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Western Division

Our Impact,  Together

As the founding division of IICF, the Western Division has been serving local communities across the western United States since 1994. IICF has served as the philanthropic foundation of the insurance industry for  thirty years, contributing $49+ million in community grants  along with 355,000 volunteer hours by more than 125,000 industry  professionals.  The IICF Western Division focuses grant and volunteer support to nonprofits with programs focused in the areas of children at risk, education, and human services.

"Our IICF supporters in the west continue to 'lean in' with consistency, passion, and a desire to serve.  Collectively, we remain proud and committed to deliver a strong impact to community based organizations.  As we look forward, we are laser focused on expanding our group of supporters to continue increasing our impact!."
Travis Bethune
Customer & Broker Engagement Leader – North America, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance

Nonprofits we support

A Precious Child

Broomfield
,
CO
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Ability First

Pasadena
,
CA
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All For Kids

Los Angeles
,
CA
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Alpha Project

San Diego
,
CA
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Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels

Phoenix
,
AZ
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Bay Area Crisis Nursery

Concord
,
CA
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Be A Mentor, Inc.

Hayward
,
CA
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Brothers Redevelopment Inc.

Edgewater
,
CO
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Community Resource Center

Encinitas
,
CA
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Compass Family Services

San Francisco
,
CA
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Covenant House of California

Los Angeles
,
CA
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Dress for Success Phoenix

Phoenix
,
AZ
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Episcopal Community Service

San Francisco
,
CA
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Evangel Home

Fresno
,
CA
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Feed My Poor

Beverly Hills
,
CA
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Film2Future Inc.

Los Angeles
,
CA
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Five Acres - The Boys & Girls Aid Society of Los Angeles County

Altadena
,
CA
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Florence Crittenton Services of Orange County Inc.

Fullerton
,
CA
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FosterAll

Glendale
,
CA
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Fresh Start Women's Foundation

Phoenix
,
AZ
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Friends of Camp Concord

Concord
,
CA
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Girls Inc.

Santa Ana
,
CA
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Golden Heart Ranch

Agoura Hills
,
CA
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Harvest Pack

Minneapolis
,
MN
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Home of Guiding Hands

El Cajon
,
CA
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Joseph Learning Lab

Signal Hill
,
CA
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Junior Achievement of San Diego County

San Diego
,
CA
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KidsQuest Children's Museum

Bellevue
,
WA
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LiNC LA

Redlands
,
CA
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Love Never Fails

Dublin
,
CA
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Make-A-Wish Northeastern & Central California and Northern Nevada

Fresno
,
CA
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Mary's Path

Santa Ana
,
CA
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Million Dollar Teacher Project

Phoenix
,
AZ
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NeuroTalent Works

Pasadena
,
CA
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Playworks Education Energized

Phoenix
,
AZ
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Project Angel Heart

Denver
,
CO
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Project Hope Alliance

Costa Mesa
,
CA
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Project Lemonade Inc.

Portland
,
OR
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Rebuilding Together Peninsula

Redwood City
,
CA
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SBCS Corporation

Chula Vista
,
CA
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SMART

San Francisco
,
CA
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Safe and Sound

,
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San Diego Youth Services

San Diego
,
CA
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Save the Family Foundation of Arizona

Mesa
,
AZ
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Schools, Mentoring and Resource Team, Inc. (SMART)

San Francisco
,
CA
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Stars

Pasadena
,
CA
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The Beat Within a Program of Intersection for the Arts

San Francisco
,
CA
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The David's Harp Foundation

San Diego
,
CA
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The PLACE

Colorado Springs
,
CO
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The RightWay Foundation

Los Angeles
,
CA
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Thriving Families

Denver
,
CO
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Tierra del Sol Foundation

Sunland
,
CA
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Transitional Living Communities

Phoenix
,
AZ
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Treasures 4 Teachers

Tempe
,
AZ
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United Through Reading

San Diego
,
CA
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Warren Village

Denver
,
CO
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We Benefit Children

Los Angeles
,
CA
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Wellnest

Los Angeles
,
CA
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White Pony Express

Concord
,
CA
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Women's Bean Project

Denver
,
CO
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Youth On Their Own

Tucson
,
AZ
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Zion Institute

Phoenix
,
AZ
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transcenDANCE Youth Arts Project

San Diego
,
CA
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Grant Guidelines

Learn more about the IICF grant guidelines
View Guidelines

About

Making a Local Impact

IICF helps communities and enriches lives by combining the collective strengths of the industry to provide grants, volunteer service, and leadership. IICF reinvests funds and resources back into local communities across the west for maximum community impact.

