“Pride” is a word that is against my heritage andculture as a Chinese, and some may say it does not exist in thedictionary of the insurance industry (a.k.a. best-kept secret). Buttoday I want to shout out my Texas-size pride! I am so proud ofbeing part of the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF), soproud of my fellow IICF Southeast Divisional Board members, soproud of the insurance community in Texas, and so proud of being inthe insurance profession!

On Feb. 1, more than 600 industry leaders joined us in Dallasand celebrated the 6th Annual IICF Southeast Benefit Dinner, wherewe honored Tom Curtin of CRC Group, one of the most respected, mostadmired and most giving leaders in the insurance industry. For morethan 30 years, Tom’s charitable efforts have impacted many local,state and national organizations, leaving a legacy of caring andgiving to which we all aspire!

Inspired by Tom’s generous matching and our keynote speaker, thelegendary Dallas Cowboys Coach Jimmy Johnson, ourText-to-Give drive raised an additional $90,000. When added to the$803,000 from the dinner fundraiser, IICF’s efforts reached nearly$900,000, made possible through the generosity of insuranceindustry companies, professionals and supporters.

Where the money goes

This collective industry effort will support 23 nonprofitorganizations throughout the region, focused in the areas ofat-risk children, veterans and education, with beneficiariesincluding Sons of the Flag, Soldier’s Angels, Dallas Children’sAdvocacy Center, Make-A-Wish North Texas, Our Friends Place, Con MiMadre and many more.

As the industry’s philanthropic voice, IICF has been unifyingthe insurance industry philanthropic effort since 1994 and hascontributed nearly $29 million in community grants, along with morethan 270,000 volunteer hours, to hundreds of charities andcommunity nonprofit organizations across the United States andUnited Kingdom! When Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria hit thecoast and the wildfires struck California, IICF raised more than$640,000 in disaster relief funds to help restore thecommunities impacted.

Related: Corporate Social Responsibility is more than aphrase to CNA

Kudos to…

Congratulations to Tom Curtin, 2018 IICF Philanthropic Honoree!Tom, your presence and leadership will be missed upon yourretirement, however your influence and impact are everlasting.

Congratulations to Bill Ross, CEO of IICF and Sarah Conway,Executive Director of IICF Southeast Division for another year ofgreat success across the country and in the Southeast region!

Congratulations to Bill Henry, our IICF Southeast DivisionalFounding Chairman, whose vision and leadership has inspired so manyof us to join the collective effort of serving and giving back tothe community!

Congratulations to Wendy Houser, our IICF Southeast DivisionalBoard Chair, and Neil Kessler, IICF Dinner Chair this year, for asellout benefit dinner and most importantly, for leading ourdivision to the next level.

Related: IICF’s Media Roundtable showcases its charitablecontributions in 2016 and initiatives for 2017

And finally, I’d be remiss not to recognize the unwaveringdedication my colleagues from Lloyd’s have shown through theirsupport of the seven IICF chapters across the U.S. of which we area part. The Annual IICF Southeast Benefit dinner reminds me why theIICF has been core to Lloyd’s community involvement in the U.S. formany years. The ability to come together with our partners andcompetitors alike shows that we aren’t just waiting to respondafter a tragedy, but rather we’re here banding together to offerour support to local communities every single day. That’s powerful,and it’s why we are so proud of the work of the IICF.

So proud, I want to shout out! I could not think of a better wayto kick off the third Insurance Careers Month and celebrate our greatcareers in insurance: a career that is stable, rewarding, andlimitless; a career that enables us to help individuals andbusinesses in times of need, and a career in an industry that workscollectively to enrich the lives of many through grants, volunteerservice and leadership!

I am proud, and you should be too!

Related: A message of mercy rings out during IICF annualgala

Enya He is regional director, South Central U.S. for Lloyd’sAmerica. She can be reached at [email protected]