The California Insurance Wholesalers Association (CIWA), a professional trade association focused on California E&S insurance wholesalers, carriers and supporting entities, is pleased to announce four new members of the board of directors, as well as the promotion of two current members to top leadership roles.
All positions will support CIWA’s continued growth in the years ahead. The official announcement was revealed at the annual CIWA Industry Days meeting in Indian Wells, CA on Jan. 29 – Feb. 1, 2023.
Association voters appointed the following 2023/24 members to the board:
Officers of the Executive Board
- John Donahue, President of M.J. Hall & Company, has been promoted to serve as President of CIWA
- Yana Connors, Principal at Ck Specialty, has been promoted to serve as Vice President of CIWA
- Garett Kaneko, EVP of Client Relationship Management at Amwins, has been appointed as Treasurer of CIWA
- Sarah Sloan, CIC, SVP of Commercial at Atlas General Insurance Services, an RPS company, has been appointed as Secretary of CIWA
New Board Members
- Mike Louderback, CPCU, RPLU, 2nd VP of Sales & Marketing at USLI, has been appointed as a new CIWA Board Member
- Zach Hernandez, CPCU, Assistant VP at XPT Specialty, has been appointed as a new CIWA Board Member, as well as Committee Chair for CIWA Future
“CIWA is headed in an exciting direction,” said John Donahue, new President of CIWA. “We have a talented group of industry specialists involved in our association, and I am grateful they have entrusted me with the opportunity to oversee future growth and new initiatives. I know that together we will make a significant impact in our community.”
Both John Donahue and Yana Connors are continuing their service on the CIWA board. Garett Kaneko, Sarah Sloan, Mike Louderback and Zach Hernandez are all new board members, joining in January 2023.
“I am pleased to congratulate everyone who has been appointed to the board and thrilled to be a part of CIWA’s outreach within the insurance industry,” said Garett Kaneko, new Treasurer and Executive Board Member of CIWA. “We are fortunate to have gifted, capable members who work tirelessly to further the mission of our association, and I look forward to what lies ahead.”
CIWA is a nonprofit organization that focuses on advocacy, education and networking within the property and casualty segment of the insurance industry. The association recently concluded its annual meeting in Indian Wells, CA, which saw the highest attendance numbers since 2019 and featured keynote speaker Stacy Dragila, the first woman to win an Olympic gold medal in pole vaulting and founder of the nonprofit charity Try Something New.
Look for more exciting things to come from CIWA, including Summer Forum 2023 in Lake Tahoe, CA. For more information on events and membership, visit ciwa.net