Ferguson's cause of death has not been disclosed. Allstate did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Ferguson was among the original members of Corporate Counsel Women of Color, a global organization of more than 4,500 diverse in-house lawyers. Laurie Robinson Haden formed the group in 2004 and now serves as its president and CEO.

"She [Ferguson] was someone who always gave of herself. She mentored young lawyers. She believed in diversity and inclusion and made sure she was utilizing outside diverse talent. She was really a role model to many of us in terms of leadership and not being afraid to speak and take a stand," Haden said Tuesday. 

"You know, many people get in these big roles and then they're too afraid to move left or right. That wasn't Rhonda. She had a kind, loving, warm spirit, and we will never forget her," Haden added. 

Last year, Ferguson appeared on a video for CCWC in which she talked with Haden about her path to the legal chief seat, the importance of driving diversity and her upbringing as the eldest of three siblings. She was the first in her family to attend college. 

"I think it's incumbent, particularly for me as a woman of color, someone who's come from the law firms and to have the platform that I do, to ensure that we are equitable across the board. It starts with our relationships with our outside law firms," Ferguson said. 

Ferguson described her parents as her "heroes" and said they "instilled in us, at an early age, faith and education. That was really stressed in our household," she said. "It was also instilled in us the belief to always give back." 

When Michael Wu landed the chief legal officer job at Bath & Body Works Inc. last year, he emailed Ferguson seeking advice, because she'd spent the past year settling into her new role as Allstate's top lawyer.

What Wu didn't know at the time was that Ferguson was in Napa Valley celebrating her 25th wedding anniversary. Still, Ferguson responded to his email within an hour. 

"That speaks volumes about the kind of person that she is," Wu said.

Ferguson also talked in the CCWC video about the support she'd received from the group and the "importance of having people, particularly people who look like you, who care about you, who you can learn and grow and share from and create that camaraderie that has lasted for years and years and years." 

Before she joined Allstate in 2020, Ferguson was legal chief for the Union Pacific Railroad and chief ethics officer for FirstEnergy Corp. She began her legal career in 1994 as an associate at Thompson Hine. She also served as a partner at Baker & Hostetler.

Ferguson also served as a volunteer for several organizations, including Girls Inc. of Chicago, the Executive Leadership Council, the RAND Institute for Civil Justice and the Economic Club of Chicago.