Leadership Team

• Steven A. Edwards
  President Steve Edwards, President and Co-Founder of BGIA, is a successful insurance entrepreneur and philanthropist. A native of New Jersey, Mr. Edwards directs most of his charitable efforts toward changing the lives of children. He has been a generous contributor of time and talents to Save the Children, Operation Smile and many other worthy organizations. In recent years, he and an inspired group of N.J. leaders joined together to help create the New Jersey Hall of Fame. Mr. Edwards volunteers as the Foundation Boards President and the Executive Producer of the annual induction ceremony, a nationally recognized event. In 1994, he was honored by Israel Bonds as one of 10 extraordinary young people from North America for his contributions to the State of Israel. Mr. Edwards has been a featured guest on MY 9 “Real Talk”, News 12 “Power and Politics”, Verizon’s “Let’s Talk” and Comcast “Newsmakers”, and one of the businesses he helped to launch in 2002 was featured on the cover of N.J. Biz Magazine. Mr. Edwards is a former member of the Advisory Board of Directors of several community banks, and was formerly the Governors liaison to the Board of Trustees of the N.J. Public Entities Retirement System, Finance Chairman of the Union Township Board of Education and Vice Chairman of the Union County Planning Board. He has more than 25 years of experience in the public entity insurance sector and has represented more than 100 public entities. He is married to Pauline Stegenius and is a proud father of two daughters, Shira and Naomi.
• Kevin Larkin, CPCU
  Senior Vice President

  Kevin Larkin brings over 30 years of innovative marketing experience to BGIA, providing diverse risk management solutions for midsize and Fortune 1000 companies throughout his career. Mr. Larkin has advised numerous organizations by assessing and implementing strategies to mitigate loss and reduce the overall cost of risk. His background in management and consulting provides expertise in negotiating all areas of property and casualty placements. Mr. Larkin joined BGIA in May 2020 as Senior Vice President in the Public Entity Practice. He is a member of the American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters and the New Jersey Society of CPCU's.

• Michelle Sweisfort, CISR Elite
  Account Executive Michelle Sweisfort, CISR Elite, has over 25 years of experience in the business insurance industry, specializing in Commercial Lines insurance for middle-market and large commercial clients. As an Account Executive with BGIA, she focuses on serving Public Entity organizations, delivering tailored property and casualty insurance solutions. Ms. Sweisfort’s background on the brokerage side includes extensive experience in client advocacy, risk consulting, relationship management, and P&C placement. She works closely with clients to design comprehensive insurance programs, negotiate with carriers, and address complex risk exposures aligned with organizational goals. In addition to her client responsibilities, Ms. Sweisfort has mentored and supported Account Managers and newer insurance professionals over the past decade, contributing to service excellence and team development. She holds the CISR Elite designation and is committed to delivering trusted advisory support to the clients she serves.
• Stuart Migdon
  Managing Director Stuart Migdon began his career in public accounting. He obtained a Certified Public Accountant designation and entered the financial services industry in 1984, advising clients on insurance and financial matters. Since 1991, Mr. Migdon has specialized in health insurance and other related areas affecting both employers and employees. He joined BGIA in 1993 as the Director of Employee Benefits. Mr. Migdon graduated from Dowling College with a B.A. in Accounting.
• George Crosby
  Account Manager George Crosby has worked as an Account Executive with a regional insurance brokerage firm since his insurance career began in 2003. Mr. Crosby joined BGIA in 2012. His Account Management experience includes both medium and large corporate clients. Mr. Crosby holds the Chartered Property & Casualty (CPCU) and the Associate in Risk Management for Public Entities (ARM-P) professional designations. Mr. Crosby is a Municipal Excess Liability (MEL) Accredited Risk Manager. He graduated from the New Jersey Institute of Technology with a Bachelor's Degree in Business.
• Denise Gigantino
  Employee Benefits Client Manager Denise Gigantino is a Client Manager for BGIA. She brings more than 20 years of experience in the employee benefits industry, specializing in large group insurance plans. She leads the employee benefits client management process, including plan design, marketing, enrollment, administration, claims and financial management. Prior to joining BGIA, she held positions of increasing responsibility in the employee benefits divisions of the Prudential Insurance Company of America.