IRES Foundation - 2010 SchoolSpeakers


Joel Ario	In June 2007, Governor Edward Rendell nominated Joel Ario to serve as Pennsylvania’s Insurance Commissioner, describing Ario as “a highly qualified and seasoned administrator with a strong and proven record of fighting to protect the rights and needs of consumers.” Prior to his Pennsylvania service, Ario was the chief insurance regulator for the state of Oregon (2000-2007) and worked in the public interest movement for 15 years. Ario’s regulatory style is marked by collaboration with companies, agents and consumers to see that appropriate consumer safeguards are in place, while also preserving the flexibility insurers need to thrive in the fast-changing insurance marketplace. Within the insurance industry, Ario has won high marks for carefully balancing regulatory concerns with the needs of consumers and is widely respected as being a fair and open-minded regulator. Ario serves on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ (NAIC) Executive Committee and is Chair of the Climate Change Task Force and Vice Chair of the Health Insurance Committee. Prior NAIC assignments include Chair of the Health Insurance Committee (2006-2008) and Chair of the Market Regulation Committee (2001-2004). Commissioner Ario also has served as an NAIC officer—Secretary-Treasurer (2003-2004) and Vice President (2004-2005). Additionally, he serves on the Consumer Participation Board of Trustees, as well as the Board of Directors for the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), a collaborative enterprise between the NAIC and the regulated community to modernize agent licensing systems. He was that organization’s President and Board Chair from 2002 to 2004. Ario approaches issues from a consumer perspective. His current priorities include expanding the insurance industry role in addressing climate change, reforming health insurance to expand access and control costs, modernizing regulatory oversight through market analysis, strengthening consumer rights, and enhancing consumer education and outreach programs. A 1981 graduate of Harvard Law School, Ario also holds degrees from Harvard Divinity School and Saint Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. He grew up in Minneapolis MN and currently lives in Hershey PA with his wife and three sons.
Jane Cline	Jane L. Cline was appointed West Virginia Insurance Commissioner January 15, 2001. In addition to her responsibilities as Insurance Commissioner, Ms. Cline serves as President of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), as well as Chair of the Management Committee of the Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Commission. During her tenure she has held various leadership positions with the NAIC. As West Virginia Insurance Commissioner, Ms. Cline is responsible for the regulation of the insurance market as well as administering the transition of the state’s workers’ compensation system from a state monopolistic system to a competitive private system and has successfully prepared the market place for the entrance of private carriers beginning July 1, 2008. The Commissioner’s responsibility to manage the workers’ compensation claims that the State has retained continues. Before her appointment as Insurance Commissioner, Ms. Cline operated a government consulting firm, Jane L. Cline & Associates. Ms. Cline served as Commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) from November 1989 to October 1997 where her focus was on making the Division's services more accessible to all citizens of West Virginia by opening and expanding regional offices. While she was DMV Commissioner she served in several positions with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators and was treasurer and President of the Southeastern Zone. She also served on its Board of Directors and its AAMVAnet Board of Directors. Prior to her appointment as DMV Commissioner, Ms. Cline served as Deputy Commissioner for the West Virginia Division of Highways.
John Huff	John M. Huff was appointed in 2009 by Gov. Jay Nixon to lead the Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration. An attorney, John brings 16 years of managerial and dispute resolution experience in the insurance industry to a department that protects consumers through regulation of 7,000 insurance and financial companies and 500,000-plus professionals.
Michael McRaith	Prior to his appointment, Director McRaith worked fifteen years in private practice as an attorney in Chicago. Director McRaith represented national and regional financial institutions, including insurers, in finance-related litigation. Director McRaith led the Department’s investigation into the practice of contingent commission payments by insurers to brokers and negotiated national settlement agreements on behalf of the Department and the National Association Of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) with insurance producers and carriers. McRaith supervises the solvent run-off of Kemper Insurance Group, the largest insurer run-off in US history. McRaith’s NAIC-related work ensures that Illinois consumers and domestic industries are nationally represented. McRaith is Chairman of the Property and Casualty (C) Committee, co-Chair of the Rating Agency Working Group, Chairman of the Regulatory Modernization Subcommittee, and serves on the Health Insurance and Managed Care Committee (B), the Financial Condition Committee (E), the International Insurance Relations Committee (G), the Senior Issues Task Force, the Military Sales Working Group, and numerous other task forces and working groups. He serves as President of the Board Of Directors for the Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan (a high risk health insurance pool). He directs the State’s Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP), and has actively participated in developing, drafting and advocating for statewide and national health insurance modernization. McRaith represented the NAIC at the international Organization For Economic Cooperation And Development (OECD), represents the NAIC on the International Association Of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) Corporate Governance Subcommittee, and is the NAIC designee to the Joint Forum. On behalf of the State of Illinois and the NAIC, McRaith has testified before the US Senate Special Committee on Aging, twice before the US Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, the US Senate Committee on The Judiciary, the US Senate Committee on Finance, twice before the House Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises, and the President’s Antitrust Modernization Commission. McRaith serves on the Executive Committee of the AIDS Foundation Of Chicago and the American Foundation For Suicide Prevention, Chicago Chapter. McRaith received a Bachelor Of Arts Degree from Indiana University in Bloomington and received a law degree from Loyola University School Of Law In Chicago.

Lynette Baker CFE, MCM	Lynette has spent the last 14 years in Ohio’s Market Conduct Division where she currently oversees the market analysis and examination functions. Lynette is an active participant in NAIC committees and the Insurance Regulatory Examiners Society, where she currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors.
