The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF), a unique nonprofit organization dedicated to helping communities and enriching lives, will host its 9th annual IICF Western Division Horizon Award Gala on April 10 at the Skirball Center in Los Angeles. The Horizon Award Gala convenes insurance leaders from across the Western states and nonprofit representatives in celebration of the insurance industry’s legacy of giving by raising funds for our nonprofit partners. This year, IICF’s Western Division will celebrate more than $510,000 in IICF Community Grants awarded to 60 nonprofit partners.
IICF will also present Mark Zwickel, Lockton EVP and P&C Managing Director, with the prestigious IICF Golden Horizon award, which honors an outstanding organization or individual for industry leadership and philanthropic commitment. IICF is proud to recognize Mark Zwickel for his distinguished career, efforts to advance the industry and strengthen our community through his philanthropic leadership.
“I am honored to receive this award from IICF, and the Horizon Gala is a reminder of the positive impact we can make together when collaborating philanthropically,” said Zwickel. “I’m proud to work for an organization such as Lockton, a longtime IICF supporter, which prioritizes giving back in the communities where we live and work.” As a father of a son with special needs, Mark and his wife are devoted to helping members of the neurodiverse community. Mark has focused his philanthropic endeavors in support of two incredible organizations, The Friendship Foundation and The Golden Heart Ranch. Mark is also the proud recipient of Lockton’s first Community Impact Award.
Proceeds from the 2024 Western Division Horizon Award Gala benefit the IICF Community Grants Program in the West, which supports regional charities focused on children at risk, education and human services. Since 2014, IICF’s Western Division has granted more than $4.8 million to hundreds of nonprofits. IICF is proud to count nearly 170 insurance industry leaders across the Western states as board members contributing to our communities as part of the IICF Western Division, Northern and Southern California Associate Boards, Chapter boards in Arizona, Colorado and the Pacific Northwest, and regional steering committees.
“We are particularly excited about bringing the industry together at this year’s Horizon Gala during the 30th anniversary of IICF, with the Western Division having been the founding division from which the tremendous success of the foundation has evolved,” said Nancy Thomas, Chair of the IICF Western Division Board of Directors and Commercial & Entertainment Practice Leader at HUB International. “We’re thrilled to be recognizing IICF Co-Founders Bruce Basso and Jim Woods, whose vision thirty years ago of uniting the philanthropic strength of the insurance industry to give back to our communities continues to thrive across the US and UK today. In the IICF Western Division, we continue to involve insurance leaders throughout California, Arizona, Colorado and the Pacific Northwest through volunteer, fundraising and leadership initiatives to help our neighbors in need.”
Friendship Foundation will be the featured nonprofit organization of this year’s Horizon Award Gala. A 2024 IICF Community Grant recipient, Friendship Foundation supports parents and families who have children and young adults with special needs by providing a safe, accepting and inclusive environment where they can enjoy sports, art, music and many other social programs with their peers.
The 2023 Horizon Award Gala is made possible by Lockton as the Platinum sponsor and:
- Platinum sponsor: Lockton
- Gold sponsors: Aon, Brown & Riding, Chubb and CNA and additional generous sponsors.
For more information regarding IICF’s Western Division Horizon Award Gala and to reserve a table, please visit the IICF website or contact Melissa-Anne Duncan at (714) 870-1084 or maduncan@iicf.org.