Staff
Albert Betts, Jr.
Since 2014, Albert Betts, Jr. has served as the Executive Director of the Insurance Council of Texas, a non-profit trade association representing the interests of nearly 400 property and casualty insurers doing business in Texas.
Previously, Albert was a partner at the law firm of Thompson Coe Cousins and Irons, LLP, practicing in the firm's Insurance Law and Governmental and Legislative Advocacy Group. His practice focused on representing clients before the Texas Department of Insurance and other regulatory agencies, including representing and advising insurance trade associations, insurance companies, and other clients on a variety of property and casualty insurance issues, as well as advocating for clients' interests before the Texas legislature and other government officials.
In 2005, he was appointed, by Texas Governor Rick Perry, as the first Commissioner of Workers' Compensation for the State of Texas. In 2007, Albert was reappointed and confirmed unanimously by the Texas Senate. Betts served as Commissioner from 2005 through 2008, during which time he testified before numerous legislative committees, advised state leaders, and led the successful overhaul and reform of the Texas workers' compensation system. Prior to serving as Commissioner, Betts served as Chief of Staff for the Texas Department of Insurance.
Overall, Albert has 30 years of experience as a lawyer, public policy administrator, and organizational leader, including prior experience at the Department of Insurance, the State Office of Risk Management, Texas Attorney General, and the former Texas Workers' Compensation Commission.
He is co-editor of Larson, Texas Workers' Compensation Handbook and is a frequent speaker to insurance, risk management, and employer groups on property and casualty insurance and workers' compensation issues. He previously served as chair of Texas Legal, a non-profit prepaid legal benefit plan created to provide affordable legal services to Texans and was on that organization's board of directors from 2010 through 2019. Currently, he serves as an ex-officio board member of the Insurance Council of Texas Education Foundation, a 501(c) (3) non-profit charitable organization promoting insurance education at Texas universities.
He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin, his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law and has been a licensed attorney since 1991.
Paula Harmon
Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer. Paula joined the organization in 2016 and brings over 20 years of varied experience to her role that includes leadership with corporate and non-profit organizations as well as a partnership in a CPA firm.
Harmon received her B.B.A. and M.P.A. from the University of Texas Austin and is a licensed CPA. When not at work, Paula enjoys spending time with her family, listening to music, catching a good movie, reading, or cheering on the Longhorns football team.
Rich Johnson
Rich has over 20 years of experience in communications and marketing, with an emphasis on public affairs and media relations. Prior to joining ICT, he spent over 7 years in Corporate Communications with USAA, where he most recently served as the Senior Public Affairs Manager. In this role, he managed issues & crisis and the strategic communications for their Government & Industry Relations and Enterprise Litigation departments. While with USAA he also spent time supporting USAA's P&C line of business and was part of the Catastrophe Communications Team, where he managed media and public relations during various catastrophes.
He is a native of the Seattle area and relocated to San Antonio in 2008. He earned his BA from Washington State University and in his spare time, he enjoys golfing, traveling, cooking, and spending time with his wife Tory and their two kids, Ryer and Tessa.
Rajat (Raj) Jain
Director of the Texas Insurance Checking Office (TICO). Raj started with TICO in June of 2022 as the auto statistical reporting manager and promoted to director in November 2023. Rajat brings with him many years of experience working in insurance regulation. Prior to joining TICO, he served as Senior Manager, Actuarial & Analytics, State & Bureau Regulatory Affairs for Travelers Insurance and served as Chief Insurance Examiner for the Nevada Division of Insurance for approximately 16 years where he oversaw Nevada’s $7 billion Property and Casualty insurance industry, including Workers’ Compensation. Raj holds a B.Sc. (Honors) Mathematics from the University of Delhi, New Delhi, India and a M.S., Statistics (Emphasis in Management Science), University of Southern Maine, Portland.
