Program Description
Has your homeowner’s insurance company stopped writing new policies in California?
Do you have friends whose insurance has been cancelled?
Homeowners in California know the perils of keeping a home fully insured. Many have faced non-renewal or watched their premiums skyrocket. Finding replacement coverage – at any price – has become a fraught proposition with many companies no longer writing new policies in the state. The insurance companies blame staggering losses from wildfires. California is just one state where heavy casualties have led to cancellations.
For our October in-person program an expert panel will discuss efforts to create fire-adapted communities and will explain how homeowners can benefit from making improvements to reduce the risk of fire. Such steps may persuade insurance companies to continue to do business in the state. The panel will also give recommendations on steps to be taken when homeowners face non-renewal or cannot find a new policy. Finally, they’ll discuss additional efforts to solve the crisis.
Speaker Bios
Mark Brown started his career as a volunteer firefighter in 1986 in Sonoma County. He was hired by the Marin County Fire Department as a Firefighter/Paramedic in 1991 and retired as the Deputy Fire Chief. After serving for nearly 30 years with the Marin County Fire, Mark assumed the position as Executive Officer for the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority, a joint powers agency charged with increasing the safety of Marin’s residents through vegetation management projects, evacuation route clearing, evacuation system improvements, public education and defensible space evaluations.
Jean Bonander has served local governments for over 40 years, as City Manager/Town Administrator in Larkspur and San Anselmo from 1989-2009 and in other cities in supervisory and management positions. Since 2010, Jean has served as a contract service provider with local governments and regional agencies in California, Washington and Illinois, conducting key executive evaluations, strategic facilitation, and succession planning.
While City Manager, she represented her communities on the Marin Cities Joint Powers Insurance Authority, then incorporated into the Bay Cities Joint Powers Insurance Authority. She served as Board Chair for several years, and is knowledgeable about self-insurance practices, policies and implementation strategies.
Amy Bach has been a professional insurance consumer advocate since 1985. She co-founded United Policyholders in 1991 and serves as the organization’s Executive Director and primary spokesperson, shaping and overseeing the Roadmap to Recovery™, Roadmap to Preparedness, and Advocacy and Action programs. A nationally recognized advocate for policyholders and expert on insurance trends, claims, coverage, law and public policy matters, Amy is in her second term as an appointed member of the Federal Advisory Committee on Insurance and has been an official Consumer Representative with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners since 2009. She is also a member of the Fire Victim Trust Oversight Committee and a Redwood Credit Union Associate Board Member. Her publications include “The Disaster Recovery Handbook”, “WISE UP: The Savvy Consumer’s Guide to Buying Insurance” and “Buying Your First Home” (Nolo Press). Her awards include Person of the Year (NAPIA) and Money Magazine’s “Money Hero”.