California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced several appointments to the Insurance Diversity Task Force. The new members include Alycia Anderson, Kelly Huang, and Marquita Thomas.
“I am honored to announce the new members of the task force, who all share the common goal with me to create greater diversity in the insurance industry,” Lara said. “We are building the bridge that connects our state’s diverse business owners with the nation’s largest insurance industry, as well as continuing to push for boards of directors that reflect our state’s increasing diversity. I am confident that the wide range of knowledge and expertise of our new task force members will advance greater supplier and governing board diversity within this industry and build on the tremendous strides that we have accomplished to date.”
The Insurance Diversity Task Force oversees the department’s Insurance Diversity Initiative, which encourages insurance companies to advance diversity of their corporate boards and increase procurement contracts with diverse businesses owned by women, veterans and disabled veterans, members of historically disadvantaged communities, and LGBTQ+ people.
Additionally, the task force makes recommendations to the commissioner regarding innovative ways to increase diversity within the insurance industry. Last year, Lara introduced the first Insurance Diversity Index, a groundbreaking benchmarking tool for a more inclusive insurance industry. Lara-sponsored AB 1140, authored by the Assembly Committee on Insurance and signed by the governor in 2023 and becoming law in January, added an additional member to the task force who represents persons with disabilities business enterprises.