Safety National Leads by Example

Mark Wilhelm Shares Why Safety National Supports Kids’ Chance

Safety National Leads by Example

Safety National Leads by Example

Mark Wilhelm Shares Why Safety National Supports Kids’ Chance

Thomas J. Watson, who served as a chairman and CEO of IBM, said “Nothing so conclusively proves a man’s ability to lead others as what he does from day to day to lead himself.”

CEO Mark Wilhelm and Safety National embody this ideal. When Mark was introduced to Kids’ Chance, he recognized that it was a perfect fit for his company. “The mission aligned well — not only with what we were doing in philanthropy,” said Mark, “but it also aligned perfectly with our business and industry.”

Safety National has been a national partner for five years, and during that time, they have supported the mission financially and by serving as an example for others to follow.

Perfectly Aligned

The Safety National vision statement is First with Clients, First with Co-Workers, and First with Community. It’s in their DNA to give back.

It’s also in their DNA to be a leader. Safety National provides coverage for catastrophic workers' compensation claims in 50 states. “We wanted to do something on a national level, but we’ve also invested at the state level,” said Mark. “With respect to workers’ compensation, it’s a state-level type of coverage and it’s specifically different from state to state.”

By connecting at both levels, the organization has a greater opportunity to lead by example. “We hoped by setting an example, we would encourage others in the industry to follow. Whether that’s our actual clients, our vendors, or our competitors, we felt maybe they would see us and say, ‘I better do that, too.’”

Using Long-Term Loyalty as an Opportunity to Give Back

Safety National decided to go a step further by including Kids’ Chance donations as part of their client recognition program for long-term customers that span from 10 years to an impressive 50 years and more.

Starting at the 10-year mark, Safety National makes a donation to Kids’ Chance in their client’s name as part of rewarding their longstanding loyalty.

“The donations are made at the state level because the client being recognized is generally a single state client,” said Mark. “By doing it this way, it’s more meaningful to them.”

Mark estimates that between their recognition program and their national partnership, Safety National will be contributing close to $100,000 to Kids’ Chance in 2020.

Internal Leaders

When asked who else at Safety National championed the cause, Mark didn’t hesitate with his answer: Mark Walls.

“I think far and away, Mark is the one that's had the most involvement with Kids’ Chance and certainly sets a great example for others in our organization, including myself.”

Mark is well known in the workers’ compensation industry. He’s VP Communications & Strategic Analysis at Safety National, and he also founded the Work Comp Analysis Group. Since 2008, it has grown to become the largest online discussion group dedicated exclusively to workers'​compensation issues.

“Mark has been a steadfast advocate for Kids’ Chance since I got involved,” said Vicki Burkhart, Executive Director at Kids’ Chance of America. “Having industry leaders willing to use their platform to spread the word about our organization really makes a difference.”

Bringing Others Along

Safety National plans to continue their own support as well as their efforts to get others to join them.

“Kids’ Chance is doing such great work and that reflects positively on our reputation. It also says to everyone in our network that we’re more than an insurance provider; we’re actively supporting things for the greater good — and that by extension, the members of our network are a part of that, too.”

Mark couldn’t speak more highly of the natural alignment between the industry and the Kids’ Chance mission.

“Workers' compensation benefits provide so much to families and injured workers, but there are other financial impacts that don't get addressed. Here’s an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the next generation.”

Mark finished by saying, “If you're part of the workers' compensation industry — a buyer, an insurance provider, a vendor — what could better align with the industry you're part of than what Kids’ Chance is doing?”

Helping Injured Workers

For many members of the workers’ compensation industry, Kids’ Chance is a natural extension of the work they do every day.

Mark is one of the standout leaders in our community, but we are fortunate to have so many volunteers and supporters across the country committed to our goal of #MoreMoneyforMoreKids.

With 48 state organizations, we’re always looking for more. Reach out to Kids’ Chance of America if you’d like to get involved at the national level, or get in touch with the organization in your state today.

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