James P. Zander ’73, ’18 Hon.

James P. Zander is founder and owner of James Zander & Associates, an independent insurance agency that has served the state of Texas for 35 years.

Expertise

Mr. Zander established James Zander & Associates to provide group health benefits to businesses, and, under his leadership, the agency has grown to provide insurance to more than 200 companies. In the 1990s, the company expanded to offer commercial insurance and began issuing home and auto insurance in the mid 2000s.

Mr. Zander has been recognized three times as the Best Insurance Agent in the Greater Dallas area by Readers’ Choice, and the firm has received the Super Service Award from Angie’s List four times.

Knowledgeable about the Affordable Care Act and healthcare reform, he is a frequent guest speaker at healthcare organizations, local chambers of commerce, and on local radio, and he regularly presents at national conferences.

He is also founder of Zander Realty, LP, a real estate investment company with commercial and residential holdings in Dallas, Plano, Highland Park, DeSoto, and Duncanville, Texas.

Community Service

Mr. Zander was elected to the University of New Haven’s Board of Governors in January 2019.

He serves as a certified trained member of the Community Emergency Response Team and as a member of the Dallas County Affordable Care Act Coalition, which provides education and assistance to help low‐income residents obtain health insurance.

While living in DeSoto, Texas, Mr. Zander served for seven years as a member of the DeSoto City Council and served on the board of the DeSoto Economic Development Corporation for four years. He helped spearhead economic development efforts that attracted thousands of new jobs to the city.

A committed community leader, Mr. Zander has served on the board of directors of Under 1 Roof, an organization committed to providing transitional and permanent housing to individuals and families in need. He has also helped raise funds for the DeSoto Independent School District to provide college scholarships.

Education

Mr. Zander graduated from the University of New Haven in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He earned a master’s degree in political science and government from Ohio University. He earned his chartered life underwriter designation from the American College of Financial Services. He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration by the University of New Haven in 2018.

Mr. Zander has established a scholarship to support University of New Haven students and received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University in 2006.

Personal

Mr. Zander lives in Highland Park, Texas, with his wife, Linda.