State Activities Outside CA

While an issue may not be up-to-the-minute in California today, legislative initiatives tend to move from one state to the next. Gain insight about nationwide trends in state activities with the potential of becoming California issues from respected industry leaders Richard Jones, Guardian Life Insurance, and Crystal McElroy, MetLife.

Richard Jones
Guardian Life Insurance
Vice President, State Affairs

As vice president for State Affairs, Richard manages a multi-state legislative and regulatory agenda primarily in support of Guardian’s Group Benefits business unit. He joined Guardian as its chief communications Officer in 2008 and prior to that held executive positions at GE Capital, Mastercard and several global public relations consultancies.

Richard is board chair of the Association of California Life & Health Insurance Companies. He is on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Dental Plans (NADP), the California Association of Dental Plans (CADP), the Utah Life & Health Guaranty Association, and a member of the Wooster School (Danbury, CT) Board of Trustees. He co-chairs the California Association of Dental Plan’s Legislative and Regulatory Committee and chairs the National Association of Dental Plans’ Government Relations WorkGroup.

Richard holds a master's degree in journalism and a bachelor's degree in communications, both from Ohio University.

Crystal McElroy
MetLife
Assistant Vice President, Supplemental Product Compliance

Crystal McElroy is the assistant vice president over supplemental health product compliance and regulatory at Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in Irvine, CA. She currently oversees all compliance and regulatory issues as it relates to MetLife’s PPO and DHMO Dental, Vision, Accident & Health, and Health Spending & Savings Account business. Crystal currently is the vice chair of the NADP Commission on Advocacy Policy and volunteers on the NADP Government Relations Workgroup.  She also serves as the co- chair of the CADP Legislative and Regulatory Committee and is the Secretary/Treasurer on the CADP Board of Directors and a member of the NADP Board of Directors.

Prior to joining MetLife in October 2013, she served as a Senior Attorney with the California Department of Managed Health Care in the Office of Plan Licensing for seven years. She was responsible for reviewing dental plan and health plan licensing documents as it relates to plan benefits, disclosure documents, networks, and mergers and acquisitions. Crystal graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, with a major in Biochemistry and a minor in Political Science in 2003 and obtained her Juris Doctor from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in 2006.

< back to schedule