Principal Financial Group ® Announces New Compliance and Investor Relations Leadership - Stockhouse

Principal Financial Group® today announced two new leadership hires within compliance and investor relations.

Noreen Fierro joins Principal as senior vice president, chief compliance officer, effective February 21, overseeing all regulatory compliance operations for the global company. Fierro previously served as chief ethics and compliance officer at Guardian Life (2016-2021), where she was co-executive sponsor of Guardian’s Women’s Leadership Network and was an advisory member of their enterprise Inclusion and Diversity Council. Prior to Guardian, she held a number of different compliance leadership roles at Prudential (2006-2016), including chief compliance officer for both retirement solutions and group benefits. Most recently, she served as chief compliance officer for BetMGM. Fierro joins the company following the decision of Betsy Happe to retire effective March 31.

“In addition to being a strong cultural fit, Noreen brings extensive compliance leadership experience and a collaborative approach to her role,” said Chris Littlefield, executive vice president, general counsel, and secretary. “I am pleased to welcome her to Principal and want to thank Betsy for her leadership and contributions to our company’s success over her 23-year career with Principal.”

Humphrey Lee has been named vice president, head of investor relations for Principal, effective February 28. In this capacity, Lee will be responsible for guiding the company’s investor relations strategy, providing analysts, investors, and rating agencies updated information and insight into the strategic direction of the company through quarterly earnings calls and regular updates. Lee comes to Principal from Dowling & Partners (2014-2022) where he served as partner and head of life insurance and retirement services research. In this role he served as the lead analyst on 15 U.S. and Canadian life insurance and retirement companies. He brings experience to the role including valuation, financial modeling and assessments of key industry data and trends, as well as advising and supporting institutional investors. Lee takes on the position from John Egan, who was recently named vice president and chief financial officer for Principal International.

“Humphrey comes to Principal with a seasoned understanding of our business and the industry,” said Deanna Strable, executive vice president and chief financial officer, Principal. “Humphrey’s insights and expertise will provide value to all our stakeholders, and I am happy to welcome him to Principal.”

About Principal Financial Group®

Principal Financial Group® (Nasdaq: PFG) is a global financial company with 18,500 employees1 passionate about improving the wealth and well-being of people and businesses. In business for more than 140 years, we’re helping more than 51 million customers1 plan, insure, invest, and retire, while working to support the communities where we do business, improve our planet, and build a diverse, inclusive workforce. Principal® is proud to be recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies2, a member of the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, and a Top 10 “Best Places to Work in Money Management3.” Learn more about Principal and our commitment to sustainability, inclusion, and purpose at principal.com.

1 As of September 30, 2021
2 Ethisphere Institute, 2021
3 Pensions & Investments, 2020

Principal, Principal and symbol design and Principal Financial Group are trademarks and service marks of Principal Financial Services, Inc., a member of the Principal Financial Group.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220221005069/en/

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Waco ISD principal collaborates for new book on Black principals' experiences - Waco Tribune-Herald

G.W. Carver and Indian Spring Middle School Principal Isaac Carrier shares the experiences of Black school principals in the new book “Fighting the Good Fight: Narratives of the African American Principalship,” which he co-edited with Aaron Griffen.

Rod Aydelotte, Tribune-Herald

Carl Hoover

G.W. Carver and Indian Spring Middle School Principal Isaac Carrier co-edited the new book "Fighting the Good Fight: Narratives of the African American Principalship," but he probably could have provided a chapter or two from his 27-year career in education.

If the stories from the 35 participants in the book serve to inspire others to stay the course at a time when public education is under multiple stresses and attacks, it will have achieved what Carrier intended for it.

"We want our readers to pull from that, that 'fighting the good fight' is a whole bunch of individual fights. It's a matter of keeping your focus," he said. "We want it to be an inspiration and motivation to stay in the fight."

Carrier and Aaron Griffen, director of diversity, equity and inclusion at Denver-based DSST Public Schools and a mentor, created the book over three years, asking Black principals from across the country to share their experiences.

