Executives from Allergan, Bank of America, Friedmann & Friedmann Insurance Services, and Hittelman Law Group commit to becoming advocates for Laura’s House and its efforts to “end the silence” of domestic violence
LADERA RANCH, Calif., July 2, 2013 – Laura’s House, a non-profit organization whose mission is to change the social beliefs, attitudes and behaviors that perpetuate domestic violence, while creating a safe place in which to empower individuals and families affected by abuse, is pleased to announce the expansion of its board of directors to include four new members from the Orange County business community.
Joining the board are Linda Lewis, Allergan Practice Consulting Group for Allergan, Inc.; Eric Chamberlain, Associate General Counsel, Senior Vice President and lead lawyer for the Consumer Banking Services division of Bank of America; Laverne Friedmann, President, Friedmann & Friedmann Insurance Services, Inc.; and, Kerri Strunk, Partner with Hittelman Law Group and Adjunct Professor for the UCI School of Law.
“We are pleased to welcome Linda, Eric, Laverne and Kerri to our board of directors, and delighted that they have committed to helping Laura’s House fulfill its mission to end the silence of domestic violence here in Orange County,” said Margaret Bayston, CEO and Executive Director, Laura’s House. “In joining our board of directors, they are becoming part of an energetic and talented group of individuals, who each in their own right have proven to be steadfast in their efforts to build greater awareness of our organization within the broader business community.”
About the New Board Members
Linda Lewis is a management consultant with the Allergan Practice Consulting Group of Allergan, Inc., where she consults with dermatology and plastic surgery practices in the areas of cosmetic practice development, financial analysis, practice valuations, human resource issues, internal and external marketing, leadership training and team building, sales training, and compensation. Linda has more than 24 years of sales, marketing, and management experience, and joined Allergan in 1999, serving as vice president of strategic communications for Pacific Communications, Allergan’s internal advertising agency. Prior to joining Allergan, she held positions with a variety of health care companies, including The Annenberg Center for Health Sciences, Eisenhower Medical Center, and Baxter Healthcare. Linda received her Bachelor of Arts degree in communications, with a minor in public relations, from the University of Southern California.
Eric Chamberlain is Associate General Counsel & Senior Vice President of Bank of America. In his role, Eric leads legal and regulatory support and serves as general counsel for the bank’s Consumer Banking Services division, which advises and serves more than 50 million customers and clients, and manages customer service contact centers, consumer product delivery and operations, and consumer and business lending, among other services. Eric also serves as Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary of various entities involved in the sale and/or servicing of consumer and commercial insurance products. Prior to joining Bank of America in 2006, Eric served as Senior Corporate Counsel for Esurance Inc., a nationwide provider of auto, home and other consumer insurance products. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and his J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. He has been a speaker and has published articles on insurance and intellectual property issues, clerked for the Legal Aid Society of Orange County, and in his free time (which is limited now as Eric and his wife Kathy recently celebrated the birth of their first child, Ashlynne Grace!), Eric enjoys playing hockey, guitar and (attempting to play) golf.
Laverne Friedmann is President of Friedmann & Friedmann Insurance Services, Southern California’s leading privately held insurance firm. A fighter with tenacity, strength and stamina that belie her years, Laverne ascended from homemaker to trailblazer in a realm once dominated by men, taking positions at Allstate, Marsh & McLennan and elsewhere before founding Friedmann & Friedmann Insurance Services. In 2012, Friedmann & Friedmann was nominated by the Orange County Business Journal as the best family-owned business. Her clients, family and employees know her as an abiding presence with a firm, reassuring hand; quick-witted and quick to lend personal attention laced with wisdom won by three-plus decades in the insurance business. Laverne is a member of the Professional Insurance Agents, Insurance Brokers & Agents of the West, Women President’s Organization, and was voted Woman Of The Year in 2011 by the Orange County Association of Health Underwriters. She is also active in her industry, the local Newport Beach business community, and in her commitment to ending domestic violence through her passionate involvement with Laura’s House. When she’s at home, Laverne is playing Nintendo Wii® with her 10 grandkids, and she also wields a wicked air guitar.
Kerri Strunk is one of the founding partners of Hittelman Law Group, along with Steven G. Hittelman. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, from Arizona State University, and earned her J.D. from University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law. After practicing one year in public interest as a special education attorney on behalf of parents and their special needs children, Kerri dedicated herself to the practice of family law. She has extensive experience in representing litigants with complex family law issues, and in 2010 became a Certified Family Law Specialist. She currently serves as an adjunct professor at the UCI School of Law, teaching in the Family Violence Clinic and working with certified law students as a supervising attorney, representing clients at domestic violence hearings. Kerri is a member of the Orange County Bar Association, a member of the Orange County Association of Certified Family Law Specialists, member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and actively takes part in Mommy Esquire within the Orange County Bar Association. In her spare time, she enjoys playing competitive league soccer, including competing in the 2009 World Masters Tournament in Sydney, Australia.
Comprised of 19 members of the Orange County Business Community, the 2013 Board of Directors is led by Wayne Pinnell, Managing Partner with Haskell & White, LLP.
About Laura’s House
For nearly two decades, Laura’s House has provided residential shelter and support services to nearly 3,500 families, and counseling, life skills education and legal assistance to over 40,000 individuals. The mission of Laura’s House is to change the social beliefs, attitudes and the behaviors that perpetuate domestic violence while creating a safe space in which to empower individuals and families affected by abuse.
# # #