PLEASANTON, CA, June 15, 2022 – IIABCal President Bob Teshima announced today the hiring of new Chief Executive Officer, Jill Epstein, who will be the first female executive of California’s largest independent insurance agents and brokers trade association.

An attorney and experienced association executive, Epstein comes to IIABCal from the San Diego County Bar Association, where she served as the Executive Director and skillfully led a member-focused professional team through the pandemic.  

“Jill Epstein is a highly‐regarded and much‐accomplished professional association executive,” IIABCal President Bob Teshima said. “Her background in membership, governance, and advocacy makes her an ideal fit for the CEO role at IIABCal. We are excited to start our next chapter with Jill at the helm.”

Epstein was selected for the CEO position following an extensive search to replace long-time CEO Clark Payan.  The search attracted applicants from across the country, and finalists were vetted and interviewed by an IIABCal Search Committee, composed of the executive committee and a past president of the association.

“I'm excited to be part of an organization that is long-recognized as a strong legislative, regulatory, and legal advocate for its members and their clients," said Epstein. "I look forward to working with IIABCal’s Executive Committee, Board of Directors, and professional staff to identify and serve the evolving needs of the membership and put forth a new vision for the organization."

In addition to her position with the San Diego County Bar Association, Epstein spent nearly seven years as the Executive Director of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, an independent professional organization representing the interests of 32,000 licensed marriage and family therapists.

She also served as the first Chief Operating Officer of the California Massage Therapy Council, an organization created by the California Legislature to develop and implement statewide voluntary certification for massage therapists. Epstein has spent her entire career in non‐profit organizations in California, Illinois, and Washington, D.C., including the American Medical Association, AARP and the Chartered Financial Analysts (CFA) Society of Chicago.

Epstein earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan and her law degree from the American University – Washington College of Law in Washington D.C. Epstein is a member of the District of Columbia Bar, the American Society of Association Executives, and the California Society of Association Executives.   She is active in her home community of San Diego.

Founded in 1907, IIABCal represents more than 14,000 independent insurance agents and brokers in California through more than 300 member firms.  This trade association’s mission is to promote, protect, and perpetuate it members. IIABCal is based in Pleasanton, California