About Us – Bios
Named after its founder Raymond K. Tongue, Baltimore-based R. K. Tongue Co., Inc. has been continuously in operation as an independent insurance agency since 1911. Today, the agency remains independent and is privately held under the leadership of its President, Edward K. Gerner Jr., J.D., CLU, CPCU.
As a company, R. K. Tongue is organized into two divisions: the Professional Markets Group and the Worksite Marketing Group. Each division is largely autonomous and geared specifically toward effectively serving its unique clientele.
The Professional Markets Group is comprised of broadly trained, Property & Casualty and Life & Health licensed agents and service representatives specialized in customizing comprehensive insurance solutions predominantly for professionals and healthcare specialists such as Dentists, Attorneys, Accountants/CPAs, Physicians, Veterinarians, and Optometrists as well as small business professionals in general. Product offerings range from malpractice and other forms of liability insurance to property, workers comp, health, disability, life, longterm care and all related subsets of insurance. Most products are available on various platforms including individual, group and association.
The Worksite Marketing Group is centered around our sophisticated payroll deduction enrollment and administration capabilities, through a team of experienced Life & Health licensed agents, benefits enrollers, and service representatives serving Federal, State, and Municipal employees as well as small and midsized business employers and employees in the private sector. Supplemental benefits offered through the Worksite Marketing Group include payroll deducted life insurance, short-term disability, accident, sickness, and cancer plans.
R. K. Tongue Co., Inc.'s Executive team consists of:
Edward K. Gerner Jr., J.D., CLU, CPCU – President
Ed Gerner, JD, CLU, CPCU, President of R.K.Tongue Co., is a second generation principal active in the business since 1966. A graduate of Loyola College and the University of Maryland School of Law, and a former U.S. Army Reserve Officer, he brings extensive experience, a culture of caring, and the perspectives of both an insurance professional and a lawyer to the business. He is also a licensed Life and Health Insurance Advisor.
Ed has served on various insurance company advisory boards, on the Board of Visitors of the University of Maryland Dental School, and currently chairs the State Administrator Advisory Board of the Professional Protector Plan. He has authored numerous articles in various insurance publications, and often speaks on risk management to various groups of health care professionals.
His business/customer service philosophy is to form and nurture trusting relationships with clients, never betray that trust, and to service clients with persistence and determination.
Barbara A. Gardner, MBA – Vice President, Administration
Barbara A. Gardner, Vice President of Administration, has been with us since 1977. A graduate of the University of Maryland Baltimore County and Johns Hopkins University (MBA), Barb brings extensive administrative knowledge and experience to both the Professional Markets Group and Worksite Marketing Group sides of the business. Through her focus on the internal business workings of the company, Barb has forged many relationships with insurance companies, associations and clients over the past 30 years. And, as a licensed insurance agent, Barb continues to stay in touch with our clients by personally producing business meeting the needs of those clients.
Timothy A. Girard – Vice President, Operations
Tim Girard is a Vice President of R.K. Tongue Co., Inc., responsible for managing the sales and service of both the Maryland operations of the Professional Markets Group and Worksite Marketing Group. He is licensed in Property and Casualty and Life and Health and is currently a candidate for the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation. He graduated from Loyola College in Maryland with a degree in Business Administration and was commissioned as an Army Officer, serving eight years in the Army Reserves. Tim has lectured regionally on various risk-management and insurance related topics. His professional accomplishments include State Administrator of the Year for the Professional Protector Plan® for Dentists, and membership within the Guardian Life Insurance Company's Disability Insurance Inner Circle.
Tim resides in Fallston, MD, with his wife Gwyn, and his three sons, Christopher, Ethan, and Liam. In his spare time, he enjoys playing soccer and golf.
E. Andrew Gerner – Vice President, Marketing
Andrew Gerner is Vice President of the insurance and financial services firm R. K. Tongue Co., Inc. in Baltimore. He is a property & casualty and life & health licensed independent insurance agent and broker specializing in risk management and financial planning for members of the healthcare industry as well as white collar professionals. He has lectured regionally to dentists, dental students, and medical residents on various risk management, financial, and insurance-related topics. He received undergraduate degrees in Economics and Public Policy from St. Mary's College of Maryland and continues to study professionally within the insurance and financial services industry at The American College. His professional accomplishments and awards include State Administrator of the Year for the Professional Protector Plan® for Dentists, and membership within Guardian Life Insurance Company's Leader's Club and Disability Insurance Inner Circle.
Paul Hill, Jr. – Vice President, EAA Insurance Operations
A native of Baltimore, Paul has been in the insurance business more than forty years. He has been active at Tongue since 1982 and has extensive experience in the planning and development of payroll deduction database systems. This in conjunction with his insurance experience provides R. K. Tongue with a leadership position in multiple insurance company payroll deduction allowing an employer to allocate one payroll deduction slot for multiple insurance plans in a voluntary benefit program for employees.