See a just few ways the IICF Western Division has supported our community THIS year!
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$614,000+

Grants Awarded
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60

Nonprofits  Supported
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9,677

Volunteer Hours Served
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326,260+

Meals Facilitated
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The Board

Meet the Board

Terrance Thompson
Creative Director
Company

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The Board

Meet the Board

Terrance Thompson
Creative Director
Company

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The Board

Meet the Board

Terrance Thompson
Creative Director
Company

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The Board

Meet the Board

Terrance Thompson
Creative Director
Company

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The Board

Meet the Board

Terrance Thompson
Creative Director
Company

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The Board

Meet the Board

Terrance Thompson
Creative Director
Company

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The Board

Meet the Board

Terrance Thompson
Creative Director
Company

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

The Board

Meet the Board

Terrance Thompson
Creative Director
Company

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

The Board

Meet the Board

Terrance Thompson
Creative Director
Company

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The Board

Meet the Board

Travis Bethune

Chair
Vice President, Customer & Broker Engagement
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance

Shadia Ahmad

Chair
Vice President
USI

Riley Barnacastle

Chair
Financial Lines PNP Underwriting Manager
Chubb

Kaci Burger

Chair
Senior Treaty Underwriter, Senior Vice President
Swiss Re

Bobby Carroll

Chair

Nathan Carter

Chair
Managing Director-Southwest Region
AIG

Craig Cendak

Chair
Regional Middle Market Executive, West & Northeast
Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty

Jennifer Chargualaf

Chair
AVP, Customer Service
Zenith Insurance Company

Blake Chauvin

Chair
Senior Vice President, Senior Customer Manager
Swiss Re Corporate Solutions

Debbi Forde

Chair
Senior Vice President, Account Executive
WTW

Dennis Fox

Chair
Principal, SVP, Broker
Brown & Riding

Jennifer Garcia

Chair
SVP, West Region Field Leader
CNA

Margaret Hartmann

Chair
Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer
Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies

Marc Hickman

Chair
Market Leader / Executive Vice President
Aon Risk Insurance Services West, Inc.

Linde Hotchkiss

Chair
EVP, Regional Managing Director
Newfront

Katie Keenan

Chair
Specialty Underwriting Officer
The Hartford

Paul Keltner

Chair
Regional Vice President Middle Markets Commercial
Zurich North America

Jennifer Knox

Chair
Southern California Corporate Risk & Broking Leader
WTW

Lisa Lin

Chair
Vice President
USAA

Michelle Lonaker

Chair
Foundation & Philanthropy Director
Heffernan

Adam McDonough

Chair
Executive Vice President
Lockton Insurance Brokers, LLC

Ben McKay

Chair
Executive Director
Surplus Line Association of CA

Amy Neuman

Chair
Operations Manager Property & Casualty
USI

Carol Newman

Chair
EVP, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
Confie

Martin Ogden

Chair
Vice President, West Business Development Manager
Intact Insurance Solutions

Lindsey Rey

Chair
Regional Vice President
The Hartford

Cory Rider

Chair
Vice President, San Francisco Branch Manager
CNA Insurance

Bill Ross

Chair
Chief Executive Officer
Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation, Inc.

Keith Schuler

Chair
President/CEO
InterWest

Rekha Skantharaja

Chair
President & CEO
Tangram Insurance Services

Kurt Stemmler

Chair
Senior Vice President & San Francisco Branch Manager
Chubb

Vandana Sule

Chair
Principal & Insurance Technology Consulting Leader
EY

Pilar Summerville

Chair
Executive Vice President
RT Specialty

Nancy Thomas

Chair
Executive Vice President
Hub

Edith Tsui

Chair
Sr. Director of Distribution Management North America – West Region
Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty

Terrence Villar

Chair
Executive Vice President
Amwins

Adam Witten

Chair
SVP, Regional Executive – Western Region
Liberty Mutual
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The Board

Meet the Board

Chair
Travis Bethune
Vice President, Customer & Broker Engagement
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance

Travis leads customer and broker engagement efforts for Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance in their western U.S. region. Based in San Francisco, he joined BHSI in early 2015 following marketing, underwriting, and claims leadership roles at Chubb, Travelers and Allianz. Travis is an active and long-time supporter of the IICF. He is also an active member of the National African American Insurance Association. Travis believes in the importance of mentorship and diversity, equity and inclusion imperatives and maintains productive mentoring relationships with multiple industry professionals. He and his family also volunteer and support various other charities including Junior Achievement of Northern California, Friends of the Children, At the Cross-Roads, and the Alameda County Food Bank. Travis is an alumnus of St. Lawrence University, majored in economics, and minored in African Studies (including study abroad in Kenya and Tanzania). He and his wife love to attend their son's weekend soccer games, play golf with family, friends and colleagues, ski, and travel internationally. In his spare time, Travis also enjoys deejaying, gardening and smoking barbeque.

