Washington, D.C. – June 9, 2020 – The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers announced several staff changes today. John Fielding, General Counsel, will leave The Council at the end of June to become General Counsel of Government Affairs at Chubb Insurance. Since 2015, John has served as The Council’s General Counsel and previously served in an outside counsel capacity for over 12 years. He has been instrumental in leading The Council’s state legislative and regulatory efforts, working closely with the NAIC, and spearheading The Council’s Legal Counsel Working Group.
“John has been a tremendous asset to The Council over the last four years,” said Ken A. Crerar, President/CEO of The Council. “We’ve relied on him for his extensive expertise on insurance, legislative and regulatory matters at both the state and federal levels, and I speak for both his colleagues here at The Council and our member firms around the country when I say we are sad to see him go but are excited for him and his future at Chubb.”
“We’re excited for John’s new opportunity,” said Joel Wood, senior vice president of Government Affairs at The Council. “His ability to keep his finger on the pulse of activity in all 50 states and organize our Legal Counsel Working Group is a huge talent, and he will be immensely missed. Fortunately for us, he is staying ‘in the family’ and we look forward to working with him in his new capacity at Chubb.”
Upon Fielding’s departure, Gracie Gerlach will be promoted to Associate General Counsel. Currently serving as PAC Director, Gerlach joined The Council in February 2019 after working at the National Federation of Independent Business Ohio and receiving her J.D. from Capital University Law School. As Associate General Counsel, Gerlach will work closely with The Council’s Chief Legal Officer, Scott Sinder, and the team at Steptoe & Johnson as she focuses on The Council’s internal legal matters and continues to shape the progression of CouncilPAC.
“Gracie has been invaluable to The Council over the last 16 months, and we are thrilled for her new role and responsibilities as associate general counsel. So far as PAC Director, she has grown CouncilPAC by nearly 10%. We know she has a bright future here at The Council and are excited to see what she does next,” said Crerar.
“We couldn’t be prouder of Gracie,” said Wood. She has excelled in sustaining the growth of our PAC, and I have no doubt she will display the same tenacity in her new role.”
Support for The Council’s state legislative and regulatory efforts will now be guided by two members of The Council’s longstanding Steptoe & Johnson team. Kate Jensen will become The Council’s NAIC/State Legislative & Regulatory Chief Counsel, and LeeAnn Goheen will become The Council’s NAIC/State Legislative & Regulatory Senior Advisor.