Rockingham Group's Menefee elected IIHS chairman

ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is pleased to announce the election of W. Neal Menefee as the new chairman of its Board of Directors. Menefee is senior vice president of Rockingham Group. He succeeds Jeff Gendron, senior vice president, property/casualty operations, COUNTRY Financial, who served as IIHS chairman during 2014 and will continue to serve as a Board member.

"IIHS has a proud tradition of advancing highway safety through its research and ratings programs. The positive impact the organization has had over the past five decades is laudable, and I am delighted to serve as Board chairman," Menefee says. "I look forward to working alongside my colleagues as IIHS continues to raise the bar for highway safety. During 2015, we will move into a new era as we complete the expansion of the Vehicle Research Center to provide capacity necessary for our growing focus on rapidly evolving vehicle crash avoidance technology."

"As a Board member, Neal has been a staunch supporter of the Institute's work. We welcome his new role as chairman as we look to build on the success of our research and communications programs in 2015," says IIHS President Adrian Lund. "Neal's expertise will be an asset to the mission of IIHS."

The new chairman-elect is Jack Salzwedel, chairman and chief executive officer, American Family Mutual Insurance Company.  The new vice chairman is Floyd M. Yager, senior vice president, chief data officer, Allstate Insurance Group.

Other IIHS Board members are:

Brian Braddock, head of public policy research and development, government and industry affairs, Farmers Insurance Group

Charles M. Chamness, president and chief executive officer, National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies

Dan Clapp, executive vice president and treasurer, Shelter Insurance Companies

Paul W. Franklin, senior vice president, worldwide underwriting manager for personal lines, Chubb & Son

Douglas S. Joyce, president, Alfa Alliance Insurance Corporation

Adrian K. Lund, president, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

Denise I. Lynch, property and casualty group executive, Kemper Corporation

Michael Merwarth, senior vice president and chief underwriter, USAA

Greg Meyer, chief operating officer, CSAA Insurance Group

John W. Mullen, president and chief executive officer, Direct General

Hank Nayden, vice president and legislative counsel, GEICO Corporation

Gregory V. Ostergren, chairman, president and chief executive officer, multiple lines, American National

Leigh Ann Pusey, president and chief executive officer, American Insurance Association

Paul A. Pyne, executive vice president and chief operations officer, corporate executive department, Amica Mutual Insurance Company

David A. Sampson, president and chief executive officer, Property Casualty Insurers Association of America

David J. Skove, general manager, South Region, Progressive Insurance

Douglas E. Smith, senior vice president, personal lines, Erie Insurance Group

Angela Sparks, vice president and actuary, State Farm Insurance Companies

Timothy M. Sweeney, president, personal insurance, Liberty Mutual Insurance Company

Bob Tart, senior executive, underwriting, North Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company

Randy Termeer, vice president, product management, The Hartford

Greg Toczydlowski, president, personal insurance, The Travelers Companies

William L. Windsor Jr., associate vice president, office of consumer safety, Nationwide Insurance

For more information, go to iihs.org
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is an independent, nonprofit scientific and educational organization dedicated to reducing the losses — deaths, injuries and property damage — from crashes on the nation's roads. The Institute is wholly supported by auto insurers.

SOURCE Insurance Institute for Highway Safety