Baldwin Connelly Executive Bios

L. Lowry Baldwin
Founding Partner

Lowry Baldwin has over a quarter of a century experience in providing risk management solutions for large companies.  His expertise includes hospitality, manufacturing, and construction.  Previously, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of DavisBaldwin Inc., one of the largest privately held insurance brokerage firms in Florida. During an eight year period, DavisBaldwin increased annual revenues from $3 million to more than $18 million and eventually was acquired by Wachovia Bank in 2000.  Afterward, Lowry co-founded Advantec, a national human resources outsourcing company based in Tampa.

Lowry has served on the Board of the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority and the Lowry Park Zoo and is currently a member of the Fellows at the University of Tampa.   Lowry graduated cum laude from Wake Forest University with a Bachelor’s degree in psychology. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three sons and reside in Tampa.

John P. Connelly
Founding Partner

John Connelly has nearly 30 years of commercial insurance experience.  By 1985, he had established the Connelly Insurance Group, headquartered in Clearwater.  His agency was widely recognized as a leader in the commercial insurance agency marketplace for their growth and overall performance.  The agency was consistently ranked among the highest performing insurance agencies in its category by Marsh Berry, a national consulting firm.  The Connelly Insurance Group had 77 associates in Clearwater and Ocala when they sold their organization to Brown & Brown in 2001.  While a part of the Brown & Brown organization, John was charged with the national acquisition strategy until he left at the end of 2002. John is married and resides in Clearwater with his wife and three children.

John currently serves on the Board of Directors for House of Prayer, Colliers Arnold International, and USAmeribank.  He is a graduate of Leadership Pinellas, and a past president of the Florida Gulf Coast Museum of Art and Belleair Country Club.  John has served 10 years on the Executive Board of the Clearwater Chamber of Commerce.  He is a graduate of the University of South Florida and currently sits on its Athletic Department’s Board of Directors. 

Elizabeth Krystyn, CEBS  
Founding Partner

Elizabeth Krystyn was most recently Senior Vice President of Wachovia Insurance Services and led both their Benefits Administration operations and Bank Sales Integration.  Elizabeth started her career with DavisBaldwin Insurance and Risk Management in 1988, prior to Wachovia’s 2000 acquisition of DavisBaldwin.  Elizabeth was responsible for leading both sales and service for the Employee Benefits Group.  During her twelve years in this role, revenues grew more than twelve-fold. 

She is a board member of Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo and is the Chair of H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute’s Corporate Partners Committee.  Elizabeth teaches Sunday school at First Presbyterian of Tampa.  She has her Certified Employee Benefits Specialist designation from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and has taught a number of CEBS courses.  Elizabeth has a finance degree from the University of South Florida.  She and her husband, Enrique Fueyo, have two sons and reside in Tampa. 

Laura Rice Sherman
Founding Partner

Laura Sherman has nearly fifteen years experience in solving the risk management needs of the affluent. 

She has served as a Senior Vice President and Managing Director for the Private Risk Management Group for Wachovia Insurance Services – Georgia, previously Hamilton Dorsey Alston Company.  During her seven year tenure, Laura served in various capacities, including Sales Manager for the division and Bank Integration Director.  Previously, Laura worked with the Chubb Group of insurance Companies where she was the Assistant Worldwide Marketing Manager for the personal insurance division and was responsible for the creation of the Ferrari Insurance Program, marketing collateral, and national public relations; she also traveled with the PBS television show, Antiques Roadshow. 

Laura currently serves on the art acquisition committee for the Gulf Coast Museum of Art and dedicated her time to many local charitable endeavors while in Atlanta, including chairing the board of directors for Operation Hope, a financial literacy program for inner-city children, and serving on the finance committee for the Atlanta History Center.    She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from DePauw University and attended the executive MBA program at Georgia State University.  She and her husband, Alden, have one son and reside in Clearwater.