The Board

Meet the Board

Chair
Shadia Ahmad
Vice President
USI

The Board

Meet the Board

Chair
Riley Barnacastle
Financial Lines PNP Underwriting Manager
Chubb

Riley Barnacastle is the Financial Lines PNP Underwriting Manager for Chubb’s San Francisco Branch where he is responsible for the growth and profitability of Chubb’s financial lines products, including D&O, EPL, Fiduciary, Crime, and K&R, for private companies and not-for-profit organizations. He began his insurance career in 2015 as a Life Sciences underwriting trainee in the Chubb Associate Program. Prior to this he served two years in the Peace Corps as a literacy and numeracy teacher in a rural community in Jamaica. Riley is a native of Birmingham, Alabama and graduate of Samford University where he also lettered in varsity football. He earned an MPA from the Middlebury College’s Institute of International Studies and holds the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation in addition to the Associate in Insurance Services (AIS) and Accredited Adviser in Insurance (AAI) certifications. He is the President Emeritus of the Friends of Jamaica Peace Corps Affiliate Organization and was recently named Chair of the IICF Associate Board for Northern California. Riley lives in San Francisco and enjoys exercising, reading, and playing the guitar.

The Board

Meet the Board

Chair
Kaci Burger
Senior Treaty Underwriter, Senior Vice President
Swiss Re

Kaci joined Swiss Re in April 2003 on the Property Treaty Reinsurance broker team handling US Large, Regional and Global clients. Current client responsibilities include underwriting and client management for the large US client segment as well as quasi-public private governmental entities, such as the NFIP and various State residualentities.

Prior to 2003, Kaci worked at Hanover Re, underwriting crop business, including MPCI and crop hail insurance.

Kaci graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire with a double major in Accounting and Finance. Kaci passed the CPA exam in 1998.

Kaci currently resides in Westlake Village,California. During her time off, she enjoys traveling, scuba diving and downhill skiing.

The Board

Meet the Board

Chair
Bobby Carroll

Bobby is head of the Primary Special Risk Unit within Crum & Forster’s Surplus &Specialty Lines Division. He has been with Crum & Forster since 2020 based in Los Angeles. Prior to joining Crum & Forster he worked at Gen Re as a Casualty Facultative Underwriter in the Western Region focusing primarily on carriers in the Surplus Lines space. As much as he loves his job, Bobby works hard to strike a healthy work/life balance and can be found on the weekends rock climbing, skiing, or surfing around Southern California.

The Board

Meet the Board

Chair
Nathan Carter
Managing Director-Southwest Region
AIG

Nathan runs the AIG Southwest Region as the Managing Director and is responsible for the oversight of the distribution strategy, production and overall leadership of the Southwest Region. Prior to joining the organization, Nathan held many leadership roles in including underwriting, wholesale brokers, personal lines product management and various distribution roles. Just prior to joining AIG, he was a Marketing Manager for the Pacific South in Los Angeles for Chubb Insurance. Nathan earned his Bachelors Degree in Sociology and his Masters in Public Administration from California State University at Northridge.

The Board

Meet the Board

Chair
Craig Cendak
Regional Middle Market Executive, West & Northeast
Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty

The Board

Meet the Board

Chair
Jennifer Chargualaf
AVP, Customer Service
Zenith Insurance Company

With over thirty years of experience in the California Workers’ Compensation marketplace, Jennifer has been active in claims, underwriting, marketing, and training. During most of her career, she has worked for Zenith Insurance Company in the San Diego office in a variety of leadership positions. Since 2008, Jennifer’s primary focus has been business development and she is currently working as the AVP of Marketing. Jennifer received her undergraduate degree in Business Management from UOP, has her Associates in Risk Management, holds a Workers’ Compensation Claims Associate and Professional designation as well as a Self-Insured Claims certificate. Community involvement includes fund raising for a variety of charitable organizations through the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation.

The Board

Meet the Board

Chair
Blake Chauvin
Senior Vice President, Senior Customer Manager
Swiss Re Corporate Solutions

Mr. Chauvin, in his 35 years of insurance experience, has held senior customer relationship and brokerage production roles with a focus on both global Fortune 500 clients and highly technical structured finance arrangements.   His industry expertise lies principally in Technology, Energy, Hospitality, and Private Equity.

He has developed bespoke insurance programs for renewable energy clients,as well as rent-a-captive arrangements for Workers Compensation and General Liability coverages.

Mr. Chauvin and a handful of colleagues helped to build the initial Global Relationship team for Zurich Insurance Company in the United States.   There, he had responsibility for initial startup of the West Coast Global Relationship Management program.   In that role, he and his underwriting teams were successful in adding over $125 million in new profitable written premium over a 10-year period.   The team retained over 92% of the premium on a YoY basis.

In his role at Zurich, he partnered with the Alternative Risk / Corporate Solutions teams to provide various non-traditional programs to his global customers.

As a specialty broker, Mr. Chauvin developed unique hedge products for Renewable Energy clients and contractors that allow a project sponsor or contractor to reduce the variability of plant revenue and battery performance.  

In 2021, he joined Swiss Re to manage a portfolio of global technology and energy customers.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Louisiana State University, a Masters in Finance from California State University, and an Associate Risk Management (ARM) designation.

Mr. Chauvin is married and has three children:  Austin- 27; Nicole – 24 and Michelle 21.   He enjoys golf, boating, and the outdoors in his spare time.  

