The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF), a unique nonprofit organization dedicated to helping communities and enriching lives, today announced the appointments of Richard Gergasko, President and Chief Executive Officer of Texas Mutual Insurance Company, and Mark Shults, Division Executive for The Hartford, as Co-Chairs of the IICF’s Southeast Division Board of Directors. Both executives have been prominent supporters of the IICF Southeast Division with a combined 10 years of service to the board.
Having specialized in workers’ compensation during the majority of his career, Gergasko has served since 2013 as CEO of Texas Mutual. Additionally, he has held leadership roles at the American Heart Association-Austin, the Austin Heart and Stroke Walk, and United Way for Greater Austin, among others. He also served as Chair of IICF’s Week of Giving in the Southeast for the past three years and has been involved with IICF since 2012.
“I have always believed that our industry has an incredible ability to infuse life into the communities we’re a part of, and I look forward to leading the IICF Southeast Board as we work together to do just that,” said Gergasko. “The work of IICF has made a tremendous impact on our region, and the next year will offer even more opportunities to create stronger and safer communities.”
As Division Executive in The Hartford’s Middle and Large Commercial business, Shults is responsible for managing underwriting and enterprise distribution for the Central U.S. He has served on the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s Gulf Coast and Louisiana Chapter boards and has held an IICF board position with the Southeast Division for three years, after initially serving on the Georgia Chapter Board.
“IICF has been a strong voice for charitable initiatives, supporting a host of community nonprofits and causes within the region through both grants and volunteers,” said Shults. “I’m eager to lead the growth in IICF’s impact throughout the Southeast as we help individuals and families in need.”
Gergasko and Shults will be succeeding Wendy Houser of Markel, who was the first woman to serve as Chair of the Southeast Board of Directors. Houser will now chair the IICF Women in Insurance 2020 Dallas Regional Forum Planning Committee and continue to serve on the board.
Since the founding of the IICF Southeast Division in 2012, more than $4.2 million has been granted to over 125 nonprofits in the region focused on the areas of education, children at risk, military veterans and disaster preparedness and relief. The division is based in Dallas and serves 13 states, with chapters in Atlanta and Houston and plans for a potential expansion into Florida.
For more information on IICF’s Southeast Division, contact Executive Director Sarah Conway at (214) 228-1910 or sconway@iicf.com. Learn more here about the 8th annual Southeast Benefit Dinner.
About the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF)
The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) is a unique nonprofit that unites the collective strengths of the insurance industry to help communities and enrich lives through grants, volunteer service and leadership. Established in 1994, IICF has served as the philanthropic foundation of the insurance industry for more than twenty-five years, contributing $36 million in community grants along with 300,000 volunteer hours by more than 110,000 industry professionals. IICF reinvests locally where funds are raised, serving hundreds of charities and nonprofit organizations, for maximum community impact. IICF is a registered nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code. Learn more at www.iicf.org or follow us on Twitter @doubleicf.