Joe Bieniek	At the NAIC, Mr. Bieniek provides advice and staff support for various Committees, he prepares responses to inquiries from insurance departments, state agencies, federal regulatory agencies, academics and the public. Mr. Bieniek has had numerous speaking engagements and written articles on insurance compliance and general topics related to insurance.
Eric Cioppa	Eric Cioppa is the Deputy Superintendent of the Bureau of Insurance, Department of Professional and Financial Regulation. He joined the Bureau in 1988 as a statistician III and served as the Supervisor of the Worker’s Compensation Section prior to becoming Deputy in 1998. He is responsible for the Examination, Market Conduct, Financial Analysis, Alternative Risk Markets, Producer Licensing, Administrative Support Unit, and Research and Statistics Units of the Bureau. Currently serves as co-chair of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions joint working group. Eric received his BA from Potsdam State University and his MBA from Clarkson.
June DuBard	June currently serves as the Market Regulation Coordinator for the South Carolina Department of Insurance, having served this position since June 2005 through current and prior to that position, served as Manager, Life, Accident & Health Compliance Section. June has worked for the South Carolina Department of Insurance for 32 years and has held six different positions. She is active with various insurance industry trade groups and has been an invited speaker/presenter at numerous national and state and local insurance conferences. June holds two degrees, a Bachelor’s of Science Degree and an Associate of Science Degree from the University of South Carolina. June received the Insurance Regulatory Examiners Society’s Market Conduct Management designation in May 2009.
Luther Ellis	Over 40 years experience in the public and private sector of the insurance industry Current position - Deputy Associate Commissioner for Insurance with administrative oversight and managerial responsibility for the Insurance Division of the DC Dept of Insurance Securities and Banking Recipient of the 2004 Cafritz Foundation Award due to implementing the NAIC’s State Based Systems (SBS) for licensing yielding a minimum of $3 million in additional revenues annually for the District. 2008 Vice Chair of the Market Analysis Priorities (D) Working Group and active in NAIC producer licensing and market regulation Working Groups 2008- Present: Chair of the CE and Technology Subcommittees for IRES 2009 Recipient of the IRES Al Greer Award
Dudley Ewen	Biography Dudley Ewen has held the position of Chief Examiner for many years. He has worked for the Maryland Insurance Administration in various positions dealing with insurance regulation, including consumer complaints, producer enforcement and market conduct for thirty one (31) years. He is in charge of the Maryland Insurance Administration Staff that is responsible for the Market Conduct Regulation area for analysis, examination and investigations of all insurance companies, title insurers, premium finance companies and motor clubs. He is a founding member of the Insurance Regulatory Examiners Society (IRES) and currently is on its Board of Directors. He is also on the Board of Directors for the Insurance Data Management Association (IDMA). He is the 2006 recipient of the IRES Foundation Paul L. DeAngelo Memorial Teaching Award. For the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, Ewen has represented Maryland for the past twenty (25) years as a participating member on various subcommittees, task forces, and working groups dealing with market regulation issues. Previously he was vice chair of the Uniformity Working Group, chair of the Collaborative Actions Guide Working group, co-chair as well as vice chair of the NAIC Market Conduct Examiners Handbook Working Group, chair of the Property and Casualty Chapter of the Handbook, chair of the D Task Force Producer Database (PDB) Ad Hoc Subgroup, chair of the Credit Reports Subgroup of the Market Conduct and Consumer Affairs (EX3) Subcommittee and chair of the One Page Model Consumer Information Working Group.
Mark Hooker	A 1984 graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, Mark Hooker began his insurance career July 1, 1990 in Columbia SC- spending seven years multi-line insurance agent with the Southern Farm Bureau group following five years of service in the Army as an officer. While at the Southern Farm Bureau Group, Mark became a multiple year recipient of the company’s “Round Table” and “All-Star” awards. After returning to his native home of Charleston W. Va., he was employed as an underwriter with West Virginia’s then monopolistic state workers compensation fund where he was quickly promoted to Senior Underwriter. Mark began his regulatory work as a Market Conduct Examiner with the State of West Virginia in 2002. Since then he has assumed the roles of Chief Market Conduct Examiner and Market Analysis Chief. He currently holds the Certified Insurance Examiner, Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter, Certified Workers Compensation Professional, Market Conduct Management, Accredited Advisor in Insurance, Associate in Underwriting, Associate in Insurance Services, and Life Underwriting Training Council Fellow designations. Mark has served on the IRES Accreditation and Ethics Committee since 2007 is the current Chair of the IRES Education Committee.
Rolf Kaumann	Rolf Kaumann is Deputy Chief Examiner of the New York State Insurance Department’s Property Bureau, a position he has held since April of 2008. He oversees the Financial Division of the Bureau which is responsible for regulating approximately 1,100 companies, 235 of which are New York domestics. The Division is comprised of six Regulatory Units, a Licensing Unit, and two Field Examination Units -- one for financial matters and one for market conduct matters. Prior to his current assignment, he was an Assistant Chief Examiner in charge of the Health Bureau’s financial and market conduct field examination units. He also spent several years in the Insurance Frauds Bureau, and started his career with the Insurance Department in the Consumer Services Bureau. Rolf earned a BS degree in business administration from Wagner College, Staten Island, New York and a CLU (Chartered Life Underwriter) designation. He is a CIE (Certified Insurance Examiner).
Leslie Krier	Leslie spent 20+ years in the insurance industry before becoming a regulator 15 years ago. She has worked as a market conduct examiner, a Chief Examiner and now is the Market Oversight Manager for WA State. She is active in various NAIC D Committee working groups and is currently the President-Elect of IRES.
