San Jose, CA — July 16, 2009 — The California/Western States Chapter, led by Karen Aasen of Thoits Insurance, won the “Chapter of the Year” award on May 5, 2009, which was presented by the ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) Association at its annual Conference in Washington, D.C.

Selected first out of eighteen chapters, the Chapter was awarded this honor in appreciation and recognition of outstanding leadership and commitment to furthering ESOP education and expanding the concepts of Employee Ownership.

Ms. Aasen of Thoits Insurance was President of the chapter at the time the award was granted. She has served on the chapter executive committee for almost 12 years and worked her way up from Secretary to President in 2007.

“It is truly an honor to accept this award for our chapter,” said Karen Aasen, VP of Human Resources at Thoits Insurance. “Our Chapter’s commitment to education and spreading the word of employee ownership has become a passion for all of us involved.”

Thoits has been an active member of the ESOP Association since its inception over 30 years ago. The ESOP Association is a national non-profit membership organization with 18 local chapters, serving approximately 2,500 ESOP companies, professionals with an ESOP commitment and companies considering the implementation of an ESOP.

About Thoits
Established in 1891, Thoits Insurance is a regional California insurance brokerage, employee benefits and risk management consulting firm owned by its employees. Thoits serves the needs of the Bay Area’s peninsula and Silicon Valley by determining risks in all areas of business and protecting its clients against these risks.

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