The idea spun off of Carrier's 2017 doctoral dissertation at Texas A&M University, which looks at the experiences and leadership of Black male school superintendents. A common thread for many were their years as principals, and that led the two men to consider a book focusing on principals.

"It turned into much larger than we envisioned," Carrier said.

The COVID-19 pandemic compounded the challenge.

The importance of individual adults in changing students' lives is highlighted in many of the principals' lives and careers, something Carrier resonated with and which forms a major part of his philosophy as an educator.

A Beaumont native, Carrier was on his way to a degree in agricultural business at Stephen F. Austin State University and a possible job with Dupont Agricultural Products. His eighth grade agriculture teacher, who became a mentor, and his mother, a school secretary and superintendent's secretary, urged him to secure a teaching certificate as well. A job as a high school agriculture teacher resolved a last-minute complication to his graduation, and Carrier started what would be a long career in education in 1995.

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"I graduated on a Saturday morning and Monday morning I was in the classroom," he said.

Older teachers and administrators coached and supported him as a young teacher, steering him to a graduate degree that opened the door to life as a school administrator, first as a principal, then district superintendent. In his career, Carrier has worked as principal in the Aldine Independent School District, executive director of school leadership in the Dallas Independent School District and an assistant superintendent in the Spring Independent School District.

He came to Waco in July 2020 to head G.W. Carver Middle School, a Transformation Waco charter school within Waco ISD, after the death of its previous principal, Phillip Perry.

"I've loved it here in Waco," Carrier said. "It's not something I thought of doing, but working with kids is the joy of my life."

His time at Carver has had unexpected challenges. The pandemic has forced closures at the school. A fire in late July left the school campus unusable just as teachers were preparing for students to return for a new school year, and that led to the emergency merging of Carver students and faculty with those at Indian Spring Middle School and its building.

Beyond that are the stresses experienced by public schools across the country, including students in poverty and unstable home situations, overworked teachers, limited opportunities for advancement, tight budgets, lack of support from state and national legislatures and a public criticism for decisions made by school administrators and boards. Add to that the discrimination encountered by teachers and administrators of color and one sees why Carrier feels a book of shared experiences can help those caught in the middle.

"For a principal, on the campus level, the buck stops there," he said. "Both (principal and superintendent positions) are singular and both can be very lonely. You've got to shoulder all that."

Still, the realization that an adult educator can make a difference offsets the challenges.

"A lot of our kids move a lot and it's difficult to sustain and maintain relationships, but there's that desire to be that one teacher at some time that a student has such a strong connection to," Carrier said.

He said he searched out his kindergarten teacher and finally found her though some 40 years had passed since their time in a classroom.

"She remembered me as if it was yesterday and I told her, 'If it wasn't for you, I would not be where I am today,'" Carrier said. "I hope every educator hears something like that."

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Newton school buildings get new principals next year - Newton Daily News

Following the upcoming early retirements of two principals, the Newton Community School District is filling the open positions in-house and transferring current principals to new buildings by the 2022-2023 school year.

According to the district’s Feb. 14 human resources update, principal Jolene Comer will be transferred from Emerson Hough Elementary to Aurora Heights Elementary, replacing the retiring Jim Gilbert. WEST Academy Principal Tara Zehr will then be transferred to Comer’s position at Emerson Hough.

Bret Miller, director of teaching and learning, will be taking over as principal of Berg Middle School following the retirement of Lisa Sharp. Amy Shannon, assistant principal at the middle school, will be transferred over to Miller’s role. The only principal position left to fill is at WEST Academy.

In December 2021, Newton News reported 18 teachers with a combined total of 523 years experience with the Newton school district were accepted into the voluntary early retirement program. Gilbert and Sharp will be officially retired by June 10 and June 17, respectively.

Comer has been principal of Emerson Hough from 2008 to 2010 and from 2016 onward when the elementary reopened its doors following realignment. One of the things Comer is most proud of during her time at Emerson Hough is the positive relationships built among staff, students and families.

