About Us
Our Office History.
For over 60 years, we have provided risk management, and financial products and services to corporations, institutions and individuals throughout the world.
What Makes Us Different
We take a pro-active approach to the management and servicing of your account with:
- tailor-made programs shaped to your needs, not to the needs of a representative peer group
- pre-implementation services such as contract reviews, exposure analysis, and professional wrap-up feasibility studies
- the skill and knowledge to develop innovative new products to address wrap-up issues and exposures as they arise
- large investment in technology to allow rapid transfer of vital information to clients and wrap-up markets
- in-house wrap-up professionals acting as your committed advocates
We have vast resources that enable our team of professionals to deliver innovative solutions to our clients. By utilizing the experience and creativity of top-level insurance experts in conjunction with the firm’s worldwide resources, your Alera Group Las Vegas is able to provide sophisticated products and service unparalleled in the insurance industry.
Our Mission
Every client is important to us. Whether a single individual or multimillion dollar corporation, each is assured of receiving the most competent insurance analysis and placement available.
The insurance industry is continuously evolving. Our resource capabilities provide us with the tools necessary to keep our clients informed regarding regulatory issues and current events that can affect our clients’ bottom line. We utilize the most efficient technological methods available that align with the needs of our clients. Our professionals have real time access to the most current news and business intelligence available. These management tools allow us to maintain the highest level of client service.
Our vision is guided by a commitment to understanding, anticipating and meeting our clients diverse and changing needs.
We consider it both a privilege and a pleasure to represent our clients. Our goal is to maintain relationships that extend well beyond the realm of an insurance broker. Our unwavering dedication to integrity, professionalism and service ensures that Alera Group maintains its position as the pre-eminent insurance broker.
Meet Our Team
Russell Swain
Managing Partner
Running one of Nevada’s oldest insurance agencies requires a professional team rich in local history and experience in the insurance industry. The management of Alera Group brings generational insurance experience and long-time Nevada residents together in one leadership team.
According to Russ, the insurance business runs in the family. He grew up learning about insurance and the surety business from his father, Russell E. (Rusty) Swain, and was given a chance to officially join the firm in 1979 when he joined George L. Brown Insurance just after graduating from high school. He joined the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company as an underwriter trainee in 1981 and worked for the FFIC until 1983. Swain returned to the operation to work with his father and became the firms’ principal five years later, in 1988. Swain became company president in 2002 and has continued to lead the agency to additional years of steady growth and a notable reputation. Swain assisted personally in the successful merger of both the Holmes Insurance group in 2000 with GLB and Atkin & Prater Insurance in 2004, which would come to be known as GLB Insurance Group of Nevada before joining the Alera Group Las Vegas. Russ is currently a Managing Partner of the firm.
Swain obtained his Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation in 1997. A respected member of the insurance field, Swain served as President of the Independent Agents of Southern Nevada from 1990-91 and served as the State President of the NIIA from 2007-08, along with many other committees and service commitments in his industry.
Among his numerous efforts in the community, Swain is held in high regard for his continued work with the Las Vegas Rotary Club, where he has been an active member since 1994. He was President of the Rotary Club’s “25 Club” in 1995 and served on the Board of Directors for several terms. He was honored by being elected the President of the Las Vegas Rotary Club and served in that role from 2008-09. He also served as President of the Executive Development Association in 1997. Swain is also a member of the Nevada Contractors Association, the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, and the Better Business Bureau.
In his free time, Swain enjoys hiking, snow skiing, boating, motorcycles, bird hunting, ATV’s, and spending time with his family.
Estel Tarwater
Account Manager
Estel Tarwater, a licensed Insurance Professional comes to Alera Group | Las Vegas with more than 30 years’ experience as a large Group Sales and Client Service professional. Estel has managing group insurance products, benefits administration and assisted small business with Human Resource administration. Estel has worked for the largest managed care company in Nevada with Sierra Health Services Inc. ,and Health Plan of Nevada. In addition, Estel managed her own insurance agency that provided small businesses with group health and life insurance products and Human Resource administration. Estel graduated Rancho High School and attended the University of Phoenix concentrating in Business Administration. Estel is fluent in Spanish and has managed over 400 group open enrollments meetings for many small and large businesses in the Las Vegas valley relating to benefits administration.
