Oakland, CA — Sharon Thaler, National Director of Workers’ Compensation Field Underwriting Operations at AF Group / CompWest has been elected to Chair the California Workers’ Compensation Institute (CWCI) Board of Directors for 2022.  Ms. Thaler was elected this week at CWCI’s 58^th annual meeting in Walnut Creek.  She was first elected to CWCI’s Board of Directors as a representative of AIG in 2017 and has been a member of the Institute’s Executive Committee since 2020, serving as Vice-Chair for the past year.

Joining Ms. Thaler on CWCI’s 2022 Executive Committee will be Eric Belk of Travelers; Martin Brady of Schools Insurance Authority, an associate member; Eric Hansen, Preferred Employers Insurance; Kris Mathis, CopperPoint Insurance Companies; Vernon Steiner, State Compensation Insurance Fund; and Matthew Zender, AmTrust North America, who chaired the Institute’s Board for the past two years.

Also elected to serve on CWCI’s 2022 Board of Directors were Ira Feurlicht, AIG; Mary Beth Pittinger, CHUBB; Christopher M. Thurman, CNA; Dwight Robertson, Employers;  Robert L. Hughes, The Hartford; Amanda Granger, ICW Group; Carolyn Turpin, Liberty Mutual Insurance; Jim Hurley, Republic Indemnity; Carmen Sharp, The Hanover Insurance Group; Christine Closser, WCF Insurance; Michael Cunningham, Zenith Insurance Company; Neil DeBlock, Zürich North America; and Peggy Sugarman, City and County of San Francisco, an associate member.

The Institute, established in 1964, is a private, nonprofit association working to improve California workers’ compensation through research, information, education and representation. CWCI members include 23 insurer groups (comprised of nearly 200 underwriting companies that write and service 78 percent of California statewide workers’ compensation premium), as well as 30 of the largest public and private self-insured employers in the state.