Jo LeDuc	As the Deputy Director of the Bureau of Market Regulation at the Wisconsin Insurance Commission, Ms. LeDuc oversees the Complaints and Central Services Section, the Agent Licensing Section and the market analysts. She is an active participant on various NAIC committees and is the immediate Past President of the Insurance Regulatory Examiners Society.
Craig Leonard	Craig provides staff support for key NAIC Market Regulation and Consumer Affairs (D) Committee groups such as the Market Actions Working Group and Market Information Systems Task Force. He also assists with Market Regulation initiatives such as the centralization of the Market Conduct Annual Statement and Market Accreditation.
Bill McAndrew	Bill was appointed Deputy Director the Illinois Department of Insurance on January 1, 2009. As head of the Department’s Consumer Market Section, Bill oversees all aspects of P&C, LAH and HMO policy filings and approvals, producer licensing, market conduct examinations, consumer complaints and the State of Illinois, Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP). Prior to being appointed Deputy, Bill was the Assistant Deputy Director for the Department since 1999. In that position he was responsible for LAH filing approvals, HMO approvals and complaints, rulemaking relating to LAH filing requirements, and the drafting of LAH legislation for the Department. Bill has also served as Legislative Liaison as well as Acting Public Information Officer for the Department. Prior to joining the Department of Insurance, Bill was Legislative Liaison for the Departments of Public Health, and Energy and Natural Resources. Bill is a graduate of the University of Illinois where he received his BA in English and Political Science and Rice University in Houston, Texas where he received his MA in Political Science/International Relations. Bill and his wife, Tara, have one child, Connor.
Jim Mealer	Jim Mealer is the Chief Market Conduct Examiner for the for the Missouri Department of Insurance, Finance, and Professional Registration (DIFP). Jim has been with the Department for 20 years. Jim has served DIFP as an Audit Manager, Examiner-In-Charge, Examiner, and Surplus Lines Examiner. Prior to working for DIFP, Jim graduated from Southwest Missouri State University (now Missouri State).
Roseanne Mead	Rosanne is the Iowa Assistant Insurance Commissioner for Market Regulation. She currently serves as the Chair of the NAIC Market Actions Working Group. She has served as editor of the new NAIC Market Regulation Handbook and the NAIC State Licensing Handbook.
Christopher Monahan	Mr. Monahan was appointed Director of the Bureau of Market Conduct, now the Bureau of Market Actions, on February 1, 2010. In the role as Bureau Director he is responsible for ensuring that consumers receive the protections they deserve under the laws and regulations of Pennsylvania and the insurance industry operates on a level and fair playing field. The Bureau accomplishes these responsibilities by conducting market conduct examinations, market oversight and compliance reviews, industry studies, and through the use of other tools available in the continuum of regulatory responses. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Monahan was the team leader and then supervisor of the Department’s Division of Market Analysis since 1997. In these positions, he conducted various types of market regulation projects including educational reviews, data calls, annual market analysis, market conduct annual statement analysis, and detailed industry studies, to ensure compliance by the insurance industry with Commonwealth statutes and regulations and to identify industry outliers who posed potential market conduct issues. Additionally, Mr. Monahan served as a market conduct examiner for the Department from 1989 to 1991 and as a field investigator in the Bureau of Enforcement from 1991 through 1997. Mr. Monahan holds a Bachelor of Social Science in Public Policy from the Pennsylvania State University.
Joy Morton	After 8 years in the industry, Joy came to work for the Virginia Bureau of Insurance. She worked as a rates and forms examiner for eight years and then transferred to the market conduct section. She worked as an examiner in market conduct for 12 years and has been supervisor of the P & C Division of Market Conduct for 2 years.
Tim Mullen	Mr. Mullen joined the NAIC in 1997 and supports the market regulatory activities of state insurance departments. Mr. Mullen is a member of the Missouri Bar, Kansas Bar, a Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriter, Certified Insurance Examiner, and the 2009 recipient of the Paul DeAngelo Memorial Teaching Award.
Manny Munson-Regala	Mr. Munson-Regala is the Deputy responsible for managing the Department's enforcement, licensing and product approval areas. The industries that fall under his jurisdiction include insurance, real estate, securities, currency exchanges and debt collectors.
AnneMarie Narcini	Worked in market reulation with the New Jersey department since 1988. Currently responsible for oversight of market conduct, licensing and education, consumer complaints and market analysis. Currently Vice President of IRES NAIC: Chair, Market Data Review (D) Working Group in 2006 Chair, Market Regulation Handbook (D)Working Group in 2007 Chair, Producer Licensing (EX) Working Group from 2008 - Present. 2008 recipient of the IRES Foundation’s Paul DeAngelo Memorial Teaching Award.
Eric Nordman CPCU, CIE	Eric Nordman, CPCU, CIE is Director of Regulatory Services with the NAIC. He has been with the NAIC for over eighteen years. He was previously employed by the Michigan Insurance Bureau. He received his bachelors degree from Michigan State University. He is the editor of the CPCU Society Regulatory and Legislative Interest Group newsletter.
Barbara Szumowski	Over the past eight years, Barb Szumowski has worked in the Market Investigations and Specialty Product Administration units for the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation and in the My Safe Florida Home Program for the Division of Consumer Services. Her private insurance experience is in property and casualty claims.
