National Life Executive Vice President Elected to Life Insurance Industry's National Bar Association
Michele Gatto Named 81st President of the Association of Life Insurance Counsel (ALIC)

Montpelier, Vermont (May 14, 2009) - At its recent annual meeting in San Diego, the Association of Life Insurance Counsel (ALIC), elected Michele S. Gatto as its 81st President. Founded in 1913, the ALIC is the bar association for lawyers in the life insurance industry. Gatto is Executive Vice President - Chief Legal Officer and Chief People Officer of National Life Group in Montpelier, Vermont.

"The ALIC represents the best and brightest legal professionals serving our industry. It has developed a rich history, a record of scholarship, and an important collegiality. I am truly honored to have this opportunity to serve as the association's 81st president," said Gatto.

"Michele's expertise spans beyond the legal department to include roles in capacities from HR and IT to Policy Forms and Facilities, lending to the broad spectrum of her capabilities which make her an excellent choice as the ALIC's new President," comments Mehran Assadi, president and chief executive officer of National Life Group.

Gatto joined National Life in 1999. Prior to joining National Life Group, Gatto served as Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary of Massachusetts Casualty Insurance Company (MCIC), a former subsidiary of Sun Life Financial. She also formerly served as Vice President and Assistant General Counsel at The Paul Revere Corporation, now merged with UNUM-Provident and a former subsidiary of Textron, Inc.

In 2007 Gatto received the "In-house Leaders in the Law Award," co-sponsored by New England In-house and Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly and currently serves on the board of directors and the executive committee of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), the board of directors of the Vermont Mutual Insurance Group, and the board of trustees of Saint Michael's College. She also serves on the advisory councils of the New England Legal Foundation (NELF) and the Graduate School of Management (GSOM) at Clark University.

Gatto is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States District Court - District of Vermont, the state of Vermont, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She resides in South Burlington, Vermont.

About the Association of Life Insurance Counsel (ALIC) - www.alic.cc
The ALIC was organized to improve the practice of law for those individuals who dedicate most of their time working on issues affecting the life insurance industry. Membership is open to lawyers who are employed by life insurance companies, law firms or trade associations.

About National Life Group - www.nationallife.com
National Life, a Fortune 1000 company, serves more than 870,000 customers. With 2008 revenue of $1.1 billion and net income of $15.4 million, members of National Life Group employ roughly 900 employees, with most located at its home office in Montpelier, Vt. Group companies also maintain offices in Dallas, New York, San Francisco, Boston and Wayne, PA. The Group is made up of its flagship company, National Life Insurance Company, founded in Montpelier, Vermont in 1848; Life Insurance Company of the Southwest, Dallas, Texas, and Sentinel Investments, Equity Services, Inc. and National Retirement Plan Advisors, all located in Montpelier.

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