Commissioner Lara names five members to the COIN Advisory Board and the Curriculum Board

News: 2026 Press Release

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara today announced two appointments and three reappointments to two of the California Department of Insurance’s statewide governing boards: the California Organized Investment Network (COIN) Advisory Board and the Curriculum Board.

Guinevere Doner and Jonathan Parfrey join the COIN Advisory Board as new members, and Deborah La Franchi has been reappointed to the Board. Colbie McRae and Vinh Truong have been reappointed to the Curriculum Board.

“These appointees bring decades of experience in community investment, climate resilience, affordable housing, and the insurance profession,” said Commissioner Lara. “Their work on the COIN Advisory Board and the Curriculum Board helps protect consumers and keep California’s insurance market strong. I am grateful they are willing to serve their fellow Californians.”

The California Organized Investment Network (COIN) was established in 1996 within the Department of Insurance to guide insurers on making financially sound investments that yield benefits throughout California. Since Commissioner Lara took office in 2019, more than $10 billion has been raised for targeted impact investments across the state. Commissioner Lara has prioritized COIN investments which drive financial and social benefits especially to underserved communities. He also has appointed board members with deep experience in affordable housing, climate resilience, and community investment. When insurers invest in the communities where their policyholders live and work, those communities grow stronger, and so does the insurance market that serves them. The COIN Advisory Board provides guidance to the Commissioner and the COIN program to meet its mission and chief priorities.

The Curriculum Board oversees the development of pre-licensing and continuing education curriculum for agents and brokers 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. 

The next COIN Advisory Board meeting is November 5, 2026 and the next Curriculum Board meeting is February 18, 2027.

More details are available at: www.insurance.ca.gov/boards. All positions are uncompensated.

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Appointee bios

COIN Advisory Board

Guinevere Doner is Senior Director at CSAA Insurance Group, where she leads CSAA’s enterprise tax function. A California Certified Public Accountant, Doner has been with CSAA for 14 years and oversees tax strategy, compliance, and tax credit investments. She manages a portfolio with $250 million in committed capital supporting community-benefit programs, including affordable housing developments throughout California. Her work connects insurance industry investments with low- to moderate-income, underserved, and rural communities while generating financial returns. Doner joins the COIN Advisory Board in the insurance executive representative seat with a term ending October 22, 2028.

Jonathan Parfrey is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Climate Resolve, a climate advocacy organization committed to local climate solutions that reduce greenhouse gases. Before founding Climate Resolve, Parfrey served on the Board of Commissioners at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Prior to that, he was Executive Director of the GREEN LA Coalition and Executive Director of the Los Angeles Director of Physicians for Social Responsibility. He is a gubernatorial appointee to the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program (ICARP) Technical Advisory Council at the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, and serves on advisory boards for the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation and the Water Education for Latino Leaders (WELL). Parfrey joins the COIN Advisory Board in the economic development practitioner representative seat with a term ending October 22, 2028.

Deborah La Franchi is the founder and CEO of SDS Capital Group (SDS). SDS manages six funds/products that invest in economic development and affordable housing projects, such as the SDS Supportive Housing Fund, which has financed 800+ apartment units for the unhoused. La Franchi also founded Sustainable Communities Fund, a nonprofit benefiting 1,500+ low-income entrepreneurs receiving micro/small business loans. She serves on the UCLA Ziman Affordable Housing Advisory Council and the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs Advisory Board. She served on the City of Los Angeles Mayor-Elect Karen Bass’s Mayoral Transition Advisory Team and as Assistant Deputy Mayor for Economic Development under then-Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan. La Franchi has been reappointed to the COIN Advisory Board in the affordable housing practitioner representative seat with a term ending on October 31, 2028.

Curriculum Board

Colbie McRae is President of insureCAL Insurance Agency. McRae started his business in 2015 and, while the business is a full-service agency providing a range of insurance products and services, its primary focus is on serving the agriculture industry. McRae serves as Immediate Past Chairman of the Western Insurance Agents Association (WIAA) and past board member of the Carnegie Arts Center and Jessica’s House Heart Circle Committee. McRae has been reappointed to the Curriculum Board in the agent/broker representative seat, with a term ending on September 1, 2029.

Vinh Truong is Founder and CEO of CMT Insurance Agency. He is also Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Duarte. Truong has held a seat on the Duarte Economic Development Commission, has served as a board member of the Santa Anita Family YMCA, and, in 2019, was appointed to participate in Duarte’s Financial Advisory Taskforce. He is also a member of the Los Angeles County Asian American Employee Association (LACAAEA) as an executive advisory council where he represents and advises the organization on matters related to Asian American Employees within Los Angeles County. Truong has been reappointed to the Curriculum Board in the life agent representative seat, with a term ending on September 1, 2029. 

Q & A

What is COIN?

The California Organized Investment Network (COIN) is a program of the California Department of Insurance, established in 1996. COIN guides insurance companies in making financially sound investments that also benefit California’s environment and its underserved communities. Examples include affordable housing, homeless shelters, jobs, education training, care facilities, and renewable energy investments such as wind, solar, and geothermal projects.

What does the COIN Advisory Board do?

The COIN Advisory Board advises the Insurance Commissioner and the COIN program on meeting COIN’s mission and priorities. Members represent fields such as the insurance industry, economic development, and affordable housing.

How does the COIN Advisory Board benefit California consumers?

The COIN Advisory Board encourages insurance companies to invest in communities. These investments support affordable housing, create jobs, and diverse economic opportunities, and can help strengthen communities. Over time, that contributes to a more resilient insurance market that benefits consumers.

How does the Curriculum Board benefit California consumers?

Ensuring license applicants, insurance agents, brokers, adjusters, and bail agents receive appropriate, quality education and ongoing training that meet professional standards in insurance laws, policies, ethics, and consumer responsibilities and that consumers are able to receive more accurate information, have a better understanding of their coverage options, and make informed insurance decisions.

Are COIN Advisory Board and Curriculum Board members paid?

No. All positions on both boards are uncompensated.

When do the boards meet next?

The COIN Advisory Board meets next on November 5, 2026. The Curriculum Board meets next on February 18, 2027.