American Equity Underwriters Inc. (AEU), Mobile, Ala., has named Jason Lake senior vice president and director of loss control, effective Jan. 1, 2026.
Lake succeeds Jimmy Burgin, who will retire in July 2026 after nearly 30 years with the company. Burgin joined AEU in 1997 and helped shape loss control programs for waterfront employers across the country.
American Equity Underwriters is a provider of workers' compensation insurance for waterfront employers.
Lake is a Certified Safety Professional, chairs the AEU Loss Control Advisory Council, and leads his local chapter of the American Society of Safety Professionals. He previously served on the NFPA Technical Committee on Gas Hazards. Lake is a 2005 graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and began his career sailing on Watson-class vessels.
"Jason brings a rare combination of technical safety expertise, time at sea, and deep familiarity with the challenges our customers face every day," said Winchester Thurber, chief commercial officer at AEU. "He has earned the trust of our members and colleagues through his leadership in the broader safety community and within our own Loss Control team, and we are confident he will continue to strengthen the value AEU delivers to waterfront employers."
AEU, an Amwins company, serves as program administrator for American Longshore Mutual Association Ltd., a group self-insurance fund authorized by the U.S. Department of Labor for waterfront employers in all 50 states under the United States Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act.
