Business Insurance names diversity award winner
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George Nichols III, president and CEO of the American College of Financial Services, was named the inaugural winner of the Alonzo Herndon Award during the Business Insurance Diversity and Inclusion Institute’s leadership conference on Thursday.
Presenting the award during the virtual conference, Lacrecia Cade, president and CEO of Atlanta Life Insurance Co., which sponsored the award, noted Mr. Nichols’ achievements, including being the first African American insurance commissioner in Kentucky and president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. In addition, he was the first African American elected to New York Life’s executive management committee.
Mr. Nichols also held various positions in the health and insurance sectors, including CEO of Central State Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky.
Mr. Nichols is a “beacon of not just excellence but solutions and outcomes creating tangible paths and options for others,” Ms. Cade said.
The Alonzo Herndon Award is named in honor of the founder of Atlanta Life.
Mr. Herndon was born into slavery in 1858 and worked as a laborer from a young age. With almost no schooling and no money, he achieved great success in various business ventures. The Alonzo Herndon Foundation honors his legacy and supports programs and policies in keeping with his vision.
Business Insurance and Atlanta Life launched the award to recognize an individual who exemplifies Mr. Herndon’s courage, leadership and extraordinary goodwill toward others, bolstering their progress and success.