Ignatius Wheeler CFE	Ignatius Wheeler is the Chief Examiner of the Financial Examinations Division for the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI). Ignatius is responsible for the administration of on-site examinations of the books and records of insurance companies and other entities regulated by TDI, as well as for all market conduct regulatory activities performed by TDI. In 1991, Ignatius began his career with TDI as a financial examiner for the South Texas Field Office, located in Houston Texas, and was responsible for the examination of insurance companies licensed to do business in Texas. In 1999, Ignatius was promoted to Supervising Examiner. Ignatius became Assistant Chief Examiner for the South Texas field Office in 2003. During his leadership as Assistant Chief Examiner, he was instrumental in the development of programs, and implementation of automation systems which continues to assist financial examiners in the efficient and thorough examination of insurance company data. Ignatius was named the Chief Examiner in September, 2009. Ignatius is a graduate of the Louisiana State University where he received a Bachelors Degree in Accounting. He has a Certified Financial Examiner’s designation from the Society of Financial Examiners (SOFE), and has been an active member since 1991.

Nicole Allen	Nicole L. Allen is vice president for industry affairs for The Council, a job she has held since December 2007. Prior to joining The Council, Allen spent five years with Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company and its parent, Allianz of America Corp., specializing in regulatory and legislative affairs. She had been named assistant vice president and senior director of government affairs for Allianz in March 2007. Allen began her insurance career in 1992 with the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents in Alexandria, Va. After four years, she moved to The Council where she spent eight years working in state and government affairs. An honors graduate of The American University with a B.A. degree in communications, Allen also holds a law degree, cum laude from George Mason University School of Law.
Kara Baysinger	Ms. Baysinger is a Partner in Sonnenschein's Insurance Regulatory and E-business Practices, Vice Chair of the firm's Insurance Practice, Lateral Acquisition Partner, and a member of the firm's Management Team, Policy and Planning Committee and Women's Business Development Group. She began her career by spending almost ten years working in-house for insurance companies, responsible for product and contract development, regulatory compliance, agent licensing and contracting, reinsurance, corporate contracting, market conduct practices and examinations, insurance department complaints, and government relations for 50 states. Immediately prior to entering private practice, she was Director - Counsel of Product Approval and Compliance for Bankers Life and Casualty Company (a Conseco Company) in Chicago. Ms. Baysinger joined Sonnenschein in 1998. Ms. Baysinger has extensive experience in reinsurance, market conduct and sales practices (including multi-state examinations and investigations), licensing, regulatory approvals, electronic commerce, transactional matters and (including acquisitions, mergers and divestitures of insurance and non insurance entities), as well as product and market development issues. She represents national and international insurance and reinsurance companies, insurance-related service companies, other financial services entities, ebusiness enterprises and state governments. Ms. Baysinger has served on numerous state and National Association of Insurance Commissioners Advisory Boards. She has created contracting/licensing procedures and contracts for insurance and other distribution and production entities, on-line and traditional insurance advertisements, sales tools and protocols, insurance products and contracts. She has also negotiated complex reinsurance treaties and commutations, developed market conduct procedures, regulatory compliance protocols and has procured corporate admissions and approvals for insurers and distribution entities nationwide. She also has extensive experience working with traditional and Internet businesses on corporate transactional, licensing, strategic alliance and joint venture matters. Ms. Baysinger is admitted to practice in Illinois and California, and is a member of the Illinois and California Bar Associations, and is a former member of the California Bar Association’s Insurance Law Committee and Chairperson of the Committee on Group Insurance Programs. She serves as the California Advisory Council for BizWorld. Among her awards, Ms. Baysinger is named a “SuperLawyer” by Super Lawyers (a peer survey of 52,700 Northern California attorneys) and a “Leader in California” by Chambers USA — America’s Leading Lawyers for Business Client Guide (2004- 2009).
Samuel Binnun LUTCF, MCM	Sam is a nationally recognized insurance market regulation expert and is a Director for the Regulatory Insurance Consulting Practice of RSM McGladrey, Inc. He provides consulting services to state insurance departments on matters related to market regulation, market conduct examinations, investigations and enforcement, market analysis and operational reviews. Sam has over sixteen years of insurance regulation and field experience in all lines of business including life, health, variable annuities, property and casualty, title, and viatical and life settlements with approximately ten years regulating insurers and agents with the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. He’s had many positions with the Florida insurance department as he began his career in insurance regulation as an analyst and worked his way to the Director of Market Regulation. He represented the Florida Office on numerous task forces, participated in the Office’s legislative development team related to market regulation issues, and volunteered as part of the Office’s disaster response team during the past hurricane seasons. Prior to state government, he worked for a large life and health insurer as a life, health and variable annuities financial representative. Sam has had significant active involvement with the NAIC including the Market Regulation and Consumer Affairs (D) Committee, including: Served as the Vice Chair of the Market Analysis Working Group (MAWG) Selected by NAIC Executive Committee to serve on the Executive Committee’s (EX) Military Sales Working Group Participated on the Uniformity Working Group for the Market Regulation (D) Committee. Participated on the ERISA Working Group for the NAIC (A) Committee Participated on the Market Analysis Priorities Working Group for the Market Regulation (D) Committee Participated on the Annual Statement Working Group Market Regulation (D) Committee Participated on the Market Regulation Handbook Working Group for the Market Regulation (D) Committee Participated on the Investigations Standard Subgroup. Designed and instructed the Enforcement portion of the NAIC’s (PIR) Regulator Designation Served as Florida’s Market Analysis Coordinator (MAC) Served as Florida’s Collaborative Action Designee (CAD) Presenter at numerous NAIC trainings and E-Reg conferences related to market regulation Education: Florida State University Bachelor of Science Professional Involvement and Credentials: Life Underwriter Training Council Fellowship (LUTCF) Market Conduct Management (MCM) Insurance Regulatory Examiners Society (IRES) Served as Chair for Career Development Seminar (CDS) for Market Regulation including topics on senior issues, examination uniformity, collaborative actions and market analysis automation tools Served as faculty member for IRES’ National School of Market Regulation Presenter at annual Career Development Seminars (CDS) on market regulation
Pam Bishop	Pam is a Regulatory Issues Manager with Mutual of Omaha Insurance Companies. Pam has been with Mutual for 25 years and has been the primary market conduct coordinator for the Companies for the past 15 years. Pam was awarded her Market Conduct management (MCM) designation in May, 2009 and has served on past IRES and AICP panels on market conduct related topics.
