History

The formative years of the Mt Diablo Chapter go back to 1981. It was in this year that a group of dedicated CPCU’s realized that there was an ever increasing number of us in Central Contra Costa County. The insurance industry had seen a great deal of growth in and around Walnut Creek starting in the early 1970’s and continuing into the 1980’s. With this growth there was a corresponding increase in the number of CPCU’s in the area who were finding it more and more difficult to attend the meetings and functions of the then "Northern California Chapter" in San Francisco.

Led by Harry Lindstrom, Steve Hause, Catherine Middleton, Ann Welch, Michael Boele and several others, the idea of forming a sub-chapter of the Northern California Chapter of the Society of CPCU was incubated. Reaching out to the other CPCU’s in the area, it was determined that there was enough interest to start a sub-chapter. The plan was taken to the Northern California Chapter and was approved.

The fledgling sub-chapter started with quarterly meetings at various restaurants in Walnut Creek and Concord. You might recall places like the Concord Inn (which has since been torn down and replaced by a fitness center), the Concord Holiday Inn, Zio Fredo’s, and several other local eateries that have since closed down. We were a wandering tribe looking for a home. Speakers were brought in to discuss current topics that were affecting the property and casualty insurance marketplace, much as is done today. The “new” CGL forms were “hot” then. Much discussion was held on claims-made vs occurrence coverage and our meetings addressed this issue. We started topics that continue to this day, such as updates from the WCIRB every January.

Over the next five years, interest and participation increased. It was decided that the time had come to form a chapter in the East Bay. With the help of then Northern California Chapter presidents Jim Whitaker and Tom Langley, the newest chapter of the Society of Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriters, Mt Diablo California Chapter, was granted its Charter in 1987. Michael Boele was elected the Chapter's charter president ... and the rest, as they say, is history.

Twenty years later the Mt Diablo California Chapter still thrives in the shadow of Mt Diablo.