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The American Fraternal Alliance (Indianapolis), representing over 50 not-for-profit fraternal benefit societies operating in 50 states, the District of Columbia and Canada, has announced the unanimous election of Craig Van Dyke as Chair of the Board by members of the board during the Alliance’s 2022 Annual Meeting held on September 14-16, 2022, in Washington, DC. Fraternal benefit societies are not-for-profit membership organizations offering volunteer, social, and networking opportunities, along with insurance and other financial products.
American Fraternal Alliance’s 2022 Annual Meeting held on September 14-16, 2022. (Click to enlarge.)
“The Alliance and its member societies welcome Craig Van Dyke as our new Chair of the Board,” comments Allison Koppel, CEO, American Fraternal Alliance. “As President of BetterLife, his skillful leadership at the helm of a very successful fraternal merger demonstrated the strength of mid-sized societies. His society is at the forefront of innovative approaches to financial services, fintech integration, and fraternal member engagement. Craig understands what it takes to lead a fraternal benefit society in a rapidly changing financial services marketplace while preserving fraternal heritage.”
Craig Van Dyke, President, BetterLife, and Chair, American Fraternal Alliance.
As Chair of the Board, Van Dyke will provide strategic direction to the association as it represents over 50 fraternal benefit societies with policyholders in all US states and Canada, according to a statement from the Alliance.
Van Dyke serves as President of BetterLife, a fraternal benefit society headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. He played an integral role on the leadership team that oversaw the successful merger of Western Fraternal Life and National Mutual Benefit, the Alliance statement relates. Van Dyke is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and has a Fellow Life Management Institute designation. He has over 30 years of experience in the insurance industry, primarily in investment management.
Other appointments made during the Sept. 2022 meeting in clude John Borgen, President and CEO of Catholic Financial Life in Milwaukee, Wisconsin being elected to the Alliance board of directors by the delegates of the Alliance. Borgen will fill the Director seat vacated by Bill O’Toole, his predecessor at Catholic Financial Life, whose term ends at the end of this year. Borgen began his fraternal career in 2009 as Catholic Financial Life’s Fraternal Director and worked his way up to an executive leadership role. He was named President and Chief Executive Officer in 2022.
Allison Koppel, CEO, American Fraternal Alliance.
“We are excited to have John Borgen join the Board of Directors as one of the newest leaders in the fraternal system,” comments Koppel. “John represents a new generation of executive leadership within our industry – as a longtime fraternal employee, father of three young children, and a Millennial, he brings a fresh take on fraternalism that is most welcome on the Board and will see us into the future.”
Serving alongside Van Dyke are members of the American Fraternal Alliance Board of Directors:
Vice Chair, Bill Hunt, CEO, GBU Financial Life
Patrick T. Mason, Secretary Treasurer, Supreme Secretary, Knights of Columbus Immediate Past President Greg Temple, President & CEO, Catholic Order of Foresters Michael Ahles, President, CEO & Chair of the Board, Catholic United Financial
Nick Benoit, Chief Operating Officer, Royal Arcanum
Lester L. Bohnert, General Counsel, Modern Woodmen of America
John Sharp, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, WoodmenLife
Sharon Brosnan, Vice President of Government Affairs, Thrivent
Theresa Kluchinski, President, Ladies Pennsylvania Slovak Catholic Union
Chris Martin, National President, Woman’s Life Insurance Society
John Borgen, President and CEO, Catholic Financial Life
Louis Gagnon, President and CEO, Foresters Financial
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