Roach Howard Smith & Barton President and CEO Karen Farris Named Honoree at Dallas Business Journal`s 2009 Women in Business Awards

DALLAS--(Business Wire)--
Karen K. Farris, CPCU, ARM, president and CEO of Roach Howard Smith & Barton
(RHSB), a leading independent insurance brokerage firm and Assurex Global
partner, will be honored at the Dallas Business Journal's 2009 Women in Business
Awards. Farris, who made the list of the Top 25 Changemakers, is being
recognized by the Dallas Business Journal for her leadership and accomplishments
in her company, her industry and her community.

The Dallas Business Journal's second-annual Women in Business Awards, which also
include the Top 25 Women to Watch and a Business Ally Award for a male CEO who
supports the corporate advancement of women, will be presented at a luncheon on
Thursday, July 16, 2009 at the InterContinental Dallas hotel. All honorees will
be featured in the July 17 issue of the Dallas Business Journal.

Farris` accomplishments as a leader and an agent for change are substantial. She
joined RHSB in 1982 as vice president of marketing and soon after founded the
firm`s Technology Practice. Farris became RHSB`s first female shareholder and
was elected to the board in 1989. She became president in 1994 and chief
executive officer in 1996. To date, she remains one of the insurance industry`s
only female presidents and CEOs for an insurance brokerage firm of its size.
Under her leadership, the insurance brokerage firm has tripled in size with a
current client base exceeding 7,000.

"Karen is truly an inspiration to women in the insurance industry, and we are
thrilled that the Dallas Business Journal recognized her as one of its Top 25
Changemakers," said Dot Hedman, CPCU, senior vice president and partner at RHSB.
"We are extremely fortunate to have a leader that not only understands the
industry, but leverages that knowledge and creates new pathways to success for
our firm and its customers. Today, because of her foresight and vision, the
specialized technology practice group has evolved to become one of the firm`s
signature programs and recently expanded to include life science and media
specializations."

With accomplishments extending well beyond her company, Farris has made a
significant difference in the insurance industry and in her community, thereby
serving as a role model and mentor for many female professionals. She was the
first female member of the Park Cities Rotary and the first female president of
the Independent Insurance Agents of Dallas. Thus far, the defining moment in her
career was being named the first female chairperson of Assurex Global, the
largest private brokerage network in the world with over 20,000 insurance
professionals in 558 offices on six continents.

Farris is passionate about giving back to the community and dedicates her time
to a number of local nonprofits, such as the Park Cities Rotary Club, through
which she volunteers with Meals on Wheels, the Angel Tree and the Texas Scottish
Rite Hospital for Children. Also, she is a long-time volunteer with the American
Heart Association, which includes membership in the nonprofit`s Insurance
Committee. Additionally, her community service includes work with Attitudes &
Attire, a Dallas-based organization dedicated to promoting personal growth for
women seeking self-sufficiency, where she serves on the board of directors.

"I am honored to be named among so many of the Dallas-Fort Worth area`s most
prominent female executives," Farris said. "I believe it`s important to make the
most of D-FW`s thriving business community. For me, both as a female and as a
business owner, that means working to make a difference not only within my
company, but also in my industry and in the community. It`s encouraging to know
so many influential female executives go to great lengths to make a positive
impact in business as well as in the lives of others."

About Roach Howard Smith & Barton

Roach Howard Smith & Barton (RHSB) is a leading independent insurance brokerage
firm, providing business insurance solutions to companies of all sizes and
personal insurance to individuals and families since 1945. RHSB provides
property and casualty insurance product placement, risk management consulting
services, employee benefits product placement and consulting, financial planning
advisory services, and human resources outsourcing services. RHSB, with offices
in Dallas and Fort Worth, is an Assurex Global partner. Assurex Global is the
world`s largest privately held insurance brokerage group with combined premiums
exceeding $28 billion. In 2009, RHSB was named in Texas Monthly as one of the
Best Companies to Work for in Texas and three of its executives were listed as
top Power Brokers by Risk & Insurance® magazine.

For more information, visit http://www.rhsb.com.

Roach Howard Smith & Barton
Stephanie Leslie, 972-744-2745
Corporate Communications
sleslie@rhsb.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009