Kelly Torres
Commercial Lines Account Executive
Kelly Torres is a commercial lines account executive in the Construction/Wrap-up department. She is responsible for the day-to-day management and marketing of the majority of construction/wrap-up projects and municipalities handled in the Las Vegas office. Her duties include marketing prospective business, negotiating contract terms and premiums with underwriters on behalf of the client, and communicating with the client on a daily basis. She is also responsible for creating and maintaining policy records, preparing and presenting proposals, issuing certificates, updating policy information, premium accounting, compiling loss runs and status reports and maintaining the credibility of essential insurance information throughout the entirety of a wrap-up. Kelly has over 30 years of experience in the insurance industry with the majority being in construction related business. She has been a licensed agent since 1982 and holds Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) and Construction Risk Insurance Specialist (CRIS) designations.
Anne Wayman
Account Executive
Anne Wayman has thirty one years of Industry experience. Anne was the Western Region Manager in the San Francisco office for FM Guardian Insurance Company and was responsible for managing and marketing for all Western Region Accounts for the Houston based Insurer. Anne was also Account executive for Hobbs/Awkright Group in San Mateo, California during the technology boom. Hobbs focused on large account brokerage services for Real Estate, Health Care, Technology and Wholesale Trade. Some of Hobbs accounts included Levi Strauss, Ross Stores, American Licorice, and Universal Foods. The Technology Services team serviced accounts including but not limited to International Game Technology, Varian Technology, and Cirrus Logic. Since 1996 Anne’s focus has been Healthcare, Gaming, Technology, Risk Management and Construction. Anne has a passion to support local charities and has assisted the fund raising efforts for American Heart Association, Go For Red for Women, Safe Nest (Temporary Assistance for Domestic Crisis), Boys and Girls Club of Nevada and Opportunity Village of Nevada. Anne is also involved with United Way of Nevada Women’s Leadership Council.
EXPERT EDUCATION
Events and Webinars
Wealth Services
State of the Markets
Join us as we unveil the factors that drive the nation's financial pulse and how they may impact your personal finances.
April 23, 2025 at 12:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
Q2 2025 Quarterly Compliance Webinar
Alera Group's quarterly employee benefits compliance roundup will help you stay current on the latest national regulatory developments impacting employers.
May 6, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
2025 Healthcare and Employee Benefits Benchmarking Report: How Does Your Benefits Program Stack Up?
In this session, our experts will dive into the results of our annual, market-leading benchmarking survey.
June 26, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Insights
Property and Casualty
International Roadcheck Is May 13-15. Is Your Commercial Transportation Fleet Ready?
For 72 hours next month, commercial motor vehicles and drivers throughout North America will be subject to what the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) calls a “high-visibility, high-volume” inspection and regulatory compliance enforcement initiative.
The annual event, known as the International Roadcheck, will take place at weigh and inspection stations, temporary sites and locations selected by mobile patrols from May 13-15 in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
April 14, 2025
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Property and Casualty
Improving Transportation Fleet Safety Through Gamification
The COVID-19 pandemic pushed companies to find creative ways to engage employees as isolation hit an all-time high. Many turned to gamification — the application game mechanics such as points, badges and leaderboards to everyday tasks — to reconnect with staff and improve retention, especially around key initiatives like safety. It’s a concept so suitable for the transportation industry, it could have been conceived with truckers and other commercial auto drivers in mind.
April 7, 2025
Find out more Property and Casualty
5 Steps to a Lower Workers’ Compensation Mod
Understanding how your Workers' Compensation Insurance premium is calculated can help you manage costs more effectively. One of the primary factors in determining your premium is your experience modification factor — the number that reflects your company’s claims history and directly determines what you pay.
March 13, 2025
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It’s Here! — Alera Group’s Fifth Annual 'Property and Casualty Market Outlook'
Alera Group's "2025 Property and Casualty Market Outlook" is your guide to making informed decisions regarding your business and personal insurance coverage.
December 12, 2024
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