Meet the team

Jessica Word

Chief Executive Officer

The Word & Brown General Agency


Jessica Word is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Word & Brown General Agency, the recognized leader in developing and distributing comprehensive health benefit plan models and insurance solutions through licensed brokers.
 
She was named CEO in December 2021, after serving more than eight years as General Agency President. Jessica’s lengthy and broad experience working across The Word & Brown Companies has given her great insight into different facets of the insurance industry. After working in departments across The Word & Brown Companies while in high school and college, she began her professional career as a renewal specialist with CHOICE Administrators, Word & Brown’s sister company, more than two decades ago.
 
Her experience includes executive management, sales, claims, benefits administration, and broker services. Her thorough understanding of the business led to the implementation of many process improvements to enhance both the broker and consumer experience in the past two decades.
 
Jessica is a passionate leader committed to empowering her community, and she believes in the transformative power of community. It is reflected through her roles on the California Chamber of Commerce (CalChamber) Board of Directors, which she joined in 2020, and her work with the Center for Leadership at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF). It is further reinforced through her involvement with the CSUF Titan Women’s Collective, which earned her an Excellence in Leadership Development award from CSUF’s College of Business and Economics, as well as her participation in the Orange County Market Region’s “Connected Women of Influence” event.
Jessica’s contributions to the insurance industry led to previous recognition by CEO Today magazine as a health care CEO award winner and being named one of the “Top Women in Benefit Advising” by the editors of Employee Benefit Adviser. She has contributed to industry publications including California BrokerEmployee Benefit News, American Benefit Specialist published by NABIP, and the Orange County Business Journal.
Her 2023-2024 global speaking engagements have included the World Changers Power Women’s Summit in Vatican City; the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland; the World Changers Summit in Vatican City; and the Elysian Women in Leadership Conference in Nashville.
 
For her impactful work, Jessica was named among the 40 honorees for the “Monaco 40 Under 40” and was knighted as a Dame of the Order of Danilo I of Montenegro in 2023. She was appointed a Dame of the Order of Merit of the Portuguese Royal House and awarded a Red Cross Silver Medal in 2024.
 
Jessica Word earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from CSUF. She has a Registered Health Underwriter (RHU) designation.


CO-Founders

John M. Word III
Edward J. "Rusty" Brown, Jr.

Executive Leadership

Jessica Word
Marc McGinnis
Vanessa Benitez
Emily Crognale
Jason Culp
Scott Diehl
Linh Huynh
Paul Tran

Regional Vice Presidents

Nick Bramson
Tawny Friedly
Cindy West

Directors

Dena Allchin
Karen DeFazio
David Parker
Jim Pippins
Paul Roberts