GEICO Names Jonathan Shafner Assistant General Counsel

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22, 2006 -- GEICO's board of directors recently named Jonathan Shafner of Kensington, Md., assistant vice president, assistant general counsel and assistant secretary in the company's Office of the General Counsel.

Shafner joined GEICO in 1986 as attorney for GEICO's life insurance subsidiaries. After GEICO's life operations were sold in 1992, he became the assistant general counsel for Prairie States Life Insurance Company. Shafner returned to GEICO in 1994 as counsel in the Office of the General Counsel. In 2001 he was promoted to senior counsel.

He began his insurance career in 1979 as a multiple line agent for Metropolitan, and later as a senior research associate with the Life Insurance Marketing and Research Association (LIMRA). He worked in the legal department at CIGNA Corporation from 1984 to 1986.

Shafner holds a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Connecticut and a law degree from Western New England Law School in Springfield, Ma. where he was also a member of the Law Review. He is a native of New London, Conn.

GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company) is the fourth largest private passenger auto insurer in the United States. It provides auto insurance coverage for more than 6 million policyholders and insures more than 10 million vehicles. GEICO is a member of the Berkshire Hathaway group of companies. GEICO provides consumers with sales, service and claims capabilities on its geico.com Web site. Consumers may also contact the company at its toll free 1-800-841-3000 number. For more information, go to http://www.geico.com/.