(NAIFA) has announced the 2021 members of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Council and scheduled its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Impact Week for April 6-8.

The DEI Council will promote opportunities within NAIFA and the insurance and financial services industry for people of all communities, cultures, and backgrounds. The Council will also help NAIFA fulfill its goal of ensuring that every American, from all of our country’s diverse communities, has access to the financial services, products, and advice needed for financial security and prosperity.

The 2021 NAIFA DEI Council

The Council includes members from every part of the country, a variety of practice specialties and industry leadership positions, and diverse backgrounds who followed unique paths to achieve success and help an increasingly diverse Main Street USA find financial security.

• Committee Chair Delvin Joyce, CLU, ChFC; Managing Director, Prudential; Charlotte, NC
• Ali Agha, CFP, CLU, ChFC, CLF; Director of Development; New York Life Insurance Company; Brooklyn, NY
• Wes Booker, LUTCF; Owner; Wes Booker, Inc.; White Hall, AR
• Aprilyn Chavez-Geissler, LACP; First Executive Vice President; Gateway Insurance Group; Albuquerque, NM
• Karen Easterling; Owner; Karen Easterling Insurance Agency; Austin, TX
• Christopher Gandy, LACP; Founder; Midwest Legacy Group, LLC; Lisle, IL
• Connie Golleher, CLTC, LACP; Founder and CEO; The Golleher Group; Dickerson, MD
• Evelyn Gellar, LUTCF, CLTC, RICP; Financial Sales and Marketing Leader/ Recruiter; New York Life Insurance Company; West Islip, NY
• Brian Haney, CLTC, CFS, CIS, CFBS, LACP, CAE; Vice President; The Haney Company; Silver Spring, MD
• Winona S. Havir, CPCU, CLF, LUTCF, FSS, LACP, AIC; Executive Vice President of Business Development; Horace Mann Companies; St. Paul, MN
• Sheryl Hickerson; CEO; Females & Finance; Arnold, MO
• Bryon A. Holz, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF, CASL, LACP; President; Bryon Holz & Associates; Brandon, FL
• Martina Jimenez-Sperry; Managing Partner; Centurio Wealth; Atlanta, GA
• Stephen Kagawa, FSS, LUTCF; CEO; The Pacific Bridge Companies; Monrovia, CA
• Priscilla King, LUTCF, FSCP; Agent; Shelter Insurance Companies; Columbus, MS
• Angela Lapp-Johnson; Principal; Catalyst Recruiting and Consulting; Nobelsville, IN
• Cammie K. Scott, LUTCF, REBC, RHU; President; CK Harp & Associates; Springdale, AR
• Tyler Sloves, Financial Advisor; Prudential; Melville, NY
• Gerard St-Cyr; Financial Advisor; New York Life Insurance Company; Wall, NJ
• Camille Tan, CRCP; Advisor; Strategic Financial Group, Inc.; Naperville, IL
• Mimie Yoon-Lee, Assistant Vice President, Lincoln Financial Network, San Ramon, CA

DEI Impact Week

NAIFA’s DEI Impact Week will be April 6-8. Three days of virtual programming will feature thought leaders in the industry who will share and discuss insights into how NAIFA and the industry can promote DEI and why it is important. Sessions will look at the importance of DEI in recruiting and retaining a new generation of advisors who reflect the entire population of clients they will serve. DEI Impact Week will also look at the crucial need to promote DEI at the company leadership level and explore ways to improve financial literacy and security in underserved markets.

DEI Impact Week is open to all insurance and financial services professionals free of charge. Advance registration is now open at tdc.naifa.org/impact.

DEI Efforts Throughout the Year

NAIFA’s commitment to DEI extends beyond DEI Impact Week. The NAIFA DEI Council will host regular webinars to educate and promote awareness and will bestow the annual Diversity Champion award to differentiate a NAIFA member who demonstrates exceptional efforts to promote the full and equal participation of diverse people within the insurance and financial advising profession. This month’s webinar focuses on the need for more Black female advisors to serve Main Street USA.

NAIFA CEO Kevin Mayeux, CAE, has signed on as a member of the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion Coalition, a group committed to building productive, diverse and inclusive workplaces. Signatories to the group pledge to act collaborate and act on supporting a more inclusive workplace for millions of our employees, our communities, and society at large.

The new NAIFA 2025 Strategic Plan calls on NAIFA membership to increasingly reflect a diverse Main Street USA and include representative numbers of members who serve the insurance and financial services needs of all U.S. communities. The plan also calls on NAIFA to be an industry leader in creating and promoting content to educate the producer community and attract new members into NAIFA based on our work in DEI. Beyond its own membership, the plan calls for NAIFA to advocate for DEI policies and strategies to attract top talent to the industry. The Council will serve an important leadership role in achieving these goals.