Commissioner Lara Announces New Appointments

News: 2020 Press Release

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara today announced the newest members of the California Department of Insurance’s Curriculum Board, the California Life and Health Insurance Guarantee Association’s (CLHIGA) Board of Directors, and the California Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau’s (WCIRB) Governing Committee.

“I am very pleased to announce my newest appointments to three important boards which help further my Department’s work to protect all Californians,” said Commissioner Lara. ”Their expertise and breadth of experiences will help how we serve consumers and the insurance industry, and I thank them for serving, especially during these extraordinary times.”

Rene Swan has been appointed to the Curriculum Board, which oversees the development of prelicensing and continuing education curriculum for agents and brokers licensed by the Department in order to uphold professional standards that protect consumers. This includes a list of preapproved courses of study as well as courses of study for professional designations. This Board also develops standards for providers and instructors who offer courses and other training to licensed agents and brokers.

Alan Acosta has been appointed to the CLHIGA Board, which includes all insurance companies licensed to sell life and health insurance, and annuities, in California as members of its organization. CLHIGA was created to protect policyholders, up to certain limits, against financial failure of an insurance company licensed to sell those types of policies in this state. Should this happen, the association will assess its other member insurance companies to pay the claims of insured persons who live in California and, in some cases, to keep coverage in force. The Board of Directors is responsible for the overall administration of the association which includes approving contracts and reinsurance treaties, authorizing assessments, borrowing money, taking legal actions, and serving on committees that oversee audit and investment functions.

Lynne Davidson is the newly-appointed member of the WCIRB Governing Committee. The committee sets policy, oversees WCIRB management, and reviews all issues involving pure premium rates, classifications, rating plans, rating systems, manual rules and policy, and endorsement forms. The WCIRB is a private organization licensed by the Department for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and compiling rating data, with funding coming from assessments of its insurer members. All workers' compensation insurance companies in California are required by law to be members of the WCIRB.  

The next Curriculum Board meeting will be held on Thursday, October 15, 2020 and the next WCIRB Governing Committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, December 9, 2020. The next CLHIGA Board of Directors meeting will be held in the spring of 2021. More details are available at www.insurance.ca.gov/boards.

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Media Notes:

Newly appointed members include:

Rene Swan is President of United Valley Insurance Services, Inc., a property and casualty insurance agency network of over 85 preferred independent agencies in the Western United States. Swan has over 30 years of experience in the insurance industry and is a member of the Insurance Networks Alliance (INA) Advisory Planning Committee and the Central California Advisory Board for the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation since 2012. Swan joins the Curriculum Board as a property and casualty trade association representative with a term ending on October 2, 2023.

Alan Acosta is Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Los Angeles LGBT Center, the largest LGBTQ+ service organization in the world. The Center supports the LGBTQ+ community through a comprehensive range of health and social services, cultural programs, and issues advocacy. Prior to his Center position, Acosta served as Associate Vice President and Director of University Communications at Stanford University. Acosta joins the CLHIGA Board of Directors as a public member representative, a newly established director position created by AB 1104 (Calderon, Chapter 236, Statutes of 2019).

Lynne Davidson is President of Tito's Tacos Mexican Restaurant. Lynne has been a board member of the California Restaurant Association for the past 26 years and is a past board chair of the Los Angeles chapter of the California Restaurant Association. She was recognized by the California Small Business Association as Senate District 30's Small Business of the Year in 2018. Davidson joins the WCIRB Governing Committee as an insured employer representative with a term ending on October 2, 2022.