Today, our team is comprised of experienced and knowledgeable professionals. Each member looks forward to providing excellent service to all of our clients.
Charles (“Chuck”) M. Chernick
Chuck joined his father, Arthur, in 1986 after practicing corporate and securities law for eight years in New York City with major law firms and a Fortune 50 company. He has earned the Certified Insurance Counselor designation from the National Alliance of Insurance Education.
Chuck graduated from Hobart College with honors, received a Masters from Columbia University and received his JD from Hofstra Law School where he was Articles Editor of the Law Review.
Chuck served on the Board of Directors of NYANA, at one time the nation’s largest refugee resettlement agency, for over twenty years and was its Treasurer. Chuck is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Columbia-Barnard Hillel, and also volunteers at City Squash, a coaching and mentoring program for inner-city children.
Shirley A. Clarke, CIC
Shirley joined our firm in 2007 and oversees all operations in the office along with being the trusted advisor to our high net worth individuals. She is originally from the island of Barbados. Arriving in New York, her goal was to attend law school; however, through a twist of fate, she started working in the insurance brokerage business and has remained there now for over 40 years.
Shirley advises on all aspects of insurance and personal risk management needs of our clients. She is a highly experienced insurance professional who has attained the designation of Certified Insurance Counselor from the National Alliance for Education and Research. She also holds a New York state brokers license.
Shirley works tirelessly to deliver concierge services to our clients. Her focus is on delivering exemplary service and achieving great customer satisfaction.
Away from the office, Shirley enjoys spending time at her home in southern New Jersey with her dogs. Her love of animals has led her to become a volunteer at an animal shelter in Gloucester County, New Jersey.
Matthew Vero
Matthew joined our firm in 2016 as an experienced commercial lines account executive, and has now made the transition to our personal lines department. Matthew is a licensed New York state property and casualty insurance agent and broker, involved in servicing all aspects of our clients’ personal insurance needs, from placement of coverage to implementing policy changes and renewals. He works diligently to identify gaps in coverage and to ensure policies are in good standing.
Away from the office, Matthew enjoys live music, sporting events, the outdoors, museums and theater. His daughter Sadie was born in 2018.
Magdalene V. Arroyo
Maggie joined our firm in 2017. She received her New York State Insurance Broker License in 2018. Maggie is our Assistant Commercial Lines Coordinator – for all lines of business and all aspects of our clients’ commercial needs; her specialty is Commercial Cyber Coverage. She works hard to be sure that our clients have as pleasant an experience as possible, while trying to be sure that they have appropriate coverages for their business.
Maggie has achieved her Master’s Degree in General Psychology in 2012 and in 2014 she graduated from The New School of Social Research with a Master’s Degree in Politics. As a resident of Manhattan, she enjoys cooking, good books, be it academic, fiction or comic, and Cultural Arts.
Erica Chernick
Erica joined the firm in 2020 after working in the nonprofit sector, and has assumed responsibilities for both the personal and commercial departments. She provides administrative support to ensure that the office continues to operate smoothly. Erica oversees the input of information into Epic, our agency management system, updates and maintains client records, and handles incoming policy reports.
In her free time, Erica enjoys reading, cooking, visiting museums, and exploring New York City.