The Board

Meet the Board

Chair
Debbi Forde
Senior Vice President, Account Executive
WTW

Debbi has over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, both in brokerage and client service. She manages the day-to-day relationship including project management and coordination of Willis Towers Watson services and resources to our clients. She ensures the team delivers prompt responses to ad-hoc questions, as well as adheres to timelines and goals of the client service plan. Debbi is responsible for driving efficiency and best practices to deliver superb client service. Prior to joining the Willis Towers Watson organization, Debbi worked for a major brokerage firm as a Senior Account Executive, Manager in the Middle Market space (2009-2018), and as a Senior Casualty Advisor in Global Risk Management (1996-2009). In these roles, she was responsible for coordinating the delivery of resources to her clients, supervising the client teams, developing and implementing client service plan, keeping abreast of current market conditions and ensuring clients were informed of developments affecting their insurance program and/or their industry, as well as managing and developing junior staff members. A majority of Debbi’s career was spent in the healthcare sector working on complex hospital systems, community hospitals, outpatient facilities and behavioral health facilities. In addition Debbi has had experience in managing, designing and placing programs for Fortune 1,000 companies’ clients across multiple

The Board

Meet the Board

Chair
Dennis Fox
Principal, SVP, Broker
Brown & Riding

Dennis Fox is a Principal and Broker at Brown & Riding, he specialties in tough-to-place medical professional liability business, including senior care facilities, allied health, and social service organizations.  Dennis holds designations as a Registered Professional Liability Underwriter (RPLU), a Management Liability Insurance Specialist (MLIS), and a Cyber Professional Liability Practitioner (CPLP). Dennis is a graduate of Arizona State University, holding a degree in Business and Communication.  Dennis currently resides on the west side of Los Angeles with his wife and daughter, and in his spare time enjoys playing ice hockey and golf.

The Board

Meet the Board

Chair
Jennifer Garcia
SVP, West Region Field Leader
CNA

The Board

Meet the Board

Chair
Margaret Hartmann
Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer
Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies

Margaret Hartmann is Senior Vice President/Chief Marketing Officer for Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies- Workers Compensation Division. In this role, Margaret is responsible for National Marketing as well as Client Services and CA Loss Control. She began her career in Claims and joined BHHC 25 years ago as the Northern California Claims Manager. In her tenure at BHHC she has worked in many capacities: Claims, Client Services, Marketing, Underwriting, even a short stint leading Human Resources. She has enjoyed being a part of the company’s growth and expansion into a leading national provider of workers compensation.Margaret graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with a degree in Liberal Studies. She and her husband live in the Bay Area and have two daughters that are both in the insurance industry.

The Board

Meet the Board

Chair
Marc Hickman
Market Leader / Executive Vice President
Aon Risk Insurance Services West, Inc.

Marc Hickman is the Market Leader for Aon’s Pacific Southwest offices. He oversees all aspects of financial management, personnel management and client relationships for the Pacific Southwest operations.  His major functions in this capacity include best practices development, strategic risk management planning, sorting through challenging insurer discussions and management of the Pacific Southwest’s financial performance across all of Aon’s solution lines.

In additional to Marc’s management responsibilities, he also serves as an Executive Client Contact for several Pacific Southwest accounts.  His core function in this role includes understanding and interpreting client needs, coordinating the delivery of appropriate Aon resources, and ensuring the appropriate delivery of all of Aon’s services.

Marc joined Aon in July of 2007 and has worked in Business Development, the Account Executive Practice and led Aon Southern California Account Executive Practice until 2017. Prior to joining Aon, Marc worked at Marsh & McLennan where he was a member of their Business Development Practice.

Marc’s background centers around large complex accounts providing solutions and solving problems for unique risk exposures.  His account experience represents a broad range of industries and exposures including several Fortune 100 and Fortune 1,000 clients.

He is involved in the community and sits on several boards including the United Way of Greater Los Angeles and Chapman University Alumni Board of Directors.

The Board

Meet the Board

Chair
Linde Hotchkiss
EVP, Regional Managing Director
Newfront

As Executive Vice President and Regional Managing Director,Southwest for Newfront, Linde is responsible for expanding the firm’s reach across Southern California and throughout the entire Southwest.

Before joining Newfront, Linde held various leadership roles at Willis Towers Watson, including her most recent position as Western RegionLeader for Large Accounts and Global Client Advocacy.

Linde also spent over 20 years as both a finance and operations executive for Marsh. Her expertise and experience spans Property& Casualty and Employee Benefits, and she is highly skilled at working with clients ranging in size from middle-market to sophisticated large group and large risk.

Ms. Hotchkiss serves the community on several boards including Junior Achievement, Safe Haven Children’s Medical Outreach, and transcenDANCE Youth Arts Project.  She is a frequent presenter on Inclusion and Diversity and was recognized by the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation as one of two North American Inclusion Champions for 2019.

