Barbara Cheaney Elected Vice Chair of the NFCA Board
Vice President of Marketing-Communications of Catholic Life Insurance to serve as Vice Chair of the Board.

09/18/07

OAK BROOK, IL – The National Fraternal Congress of America (NFCA) announced that Barbara A. Cheaney, FIC, CSA, Vice President of Marketing-Communications of Catholic Life Insurance, was elected Vice Chair of the NFCA Board of Directors.  Cheaney was installed in the NFCA office at the 121st NFCA Annual Meeting, September 6-8, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

After serving as a director for two years, Cheaney, as Vice Chair of the NFCA Board, will continue to provide strategic direction to the association that represents 75 fraternal benefit societies.  Fraternal benefit societies are not-for-profit membership organizations offering volunteer, social and networking opportunities, along with insurance and other financial products.

Cheaney joined Catholic Life Insurance as a marketing assistant in 1982.  Today, she is part of the nine-member executive team.

Called “the voice of Catholic Life” by many because she serves as the official spokesperson, Cheaney oversees the fraternal and communications operations for the 106-year old fraternal.

She was elected as a Director on the Board of the National Fraternal Congress of America (NFCA) in September 2005 and as Vice Chair in September 2007.  She has served the NFCA as Annual Meeting Program Chair, President of the Communications Section (twice), National Cause Committee member and State Fraternal Congresses Section Board member.  Cheaney is Past President of the Texas Fraternal Congress.

A graduate of the University of Texas, Cheaney is a licensed General Lines Agent in the State of Texas.  She has earned the Fraternal Insurance Counselor (FIC) and the Certified Senior Advisor designation (CSA).

Cheaney is an active member of her community.  She currently serves on the Board of the San Antonio Professional Chapter of the Association for Women in Communications, the Archbishop’s Committee for the Battered Women & Children’s Shelter, and the San Antonio Conservation Society Neighborhood Liaison Committee.  She has been named a “Headliner” by the San Antonio Professional Chapter for Women in Communications and was one of six individuals recognized nationwide in 2004 as a “Rising Star” by the national membership of the Association for Women in Communications.  She is a past president and member of the San Antonio Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, a past board member of the San Antonio Women’s Chamber, and a past president of the Mahncke Park Neighborhood Association.

About Catholic Life Insurance
Founded in 1901, Catholic Life Insurance is the nation’s ninth largest fraternal benefit society, helping individuals and families achieve financial security through life insurance, IRAs and retirement annuities.  Headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, Catholic Life Insurance also operates in Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Oklahoma.  They also offer volunteer opportunities that enhance their members’ lives and benefit their communities.  For more information, visit www.catholiclifeinsurance.com.

About the NFCA
The 121-year-old NFCA unites 75 not-for-profit fraternal benefit societies operating in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Canada.  The association represents 10 million fraternalists in 37,000 local chapters, making it one of America’s largest member-volunteer networks.  Fraternal benefit societies provide their members with leadership, social, educational, spiritual, patriotic, scholarship, financial and volunteer-service opportunities.  Combined, the NFCA’s member-societies maintain more than $329 billion of life insurance-in-force and, in 2006 alone, contributed almost $410 million to charitable and fraternal programs, and volunteered nearly 95 million hours for community-service projects.  These statistics demonstrate the commitment that fraternals make to those in need and exemplify the true meaning of the NFCA signature phrase:  Joining Hands to Touch Lives.