Inspiring Civic Leadership

Leader smiling while standing inside a civic building.

Travelers’ future depends on a strong, stable, representative democracy, with predictable and fair outcomes governed by the rule of law. It drives confidence in the market, lays the foundation for companies to grow and enables people from all walks of life to invest with confidence in their own lives and livelihoods. That is why we seek to encourage engagement with the essential democratic institutions that make up the public square. Citizen TravelersSM is about empowering each person to take up the democratic tools that are afforded to them as citizens, to step up as leaders in our communities and to engage in ways that are constructive and neighborly.

Leaders can model the way

Civic leadership doesn’t just build stronger communities, it builds stronger companies. Every employee who gets involved is developing skills they can bring to their career: Leadership. Collaboration. Innovation. Decision-making. Problem-solving. They are also meeting people in their communities with diverse perspectives, experiences and identities, and working together as teams to solve shared problems and find common ground. No matter what form their civic leadership and engagement takes, Travelers is committed to providing employees with the resources and support they need to carry out this important work.

Citizen Travelers at the Travelers Institute®

Screenshot of Janice Brunner and Jeffrey Rosen on a Zoom call

How the Founders' View of the Pursuit of Happiness Defined America

September 10, 2024 | What did our founders mean by “the pursuit of happiness” and how does this concept drive citizens and shape America today? Jeffrey Rosen, President and CEO of the National Constitution Center, joined Janice Brunner, Group General Counsel and Head of Civic Engagement at Travelers, to dive into Rosen’s groundbreaking book The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America.

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Screenshot of Zoom call with Janice Brunner, John Gable, and Joan Blades

The Importance of Balanced Information and Human Connections in a Pluralist Democracy

May 7, 2024 | How can we avoid being fooled by information bias and misinformation? AllSides Technologies Inc. is an organization focused on strengthening our society with balanced news, media bias ratings, diverse perspectives and real conversation. John Gable, CEO of AllSides, and Joan Blades, Co-Founder of LivingRoomConversations.org, joined Janice Brunner, Group General Counsel and Head of Civic Engagement at Travelers, to break down information barriers so we may better understand the world – and each other.

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A Zoom call with Jessica Kearney, Miah Reyes, Scotty McKenzie and Joe Kennedy

Teammates, Leaders, Citizens: The Unifying Power of Athletics

March 14, 2024 | Athletics has the power to build camaraderie among teammates, inspire the future generation of leaders and unify us toward a common goal of a better future. We spoke with the organization The Team and current college athletes about how athletics can be a platform to make a positive impact in one’s community.  

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Screenshot from veterans civic engagement webinar

Discovering Common Purpose: Veterans and Military Families on the Rewards of Civic Engagement

January 22, 2024 | America’s military veterans and their families have a unique perspective on how service helps create a sense of common purpose in our nation. How can their experience and example help us strengthen that purpose to build a more unified democracy? Join Ellen Gustafson, Executive Director and Co-Founder of We the Veterans and Military Families; Cory Johnson, Co-Chair of the Travelers Military/Veterans and Allies Diversity Network; and Janice Brunner, Group General Counsel and Head of Civic Engagement at Travelers, to explore the rewards of civic service and engagement. 

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Evolution of the Supreme Court with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

October 30, 2023 | In this conversation, viewers learned about the evolution of the United States Supreme Court and its role in defining America. We discussed some common misconceptions about the U.S. Supreme Court and some of the ways that its decisions have impacted our daily lives. This program featured Janice Brunner, Group General Counsel and Head of Civic Engagement at Travelers, Director of Curriculum Development and Instructional Design Tim Bailey from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, and historians Mary Sarah Bilder from Boston College Law School and Barbara A. Perry, the Gerald L. Baliles Professor in Presidential Studies at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center.

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Webinar screenshot of speakers Janice Brunner, Erin Loos Cutraro, and Lisa Seminara

Taking Your First Steps Toward Public Leadership

June 29, 2023 | Have you ever been curious about holding elected office or do you know someone who you think would be a great public leader? This special webinar session, hosted by Citizen Travelers at the Travelers Institute, examined the skills you likely already have to be a successful elected official, which public roles could be right for you or someone you know, and what has inspired others to take the first step toward public leadership. This program featured Travelers’ Janice Brunner, She Should Run’s Erin Loos Cutraro and Connecticut State Senator Lisa Seminara.

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Wednesdays with Woodward® webinar replay

Bridging the civics gap webinar cover photo

Bridging the Civics Gap: Making the Business Case for Civic Engagement

September 7, 2022 | As a result of shifting societal trends in recent years, civic education and engagement has been on the decline. What can be done to turn things around? iCivics Executive Director Louise Dubé and Travelers Group General Counsel and Head of Civic Engagement Janice Brunner discussed how businesses – both large and small – can empower employees and their families with the tools they need to get civically engaged in their communities.

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More about Travelers

With a focus on equity and inclusion, we target our giving and volunteerism to help improve academic and career success, develop thriving neighborhoods and create culturally enriched communities.

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Our mission is to leverage Travelers’ industry and technical expertise, along with insights from private and public sector experts, to help address the most pressing challenges facing our industry, our customers and the communities we serve.

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Sustainability at Travelers means performing today, transforming for tomorrow and fulfilling our promise to our customers, communities and employees.

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