Pacific Life has worked with the United Way and its predecessor organizations since 1932. One of many collaborations was the Loaned Executive Program, in which a Pacific Life employee would work full-time with United Way staff for three months to help organize and canvass for the annual fund-raising campaign. In the late 1970s, more than 80 percent of donations in Orange County were raised by Loaned Executives.

Before leaving the home office, Larry Cripe, director of Management Information Systems Coordination and Pacific Life’s Loaned Executive for 1989, said, “The next three months will challenge me to step out and do something different. It isn’t easy to leave my office and job, but I am pleased to represent Pacific Mutual, and I’ll be working for a cause that I support.”

While executives shared their time and expertise with the United Way, Pacific Life continued to pay their salaries so that the United Way could focus on supporting programs such as the Boy Scouts, the American Red Cross or YMCA.  “The United Way agencies are really there for all of us,” said Kathy Beiting, a senior underwriter and 1994 participant. “Down the road, any of us may need the services of one of the agencies.”

The Loaned Executives also gained valuable professional training, going through an intensive course and then hitting the pavement to use what they learned. “We learned how to talk to people successfully, especially the CEO of a company,” said John Berry, who served as Loaned Executive in 1978.