BRANCHVILLE, N.J., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Selective Insurance Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SIGI) announced the following appointments by its subsidiary, Selective Insurance Company of America ("Selective"):

Dennis L. Barger (Duluth, GA) to senior vice president, underwriting officer for Mid-Market & Large Accounts. Mr. Barger joined Selective in July 2009. Prior to that, he was senior vice president, president Field Operations East for CNA Insurance.

Mr. Barger holds a B.A. in English Literature and Certificate of Business from the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, OH. In addition, he holds a designation as a Certified Insurance Counselor.

Andrew S. Becker (Towaco, NJ) to senior vice president, director of Commercial Lines Pricing and Research. Previously, he served as vice president of Commercial Lines Pricing. Mr. Becker joined Selective in April 2001 as managing actuary for Selective Risk Managers, the company's large account operation. Prior to that, he served as vice president - professional liability treaty pricing for Gerling Global Reinsurance Company of America.

Mr. Becker holds a B.A. in Mathematics from Tufts University in Medford, MA. He is a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries.

Cyndi Bennett (Sussex, NJ), to vice president, Compensation. Previously, she served as assistant vice president, compensation manager. Ms. Bennett joined Selective in 2006. Prior to that, she served as compensation director for Prudential Financial.

Ms. Bennett attended Upsala College in East Orange, NJ and holds designations as both a Certified Compensation Professional and a Senior Professional in Human Resources. In addition, Ms. Bennett is a member of the American Compensation Association, the New Jersey Compensation Association and the Property & Casualty Insurance Company Survey Group.

Gail L. Petersen (Andover, NJ) to vice president, director of Communications. Ms. Petersen joined Selective in September 2008. Prior to that, she was director of communications for D&M Holdings.

Ms. Petersen holds a B.A. degree in Journalism from Shippensburg University and an M.A. in Corporate and Organizational Communications from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, NJ. She is a member of the International Association of Business Communicators and the Conference Board Communications Council.

Andrew B. McCray (Matthews, NC) to assistant vice president, underwriting manager for Selective's Southern region. Mr. McCray joined Selective in July 2009. Prior to that, he served as vice president of underwriting for RLI Corporation.

Mr. McCray holds a B.S.E. degree in Chemical Engineering from Tulane University in New Orleans, LA and an M.B.A. from Ashland University in Ashland, OH.

Stephen C. Petzold (Hamilton, NJ) to assistant vice president, safety operations manager for Selective's New Jersey region. Mr. Petzold joined Selective in July 1994 as a loss control manager. Prior to that, he served as a loss control and premium audit manager for American Reliance Insurance Company.

Mr. Petzold holds a B.E. degree from Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ. He holds designations as a Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter, an Associate in Loss Control Management, an Associate in Commercial Underwriting and an Associate in Premium Audit. In addition, Mr. Petzold is a member of both the Chartered Property and Casualty Society and the National Fire Protection Association.

About Selective Insurance Group, Inc.

Selective Insurance Group, Inc. is a holding company for seven property and casualty insurance companies rated "A+" (Superior) by A.M. Best. Through independent agents, the insurance companies offer primary and alternative market insurance for commercial and personal risks, and flood insurance underwritten by the National Flood Insurance Program. Other subsidiaries of the company provide human resource administration outsourcing. Selective maintains a website at www.selective.com.

SOURCE Selective Insurance Group, Inc.