The Board

Meet the Board

Chair
Katie Keenan
Specialty Underwriting Officer
The Hartford

The Board

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Chair
Paul Keltner
Regional Vice President Middle Markets Commercial
Zurich North America

Paul Keltner leads Zurich’s West Middle Markets Underwriting Team. In this role, he is responsible for managing P&C Underwriting and P&L for the West Region Middle Markets including local offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Phoenix, and Seattle.  

Paul joined Zurich in 2008 from AIG, where he was Regional Underwriting Manager, Excess Casualty. Previously he spent 11 years with GE Insurance / Employers Reinsurance, a division of General Electric, in a variety of roles including Media Liability Underwriting;Management for Architects & Engineers and Accountants Professional Liability Underwriting; and Six Sigma Quality Improvement Leadership.  

Keltner holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics degree from Claremont McKenna College, and an MBA in Finance and Marketing from the University of Southern California.  Paul is Six-Sigma Quality Blackbelt Certified.

The Board

Meet the Board

Chair
Jennifer Knox
Southern California Corporate Risk & Broking Leader
WTW

Jennifer Knox is Corporate Risk & Broking Leader for WTW in Southern California. Having been in this marketplace for over 15 years, Jennifer is responsible for leading the delivery of exceptional client and colleague experiences at WTW and accelerating its growth and impact. Jennifer brings with her nearly 30 years of Commercial P&C experience spanning multiple geographies, disciplines and responsibilities. Most recently Jennifer launched the West Coast expansion of PMA, an Old Republic Insurance Company, as the Vice President and West Regional Officer. Prior to PMA, she was a Senior Vice President at Swiss Re Corporate Solutions leading their West Region growth and operations. Jennifer enjoys a marriage of 28 years and is the mother of two teenaged daughters. She is an active volunteer in the Catholic Church and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, in addition to being a member of the Executive Committee of the IICF Western Division Board of Directors. Her hobbies include watching her daughters play sports and traveling with her family, in addition to exploring new epicurean adventures, hiking and reading.

The Board

Meet the Board

Chair
Lisa Lin
Vice President
USAA

Lisa Lin joined USAA’s P&C organization in December 2021. She proudly serves and protects military families by leading Property and Catastrophe Claims Operations. Previously, Lisa led the Claims Property Complex organization which specializes in overseeing the most complex property claims including large loss.


Lisa joined USAA with 25 years of insurance and leadership experience. She previously served as the Head of Property Claims – Eastern Region at Farmers Insurance. Lisa has experience in all areas of Property claims including spending 10 years with the National Catastrophe Center of Excellence. During her career she has helped transform organizations by implementing changes to improve efficiency, customer experience and overall effectiveness of processes. These changes include adopting new technologies, enhancing training programs, and innovating strategies which better meet the needs of her customers and employees.


Lisa is an initiative-taking, service oriented professional with a record of producing results and developing people. She prides herself on her ability to empower promising individuals to unlock their full capabilities. To accomplish this, Lisa focuses on committing time and energy to these individuals and helping to create opportunities for their advancement. Lisa is enthusiastic about creating an inclusive culture. She is currently and executive sponsor of USAA’s Women in Leadership Action Learning Sprint Workstream and she serves as a board member on the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation Western Division.


Lisa is a graduate of the University of Tennessee – Knoxville with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Hotel & Restaurant Administration with a minor in Logistics.
Lisa currently resides in Phoenix AZ with her husband Scott, who is a sales executive in the industrial and metalworking industry. She is proud stepmom of three wonderful young men. Both Lisa and Scott love to travel and consider themselves foodies. She is passionate about animals and spends a good deal of time on the golf course.

The Board

Meet the Board

Chair
Michelle Lonaker
Foundation & Philanthropy Director
Heffernan

I have been with Heffernan Insurance Brokers since 2001. In my current role of Philanthropy Director of Heffernan Insurance Brokers and the Executive Director of Heffernan Foundation, I am responsible for all facets of Social Responsibility within our company (Volunteer Events, Grants, Scholarships, Dollars-for-Doers, Employee Matching, etc.) I also run our Wellness Division and Corporate Events at Heffernan Insurance Brokers. I feel lucky I get to do what I love for a company I feel honored to work for.

The Board

Meet the Board

Chair
Adam McDonough
Executive Vice President
Lockton Insurance Brokers, LLC

Adam McDonough has worked in the insurance industry for over 30 years, representing clients in a broad array of industries, including financial services, high technology, real estate, retail, and manufacturing. He specializes in Directors & Officers Liability, Errors & Omissions, Fidelity/Crime and Cyber Liability insurance.At Lockton, Adam is responsible for solving complex risk and insurance problems for large clients with specialized needs, as well as leading the day-to-day service and business development teams.Lockton is the largest private, independent insurance brokerage and risk management consultant in the world, with 7,500 associates serving over 52,000 clients globally.Education: BS, Fordham University, New York, NY (1988)MBA, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley (1995)Affiliations: Board Member, Leadership San Francisco Board Member, Insurance Industry Charitable FoundationLicenses: Fire & Casualty (All 50 States) Life & Health (All 50 States)