Paul Blume	Paul Blume is senior vice president-state government relations for the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America. PCI is a national trade association based in Des Plaines, Illinois, representing over 1,000 property and casualty insurance companies writing nearly 40 percent of the U.S. property and casualty insurance market. PCI was formed in 2004 through a merger of the Alliance of American Insurers and the National Association of Independent Insurers. In his present position, Paul manages PCI’s regional state government relations operations. Prior to joining PCI, Mr. Blume worked as assistant general counsel for AIG with responsibility for government relations in several Midwest states. Mr. Blume’s responsibilities include working with all branches of government within the region, coalition partners, producers, business community allies, and others to address issues of importance to all of AIG’s business units and profit centers. Mr. Blume also worked for the American Insurance Association where he served as regional vice president for the Midwest. While Mr. Blume was with the American Insurance Association, he successfully worked on workers’ compensation reform, tort reform, UM/UIM reform, automobile insurance reform, commercial lines regulatory reform and other property and casualty issues in over fifteen states in the Midwest and in the Mid-Atlantic region of the country. Additionally, Mr. Blume was a vice president of government affairs for Zurich American and Prudential. Early in his career, Mr. Blume practiced insurance regulatory law with Lord, Bissell & Brook in Chicago. Mr. Blume and his wife Hollis have a son Jack and live in Lake Bluff, Illinois.
Diana Chafey	Diana M. Chafey is a Partner in the Insurance and Reinsurance Practice Group at DLA Piper US LLP in Chicago. Ms. Chafey has practiced law in the insurance and reinsurance industry for 15 years, first serving as counsel to Allstate Insurance Company’s Law and Regulation Division, then as Corporate Counsel and Vice President, General Counsel to Interstate Insurance Group, member companies of the Allianz Group. Ms. Chafey represents foreign and domestic insurers, reinsurers, producers, TPAs, intermediaries, self-insurers, premium finance companies and private equity and other investors in these types of businesses in corporate, transactional and regulatory matters, including mergers, acquisitions and divestures, reinsurance arrangements, commutations, novations and other business transactions, company formation and licensing, holding company and investment matters and alternative risk transfer mechanisms.
Daphne Crockett	Daphne Crockett is the Regulatory and Product Services Manager for Commercial Insurance at Fireman's Fund Insurance Company a company of Allianz. She has been with Fireman's Fund since August, 2004. Daphne has over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry and started her career at Kemper Insurance Company. She is an active member of the Association of Insurance Compliance Professionals and have served on various committees throughout the years. Daphne holds a B.S. degree and is one exam away from receiving her CPCU designation. She is currently responsible for coordinating Market Conduct Exams, data calls, surcharges, rate, rule and form filings and various regulatory and compliance activities that daily impact a P&C company.
Barbara Donnar	Barb has over 22 years experience in the insurance industry, including 18 years with an A-rated life and health insurance carrier. Barb started Supportive Insurance Services in 2001. She is a charter member of the Society of Insurance Licensing Administrators, now known as the Securities and Insurance Licensing Association (SILA), and a former advisory board member and chapter representative. Barb has extensive experience with market conduct examinations, including multi-state exams, compliance review and recommendations, licensing alternatives, quality control standards, cost reduction, and licensing training. She has supervised and assisted with the licensing and appointment of thousands of agent and agency licenses and corporate registrations. In her leisure time, Barb enjoys spending time with her husband and their two daughters, traveling, shopping and is actively involved in their local church.
John Doscher	John provides compliance support and oversight to Prudential’s domestic insurance business units. John serves as the CCO of Prudential Annuities and Group Insurance businesses. John also manages the compliance unit supporting Prudential’s Life Insurance business, including its Agency Distribution organization. John has been with Prudential for 23 years in various compliance and internal audit positions.
Christopher Greene	With over 22 years of diversified insurance industry experience encompassing claims, underwriting, agency management, regulatory and legal work product, Chris believes it important to establish a proactive approach to compliance; bringing together the disciplines of enterprise risk management, technology and compliance to facilitate satisfactory preparation for market conduct examinations, MAR, market conduct annual statements and other regulatory data calls. Headquartered in Greenville, SC, Chris joined Canal Insurance Company as its General Counsel in January 2009. As the primary legal advisor to the Board and Executive Management of Canal, Chris provides work product related to the drafting and review of contracts, managing the compliance resources (including market conduct examinations), implementing enterprise risk management strategies, ensuring company compliance with laws and regulations, implementation of various corporate governance standards, and otherwise dealing with all manner of legal issues confronting Canal. Previous to joining Canal, Chris served as Vice President and General Counsel to a division of American International Group, Inc. (AIG). Prior to AIG, Chris served as Corporate Counsel to Progressive Insurance Company and as a trial attorney for the Birmingham, Alabama law firm of Gaines, Wolter & Kinney, where he focused on insurance defense litigation and insurance regulatory work product. His reported decisions include Ex parte Jordan, 779 So.2d 183 (Ala. 2000); Barnett v. Funding Plus of America, Inc., 740 So.2d 1069 (Ala. 1999) and Ennis v. Kittle, 770 So.2d 1090 (Ala.Civ.App 1999). His Juris Doctor was conferred in 1995 from the Birmingham School of Law, where he was a member of Sigma Delta Kappa Honorary Law Fraternity and the Locke Constitutional Law Scholar. He graduated with Highest Honors and was admitted to the Alabama Bar that same year. Along with other state and federal bar admissions, Chris is active in the Defense Research Institute, the Association of Corporate Counsel, Transportation Lawyers Association, and the American Bar Association. Prior to undertaking the practice of law, Chris held various positions for the insurance broker, Robinson & Adams, as well as working as an underwriter for the Chubb Insurance Group. He was awarded the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation in 1993.
