Insurance Commissioner Candidate Umberg Answers Patriotic Call to Duty

As important as being named the next Insurance Commissioner of California is to Tom Umberg, the obligation he felt to serve his country in the wake of Sept. 11 was greater.

Umberg, a Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, returned from duty in time to file his Declaration of Intent to run for California’s top insurance post. Umberg, commented that his decision to reassume his military responsibilities was one that he didn’t even have to think about twice.

A former Democratic Assemblyman and Federal Prosecutor, Umberg, who directed the Clinton/Gore re-election efforts in California in 1996 and served in the Clinton White House, has a family who fully supports his efforts in the Reserves. His wife, also a Colonel, commands an Army hospital in the Reserves, and their daughter is a plebe at West Point.

“Today the country is very focused and very supportive of the military,” Umberg said. “I’m glad to have some association with the young people that are stepping forward right now. Having a mom, a dad, and a daughter associated with the military, the family stays very focused on current events.”

After graduating with honors from UCLA, Umberg was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, serving with the 2nd Infantry Division near the Korean DMZ and with NATO forces in Italy. For seven years, he served in the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.

Duties compliment political goals
During his recent tour with the Reserves, Umberg, 46, commanded a unit that helps mobilize and train other units. He told Insurance Journal that he was initially on duty for a couple of weeks and expected to return periodically for short intervals.

Umberg noted that the experience he has gained in the Reserves would help him in the role of Insurance Commissioner.

“I think running a military organization is great training for anyone at any level,” he said. “Managing people as I do now in the Reserves is a useful tool…[It’s] actually pretty easy because you’ve got a lot of motivated volunteers who are anxious to do whatever is necessary to support your cause. Being in the Reserves requires you to organize your time so you can do two jobs. “I’ve been fortunate to have experience in both the private sector as well as…manage large organizations in the public sector, which is obviously useful in managing the Department of Insurance. I understand how to set goals and then lead people to achieve those goals.”

Who are the Reserves?
Umberg noted that when he first declared in June, no one could have imagined that the U.S. would face a tragedy of the magnitude of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. “I was commissioned 24 years ago, this is why you serve,” he said.

People from a broad variety of backgrounds are currently serving in the Reserves, according to Umberg.

“When I was at Fort Bliss, Texas, I ran into school teachers, financial consultants, police officers, even a claims adjuster from an insurance company,” he said. “People come from all walks of life. No one is complaining. No one is saying, ‘Why me?’ “It is incredibly heartwarming to see the dedication of purpose and devotion to duty that exists”, he continues “I think people have a renewed sense of how important it is that everybody contribute to a national effort. Sometimes that effort requires a great deal of sacrifice.

“Looking at it as a private citizen, I think the American public needs to be patient, but I think the determination will continue for some time. I’ve not seen before where both parties have come together like now. I suppose if anything positive has come out of this, we’ve demonstrated that we can come together as a country and focus on a common goal.”

Restoring CDI integrity
Focusing on the commissioner’s race, Umberg said, “Insurance is an issue that affects everyone’s life, so you have to get your message out to everyone. I know what kind of race I’m going to run.”

Umberg said his theme for the race is “Restoring Integrity to the Department of Insurance.” In the post-Quackenbush era, Umberg said that is priority number one.

“There are obviously some major policy issues coming before the people, the Insurance Commissioner and the Department of Insurance, but until you get the department back up on its feet and the people have confidence in it, all those other things have to wait a bit,” he said.

Umberg indicated that he wasn’t surprised when current Insurance Commissioner, Harry Low, decided not to run for the same office next year. “I think he’s made some positive steps, but there’s still a lot of work to be done,” Umberg said.

And that is work that Tom Umberg hopes will fall into his hands in 2002.

Topics California USA