Despite the unexpected transitions caused by COVID-19, we are very excited to announce the on boarding of five new board members to NHF! This week’s spotlight features former NHF board member, Jerry Sullivan! NHF Marketing & Communications Manager, Stephany, had the opportunity to chat with Jerry to learn more about what inspired him to return to NHF.
Q: What is your current role, outside of NHF?
Jerry: “I am the Chairman of the Sullivan Group, one of the largest privately owned brokerages in the country providing services in the wholesale, reinsurance and retail areas of business.”
Q: What is your previous experience like? Have you always worked in the insurance business?
Jerry: “Yes, I have been in the insurance business for over 50 years, having worked across numerous aspects including regulatory, investment, company, claims, reinsurance, and wholesale intermediary.”
Q: You were previously a board member with NHF – what was your involvement like before?
Jerry: “It was through my involvement in the insurance business – I was dealing with medical malpractice coverage and in the process, got a feel for what is and is not working in the healthcare arena. I was asked to join the board and spent many years on the board. I was heavily involved in the grand opening of the Pico-Union facility.”
Q: What are you looking forward to most as a returning board member?
Jerry: “I want to focus on the recuperative care work that NHF is doing. It is so important and more extensive than most people and organizations do to help people get better access to healthcare and other resources. We need facilities that help people get off the street where they can get settled, tend to medical issues and get placed somewhere where they will be better and lead more productive lives.”
Q: What about NHF drew your interest into the organization?
Jerry: “When I first joined, there was a lot of community work set up like programs to help people deal with health and life issues. I was always impressed with the work being done in that regard to move things forward.”
Q: What do you like to do in your spare time? Any hobbies? Fun facts?
Jerry: “I travel in my free time and enjoy exploring new parts of the world. I love fishing, there is a group of guys in the industry that enjoy fishing so we do trips throughout the year focused on fishing activities. I also love photography, [my wife] Wendy and I recently put a string of pictures from one of our recent trips and set them up on website. Wendy is an avid golfer, so she founded KALOS, [an organization] that does golf cruises in all parts of the world. I used to fly planes for Uncle Sam so I do a lot of work with veterans as well.”