Media Contact: Nicole Vasile
Director of Communications
Nicole.Vasile@ciab.com
CBIZ’S NANCY MELLARD ELECTED CHAIR OF THE COUNCIL OF INSURANCE AGENTS & BROKERS
WASHINGTON, D.C. – October 5, 2021 – Nancy M. Mellard, Executive Vice President and General Counsel for the Benefits & Insurance Services Division of CBIZ, Inc., was elected 2021 Chair of The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers, as announced today by The Council. She succeeds David O. Becker, chief executive officer of Cottingham & Butler, Inc., in Dubuque, Iowa. Mellard was elected during The Council’s 108th annual Insurance Leadership Forum (ILF) in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Insurance Leadership Forum has been instrumental to the commercial property/casualty insurance industry since its beginnings in 1913, and continues to be the premier industry meeting for market leaders worldwide.
Mellard also chaired The Council’s Planning & Strategic Resources Committee while serving two terms on the Board of Directors, is a member of board of The Council Foundation, and is a past Chair of both The Council of Employee Benefit Executives (CEBE) and Legal Counsel Working Group.
“I want to thank my fellow board members, both past and present, for the honor to serve as Council Chair,” said Mellard. “The encouragement and sponsorship I have received from my fellow officers over the past several years have been invaluable to me, and I’m grateful for the confidence they’ve placed in me to lead this Board and build upon the great success The Council has seen over the past century.”
As EVP and General Counsel for the Benefits & Insurance Services Division of CBIZ, Mellard has responsibility for all legal matters including transactional legal matters for the Division. She also has oversight of all regulatory, licensing and compliance. Mellard also serves as a member of the Senior Management Team for the Benefits & Insurance Services Division, providing comprehensive strategic-level business counseling to this Division.
“Nancy’s deep industry knowledge, paired with three decades of legal, regulatory and compliance experience, has been a value-add to our board since she first joined as director in 2011 and later as secretary in 2018,” said Ken A. Crerar, President/CEO of The Council. “Not only is Nancy a passionate and enthusiastic champion for the insurance industry overall, she is also a strong advocate for recruiting, retaining and developing female talent – both in her role at CBIZ and at The Council.”
As the founding national leader for CBIZ Women’s Advantage, Mellard oversaw the building of this Program, which now supports more than 2,500 female CBIZ employees. Mellard has been honored throughout her career at the national and local level, both for her professional achievements, and for her role in helping women succeed in their careers. Mellard also serves in various capacities (including Chairperson) on several not-for-profit boards in the Kansas City community.
As Chair of The Council, Mellard leads a team of officers including Vice Chair Robert Klonk, Oswald – A Unison Risk Advisors Company, Cleveland, Ohio; Treasurer Keith Schuler, InterWest Insurance Services, Sacramento, California; and Secretary Andy Barrengos, Woodruff-Sawyer & Co., San Francisco, CA.
In addition to Mellard’s appointment, five were newly named to The Council’s board:
• Tarun Chopra, Clements Worldwide, Washington, DC
• Doug Hammond, NFP, New York, New York and
• Rusty Reid, Higginbotham, Fort Worth, Texas
• Kerry Morris, Morris & Garritano, San Luis Obispo, California
• Joe LaRocco Jr., Willis Towers Watson, New York, New York