P: 704-227-3131   |  F: 704-227-1356
Jim Muse
Founder & President

Jim is one of the founding partners of ECM. He graduated from Virginia Tech with a BS in Business Managemen and holds the CPCU and CIC professional designations. Jim’s areas of expertise are commercial & residential construction, manufacturing, professional practices, and financial institutions.

    P: (704) 227-3103   |  F: (704) 227-3117
Mike Schrom
Producer

Mike is a 1999 graduate of Appalachian State University.  His areas of expertise are Manufacturing, Distribution, Healthcare, and Workers' Compensation plan designs including High Deductible and Loss Sensitive options.

    P: (704) 496-7344   |  F: (704) 496-7345
Kim Smith-Hiatt
Benefits Consultant

TBD

    P: 704-909-2563   |  F: 704-909-2562
Sam Thompson III
Partner & Management Committee

Sam graduated from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill with a BS in Business Administration.  He is a Partner on the Management Committee and Secretary of the agency.  Sam’s expertise is in commercial and residential construction, manufacturing, technology and personal insurance.  He holds the CPCU and CIC professional designations.

    P: (704) 227-3119   |  F: (704) 227-3136
Tim Turner
Partner & Producer

Tim graduated from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill with a BS in Business Administration and earned a diploma in Risk & Insurance from the College of Insurance in NY.  Tim’s areas of expertise are risk management programs, manufacturing, real estate, trade contracting, professional (dentists & optometrists), non-profits, personal insurance programs including life and disability income coverages and voluntary supplemental benefits.  He holds the CPCU & ARM professional designations.

    P: (704) 227-3124   |  F: (704) 227-3606