Moderator – Lady Mendoza
Director of Legislative Affairs & Chief Inclusion Officer, Connecticut Insurance Department

Lady is a policy and government affairs professional with experience working in government at the municipal and state levels. Prior to her roles with the Connecticut Insurance Department, Lady served as Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs for Governor Lamont. Lady has an MSW in Policy Planning from the University of Connecticut and earned her bachelor’s degree from California State University, Northridge. She is originally from Los Angeles, California but is proud to call Hartford her home.

Kimberly Kann
AVP, Public Relations and Corporate Communications
ConnectiCare | WellSpark

Kim is the assistant vice president of public relations and corporate communications for ConnectiCare and WellSpark Health. She has over 30 years of health plan experience working in various functional areas including marketing, sales, account management, and customer service. She has held various marketing leadership roles in public relations, executive and corporate communications, philanthropy, brand management, event management, and community relations.
Kim is responsible for ConnectiCare and WellSpark Health’s public relations functions including media relations, executive communications, corporate giving, and community-related employee engagement.
Kim holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut. She sits on the board of directors of the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), PRSA Greater Connecticut, the Middlesex Chamber Women’s Leadership Collaborative and Connecticut Women’s Council.

Jacqueline Merl Bamman
Chief People Officer, Nassau

Jackie is responsible for leading Nassau's human capital strategy, focusing on initiatives that drive growth, innovation, culture, and the development and advancement of our employees.
She joined Nassau in 2018 as 2VP Talent Management and has led Human Resources since 2019. She assumed her current role in 2020. Prior to joining Nassau, Jackie served as a key member of senior leadership teams at established companies and start-ups in domestic and global arenas including Salus Capital Partners, World Energy Solutions, and WilmerHale. Her 20 years of experience comprises all functional areas of human resources, including strategic human capital alignment, recruitment and retention, compensation, benefits, employee relations, compliance, and organizational development. Jackie holds Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and SHRM-SCP certifications, a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Syracuse University and a master’s degree in International Affairs from The George Washington University. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Hartford Interval House.

Courtney Larkin
Vice President of Government Relations, Travelers

Courtney is a Vice President of Government Relations at Travelers. Courtney represents and advocates for the Company and its businesses in state legislative, regulatory and public policy environments. Covering the New England territory, New York State and the Mid-Atlantic region, Courtney manages Travelers relationships with elected and appointed officials, managing both the legislative agenda and any regulatory activity in her states. Born and raised in Connecticut, Courtney is a graduate of Connecticut College and Quinnipiac University School of Law. Previous to Travelers, she worked at the law firm Updike, Kelly & Spellacy in their lobbying division.