Jon Schnautz
In his role at ICT, Jon collaborates closely with the ICT leadership to serve the interests of ICT’s board and member companies in Texas. He brings a wealth of experience in insurance policy, legislative advocacy, and legal expertise to his role with ICT.
Most recently, Jon served as Vice President of State Affairs for the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC), where he played a pivotal role in shaping state-level policies and advocating for the property and casualty insurance industry.
Jon’s career includes extensive experience in public service, having held policy and advisory roles with the Texas House Speaker’s office, the former chair of the House Insurance Committee, and a state senator focused on workers’ compensation issues. His deep understanding of legislative processes and insurance policy is evidenced by his frequent testimony before legislative committees in Texas and other states on property and casualty topics.
Jon has been a licensed attorney for over 15 years, and his legal acumen complements his policy expertise.
Angie Cervantes
Government & Legislative Affairs Manager. Angie joined ICT in 2020. She has over ten years of experience working in the Texas legislature, with legislative advocacy organizations, and other business trade associations. She previously worked with the Senate Business and Commerce Committee on a variety of issues, including property and casualty insurance, and most recently led government relations for a non-profit trade association.
Angie obtained her B.A. in English and Government from the University of Texas at Austin and her Master of Public Affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. In her free time, Angie enjoys running, practicing yoga, and traveling with her husband James.
Davida Redwine
As the Member Services Manager, Davida plays an integral role in attracting, retaining, and engaging members and their employees, and enhancing the overall value statement of ICT to our members. Davida is responsible for developing and executing the organization’s membership recruitment and retention strategy and for the development, planning, and management of the organization’s membership initiatives, including the membership application process and metrics related to member satisfaction, retention, and recruitment efforts.
Davida holds a B.S. degree in Business Information Systems and is currently working towards her MBA from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. Prior to becoming the Membership Services Manager, she was the Web Admin (2016-2023) and Systems Administrator (2008-2016) at ICT. An avid dog lover, she loves to go hiking with her dogs and family in and around Austin.
Linda Vallejo
Executive Assistant and Project Manager. Linda joined ICT in 2020. She brings over 20 years of experience working for executive level management, providing administrative and project management support. Prior to her work with ICT, Linda was the Experiential Learning Project Manager in the Center for Teaching Excellence at St. Edward's University for 6 years.
Vallejo received her B.A. in Organizational Leadership at St. Edward's University. Linda is a native Austinite who enjoys spending time with her family, camping, reading and a good game night. You will often find Linda at the baseball field or basketball court with her husband and 2 young children, volunteering as a team mom or coach.
Shawnda Ewing
With more than 20 years of experience in human resources, Shawnda has successfully implemented HR programs and policies in a variety of leadership roles. She has worked with both small businesses and large organizations, advising executive teams on HR strategies and ensuring compliance with state and federal employment laws.
Shawnda earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in human resource management from Hawaii Pacific University. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family and three dogs, exploring the outdoors, camping, and creating unique textiles and paper crafts for her family and friends.
Colin Kienitz
Colin joined ICT in 2024, bringing more than 13 years of design and marketing experience, crafting brands and deliverables for companies large and small. With extensive work in print materials, digital ads, social media posts, email, web design and even augmented reality, Colin oversees all branding, graphic and content design, and manages all of ICT’s reports and publications. He was previously employed by tech companies, ad agencies and the New York Marathon organization. When he’s not following design trends, he enjoys attending music festivals and taking dance classes with his young daughter.
Kayla Merrick
In 2024, Kayla joined ICT, bringing a background in media spanning the insurance and news sectors. Holding a Bachelor of Arts in communications from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, she integrates creativity with strategic acumen. Kayla spearheads digital content strategy for ICT and the ICT Education Foundation, elevating follower engagement and bolstering brand visibility. Committed to professional development, she maintains certifications in UX/UI design, underscoring her commitment to evolving digital trends. Outside of her professional pursuits, Kayla finds joy in caring for her Cavalier King Charles spaniel, playing tennis and actively participating in local community arts initiatives.