Recoop Disaster Insurance in West Des Moines announced it has appointed Steve Gaer as its new president. Gaer joined the insurance startup company this month on a part-time basis while continuing in his current role as chief operating officer and general counsel for R&R Realty through August. Before joining Recoop, Gaer spent 10 years in various insurance industry leadership roles at Marsh McLennan, where he was responsible for a property and casualty program insurance division that spanned more than 200 employees across 16 U.S. offices. He began his career as an associate and then a shareholder with Ahlers & Cooney PC in Des Moines. Gaer spent 22 years in civil service as a city council member and then four terms as West Des Moines mayor. “Steve has a passion and enthusiasm for the insurance industry and business leadership, along with decades of firsthand experience leading a growing city and responsible for balancing budgets, forging partnerships and supporting members of the community,” said Darren Wood, founder of Recoop. “It makes him uniquely qualified to lead this fresh insurance product offering designed to help families protect their financial well-being in the wake of a disaster.” Recoop specializes in multi-peril disaster insurance products designed to quickly pay claims following natural disasters. A Business Record article about Recoop Disaster Insurance can be found at this link.