For Immediate Release

Janice U. Whipple Elected Vice Chair of the

National Fraternal Congress of America Board

National President of Woman’s Life Insurance Society
to serve as Vice Chair of the Board.

OAK BROOK, IL, September 21, 2005 – The National Fraternal Congress of America (NFCA) announced that Janice U. Whipple, National President of Woman’s Life Insurance Society, was elected Vice Chair of the NFCA Board of Directors. Whipple was installed in the NFCA office at the 119^th NFCA Annual Meeting, September 8-10, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

After serving as a director for three years, Whipple, as Vice Chair of the NFCA Board, will continue to provide strategic direction to the association that represents 75 fraternal benefit societies. Fraternal benefit societies are not-for-profit membership organizations offering volunteer, social and networking opportunities, along with insurance and other financial products.

Whipple became national president of Woman’s Life Insurance Society in 1990. She enthusiastically embraced the original vision of this Society: to excel at enabling women to become personally and financially empowered and independent. Fueled with a passion to offer women practical and relevant information about how to take control of their financial futures, she enhanced the sales distribution system, updated the organization’s financial product offerings, and improved internal operations to better serve the needs of members today and into the future. With these and many other changes, Whipple successfully has positioned Woman's Life to be the premier provider of information, products and services to help women protect themselves and their families, as well as make a real difference in the lives of others.

Whipple’s fraternal roots run deep. She was the first woman—and youngest person ever—to serve as president of the Association of Fraternal Benefit Counsel, while also serving on the Law Section of the National Fraternal Congress of America (NFCA). She was the first person ever to hold the positions simultaneously. She has been with Woman’s Life since 1979, serving as legal counsel before becoming its national president. Before joining the Society, she served as legal counsel to the Legislative Service Bureau for the State of Michigan and as a legal editing assistant for that same government agency.

She is an honors graduate of Central Michigan University and holds a Juris Doctor degree (cum laude) from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan.

Whipple’s leadership and business acumen is reflected in the board positions she holds outside of Woman’s Life. She serves on the Citizens First Savings Bank, Port Huron, board of directors and is a member and past president of the NFCA’s Presidents Section. She is a Fellow of the Life Management Institute (FLMI). She also serves on the advisory boards of the Community Foundation of St. Clair County and the Salvation Army, reviewing these organizations’ outreach programs and advising on how each can meet the greatest needs of the community.

The 119-year-old NFCA unites 75 not-for-profit fraternal benefit societies operating in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Canada. The association represents almost 10 million people in 36,000 local chapters, making it one of the continent’s largest member networks. Fraternal benefit societies provide their members with leadership, social, educational, spiritual, patriotic, scholarship, financial and volunteer-service opportunities.

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