“I’m also extremely proud of our teachers and the work they’ve done in their collaborative teams,” Comer told Newton News. “They have worked incredibly hard to analyze their grade level standards, plan instruction, assess students, and then reteach and extend student learning.”

Teachers meet in their teams weekly to accomplish these tasks and engage in a data protocol for math and reading at least once per month, Comer added. As a result, faculty are seeing Emerson Hough students grow in their math and reading skills “due to the hard work of our teachers.”

Comer is looking forward to the move to Aurora Heights and getting to know the new students, families and staff.

“I’m proud to be a Newton Cardinal and want to see our district continue to grow and succeed together,” Comer said. “I look forward to the opportunity to continue to work in this amazing district and build relationships with the Aurora Heights community.”

Miller has worked as the director of teaching and learning for the past three years. In that time, he has been involved in classroom instruction, the curriculum and materials used and state and district assessments. He also oversees TAG and ELL programs.

Prior to this district administration role, Miller was principal of WEST Academy. Now that he’s making a return as a principal, he is looking forward to the direct interactions with students and teachers. He has been in classrooms more this past year in an effort to improve classroom observations for instructional growth.

“I’m really excited to do that more regularly and work more closely with all of the teachers,” Miller told Newton News. “The experiences I’ve had the last five years have given me a much broader perspective of education. I hope I can use them to be a more effective leader returning to the principal role at Berg.”

Zehr took over as principal of WEST Academy after Miller moved to director of teaching and learning. The best part of her job, she said, is interacting with staff and students. The structure of WEST Academy allows them to form strong relationships and become more like family.

“Just like any family, there are ups and downs, but we get through everything together and come out stronger,” Zehr said. “One of our missions was to improve the image of WEST Academy and its students in the eyes of the general public, and hopefully that positive growth will continue in the years to come.”

Zehr is looking forward to her next venture as principal of Emerson Hough. She, too, is excited to start making connections with the staff and building relationships with students and their families.

“I’m also looking forward to learning a lot and getting to work with people I haven’t had the chance to yet,” she said. “Not to mention recess and classroom parties and assemblies and concerts and all of the other fun elementary events!”

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com

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Principal Deane hosts employee townhall ahead of Feb. 28 return to in-person campus operations - queensu.ca

Principal Patrick Deane hosted a townhall for faculty and staff to discuss the return to in-person classes on February 28, and the ongoing effects of COVID-19 on the university’s operations. The event, attended by over 600 employees from across the institution, covered array of topics, including employee health and wellness, student experience, remote work arrangements, and more. 

Principal Deane was joined by several senior administrators who spoke to their respective areas of leadership, including Mark Green, Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic); Donna Janiec, Vice-Principal (Finance and Administration); and Ann Tierney, Vice-Provost and Dean of Student Affairs.

Sam Buttemer—Queen’s Assistant Professor of Public Health Sciences and Public Health Advisor for the Faculty of Health Sciences—was also on hand to give an update on the state of COVID-19 in the Kingston region, the latest information about vaccines, and what to expect as the university moves gradually toward standard operations. 

You can watch a recording of the Principal’s Feb. 16 employee town hall in its entirety on YouTube. For the latest information on COVID-19 health and safety, and about changes to campus operations, visit the Safe Return to Campus website. 

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Assistant Santa Maria principal resigns after alleged sex at school - Cal Coast News

February 18, 2022

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

Righetti High School Assistant Principal Gene Rickman submitted his resignation on Wednesday amid outcry from some parents over an alleged sexual encounter on campus with another male staffer.

A walk-on basketball coach and Rickman were having sex in an office when a pair of Righetti cheerleaders peered through a window and caught them, parents allege. The cheerleaders allegedly video recorded the men having sex and posted footage on Instagram. The Instagram video was reportedly taken down after being on the social media platform for a short time.

Santa Maria Joint Union High School District administrators responded by placing the two staffers on leave and launching an investigation.

