State Farm VP Harold Gray presents lecture Sept. 26

Harold Gray, senior vice president of the Pacific Northwest Zone of State Farm Insurance Co., will present “Above Reproach: Erasing Shades of Gray” as this year’s Walton lecture at Washington State University. His speech will be at 5:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 26, in Todd Hall 276. The public is welcome.

“The Department of Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate is very honored that Mr. Gray is coming to campus to share his insights into the value of ethics in business,” says FIRE Chair Gene Lai. “His long employment with State Farm, one of the largest and most successful companies in the U.S., ensures that he has observed and experienced many business ethics situations.”

Gray joined the company in 1973 following his graduation from Santa Clara University. He has held several key management positions in operations throughout America. In 1988, he became division manager of State Farm’s Pennsylvania regional office.  In 1993, he moved to the home office in Bloomington, Ill., as executive assistant for operations and in 1994, he became VP of operations for the Missouri region.  In 1996, he was promoted to VP of operations for the State Farm Fire and Casualty Company and held that position until 1999 when he became regional vice president of State Farm’s old “Seaboard Region.”  He was named senior vice president of the Pacific Northwest Zone in 2001. 

He has provided leadership to State Farm on many issues including diversity and talent development.  He co-chaired the company’s “Workforce of the Future,” an internal initiative designed to help make the company a more desirable employer.  He also served on the board of directors for State Farm’s Insurance Placement Facility for Delaware and Pennsylvania.

A leader in each community where he and his family have lived, Gray has served by being active in the United Way, Salvation Army, Meals on Wheels, Neighborhood Housing Service, Mental Health Association, Urban League, and the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce, among other community and service organizations.

State Farm offers auto and homeowners insurance, life and health insurance, annuities, a full-range of banking services (including savings accounts, checking accounts, money market accounts, CDs, mortgages, Visa credit cards, auto loans and home equity loans), as well as a wide array of mutual funds. Its assets total approximately $155 billion.

The Walton Lecture is sponsored by the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of Washington to honor their past president, Max Walton. The annual lecture has brought to WSU prominent individuals from the insurance and risk management field, including Lance J. Ewing, VP of Risk Management for Caesar’s Entertainment in 2004; Mike McGavick, chair, president, and CEO of Safeco Insurance Co. in 2003; and Robert P. Hartwig, senior VP and chief economist of the Insurance Information Institute in 2002.

For more information on the Walton Lecture series and the presentation by Harold Gray, contact Associate Professor Mike McNamara, organizer of this year’s event. He can be reached at 509/335-5632 or by email at mjmcnam@wsu.edu.