Goodman, a Colorado business owner, committed to expanding innovation and inclusion to best serve Colorado workers and employers
DENVER — Feb. 6, 2023 — Pinnacol Assurance, Colorado’s largest and only state-chartered workers’ compensation insurance carrier, is proud to announce its new board chair, Mark D. Goodman. Goodman, currently chairman of Colorado Nut Holding Company, has an extensive background working as a top executive and leading national public and private institutions, and serves on the board of directors for Colorado companies such as Delta Dental and Bellco Credit Union.
“As chair of the board for Pinnacol Assurance, I am committed to ensuring that Pinnacol remains financially strong so that we can continue to serve injured workers at a best-in-class level with pride, efficiency and efficacy,” said Goodman. “As a state-chartered institution, we have a higher calling than other national carriers and a larger responsibility to the communities we serve. Colorado injured workers and their families already consistently rank us as the top-performing workers’ compensation carrier, and we believe we can continue to become more innovative and relevant in people’s lives.”
Goodman has also dedicated much of his career to giving back to local communities, and has supported educational institutions on a national basis, including Tufts University, Xavier University, The College of Wooster, Livingstone College, History Makers and Eton Academy. Denver Mayor Michael Hancock also appointed Goodman to the Prosperity Denver Fund.
“Our No. 1 priority is to the state and the injured workers and their families, but we also have a responsibility as a board to be representative of our employees, our premium holders and the workers who rely on our coverage,” Goodman continued. “That means continuing to expand and to live our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, which will allow us to become not just the insurer of last resort but also the carrier and the employer of first choice. During my tenure, DEI work will not just be something that we talk about; it will be at the core of who we are.”
As a public-private organization, Pinnacol Assurance has its board members appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state legislature. Goodman was first appointed to the Pinnacol board in 2015, by then-Governor John Hickenlooper, and then was appointed to be board chair by Governor Jared Polis in 2022. He’s previously served on the Pinnacol board’s Compensation and Governance & Ethics committees.
Goodman acknowledges how important it will be to commit to serving Colorado’s changing needs through Pinnacol’s digital transformation and by ensuring seamless access to Pinnacol for all workers who want it.
“The board will also be prioritizing workers’ continued access to Pinnacol, which delivers the best care in the market today,” he continued. “The fact is, fewer and fewer Coloradans have access dueto the trend of dispersed workforces, accelerated and made permanent by the coronavirus pandemic. Colorado’s workers deserve access to the state-chartered carrier and Colorado’s businesses rely on Pinnacol for high-touch customer support.”
