NAIFA, along with NAIFA Senior Vice President for Government Relations Diane Boyle, has signed on to the Diversity in Government Relations (DGR) Coalition, a group of professionals and organizations in the government relations field working to actively champion diversity, equity, and inclusion in local, state, and federal policymaking.

The DGR Coalition will:

• Gather and synthesize demographic data and information regarding representation in the entities influencing advocacy and policymaking off the Hill.
• Recommend solutions based on findings.
• Put forth evidence-based best practices that govern our actions and further promote diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the field.

“NAIFA members serve diverse communities across the United States and our association is committed to advocating for policies that ensure everyone has access to the products, services, and advice that contribute to financial security,” Boyle said. “Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is important to NAIFA’s federal and state advocacy, and we are working directly on DEI policy with influential groups, like the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.”

Boyle signed the DGR Coalition Pledge to “commit to increasing understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion and its impact on the government relations field; intentionally addressing the gaps in diverse representation of our staff and our leadership teams that influence local, state, federal and international policy; and exploring the unintended consequences that result from policy and advocacy that lack diverse representation, voice, and perspective.”

DEI is an important component of the NAIFA 2025 strategic plan, which establishes a roadmap for NAIFA’s continued success over the next five years. NAIFA’s DEI Council consists of NAIFA members who are insurance and financial services industry DEI experts. They provide industry leadership and help shape NAIFA’s DEI programming and other resources. They served as the driving force behind NAIFA’s highly influential Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Impact Week held earlier this year.

NAIFA’s participation in the DGR Coalition has the enthusiastic support of the NAIFA DEI Council, the entire NAIFA Board of Trustees, and NAIFA CEO Kevin Mayeux, CAE, who earlier this year signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge.

“NAIFA promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion within our association and industry so that we can better serve the interests of all Americans,” said Mayeux. “DEI initiatives help our members succeed and our association thrive. DEI is equally important among our political influencers as they create and shape legislation and regulations that affect all of our communities. Diane Boyle and NAIFA’s entire Government Relations Team understand this, and I am proud of their efforts and their participation in the DGR Coalition.”