Fraternal Advantage - Fall 2009

NFCA Board Welcomes Two New and Four Returning Directors

The National Fraternal Congress of America (NFCA) welcomed six fraternalists to the NFCA Board of Directors at the 123rd NFCA Annual Meeting, September 17-19, in San Antonio, Texas, including two new directors. Elected to a three-year term each were new directors Christopher Pinkerton, President, U.S. Division, The Independent Order of Foresters, and Howard J. Wolfe, President and Chief Executive Officer, Western Fraternal Life Association.

Four directors returned to the NFCA Board.  Elected to a three-year term was James R. Stoker, National Secretary-Treasurer, CEO, Greater Beneficial Union of Pittsburgh. Appointed to one-year terms were Teresa J. Rasmussen, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans; Darcy Callas, Director and General Counsel, Modern Woodmen of America; and Emilio B. Moure, Supreme Treasurer, Knights of Columbus. In addition, Rasmussen was elected Chair of the Board, and Stoker was elected Secretary-Treasurer.

Christopher Pinkerton was appointed President, U.S. Division for the Independent Order of Foresters in February 2008. In this capacity, Pinkerton leads a dedicated management team with full responsibility for Foresters U.S. business operations. He has responsibility for the design and implementation of policies and programs that are focused exclusively on the U.S. market, including product, pricing, marketing, sales, compensation, contracting, new business and underwriting services. Pinkerton joined ForestersTM in October 2005 and most recently was Senior Vice President, North American Sales and Marketing.

Prior to joining Foresters, Pinkerton led USAllianz Investor Services, a subsidiary of Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America, where he played a key role in increasing sales by roughly twenty-fold. Before Allianz, he held various marketing and operations positions at Nationwide Insurance Enterprise for over 20 years.

Pinkerton is a Fellow of the Life Management Institute, a Chartered Financial Consultant and a Chartered Life Underwriter. He earned his MBA from Xavier University and his Bachelor's degree from Franklin University, both in Ohio. He was an adjunct professor of Marketing in the MBA Program at Franklin University in Ohio. Pinkerton has been involved in United Way for over 25 years, has volunteered extensively at his children's schools and has served on a local school board and the Ohio University Marketing Board.

Howard J. (Jim) Wolfe is President and Chief Executive Officer of Western Fraternal Life Association (WFLA). He joined WFLA in January of 1968 as Computer Operator/Programmer. In 1973, he was promoted to Office Manager and in 1979, he was appointed Secretary of the Association, a position he served for 28 years. Wolfe was elected to his current position in August of 2007.

Wolfe is serving in his second three-year term on the Board of Directors of the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He has served as Past-President of the Secretaries Section of the NFCA. He also has served as President of his own Lodge No. 500 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and as President of the Thursday Noon Optimist Club.

Wolfe and his wife, Judy, have been married 40 years and have two children and three grandchildren.