George A. “Shad” Steadman III, president and chief operatingofficer of Rutherfoord in Roanoke, Va., has been elected chairmanof The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers for 2008.

Mr. Steadman was selected for the post during the 94th annualInsurance Leadership Forum of the CIAB held earlier this week inWhite Sulphur Springs, W.Va.

Mr. Steadman succeeds Thomas J. Rodell, senior vice presidentand regional managing director of Aon Risk Services. He will servea one-year term.

Mr. Steadman has more than 30 years experience in the insuranceindustry, working for a number of leading insurance companies andbrokerages in various managerial and executive roles and as a riskmanagement consultant. He joined Rutherfoord Companies, a top 50U.S. commercial insurance broker, in 1986.

As chairman of CIAB, Mr. Steadman will lead a committee ofofficers that includes Vice Chairman Markham McKnight, president ofBancorpSouth Insurance Services Inc., Baton Rouge, La.; TreasurerH. Wade Reece, president of BB&T Insurance Services of Raleigh,N.C.; and Secretary James R. Pender, honorary chairman of the boardof Oswald Companies in Cleveland, Ohio, and chairman emeritus ofOswald, Trippe & Company in Florida.