Jane A. Hays, 51, is Vice President and Managing Director of The Downey Group, Inc., which provides life, disability and related planning for ultra-affluent individuals throughout the US, and for large US based professional firms. The Downey Group specializes in providing best-in-class, highly customized insurance programs and policies for estate planning, executive benefit, business succession, philanthropic, and wealth preservation purposes.
Jane joined The Downey Group in 1994. She is a Chartered Life Underwriter, (CLU), a member of The Association for Advanced Life Underwriting (AALU), holds numerous life insurance and related securities licenses and certifications,
and is an NASD registered Supervisory Principal for The Downey Group and its registered representatives. Currently, she is also chair of the Broker-Dealer Advisory committee of M Holdings Securities, Inc., a registered broker dealer,
member NASD/SIPC. The Downey Group is a member of M Financial Group, an elite association of independent US based insurance and investment firms.
Jane received her Bachelor of Arts with Distinction in English, in 1976, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa. She received her Juris Doctorate in 1979 from the University of Illinois College of Law, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif. She is a past president and current member of the College's Board of Visitors, a member of The Cribbet Society, and taught "Legal Drafting and Law Office Practice" as an adjunct professor at the College, from 1986-1996, (following long tenures by Stuart Mamer and James G. Thomas, of the Thomas, Mamer, & Haughey law firm).
Previously, Jane practice law at the law firm of Thomas, Mamer, & Haughey, from 1979-1993, where she was a partner for ten years, and managing partner for three. She has been a licensed attorney in the State of Illinois since 1979. Her law practice included estate planning, securities, tax, real estate and transactional matters, insurance defense cases, and public pension law. For several years prior to joining The Downey Group, Jane served as principal outside counsel to The State Universities Retirement System (SURS) of Illinois. From 1994 until early 2004, Jane was a Trustee of SURS, serving as Treasurer of the SURS Board and on the Executive, Investment, Legislative, Claims, and Audit Committees.
Jane is a member of the Executive committee of the Board of Directors of the United Way of Champaign County. Currently, she is 2006 Campaign Co-Chair of United Way's 2006 fund raising campaign. She is also a member of the Finance and Investment Committee of the Board of the University of Illinois Alumni Association, is a life member of the UI Alumni Association, and is a member of The University of Illinois Foundation, and its President's Council and Library Friends. She is a past president of the Eastern Illinois Estate Planning Council, and of the Executive Club of Champaign County (where she was also a founding member). She is a member of the Major Gifts Committee of The Carle Foundation, and of its Women and Philanthropy initiative, as well as of various other civic and charitable groups. She is a member of the American Bar Association and its Real Property, Probate and Trust Section, the Illinois State Bar Assocation, the Chicago and Champaign County Bar Associations, and numerous other professional associations.
