SAIF Corporation board of directors elects new officers

At its regular meeting last week in Salem, the SAIF board of directors elected Catherine Travis as the board's new chair and Robb Van Cleave as vice chair.

Travis replaces John Anhorn of Medford, who is retiring from the board after eight years of service, including five as its chairman.

"My goal is to provide continuity to the board and SAIF in our mission to make Oregon the safest place to work," said Travis. "Unfortunately, in these economic times, workplace safety sometimes becomes a lower priority, but I think we can meet that challenge with innovative ideas to help employers improve safety."

Travis is a commercial arbitrator and retired attorney who has served on the SAIF board since 2005.

"SAIF provides our customers and the state of Oregon with a competitive advantage because of the affordability of workers' comp insurance," Van Cleave said. "That advantage is critical to helping employers succeed and improving our economy. Being vice chair of the board allows me to be even more involved in maintaining both our affordability and our competitive advantage."

Van Cleave served 12 years as mayor of The Dalles and is Chief Talent and Strategy Officer at Columbia Gorge Community College. He has served on the SAIF board since 2005.

Anhorn's seat on the board will be filled by Jim Ford of Ashland, whose four-year term begins on July 1, 2010. The chair's term is one year, but there is no limit on the number of terms the chair can serve.

Learn more about the SAIF board in the About SAIF section of our website.