Thorp & Trainer Staff

Howard Thorp
President
hthorp@thorptrainer.com

Howard has devoted his entire professional career to Thorp and Trainer. In his 30 years at the firm he has sold personal and commercial lines of insurance and was an account manager for commercial insurance lines. He has been president since 2005. He is a Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and Accredited Adviser in Insurance (AAI). He is a 1990 graduate of The Citadel and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He currently lives in Westerly with his two daughters, Hannah and Emily. Howard believes in the importance of community service and has been an active volunteer and leader at several nonprofits, including as past president at Stand Up for Animals, IIARI, and Literacy Volunteers of Washington County. He is currently treasurer of the Charlestown Chamber of Commerce.

Elizabeth Trebisacci
Agency Manager, VP
etrebisacci@thorptrainer.com

Elizabeth has been in her current leadership position at Thorp and Trainer for 16 years, but she has a total of 36 years of experience in the agency, working in all positions, from receptionist and processor to personal and commercial lines account manager. She grew up in the village of Ashaway and lives in Westerly with her husband. Her favorite pastimes include gardening, going to the beach, reading, and being with her friends and family, especially her grandchildren.

Sarah Lassor
Commercial Lines Account Manager
slassor@thorptrainer.com

Sarah has worked at Thorp & Trainer since 2002. She spent 14 years as a Personal Lines Account Manager.  In 2016, she switched over to her current position of Commercial Lines Account Manager. Prior to Thorp and Trainer, she was in retail, as a manager for Cumberland Farms in Westerly and a floor waitress manager for the Bluebird Café in Wakefield. She has four professional certifications: AAI (Accredited Advisor in Insurance), AINS (Associate in General Insurance), AIS (Associate in Insurance Services), and CPIA (Certified Professional Insurance Agent). She grew up in Charlestown and has been a Westerly resident for 20 years. Her son is a Junior at Westerly High School. Her partner, his two daughters, a puppy and kitten make for a house that is full at all times. Outside of the house, Sarah tends to her flowers and vegetable gardens and cares for her ducks and chickens. She enjoys walking in her neighborhood but sometimes veers farther off the beaten path to get into nature.

Hope Mitchell
Senior Personal Lines Account Manager
hmitchell@thorptrainer.com

Hope has been at Thorp & Trainer since 2001 and is currently a Senior Account Manager. She has worked in processing and as a receptionist. She has been certified as an AAI and CPIA. She and her husband Andy have three children and one grandchild and reside in North Stonington, CT. Hope is active in her community, serving as a decades-long member of the Order of the Eastern Star in Rhode Island and on the advisory board of Westerly Assembly #7 International Order of Rainbow for Girls for two decades. When not working or volunteering, she is passionate about spending time with her many pets, including goats, bunnies, chickens, dog, and a cat. She also is an avid outdoorswoman, spending her time fishing and hiking.

Nicole Storm
Senior Personal Lines Account Manager
nstorm@thorptrainer.com 

Nicole has worked as an account manager since 2014 after four years at the front-desk as an administrative assistant. She holds the designation of Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR). She has also worked at Foxwoods as a lead slot auditor and at McQuades Marketplace as the front-end supervisor. Nicole currently lives in Westerly with her husband Shayne, daughters Lily and Kenzie, and their rescue dog Bubba. She volunteers in her community as a treasurer for her local elementary school PTO board and as a Pee Wee Cheerleading coach.

Lucas J. Arnold
Business Development Manager 
larnold@thorptrainer.com

Lucas ”Luke” Arnold serves as the business development manager of Thorp & Trainer, Inc and is focused on commercial business. He has been part of the Thorp & Trainer team since 2010. Luke is a 2001 alumni of Salve Regina University with a BS in Accounting. His favorite part of his role at Thorp & Trainer is building relationships in the community and partnering with business owners to protect their assets and control their costs. In his time away from the office, Luke and his two kids can be found at the beach, on a ball field, or out golfing.

Samantha Giorno
Personal Lines Account Manager
sgiorno@thorptrainer.com

Samantha began as a receptionist in 2014 before becoming an assistant commercial lines account manager. She then switched to assistant personal lines account management in 2020. Samantha is now a Personal Lines Account Manager, licensed in both Rhode Island and Connecticut.  She was born and raised in Westerly, where she resides with her husband Michael and their two children. Samantha has a passion for cooking and enjoys spending time with family and friends.

Ashley Beckwith
Commercial Lines Account Manager
abeckwith@thorptrainer.com

Ashley started at Thorp & Trainer in 2018 as an administrative assistant and processor. In 2019, she became an assistant commercial lines account manager and is now serving in the role of Commercial Lines Account Manager. Before diving into insurance, she worked in the hospitality field as a front-office hotel manager. Ashley was born and raised in Westerly and currently resides in West Warwick with her husband and son.

Lil A. Moreau Gagnier
Administrative Assistant
lgagnier@thorptrainer.com

Lil recently joined Thorp and Trainer after more than three decades in office administration and customer service, which included the last 14 years with Stand Up for Animals and 22 years prior at German Motors in Providence. She resides in Westerly with her husband Jean and two rescue cats, Tia and Marcus. 

Ken Gaspar
Systems Administrator
kgaspar@thorptrainer.com

Ken has managed Thorp and Trainer’s IT systems since 2005, with more than three decades of experience in his field. He is a lifelong Cranston resident with his two dogs—Tulip, a Cavapoo— and Pepper, a Miniature Labradoodle, and with whom he regularly travels. Ken enjoys boating and fishing. When he’s not out on the water, he can be found working on home repairs and remodeling.