WESTFIELD CENTER, OH – June 7, 2007– The Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA) elected Rick Kinnaird, senior executive of surety at Westfield Insurance, as the Chair of the Board for 2007-2008. 

The SFAA trade association performs a leadership role in promoting and preserving the use of fidelity and surety bonds to protect public and private interests. This trade association is comprised of approximately 500 companies that collectively write the majority of surety and fidelity bonds in the United States. 

“I am honored to serve as Chair of this Association,” said Kinnaird. “This Association is dedicated to the surety industry and demonstrates its importance to our economy. Surety bonds facilitate commerce, assist economic development, and protect consumers, taxpayers, and businesses by guaranteeing the completion of construction projects, assuring the payment of contractors and helping achieve compliance with state laws.”

Kinnaird has been employed with Westfield Insurance for more than 25 years and has been in the surety industry for 30 years.  In addition to Chair of SFAA, Kinnaird is also a Board Member of the Surety Information Office, Chair of the Surety Federation of Ohio, Associate Member of the National Association of Surety Bond Producers, and Associate Member of the General Contractors of America.

A native of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, Kinnaird graduated from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, and currently resides in Medina, Ohio with his wife, Marlene.  He and his wife have two daughters, Erica and Ashley.

In business for nearly 160 years, Westfield Insurance, a member of Westfield Group, provides commercial and personal insurance and surety services to customers in 28 states.  Westfield markets its products through more than 1,200 leading independent insurance agencies.  Westfield Group provides banking through Westfield Bank^SM and agency support through Westfield Services, Inc.  Learn more about Westfield Insurance at www.westfieldinsurance.com.

For more information on the Surety & Fidelity Association of America, visit www.surety.org.

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