The Board

Meet the Board

Chair
Ben McKay
Executive Director
Surplus Line Association of CA

Ben McKay is the CEO & Executive Director of the Surplus Line Association of California (SLA), the largest association of its type in the country. Prior to leading the SLA, Ben spent eight years with the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) as its Senior Vice President for Federal Government Relations. In that role, Ben was named one of Washington D.C.’s Best in the Business for Business five times by The Hill, one of the city’s leading political newspapers. Before his time at PCI, Ben served as Chief of Staff to a member of United States Congress in Washington, D.C. where he worked on financial services and international relations issues. While in Washington, Ben also taught a class to MBA candidates entitled Business and Government. Ben is a coauthor of the book Annotations to Surplus Lines Statutes.

Prior to his work in Washington, D.C., he served a tour as a regulator at the Florida Department of State, where he served as Deputy Secretary for International and Legislative Affairs and later as the youngest Chief of Staff in the history of the 750-employee department.

Additionally, he serves as the Chairman Emeritus for First Capital Finance, the nation’s largest certified development company. He serves as a member of the board of the California State, Fullerton, School of Risk Management and Insurance, and the Advisory Council of the University of Colorado School of Risk Management. Also, Ben is a member of the Western Division Board of Directors for the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation.

Ben received his Bachelor of Science from Florida State University, his Master in Public Administration from Harvard University, and his Juris Doctor from Catholic University. He is a Lifetime member of the FSU Alumni Association and member of their national board of directors.

The Board

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Chair
Amy Neuman
Operations Manager Property & Casualty
USI

Amy has over 25 years of experience in the property& casualty insurance industry. She has a demonstrated history of fierce client advocacy while maintaining longstanding carrier and business relationships.

Amy began her journey at USI in 2002 as a Senior Account Manager that involved analyzing risks and recommending and constructing insurance programs for a variety of clients. Amy is now the USI P&C Operations Manager at for the Bay Area,responsible for maintaining corporate metrics, best practices, client retention, and creating a culture where people feel they belong.

Amy worked at a local insurance agency while she finished her education at Sonoma State University. Her intent was to become an ESL teacher but realized her passion for insurance and serving others. After graduation, she continued her path in insurance and expanded her value by obtaining her Associate in Risk Management (ARM) designation.  Amy’s first job was firefighting for Cal Fire which taught her hard work and determination. Insurance has taught her strategic thinking and creative solutions to complex problems.

During her free time, Amy serves her local Rotary Club in various positions, including past president and volunteers in community service projects.  She is an avid supporter of dog rescues,including fostering (and failing). She loves spending time with her husband and four dogs and cherishes the time when she can be with her grandkids, camping or traveling.

The Board

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Chair
Carol Newman
EVP, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
Confie

Carol R. Newman has served as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Confie since April 2016. Ms. Newman is an action-oriented leader with deep experience in the private and public sectors and all facets of the property and casualty insurance business. For over thirty years, Ms. Newman has served as Chief Legal Officer for major property and casualty companies. During Ms. Newman’s twelve-year tenure at Chicago Insurance Company/Interstate Indemnity Company, she provided legal advice on reinsurance, carrier, MGA, and agent/broker business in the area of underwriting, claims, sales and operations.There she was instrumental in implementing risk purchasing group business and working with the industry and regulators in establishing the laws and regulations associated with this business. She was also SVP of Human Resources while at Chicago/Interstate.

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Chair
Martin Ogden
Vice President, West Business Development Manager
Intact Insurance Solutions

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Chair
Lindsey Rey
Regional Vice President
The Hartford

Lindsey Rey has been with Hartford for 11 years, after 4 years in marketing for the media industry. Lindsey’s Hartford career has been in middle market P&C, originating as an underwriter in San Francisco, relocating to Seattle with Hartford as an underwriting manager in 2015, and most recently returning to the Bay Area as a Managing Director for the Hartford Northern California Regional Office General Industries team, based out of Hartford’s Walnut Creek office. Lindsey is most passionate about mentoring and establishing strong, lasting partnerships with business partners. Throughout her career, she has been committed to networking and being an advocate for involvement in professional organizations. Lindsey has enjoyed being part of IICF in both San Francisco and Seattle, and was fortunate to be part of the founding IICF Western Division Associate Board as well as the founding IICF WA Chapter. Outside of work, Lindsey is an avid USC football fan, and lives in Walnut Creek with her husband, Nick, daughter, Taylor, and son, Jackson.

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Chair
Cory Rider
Vice President, San Francisco Branch Manager
CNA Insurance

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Chair
Bill Ross
Chief Executive Officer
Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation, Inc.

