Michelle Osborne
Director
Risk Management Institute
Michelle Osborne is the Director of the Risk Management Institute at Campbell University.
Dr. Osborne served as the Chief Deputy Commissioner for the North Carolina Department of Insurance for five years and has spent more than 25 years in the insurance industry serving as a CEO and manager, owning her own businesses, and working for a Fortune 500 company.
She earned her MBA from Campbell University and a Doctor of Business Administration degree from George Fox University in Oregon. Recently, she co-authored a book, The Maid, that shares real stories about the heinous crime of human trafficking.
E. Stuart Powell
Professor of Risk Management
E. Stuart Powell, Jr. has dedicated over 50 years to the insurance industry, holding various significant positions. He has served as Director of Education, Vice President of Insurance Operations and Technical Affairs, and Interim CEO at the Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina (IIANC). Additionally, Stuart has contributed to academia as an Executive in Residence at Appalachian State University and an Adjunct Professor at Campbell University.
Stuart’s contributions to the insurance industry are noteworthy. He has managed the designated insurance agency for the State of North Carolina, administered the IIANC Errors and Omissions Insurance program, and managed insurance benefits operations for IIANC members. He has also been involved in consulting contracts for the National Park Service and the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA).
In recognition of his professional achievements, Stuart has received several awards, including the IIANC Ernest F. Young Education Award, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, and the Lifetime Achievement Award by IIANC. He has also been a member of various advisory boards and has contributed to peer-reviewed articles.
Stuart’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Religion and Philosophy from Catawba College and a Master of Arts degree in Religion from Wake Forest University. He is married with two children and four grandchildren and enjoys activities such as sailing, fly fishing, and studying classical languages.
Overall, Stuart Powell’s career highlights his significant contributions to the insurance industry, his academic involvement, and his personal interests and achievements.
Lecturers
Joe Stewart
Vice President of Governmental Affairs, IIANC Cary, NC
As Vice President for Governmental Affairs, Joe spearheads IIANC efforts on state legislative and regulatory matters involving the NC Department of Insurance and other state agencies, and the NC General Assembly; he also leads efforts to raise money for IIANC PAC and InsurPac (our state and federal political action committees), and coordinates with IIABA staff on getting IIANC members engaged on federal issues that impact independent agents. Working with the IIANC Board and Government Affairs committee, which he staffs, Joe shepherds the process of identifying, researching and creating proactive advocacy strategies on public policy issues of interest to IIANC members.
Rebecca Williams, ACAS, MAAA
Actuary
Rebecca Williams is the Actuary for the North Carolina Rate Bureau and the North Carolina Reinsurance Facility. Her responsibilities include supervision and review of rate filings in Automobile, Residential Property, and Workers Compensation lines of business. Rebecca graduated from Drake University with a degree in Actuarial Science and a degree in Mathematics. Rebecca is an Associate of the Casualty Actuarial Society and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries. She currently serves on the CAS Finance Committee.
Rebecca Shigley, CIC, TRA, FLMI, AIE, AIRC, ACS
Chief Operating Officer
Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina
InsurAcademy
Rebecca Shigley brings over 35 years of experience in the insurance industry, spanning company leadership, agency ownership, regulation, and association management. As COO of IIANC, she leads operations across key departments and directs InsurAcademy, an online training platform for future insurance professionals.
Previously, she served as Deputy Commissioner at the North Carolina Department of Insurance and played a national role with the NAIC, contributing to licensing and education standards. A recognized industry leader, Rebecca received the Walter Spruill Regulator Recognition Award in 2015 for her contributions to insurance regulation and professional development.
Dr. Yu-Mong Hsiao
Emeritus Professor of Business Administration and Economics
Dr. Yu-Mong Hsiao Yang rejoined the Campbell community in April 2025 as a research professor at the Risk Management Institute, following a distinguished 38-year career teaching Quantitative Methods and Economics at the Lundy Fetterman School of Business in the spring of 2022. In 1984, Dr. Hsiao began her journey at Campbell as a faculty member in the Department of Business Administration and Economics. Upon her retirement in 2022, she was honored with the title Emeritus Professor of Business Administration and Economics. She taught Economics and Quantitative Methods at both the graduate and undergraduate levels during her tenure. She also served as department chair for seven years before her retirement. Throughout her time at Campbell, she actively participated in several important committees at the college and university levels. Additionally, she volunteered with the VITA program, sponsored by the IRS and Campbell University, until 2023. A native of Taiwan, Dr. Hsiao came to the United States in 1978 for her graduate studies. After earning her MBA from Mississippi State University, she completed her M.E. and Ph.D. in Economics at North Carolina State University in Raleigh in 1985. After passing her CPA examination, she was licensed until 2024, when she applied for inactive status.
Michael W. Gay, AAI, AAI-M, AIS, ARM, ARM-P, CPCU, CRIS
InsuranceSpeak* Translator
Michael Gay is an Expert Witness and Litigation Consultant specializing in property and casualty coverages and Agent and Broker “Best Practices”. He has over four decades of insurance program development expertise in the specialty P&C insurance space. Gay is an InsuranceSpeak® Translator skilled in the identification, evaluation, communication, and treatment of complex risk and loss exposures. A passionate Insurance Educator since 1991 and author of nearly 100 course guides and workbooks, he recently co-wrote with Patrick Wraight: Risk Proof Your Business – The Complete Guide to Smart Insurance Choices. Michael has earned the designations of AAI, AAI-M, AIS, ARM, ARM-P, CIC, CPCU, and CRIS.
Aubie Knight, CIC, CRM
Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina
He is known throughout both the association world and the insurance industry for his bold visions, creative approaches to problem solving and a constant desire for growth and evolution. He is the founder of 101 Weston Labs, the only insurtech accelerator built specifically to support the independent agency distribution channel.
Aubie takes great pride in the fact that for four-consecutive years, IIANC has consistently been ranked as a top employer in North Carolina, bringing home the award as the #1 Ranked Employer in North Carolina for mid-sized businesses in 2023. IIANC has an office culture and employee engagement score ranked in the top 1% of US employers.
As a result of his vision and leadership skills, Aubie has served on numerous Boards in both the association and insurance industries. He is constantly challenging himself and any organization that he is affiliated with to “get better”! He recently challenged himself and completed a course at MIT called Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business strategy Program.
Rick Pierce, CPCU, AAI
Rick began his insurance career at Integon Insurance in Winston Salem in 1982 after graduating from Appalachian State University with a degree in Business Administration from the Walker College of Business. He earned his Accredited Adviser in Insurance designation in 1989 and his CPCU in 1991. During his 42 years with National General, he has held many positions from Territory Sales Manager, to National Sales Manager, Assistant Vice President of Sales, Product Manager, Marketing Vice President, Senior Vice President of Sales for the Mid-Atlantic Region and currently is Specialty Vehicle Director of Engagement and Agency Development. Rick is a member of the board of advisors of the Brantley Risk and Insurance Center at Appalachian State and the Campbell University Lundy-Fetterman School of Business insurance curriculum. He also serves as the National General representative for the Professional Insurance Agents national “Partnership” and represents Allstate/NatGen as chair of the North Carolina Reinsurance Facility Board of Governors, the North Carolina Rate Bureau and board member of both the North Carolina Insurance Guarantee Association and South Carolina Insurance Guarantee Association.