NAIFA DEI Impact Week to Explore Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Financial Services

NAIFA’s 2021 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Week is a virtual event featuring three days of programming, April 6-8. Presentations and discussions will focus on increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion withing the insurance and financial industry and providing needed products, services, and advice to traditionally underserved communities.

The even is open to all insurance and financial professionals, but seats are limited and preregistration is required.

NAIFA’s 2025 Strategic Plan establishes diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies designed to help NAIFA meet overarching goals of growing membership, amplifying the NAIFA brand, and improving the NAIFA member experience. NAIFA members serve the insurance and financial services needs of a growingly diverse Main Street USA to ensure that financial security is attainable for everyone. It is important that producers and leaders within NAIFA and the industry reflect the diverse population they aim to serve.

“NAIFA has made diversity, equity, and inclusion a priority, and this event allows us to come together as insurance and financial professionals to have frank discussions about how we and our industry can do more to ensure all Americans have greater opportunities to achieve financial security and prosperity,” said Delvin Joyce, a Financial Planner with Prudential and Co-Chair of NAIFA’s DEI Council. “The families and businesses we serve as financial professionals need to be as diverse as America itself. That also applies to our community of producers and company executives. Increasing diversity within our professional ranks and leadership is not just the right thing to do – it’s good business.”

NAIFA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Impact Week will feature:

• “Long Term Care and Underserved Markets,” presented by Chris Gandy and Michelle Prather.
• “African American Women in Financial Services,” a discussion by Kristen Eskew, Karen Holloway, Mary Greene, and Martina Jimenez Sperry.
• Presentations by Barbara Turner, President and COO with Ohio National; Kimsi Tran-Gilmer, Brokerage Director with MassMutual; Evelyn Gellar, a NAIFA Board of Trustees member and Partner with New York Life; Derrik Anderson, a renowned Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Trainer and Consultant.
• A Future Leaders session open to college students considering a career in insurance and financial services (separate registration required).

“NAIFA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Week builds on the success of our Diversity Symposium held in previous years,” said NAIFA CEO Kevin Mayeux. “We have an incredible slate of presenters this year who have first-hand experience with DEI issues in the insurance and financial services industry and who are acknowledged thought leaders working for positive change.”

Additional programming is to be announced. Registration for NAIFA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Week is open.