Gil Valdes
New York Life

Gil Valdes is a Vice President in New York Life's Office of Governmental Affairs. Prior to joining New York Life in 2003, he spent ten years at the New York City Council, working for Speaker Peter Vallone's central staff. He held the position of Finance Committee Counsel where he was responsible for the oversight of New York City’s multi-billion dollar expense and capital budgets. He finished his tenure at the New York City Council as Director of the Human Services Division where he acted as a Chief Advisor to the Speaker and was principally responsible for the review of all legislation, legal documentation and oversight prepared by the Division’s 13 substantive legislative committees, including the areas of Education, Health, General Welfare and Civil Service & Labor. In this role he managed a staff of 30 attorneys and policy analysts in the preparation of committee hearings, the drafting and editing of legislation and oversight reports, and the analysis of complicated legal and policy matters.

Mr. Valdes graduated from Fordham University with a B.S. degree in Accounting, and received his J.D. from Columbia Law School. He and his wife, Angela, have four children. His son Gilbert is a graduate of the Air Force Academy and is currently a federal agent in the Office of Special Investigations. His sons Michael and Brendan attend SUNY Geneseo and Middlebury College, respectively. His daughter Melanie is considered a world class Irish Step Dancer.

Catherine Bresler
Trustmark

Catherine Bresler is Counsel and Vice President of Government Relations for The Trustmark Companies. Through its subsidiaries and operating divisions, CoreSource, HealthFitness, Starmark, and Trustmark Voluntary Benefit Solutions, Trustmark provides access to a full spectrum of employee benefits, including benefits administration, payroll-deducted voluntary products, group medical benefits, and integrated population health, lifestyle and fitness management solutions.</

After 7 years as a litigation paralegal and attorney, Catherine began her career with The Trustmark Companies in 1995, as Associate Attorney in the Regulatory and Compliance Unit of the Law Department. In her current roles, she advocates on behalf of the Trustmark Companies on various state and federal, regulatory and legislative issues. She is a registered lobbyist in Illinois.

Ms. Bresler received her undergraduate degree from Northern Illinois University (1985), and her Juris Doctor from the John Marshall Law School (1993). She is admitted to practice in the Northern District of Illinois.

Angela Doss
Nationwide

Angela Doss is the Senior Director of State Government Relations for Nationwide. She works with legislators, regulators, and other statewide government officials, including governors to educate them on legislation, regulations, and public policy issues of interest to Nationwide. She represents Nationwide on multiple state trade boards and is a registered lobbyist in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Her states include: Arizona, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.

Dwayne McGraw
FDLIC

Dwayne McGraw is the Executive Vice President and Chief Actuary for Funeral Directors Life. He is a key member of the company's executive leadership team responsible for product development, financial reporting, experience studies, modeling, and profit margin monitoring.

Carrie Rupprath
Winstead

Carrie Rupprath is shareholder in Winstead's Public & Regulatory Law Practice Group. She represents clients with respect to regulatory issues, approvals and compliance matters. Her practice is primarily focused on representing clients in the insurance industry before the Texas Department of Insurance. She also has experience representing industrial facilities before the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and assisting clients in the aggregates industry with a variety of transportation matters.

Jennifer Webb
Pacific Life

Jenn directs the State government relations program for Pacific Life and is subsidiaries, representing Pacific Life before lawmakers, regulators, state trade associations, and national trade associations. Jennifer works to educate public officials and their staff on public policy that impacts Pacific Life and its customers.

Previously Jenn has held senior level government affairs roles at the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA), the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) and the National Council of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL). Jenn earned her B.A., from Tulane University and her J.D. from the Catholic University of America. Jenn resides in Washington, D.C with her husband John and their dog Herbert.