Ron Hamby	Ron has been in the insurance industry for over 31years. He is currently a second vice president in Aflac’s Compliance department. In that capacity he is responsible for overseeing all nonfinancial market conduct and regulatory audits, department of insurance complaints, customer inquiries, department of insurance mandatory reporting, regulatory research projects, and regulatory exception requests. Ron began his insurance career with Aflac in 1978 in Aflac’s Marketing department where he was second vice president responsible for supervision of all administrative functions within the Marketing department. He moved to the Compliance department in 1989 as second vice president in charge of overseeing department of insurance complaints, customer inquiries, department of insurance mandatory reporting, regulatory research projects, and regulatory exception requests. In 2000 he took on the additional responsibility for overseeing all nonfinancial market conduct and regulatory audits.
Tom Hampton	Tom has over 20 years of executive experience in all areas of insurance company regulation, operations, financial management, audit and investigations. He comes to Sonnenschein from his position as Commissioner for the D.C. Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking where, most recently, he was responsible for providing oversight and direction of the agency that regulates all financial service industries in D.C., enforcing all laws relating to the conduct of financial services activities, and representing the Department on several national associations of state financial service regulators including the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA), and Conference of State Bank Supervisors. Tom also has significant experience in managing, directing, and supervising regulatory financial examinations, financial statement audits, internal audits, fraud investigations, and regulatory compliance examinations. Prior to his tenure as a regulator, Tom worked in the financial departments of CIGNA and American International Group. Mr. Hampton was an active participant in the NAIC serving as Chair to several working groups and Committees relating to financial issues, life insurance and risk retention groups. Tom was a member of the NAIC Executive Committee and served as Chair of the Principles Based Reserving Working Group and the Capital and Surplus Relief Working Group. Tom was an active member of the Risk Retention Group Task Force, the Life ‘A’ Committee, the Financial Condition Committee and the Solvency Modernization Initiative Task Force. Mr. Hampton participated in NASAA committee and working groups dealing with suitability and supervision of broker dealer firms and representatives, affinity fraud and coordinated a meeting between state insurance and securities regulators on the equity indexed annuity 151a issue. Mr. Hampton also participated in state banking regulators meetings on the implementation of the national mortgage licensing system.
Kim Kennedy	Kim Kennedy is a Vice President at Travelers where she is responsible for the management of three Personal Lines Units: Regulatory; Market Conduct and Pricing Support. Prior to beginning work in 2004 for Travelers, Kim worked for The Hartford Financial Services for 24 years in jobs including Personal Lines State Filings Manager, Policy Forms Manager and Compliance Manager. Kim is an active member of the Association of Insurance Compliance Professionals (AICP). She has served on their Board of Directors for 5 years and has held the office of national President, Vice President, Past President and New England Chapter Regional Director. Additionally, Kim has served as Committee Chair/Co-Chair on multiple AICP Committees. Kim was the recipient of the 2005 Robert W. Lennon Award. This award is presented annually by the AICP. This prestigious award is given in recognition of outstanding service to the organization in memory of one its founders, Robert W. Lennon. The recipient exemplifies exceptional leadership, commitment and proactive involvement in the AICP. Kim also received the President’s Award in 2004 from the AICP in recognition of her service and dedication to the organization. Kim is Co-Chair of the SERFF Product Steering Committee where she and other committee members have been involved with the advancement of SERFF specific to functionality and ease of use. Kim recently served a three year term on the SERFF Board of Directors.
Peter Lefkin	Peter Lefkin is Senior Vice President of Government and External Affairs for Allianz of America Corporation. Hired as an Assistant Vice President in 1988 to open the Fireman’s Fund Washington D.C. Government Relations Office, Mr. Lefkin was promoted in 1990 to Vice President in charge of the company’s government relations activities in Washington, D.C., and states east of the Mississippi. In October 1996, Mr. Lefkin was promoted to Senior Vice President and his role was expanded to include management of Fireman’s Fund legislative and industry activities throughout the country. In 2002, Mr. Lefkin assumed responsibility for government and external relations for Allianz of America, which includes Fireman’s Fund, Allianz Global Corporate and Specialty U.S., Allianz Life, U.S. PIMCO Advisors, Nicholas Applegate, Mondial USA and several other U.S. affiliates. Along with Brussels and Berlin, Washington, DC is one of three global government affairs representative offices of Allianz. Until October 1988, Mr. Lefkin was Federal Affairs Counsel to the American Insurance Association (AIA), a position he held for three years. Prior to his work for AIA, Mr. Lefkin served as Legislative Counsel for Representative Matthew J. Rinaldo (R-NJ), the ranking minority leader of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Consumer Protection and Finance. In the early 1980s, Mr. Lefkin was a staff attorney in the Office of General Counsel of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. A graduate of Georgetown University School of Foreign Service (1977), Mr. Lefkin received his Masters of Public Administration and Juris Doctorate from Syracuse University in 1980 and is a member of the Connecticut and District of Columbia Bars. Mr. Lefkin serves as immediate past Chairman of the Government Affairs Committee for the Financial Services Roundtable and past Chairman of the Government Affairs Committee of the American Insurance Association. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Organization for International Investment, which is a trade association comprised of U.S. subsidiaries of foreign owned companies. Since 1990, he has been the President of the Casualty and Property group of Washington, which consists of the heads of Washington offices for property casualty companies and trade associations who lobby before the U.S. Capitol. Peter is also on the Board of Directors of the German American Business Council, as well as the American Council of Young Political Leaders. He makes his home in Washington, DC, and Lost River, West Virginia.
