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History of Achievements (History is currently being redrafted to reflect our 73rd year.)
The Founding Inevitably discussions began of a state association. By 1934 California was in the middle of the Depression and experiencing political turmoil. Upton Sinclair was the Democratic nominee for Governor and his programs were viewed as a threat to the free enterprise system. So William Spinney, the President of the San Francisco Association, asked the presidents of the local associations in California to meet him in Fresno for the purpose of founding a state association.
CALU Becomes Reality Elected as President at the founding meeting was Kellogg Van Winkle, CLU, of the Los Angeles Association. Following his election, Kellogg and CALU became instrumental in organizing the life insurance community to oppose Upton Sinclair's candidacy. The life underwriters, in a bold and unprecedented move for those times, actively supported Frank Merriam, the Republican candidate for Governor and celebrated their first legislative victory when Merriam was elected to office. Papers all around the state referred to the upstart life underwriter support as critical to Merriam’s success. And so began the California Association's long record of involvement in Sacramento on behalf of the insurance buying public and the agency system. So also began an incredible demonstration of commitment and dedication by two very special people: Kellogg Van Winkle and Jack Hines, CALU President from 1938-39. They were to become CALU’s legislative team - for 22 years - from 1934 to 1956. Kellogg served as state legislative chairman and Jack was CALU’s representative in Sacramento, serving as our lobbyist and part-time association manager. These were CALU's formative years. Membership began growing: from 1,000 in 1935 to over 3,000 in 1948. But with dues of only $1.00 per member there were obvious budgetary restraints. Officers paid their own expenses and it was difficult to expend even a small amount to reimburse Jack Hines for expenses incurred as CALU’s lobbyist. In addition, the war effort took its toll as human energies were redirected to the enormous task of winning the war. Many of CALU’s activities were put on hold during these years, which were to change the history of the world. The late 1950's and the 1960's were years in which CALU grew into a full-fledged trade association. Membership doubled in ten years so that by 1969 CALU represented over 8,000 members. California out-distanced New York to become the largest state life underwriter association in the country. Numerous services were introduced to the membership in these years. Leadership Training Schools were presented to provide local leaders with the information needed to do their volunteer jobs. A CALU Newsletter was developed for local association leaders, which communicated statewide developments. A coordinated Grassroots effort was begun to assure every state legislator had a life underwriter contact. CAL-LUPAC was founded in 1966 to support the political campaigns of candidates for the state legislature.
CALU Enters the 1970's By the late 1970's CALU had become a well-respected and influential association. We had come of age. But nothing is more constant than change, and CALU is no exception to that axiom. In 1978 Betty Combs was appointed as CALU’s third Executive Vice President. CALUnderwriter improved, became one of the best state life underwriter magazines, and was spun-off as a for-profit subsidiary. CALU entered the computer age and purchased data processing equipment for its office. CAL-LUPAC led all state life underwriter associations in total dollars raised. We elected, for the first time in over 30 years, an individual to the position of NALU Secretary - Morland G. McManigal. Mac would later serve as NALU President. We embarked on an ambitious public relations project: media training for volunteers; workshops on how to get press coverage; creation of a new logo for standardized use by local associations and individual members; and promotion of a statewide Life Insurance Week. On the political scene, CALU encouraged life underwriters to get involved in candidates' campaigns by sponsoring the U.S. Chamber's Action Course in Practical Politics: “See How They Run”. Change was evident in our legislative program also. In 1982 Robert Walters was retained as CALU’s Legislative Counsel, and our legislative record in Sacramento continued on a positive trend. 1983 saw serious "strategic planning" unfold for the Board of Trustees through the efforts and talents of Barbara Shaw, who would remain vitally active with CALU for many years. 1984 was a watershed year as CALU celebrated its 50th anniversary with a black tie formal gala in Newport Beach, still the highest attended convention in association history. The 80’s would be a very "political time" for CALU, as California had two members on the NALU Board of Trustees, Mac McManigal and Stephen Shaw. Both would eventually be elected Presidents of NALU, McManigal in 1985 and Shaw in 1992. 1988-89 was also a tumultuous time back home for the Board of Trustees as they vigorously fought and won the "consumers union" lawsuit to stop rebating from becoming law. They then fought heavily again, this time on a ballot initiative, proposition #103. Disguised as an auto insurance rate rollback initiative, it also included language that would legalize rebating. In all, over $500,000 was invested by CALU members and locals, as well as help from NALU and other states to protect the playing field for life underwriters and their clients. Although Proposition #103 became a law, no one in Sacramento would ever doubt CALU’s grass-roots capabilities again. As a direct result, the Prospector Fund was born (now the Paul R. Jeffers Prospector Fund), to provide a formal vehicle to raise voluntary contributions to ward off these kinds of intrusions into our business in the future.
CALU Enters the 1990’s In 1992, California’s answer to the John Newton Russell Memorial Award was born as the CALU Distinguished Service Award. Inaugural recipients were: Robert Albritten, William Harris, Cameron Hurst, Paul Jeffers, Mac McManigal, and Dawn Nuckels. Past President Larry Lambert from the Long Beach association was elected as an NALU Trustee in San Francisco in 1993. He would later serve as President of NALU in 1998-99 and oversee many major changes facing our Federation, including a name change. In an effort to throw more weight to the legislative process, CALU re-organized the legislative committee structure under the acronym of GAG: Government Affairs Group. All legislative activities, LUPIC, LUPAC, AHIA, and the Legislation Committee would now come underneath the umbrella of GAG. With CALU’s direct help, both through Grassroots and financial contributions, an Insurance Commissioner, was elected in 1994. This was a huge victory for the association, only topped by the Commissioner’s successful re-election in 1998. In an effort to increase effectiveness on both marketing and membership, CALU hired a full time employee, Jeff Bigelow in the spring of 1995 as our first ever, Director of Membership and Marketing. Jeff has instituted many successful new programs enjoyed by CALU members around the state. From 1996-1997 the board convened a "Reinventing CALU Task Force" aimed at improving all aspects of the association. Many positive changes and enhancements were made to the association through the efforts of dozens of members representing all locals who were involved in the process.
The End of an Era
1998 – A Watershed Year!
The Future As of this writing, the leadership was in high gear preparing for the next year with a new name for the association, the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors-California, which the membership voted to change at the Annual Meeting in San Diego on June 1, 2002. The joint formation of the California Coalition of Insurance Professionals with the AIP Group and NAIFA-California as our Legislative Advocacy voice in the State Capitol. The decades ahead will be years of challenge and great opportunity for NAIFA-California. All of us will be affected by new technology, changing demographics, and economic fluctuations. We will have to be flexible, resourceful and adaptable to the new industry trends. Our 68 years of experience have proved we can be all those things. And we have one more hidden asset . . . our gold reserve . . . PEOPLE. The future holds great potential for NAIFA-California because we have the ability to tap the vast reservoir of talent that exists in our members. With such an excellent resource available to use, the next 68 years should hold great promise for the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors-California.
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Past Presidents |
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