Last week, parents protested outside the Santa Maria high school district board meeting, holding signs with statements like, “Public sex is not a private matter.”

Now, officials say Rickman has submitted his resignation, and the walk-on basketball coach is no longer an employee of the district. Rickman had been employed by the school district since July 2015.

The investigation into the alleged sexual encounter remains ongoing. District officials say they have notified the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing about the investigation.

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Wellmark® Selects Principal® as Workplace Retirement Plan Provider - Business Wire

DES MOINES, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal Financial Group^®, a global leader in retirement plan services and investment management, announced it has been selected by Wellmark as its retirement and income plan provider. Principal will help Wellmark to continue to provide its 1,800 employees in Iowa and South Dakota with tools and resources to focus on their financial health goals.

Wellmark names Principal^® its plan provider at an important time in the health insurer’s 80+ year history as its employees continue to navigate through the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic. Wellmark conducted an extensive review of its employees’ retirement and financial wellness needs before selecting Principal. The relationship brings together two companies with headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa coupled with strong legacies of providing best-in-class health and world-class financial security, respectively.

“Finding the right provider to deliver a key employee benefit is essential to attract and retain a talented workforce,” said Cory Harris, President and CEO of Wellmark. “We are excited to work with Principal, a company that shares our deep Iowa roots while bringing world-class expertise and service to our retirement offerings for current and future employees.”

Wellmark employees will benefit from Principal^® Total Retirement Solutions with the backing of a single, experienced provider to help them manage multiple retirement plans. Through its integrated offerings and services, Principal will provide defined contribution, defined benefit (including actuarial services), and nonqualified deferred compensation services customized to help improve retirement saving outcomes.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with this company that has done so much good for communities in the states of Iowa and South Dakota,” said Dan Houston, chairman, president, and CEO of Principal. “We look forward to helping Wellmark employees feel more secure in their retirement planning and overall financial well-being. Principal will be their provider as they continue to help as many people as possible in Iowa and South Dakota have access to premium health insurance and care.”

The retirement solutions offered to Wellmark employees will include:

• Retirement plan onboarding and management services proven to increase participation rates.
• Experienced retirement specialists to assist participants virtually and onsite.
• A premier investment program, including easy-to-use asset allocation tools.
• Educational webinars covering a variety of topics.
• A Retirement Wellness Planner and Retirement Wellness Score—providing a holistic look at every individual's retirement savings.
• An award-winning participant website and mobile app.¹

Recent Principal surveying of plan sponsors shows that employees view retirement plans as a top three workplace benefit, and over half of plan sponsors offer them to attract and retain employees.² Wellmark’s commitment to offering retirement and other quality benefits is an important step in recruiting, rewarding and retaining talent at a time when employee retention is at a premium.

About Wellmark

Wellmark, Inc. (Wellmark.com) does business as Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa. Wellmark and its subsidiaries and affiliated companies, including Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Dakota, Wellmark Health Plan of Iowa, Inc. and Wellmark Value Health Plan, Inc., insure or pay health benefit claims for more than 2 million members in Iowa and South Dakota. Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa, Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Dakota, Wellmark Health Plan of Iowa, Inc. and Wellmark Value Health Plan, Inc. are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

About Principal Financial Group^®

Principal Financial Group^® (Nasdaq: PFG) is a global financial company with 18,000 employees^[1] passionate about improving the wealth and well-being of people and businesses. In business for more than 140 years, we’re helping more than 49 million customers^[2] plan, insure, invest, and retire, while working to support the communities where we do business, improve our planet, and build a diverse, inclusive workforce. Principal^® is proud to be recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies^[3], a member of the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, and a Top 10 “Best Places to Work in Money Management^[4].” Learn more about Principal and our commitment to sustainability, inclusion, and purpose at principal.com.

^[1] As of September 30, 2021.
^[2] As of September 30, 2021.
^[3] Ethisphere Institute, 2021.
^[4] Pensions & Investments, 2020.

