California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones on Monday announced the members of the 2015-2016 Insurance Diversity Task Force, which will make recommendations to Jones on ways to increase diversity in procurement and governing boards within the insurance industry.
Task Force members will identify actions Jones and the California Department of Insurance can take to encourage insurance companies to use diverse suppliers and to increase diversity among their governing boards. They will also make recommendations for changes to the law and collaborate and partner with state and national leaders on diversity issues.
Task force members are:
Linda Akutagawa – President and CEO of leadership education for Asian Pacifics Inc. Akutagawa joins the task force as an advocate/expert of governing board diversity.
Danielle K. Beavers – Economic equity program manager at The Greenlining Institute. Beavers joins the task force as an advocate/representative for minority business enterprises.
Robin M. Billups – Director of business development at the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. Billups joins the task force as an advocate/representative for women business enterprises.
Janice P. Brown – Owner and founder of Brown Law Group. Brown joins the task force as an advocate/representative for minority business enterprises.
Pat Fong Kushida – President and CEO of the Sacramento Asian-Pacific Chamber of Commerce and president and CEO of the California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce. Fong Kushida joins the task force as an advocate/representative for minority business enterprises.
Melinda Guzman – CEO of the Melinda Guzman Professional Corp. Guzman rejoins the task force as an advocate/representative for women business enterprises.
Craig E. Holden – Senior partner and chairman of the National Commercial Litigation Department for the law firm of Lewis, Brisbois, Bisgaard & Smith. Holden joins the task force as an advocate/expert of supplier diversity.
Ramon Jones – Regional vice president of Nationwide Insurance. Ramon joins the task force as an insurance industry representative.
Michael G. Keeley – President and CEO of MGK Risk and Insurance Services. Keeley rejoins the task force as a representative for diverse business owners.
Mark Morales – Vice president of the U.S. Small Business Administration division of HomeStreet Bank and co-owner of Charles Jacobsen. Morales joins the task force as an advocate/representative for LGBT business enterprises.
Salvador Peinado, Jr. – Senior supplier and diversity and innovation advisor at CSAA Insurance Exchange. Peinado joins the task force as an insurance industry representative.
Cathy Schwamberger – Associate general counsel for State Farm. Schwamberger joins the task force as an insurance industry representative.
Melanie M. Shelby – Managing director at Gray, Greer, Shelby & Vaughn LLC. Shelby joins the task force as an advocate/expert of supplier diversity.
Randy Sinnott – Founding partner of Sinnott, Puebla, Campagne & Curet. Sinnott joins the task force as an advocate/representative for disabled veteran business enterprises.
Scott Syphax – President and CEO of The Nehemiah Cos. Syphax rejoins the task force as an advocate/expert of governing board diversity.
The first Task Force meeting will be held on March 23.
Topics California Market
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