Christine Palmieri	Chris has been in the insurance industry for 25 years and has extensive regulatory and compliance experience. She is currently a 2nd Vice President with Travelers and is responsible for facilitating internal and external market conduct activities on an enterprise level. Prior to joining Travelers, she performed various roles with Royal & SunAlliance, including the management of the state rate, rule and form filings Department. Her compliance experience extends back to the 80’s and 90’s where she performed state filing and market conduct managerial and individual contributor roles with General Reinsurance Corporation and Aetna. Chris is a member of the Inland Marine Underwriter’s Association (IMUA) Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Committee. In 2008, Chris earned the Insurance Regulatory Examiner Society (IRES) Market Conduct Management (MCM) Professional designation.
Ken Wylie	Kenneth R. Wylie is a partner in the Chicago office of Sidley and Austin. He concentrates his practice in insurance law with emphasis on insurance regulatory matters that affect insurance companies, agents and brokers, and other insurance entities. My Wylie has provided legal and counseling services on corporate, commercial and regulatory matters for insurance industry organizations, including the organization and acquisition of insurance companies, the evaluation of captives and alternative risk transfer vehicles, and insurance risk securitizations. He has extensive experience representing insurance guaranty funds, insureds, reinsurers, reinsureds, claimants and other parties involved in insurance company insolvencies. Mr. Wylie handles reinsurance arbitrations, including disputes involving reinsurance pools and finite reinsurance. Mr. Wylie is a frequent speaker on various insurance-related issues, including insurance risk securitization, reinsurance, insolvency and captives, and has served on drafting committees of Illinois insurance-related legislation and industry advisory groups for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Tracy Arney	Tracy Arney serves on the IRES Foundation board of directors and Market Regulation School Subcommittee. She is currently the Director of Regulatory Affairs which oversees market conduct, complaints and regulatory inquiries. She has worked for Golden Rule Insurance Company for 11 years. Prior to that, she worked in private practice doing insurance defense litigation. She is a graduate of Valparaiso University School of Law and received her undergraduate degree from Hope College in Holland, Michigan. She is married with 3 children and lives in the Indianapolis area. She is active at church, school and is a brownie troop leader.
Lisa Crump	Lisa Crump has been in the insurance industry for 24 years. She currently serves on the IRES Foundation board of directors and its Website committee. Lisa is also a founding member of IRES and currently serves on the Accreditation and Ethics committee, MCM subcommittee, and the Curriculum subcommittee of IRES. She was involved with the development of the MCM program and also is involved in the creation of the Customer service designation for IRES. She has worked for American National Property and Casualty Company for 11 years where she is currently the Market Conduct Administrator for ANPAC. Prior to her industry work, Lisa worked with the Missouri Department of Insurance for 12 years. Her last position while with the Missouri Department was that of an Examiner-in-Charge of market conduct examinations for Life & Health and Title. At the start of her career, Lisa also worked as a Life & Health insurance agent for Western-Southern Life Insurance Company. Lisa has numerous insurance designations and is a graduate of Southwest Missouri State University (Missouri State) in Springfield, Missouri.
Cynthia Davidson	Cynthia Davidson is Insurance Licensing Product Manager for Kaplan Financial Education, which provides comprehensive education and compliance solutions to the securities, insurance, banking and financial industries. Kaplan Financial Education is a division of Kaplan, Inc., the education and test prep leaders, and a wholly owned subsidiary of The Washington Post Company. Ms. Davidson, who has worked in insurance education publishing for 24 years, joined Kaplan in September 2003. She serves as Kaplan's main point of contact with the insurance regulatory community, and has responsibility for the insurance producer licensing product line. Her areas of expertise include insurance regulation, life/health and property/casualty prelicensing, insurance continuing education, and market regulation. She also is well versed in curriculum development to meet insurance compliance and training requirements. Ms. Davidson currently serves on the California Insurance Department’s Curriculum Advisory Board, the Insurance Regulatory Examiners Society Foundation (IRESF) Board of Directors, and is a past president of the Society of Insurance Trainers and Educators (SITE). Davidson holds the Insurance Training Professional (ITP) designation as well as the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation. She has a B.A. degree in English from Temple University, phi beta kappa, summa cum laude.
Bruce Foudree	Bruce Foudree is a former President of the NAIC and served as Iowa Insurance Commissioner. He practices in the area of corporate and regulatory insurance law.
Jim Fryer	Dr. Fryer has over 20 years of experience in the regulatory industry and provides valuable insight into the workings of the continuing education area in particular. He works closely with Pearson VUE's executive team to convey industry trends so that Pearson VUE can proactively address anticipated client needs. In addition to working in business development for the insurance and real estate industries, he serves as an in-house expert for all aspects of Pearson VUE’s continuing education program. Before joining Pearson VUE, Dr. Fryer was director of information technology education and continuing education at the American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters (AICPCU). He has coauthored textbooks on the insurance uses of technology and supervisory management. He recently coauthored a published article on online testing in the regulatory market. He has served as the Executive Director for the American Risk and Insurance Association (ARIA). He currently serves on the board of directors for the Insurance Regulatory Examiners Society (IRES) Foundation. He has been with Pearson VUE since 2002.
