Lara announces reappointments to the CAARP Advisory Committee, the COIN Advisory Board and the Insurance Diversity Task Force

Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara today announced several reappointments to help drive forward the California Department of Insurance's mission to protect California consumers.

These reappointments include Michael Golden, Bernardo de la Torre, Doug Heller, and Cynthia Strathmann to the California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan Advisory Committee, Doug Bystry to the California Organized Investment Network Advisory Board, and Rebecca Aguilera-Gardiner, Mark Morales, and Tommy Smith to the Insurance Diversity Task Force.

"I am pleased to announce these reappointments to the CAARP Advisory Committee, the COIN Advisory Board, and the Insurance Diversity Task Force.I have every confidence that these returning members will act in the best interest of all Californians," said Commissioner Lara. "The diverse perspectives of these appointees are critical to protecting consumers across our state and ensuring a competitive insurance marketplace in California. I am confident that the wide range of knowledge and expertise of these members will advance our shared goals and build on the tremendous strides that we have accomplished to date."

The governor and California State Legislature created CAARP to provide auto insurance for motorists unable to obtain coverage in the private market due to their driving records or other extraordinary circumstances. One program within the plan — the California Low Cost Auto Program — aims to provide affordable liability insurance to income-eligible good drivers by assigning them to private insurers based upon the companies' share of the auto insurance market. The CAARP Advisory Committee provides policy advice to the Commissioner on matters affecting the operation of its programs.

The California Organized Investment Network was established in 1996 within the Department of Insurance to guide insurers on making financially sound investments that yield environmental benefits throughout California and social benefits within the State's underserved communities. Lara has prioritized COIN investments which drive affordable housing, improve healthcare access and equity, combat climate change, and encourage investors to utilize more diverse investment managers. The COIN Advisory Board provides guidance to the Commissioner and the COIN program to meet its mission and chief priorities.

As part of the department's first-ever Office of Insurance Diversity and Innovation created by Lara, the Insurance Diversity Task Force advises the department's longstanding and nationally-recognized Insurance Diversity Program, which encourages insurers to expand access and economic inclusion with diverse business owners, such as a woman-owned, veteran-/disabled veteran-owned, historically disadvantaged community-owned, people with disabilities-owned, or LGBTQ+-owned businesses, as well as to advance diversity of insurance company corporate boards. The Task Force makes recommendations to the Commissioner regarding innovative ways to increase diversity within the insurance industry.

The next CAARP Advisory Committee meetings are scheduled for Nov. 18 and 19, 2025, the next COIN Advisory Board meeting is scheduled for Nov. 13, 2025, and the next Insurance Diversity Task Force meeting is scheduled for Dec.3, 2025.

More details are available at insurance.ca.gov/boards. Public members of the CAARP Advisory Committee receive $250 per meeting. All other positions are uncompensated.

Reappointed members include

CAARP Advisory Committee

Michael Golden is account executive of Cal-Valley Insurance Services, Inc. Golden has been a licensed insurance broker for 39 years, concentrating on personal lines insurance and eventually incorporating commercial lines as well. Golden has been a member of the Western Insurance Agents Association for 30 years, serving in many office roles including chairman of the board for the state association and president of his local chapter. He also sits on the board of directors for the North Central Fire Protection District and the Fire Agencies Insurance Risk Authority. Golden has been reappointed to the CAARP Advisory Committee in the producer representative seat with a term ending on Nov. 10, 2026.

Bernardo de la Torre is owner of Law Offices of Bernardo de la Torre in La Mirada, a law firm founded in 1985 and specializing in the representation of injured workers. De la Torre is a member of the California Applicant Attorneys Association Board of Directors and is a founding member of LatinoComp, which is a non-profit workers' compensation professional organization. He is a former Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Pro Tem and is a recipient of the Attorney of the Year Award from the Mexican American Bar Association of Los Angeles County in 2011. De la Torre has been reappointed to the CAARP Advisory Committee in the public member representative seat, with a term ending on Nov. 10, 2026.

Doug Heller is director of insurance for the Consumer Federation of America. Heller has authored op-eds, articles, and reports on auto insurance pricing in the United States, overseen regulatory challenges to insurance company rates and practices and provided expertise in insurance-related litigation. Previously, he served as the executive director of Consumer Watchdog. He is also an appointee to the Federal Advisory Committee on Insurance. Heller has been reappointed to the CAARP Advisory Committee in the public member representative seat, with a term ending on Nov. 10, 2026.

Cynthia Strathmann is executive director for Strategic Actions for a Just Economy, a non-profit economic justice organization that advocates for healthy, secure, affordable housing and equitable development in Los Angeles. SAJE was instrumental in winning emergency protections for tenants during the COVID-19 pandemic and has also led campaigns for stronger code enforcement, equitable building decarbonization, and fareless transit. She also sits on the board of the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy. Strathmann has been reappointed to the CAARP Advisory Committee in the public member representative seat, with a term ending on Nov. 10, 2026.

COIN Advisory Board

Doug Bystry is the president and CEO of Clearinghouse CDFI, one of the largest community development financial institutions in the nation. Clearinghouse CDFI was the first CDFI selected for the inaugural round of the CDFI Fund Bond Guaranty Program and the first to deploy $100 million. Bystry has been providing financial services to low-income communities for more than 25 years and has successfully raised and deployed more than $1 billion in his career. He serves on the board of directors for Affordable Housing Clearinghouse as well as Mary Erickson Community Housing. Bystry has been reappointed to the COIN Advisory Board in the community development financial institution representative seat, with a term ending on Nov. 10, 2027.

Insurance Diversity Task Force

Rebecca Aguilera-Gardiner is vice president and co-owner of Diego and Son Printing, a second-generation printing business that is Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise-certified. She has more than 25 years of experience in sales and marketing and has been essential in the continued growth of the 51-year-old family-owned business. She is also the CEO of the Veterans In Business Network, a nonprofit veteran business organization in California that advocates on behalf of the disabled veteran business community. Aguilera-Gardiner has been reappointed to the Task Force in the advocate/representative for veteran and disabled veteran business enterprises seat, with a term ending on Nov. 10, 2027.

Mark Morales is a senior vice president at AmPac Business Capital, a Small Business Adminstration-Certified Development Company. Mark specializes in SBA financing and Supplier Diversity for diverse owned businesses. Mark is also co-owner of Charles Jacobsen, Inc., an importer of antique furniture and accessories from Asia, which is a Certified LGBT Business Enterprise since 2013. Morales is on the board of directors of the Long Beach LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce, senior vice president of the California LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce, and president emeritus of the Los Angeles LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce. He also serves on the Community Advisory Panel for Southern California Edison representing the LGBTQ community and is a member of the Leadership Council for the Los Angeles Business Council. Morales has been reappointed to the Task Force in the advocate/representative for LGBT business enterprises seat, with a term ending Nov. 10, 2027.

Tommy Smith is senior manager of economic impact and impact spending at Kaiser Permanente, where he leads the engagement strategy for measuring the economic and community impact of Kaiser Permanente's procurement spend. He is the custodian of Kaiser Permanente's Impact Spending policy and oversees Kaiser Permanente's prime supplier program for identifying contract and development opportunities for small and local businesses throughout its value chain. Prior to his current role, Smith conducted policy analysis and program evaluation in civic engagement, economic development, education, supplier diversity and workforce training. Smith has been reappointed to the Task Force in the insurance industry representative serving as a practitioner in the field of supplier diversity seat, with a term ending on Nov. 10, 2027.