The State - News from Feb. 12, 1989

The Assn. of California Insurance Companies, the industry’s major Sacramento lobbying group, has announced plans to reorganize and expand its staff. The chief of the organization, Don McComber, head of the Fireman’s Fund company, will gain the new title of chairman. Thomas F. Conneely, a former vice president of Industrial Indemnity Co., will be brought in as president, which will now be a full-time staff position. Several other staff positions have been created, and Sonja Larkin-Thorne, former aide to Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco), has been hired. Officials said the association is extending its work lobbying the Legislature into other services, including research, community outreach and consumer education. “We will be working with consumer and community-based groups to aggressively pursue programs that will cut costs that are driving up insurance rates in California,” said Conneely.