Bennett Katz	Mr. Katz is Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, Regulatory Affairs, at Zenith Insurance Company, a workers compensation specialist, in Woodland Hills, CA. Previous, he has been responsible for establishing and designing the regulatory affairs and compliance departments and programs for two major national insurance groups, 21st Century Insurance Group and Farmers Group, Inc. His professional experience includes: Massachusetts Indemnity & Life Insurance Company, where he served as General Counsel; Citicorp Person-to-Person Finance, where he was Vice President and Senior Insurance Counsel; President and COO of an insurance agency and its affiliated reinsurer; and the private practice of law. An accomplished Corporate Executive and Attorney with in-depth and diverse experience in insurance and financial services, Mr. Katz is noted for implementing innovative proactive best-practices programs and procedures. He is recognized for his expertise in regulatory affairs and market regulation. He is known for his high energy/sense of humor and motivating and training others. He is also a frequent speaker and author.
Dave Kenepp	Graduate of Lafayette College, 37 years in the insurance business with Liberty Mutual, CPCU and ARM designations. Began my career as a commercial lines underwriter. Worked in a number of underwriting and management positions in field offices. In the Home Office worked as a WC Line of Business manager. Current duties include management of all market conduct activity for the entire Liberty Group.
Mark LeMaster	Mark is the Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of Safe Auto Insurance Company. SafeAuto is a leading consumer-direct auto insurer based in Columbus, Ohio. His core duties are managing litigation and directing SafeAuto’s enterprise regulatory compliance, corporate governance and government affairs programs. He joined SafeAuto’s executive team in 2005. Mark is a former member of Nelson Levine de Luca & Horst, LLC where his law practice focused on representing property and casualty insurance companies in the areas of state expansion, product development, market conduct regulation and administrative law. Mark was also former in-house counsel at the Ohio Department of Insurance. He provided legal services to the Department in the areas of rate and policy form filings, insurance coverage and administrative authority. As an Administrative Hearing Officer he presided over a variety of regulatory enforcement and disciplinary actions. Mark also drafted numerous intervention and amicus briefs in state and federal courts around the country on behalf of the Department in insurance coverage and class action lawsuits encroaching on regulatory authority. Mark entered the practice of law as an Assistant Prosecutor in the office of the Franklin County, Ohio Prosecuting Attorney. He was a key member of the Economic Crimes Unit where he handled numerous felony cases involving insurance fraud, embezzlement and organized corrupt activities. Before beginning his legal career, Mark was an FAA licensed air traffic controller in the United States Navy. He also holds a private pilot license. Mark received a Bachelor of Science from the Ohio State University and Juris Doctor from Capital University School of Law.
Beth Mack	Beth Mack is a member of IRES and has served on the IRES Foundation board of directors since 1996. She has served in numerous officer positions including Foundation chairperson and has been active in the Market Regulation School since it first began in 1993. Ms. Mack has over twenty years experience as both an insurance regulator and as a corporate insurance attorney. She currently serves as senior counsel to Wells Fargo & Company supporting the insurance businesses. Past experience includes legal counsel to Sears, Roebuck and Co., State Farm Insurance Companies, and Syndicated Services Company as well as Deputy Insurance Commissioner at the Iowa Division of Insurance. Her areas of expertise include the regulatory and business counseling aspects of both property/casualty and life/health products and reinsurance. Ms. Mack holds the Market Conduct Management (MCM) designation. She has a B.A. in Communications & International Relations from Carroll University and a J.D. from Drake University Law School.
Damian Sepanik	Damian Sepanik is head of the Zurich North America Commercial/Global Corporate in North America Compliance Office, managing strategic and day-to-day operational issues related to the Compliance function, and interacting with NAC/GCiNA senior management regarding compliance matters in the U.S. and Canada. Damian has over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, mainly in legal roles. He was general counsel of personal lines and large commercial risk businesses (including Bermuda operations) at CNA Insurance where he also led an in-house coverage litigation law firm of approximately 50 attorneys in four regional locations and was responsible for financial regulatory matters. His private practice experience focused on insurance regulatory issues and complex insurance transactions. Damian is a writer and frequent speaker on insurance topics with more than 17 years participation in NAIC quarterly national meetings. He is former co-chair of the CPCU regulatory and legislative section, and former chair of the Insurance Regulatory Examiners Society Foundation Board of Directors. Hobbies/Interests: Damian enjoys time with his family, is an avid golfer and a scuba diver.
Sue Stead	Sue Stead is a partner with the law firm of Nelson Levine de Luca and Horst and a member of the firm’s Insurance Regulatory and Transactional Practice Group. Her national practice is devoted to insurance regulatory matters with an emphasis on compliance and market regulation. She counsels insurers about regulatory requirements, assists insurers in developing compliant policies and procedures, and represents insurers in regulatory proceedings. She is a frequent speaker on insurance regulatory matters and was the chair of a Regulatory Advisory Panel for a health insurer. Before joining Nelson Levine de Luca & Horst, Ms. Stead was an Assistant Director for the Ohio Department of Insurance and managed the Market Conduct, Fraud and Enforcement and Agent Licensing Divisions. She served as a staff attorney for the Ohio Department of Insurance for many years after beginning her career with an insurance defense firm. Ms. Stead is a CPCU and a graduate of Wittenberg University and the Ohio State Moritz College of Law.