Hiawatha Franks is currently Director of Small Commercial Programs with The Hartford. He began this job in April of 2013 and is responsible for delivering reviews of claim trends and developing ways to address strategic challenges. Previously, he served as a Claims Manager with The Hartford in Lake Mary, Florida, between April 2013 and November 2009. In this role, he oversaw the nearly 30 Team Leaders, Claim Handlers, and Nurse Case Managers that made up the four teams of workers’ compensation claim handlers serving Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi.
Before working with The Hartford, Hiawatha Franks served as Field Claims Director with American International Group, Inc. (AIG) in Atlanta between 2007 and 2009. He focused on staffing, recruitment, and operational aspects of a 120-person claim center with a nine-state territory while ensuring enhanced regulatory compliance levels and improving customer service and claims quality through mentorship and training.
Hiawatha Franks got his first experience working with The Hartford in Houston as a Claims Manager in 2005, handling accounts with more than $400,000 in premiums over an 11-state territory. Prior to working with The Hartford, he spent five years as the Manager and then Director of Workers’ Compensation Claims for the Texas Association of School Boards in Austin. While managing approximately 6,500 workers’ compensation claims from Texas school districts, he successfully closed 50% of accounts by selling claims services.
He gained his first professional experience as a Claims Adjuster and Proceedings Analyst with Texas Mutual Insurance Company. In these positions, he handled lost time workers’ compensation claims. He also maintained a detailed dispute resolution database, oversaw the production and delivery of claim files, and documented exchanges throughout hearing proceedings.
Hiawatha Franks has a Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas State University–San Marcos with a concentration in Business Management. He also earned his Master of Business Administration, with a concentration in Risk Management, from Walden University.