In September 2004, Bill joined the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation as Chief Executive Officer and is responsible for the overall operation and strategic direction of the foundation Bill comes to the Foundation after a 31 year career with the Walt Disney Company having worked in the Parks and Resorts division with assignments in Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Resort in Paris and was a member of the executive team that managed the $2 billion dollar expansion of the Disneyland Resort in Southern California. Bill has a broad background in marketing, communications, planning and development and external relations. He is a chairman emeritus of the Orange County Business Council. He served on numerous non profit boards throughout California such as the CaliforniaGolden State Museum, Children’s Hospital Orange County and Cypress College Foundation. He is a strong advocate of education and completed his undergraduate and graduate degree at California State University Fullerton. In 1989 he was recognized as a distinguished alumnus. Prior to his business career he lectured at California State University, Fullerton for five years.

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Chair
Keith Schuler
President/CEO
InterWest

Keith Schuler entered the insurance industry as an Underwriter with Chubb Insurance prior to joining InterWest’s predecessor organization, Lindo Hanna & Abbott, in 1987 where he became a partner in 1991. He developed an expertise in self-insurance and risk transfer programs for medium to large businesses and focused his sales strategy around providing risk management and claims mitigation solutions. In 1992, Lindo Hanna & Abbott merged with 2 other large successful brokerage firms to form InterWest and in 1995, Keith accepted the role of Northern Division President. Having demonstrated strong management & leadership skills, he was asked by the InterWest Board of Directors to accept the position of President/Chief Executive Officer in 2008.Keith is an officer on the Board of Directors of the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers based in Washington DC. He also served on the National Advisory Board of the PGA Tour (1995-1999) and as a board member for De La Salle High School in Concord, CA. Keith is known for his dedication to Philanthropy and Community Support and willingly severed on a number of nonprofit boards. He is currently a Board Member for the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation Western Division and was instrumental in creating the Annual InterWest Gives Back Champaign.Keith is a graduate of California State University, Sacramento with a Bachelor of Science degree in Management/Finance and a minor in Biology. He played intercollegiate football at the University of California, Davis, as well as California State University, Sacramento. He is a native of Walnut Creek and resides in Lake Tahoe and Chico with his wife Chelle. Outdoor enthusiast’s Keith and Chelle spend the majority of their time in mountains skiing, backpacking and enjoying water sports, and spending as much time as they can with their three children.

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Chair
Rekha Skantharaja
President & CEO
Tangram Insurance Services

As President & CEO of Tangram Insurance Services, Rekha has the privilege of building an independently owned,privately held company on her terms. Tangram architects and distributes specialty insurance programs in niche industries across the U.S.  

 

Her mission is to help people see the opportunities available in this industry and empower them to create their own successful career path.  Rekha believes this is particularly important for women and minorities, since diversity in the industry will ultimately benefit the whole.

 

Under Rekha’s leadership, Tangram has experienced accelerated financial growth and cultural transformation over the last13 years.  With a majority female executive team and staff that includes veterans and minorities, she is proud to be scaling a company that is challenging the status quo of the insurance industry.  Completing the team’s first strategic acquisition last year and expanding several core programs, she is piloting an audacious climb to hit the one billion dollar mark in 10 years.

 

Rekha is a first generation American and graduate of Boston University.  She is a mother, a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization, a founder of her Company’s Women of Influence, a member of the Insurance Supper Club and a Board Director for a prominent Bay Area nonprofit. Rekha has been the recipient of numerous awards including IBA’s Elite Women, the Hot 100 for 3 years running and the prestigious Business Insurance 2018 Women to Watch. Rekha is engaged in the diversity and inclusion dialogue, focused on making real changes in our industry. She participates on multiple D&I committees, speaks about the urgent need for action, and continues to drive diversity for women and people of color in her own Company. 

 

Rekha is passionate about speaking to people about her story.  She hopes it inspires conscious leadership, substantive conversations to spark progress, and a roadmap on how to gain ground in this industry for those looking to make an impact.  In other pursuits, she enjoys traveling to far off places and getting lost in a great book with a giant glass of wine in hand.

The Board

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Chair
Kurt Stemmler
Senior Vice President & San Francisco Branch Manager
Chubb

Kurt Stemmler is Senior Vice President and Branch Manager of Chubb’s San Francisco, CA office – a position he has held since 2016. In this role, Kurt is responsible for driving growth and profit by working closely with Chubb’s agent and broker partners to deliver tailored product and service solutions to meet the insurance needs of clients throughout the region. Kurt joined Chubb in 1987 as an underwriting trainee in the Boiler & Machinery department in Newport Beach, CA. Over the next 13 years, he held underwriting and leadership positions at branch, zone and home office levels in the Property, Machinery & Marine department. Kurt was named Marketing Manager of Chubb’s Newport Beach and San Diego offices in 2000, and became the San Diego Branch Manager in 2002. In 2005, Kurt became the branch manager for the Chubb office in Pleasanton, with responsibilities for northern California, with the exception of San Francisco.Kurt is a graduate of San Diego State University with a B.S. in Business Administration, and earned his MBA from Chapman University in Orange, CA. He is the Vice Chairperson of the Nevada Insurance Guaranty Association, having served on the board for more than 12 years. Recently, Kurt became a Vice Chairperson on the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation, Western Region. Kurt also sits on the Advisory Board of a San Francisco-based nonprofit serving youth within the juvenile justice system, The Beat Within.