© 2022 Principal Financial Services, Inc.
Principal® , Principal Financial Group® , and Principal and the logomark design are registered trademarks of Principal Financial Services, Inc., a Principal Financial Group company, in the United States and are trademarks and services marks of Principal Financial Services, Inc., in various countries around the world.
Wellmark® is the registered mark of Wellmark, Inc. Blue Cross®, Blue Shield® and the Cross® and Shield® symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans.
The Retirement Wellness Planner information and Retirement Wellness Score are limited only to the inputs and other financial assumptions and is not intended to be a financial plan or investment advice from any company of the Principal Financial Group® or plan sponsor. This calculator only provides education which may be helpful in making personal financial decisions. Responsibility for those decisions is assumed by the participant, not the plan sponsor and not by any member of Principal®. Individual results will vary. Participants should regularly review their savings progress and post-retirement needs. ​Insurance products issued by Principal National Life Insurance Co (except in NY) and Principal Life Insurance Company®. Plan administrative services offered by Principal Life. Principal Funds, Inc. is distributed by Principal Funds Distributor, Inc. Securities offered through Principal Securities, Inc., member SIPC and/or independent broker/dealers. Referenced companies are members of the Principal Financial Group®, Des Moines, IA 50392.​

---

¹ NMG Consulting, Retirement Services Intermediaries 14, April 2021. Results from retirement-plan focused financial professionals.
² Principal Retirement and Security Survey, Plan Sponsor Results, Q2, Q3, 2021.

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Alpine appoint ex Aston Martin boss Otmar Szafnauer as team principal - ESPN

11:34 AM ET

Former Aston Martin team principal Otmar Szafnauer has joined rivals Alpine as their new team boss as part of a wider restructuring of the French Formula One outfit's management, the Renault-owned manufacturer said on Thursday.

The Romanian-American, who left Aston Martin last month, will assume the role of team principal, which was shared by Marcin Budkowski and Davide Brivio last year.

Brivio, a former Suzuki MotoGP team boss, will move into a broader role, identifying and developing talent for Alpine's young driver academy and wider racing operations.

Budkowski left Alpine in January.

The Enstone-based team, whose drivers are Spanish double world champion Fernando Alonso and Frenchman Esteban Ocon, also announced the signing of Bruno Famin to lead their power unit operations headquartered at Viry-Chatillon near Paris.

Otmar Szafnauer is Alpine's new team principal. Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Famin, most recently deputy secretary general of sport at governing body FIA, led Peugeot to three consecutive Dakar Rally victories as head of its sporting division from 2016-2018 and a Le Mans 24 Hours triumph in 2009 as technical head of its endurance programme.

Alpine said the management changes replace a shared-responsibility structure at the top with a more streamlined approach, which would "maximise its performance" in F1's new rules era.

"With Otmar and Bruno joining the team, we move to a new level for 2022," said Alpine chief executive Laurent Rossi.

Szafnauer is a long-time Formula One insider, who previously worked with Honda before moving to the Vijay Mallya-owned Force India team, which was bought out of administration by billionaire Lawrence Stroll in 2018 and rebranded as Aston Martin last year.

Media speculation had linked him with a move to Alpine as far back as November last year, with the team's signing of Austrian water technology company BWT as title partners earlier this week only adding to it.

BWT previously sponsored Aston Martin, with the partnership going back to the team's Racing Point and Force India days.

"My attention is focused on preparing for the start of the season in Bahrain," said Szafnauer.

"As one of the three car manufacturers involved in Formula One, Alpine is fully armed to achieve its ambition, I can't wait to start the journey."

Alpine, winners with Ocon in Hungary last year, finished the 2021 season fifth in the overall standings.

The team, who are set to launch their 2022 car on Feb. 21 in Paris, beefed up their technical department earlier this month promoting F1 veteran Pat Fry to the role of chief technical officer and Matt Harman, formerly of Mercedes, to technical director.

The team's target is to fight for the championship within 100 races of the introduction of the sport's radical new rules this year.

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