By Elise Linscott
Cynthia Morrison is busy. She’s the senior vice president and chief financial officer at Topa Insurance Group in Los Angeles. Still, she finds time to volunteer at the local food bank, take at-risk youth to the beach for fresh air and sunshine, and volunteer to help at the Special Olympics.
She plans to do more good deeds as one of the newly appointed members to the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation’s Western division board.
“I have a lot of enthusiasm and belief in what they do and what they bring,” she said. “I also have several years of experience in the finance area, so hopefully I can bring my knowledge to bear on that.”
She plans to utilize this new leadership role to further the organization’s impact and help it succeed. While she has attended some of its events in the past, she’s looking forward to attending the annual Women in Insurance Global Conference for the first time, empowering and promoting women in the workforce.
“It’s giving me an opportunity to give back to my local area, and also see the insurance industry be involved in something as beneficial as this,” she says.
Sanford Michelman is chairman, partner and co-founder of Michelman & Robinson, LLP (M&R), and has worked closely with the insurance industry for years. He already regularly volunteers in the Los Angeles area, and was also appointed to the Western division board. “As someone who is entrenched in the insurance industry, and a strong proponent of charitable giving, Sanford brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this remarkable nonprofit organization,” said M&R partner and co-founder Mark Robinson.
Connie Taylor, zone officer at the Navigators Group, was also appointed to the board, but couldn’t be reached for comment.
The IICF is funded and directed by insurance industry professionals, and has contributed over $23.5 million in local community grants, with more than 25,000 volunteers for programs dealing with education, children at risk, health and safety, disaster preparedness, and the environment, according to the foundation’s website.