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Chair
Vandana Sule
Principal & Insurance Technology Consulting Leader
EY

Vandana Sule is a Principal in Ernst& Young’s Consulting Services practice and leads the Insurance sector growth strategy in west region. She is primarily focused on the property & casualty Insurance sector leading large transformation programs and serving as trusted advisors to C-level executives of large tier Insurance Clients. Vandana has more than 22 years of experience in business transformation, operational efficiencies, technology enablement and delivery management primarily in insurance and finance services. Areas of expertise include business & IT transformation specializing in financial services, revenue and resource forecasting, contract negotiations & vendor management and client relations development & management.

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Chair
Pilar Summerville
Executive Vice President
RT Specialty

Pilar Summerville is Executive Vice President in RT Specialty’s Burbank, CA office, leading a diverse RT ProExec team dedicated to delivering creative solutions and exceptional service to clients. Pilar has been with RT Specialty since the company began in 2010 and has experience in all lines of professional and management liability, focusing on complex risks including financial institutions, healthcare services and cyber liability. Pilar has been a wholesale professional and executive liability broker since 2003. Previously, she was a broker with CRC Insurance Services, playing an integral role in leading the largest professional / management liability production team in the CRC Chicago office. Pilar began her insurance career as an actuarial analyst, where she gained experience in actuarial modeling and commercial lines rating. A graduate of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Pilar earned a degree in actuarial science with a concentration in finance.

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Chair
Nancy Thomas
Executive Vice President
Hub

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Chair
Edith Tsui
Sr. Director of Distribution Management North America – West Region
Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty

Edith Tsui was appointed by Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) North America Distribution team as a Sr. Director to manage broker relationships in the West zone in April 2021. Prior to joining AGCS, Edith held progressively more responsible roles in the insurance business since 2001. She started her career as a Business Development Manager/Producer building the P&C and Life & Health portfolio for a Regional State Farm Insurance office. Edith joined Nationwide Insurance in 2006 and went on to spend almost 14 years there in various roles – First she spent 9 years in Commercial Middle Market Business Development Underwriting role, and then shifted to the Nationwide Sales team in 2014.  Most recently, since 2019 she was working at CHUBB as a Regional Agribusiness Sales leader. 

 

Edith brings vast experience working with various non-profit organizations. She served on the Board of Directors for the Sacramento Urban League from 2016 - 2019. She was a member of the Community Visibility and Outreach Committee for the American Red Cross Gold Country Region. She also represented Nationwide as a loaned Executive for United Way in 2007. 

 

Edith earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from California State University of Sacramento. She is licensed in Property & Casualty and Life & Health. Edith is also fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese. She currently resides in Sacramento and enjoys cooking, camping and puzzling in her free time.

 

The Board

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Chair
Terrence Villar
Executive Vice President
Amwins

Terrence Villar is a seasoned casualty broker with more than 30years of experience in the industry. He joined Amwins in 2008 and currently serves as an executive vice president, leader of the Brokerage division’s western region, and branch leader for the Amwins Brokerage offices in Los Angeles, CA and Scottsdale, AZ.

In addition to his leadership roles, Terrence is an active member of the California Surplus Lines Board. He also serves on the Amwins Brokerage Advisory Council and is a founding member of the Amwins Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council. In 2020, Terrence was instrumental in establishing Amwins’ $100,000 annual donation to Tuskegee College, an HBCU inTuskegee, Alabama, that has helped establish a risk management department and will continue to support the department through 2030.

Prior to joining Amwins, Terrence spent eight years at Worldwide Facilities and eight years at Chubb, honing his skills and expertise in the field. He and his wife Dana are parents to two boys – Devin and Desmond.

The Board

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Chair
Adam Witten
SVP, Regional Executive – Western Region
Liberty Mutual

As Regional Executive, Adam is responsible for the direction, distribution, and performance of all commercial property, casualty, and specialty lines business in the West Region. Adam joined Liberty Mutual through the Ironshore Acquisition in 2017 where he held a similar role.Adam started his career at AIG in New York as a D&O underwriter and moved with AIG to Los Angeles in 2000. He later became a broker at Gallagher where he worked for several years prior to making the move to Ironshore in 2010.

Adam holds a Bachelors Degree in Finance from Lehigh University, and currently resides in Encino, CA. When not working, you will normally find him spending his free time with his wife and two small children, but on the off chance he is able to get away, there is a good chance you will find him golfing or quietly enjoying a Red Sox or Patriots game.

Regional Engagement

The IICF Western Division includes additional opportunities to expand our philanthropic reach within our division through regional engagement throughout the west.

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October 19, 2023
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Melissa-Anne Duncan

Executive Director,  Western Division