NFI: 16th Annual Insurance Summit Speakers

2021 16AIPPS title

Networks 16th Annual Insurance Public Policy Summit
Insurance in a Time of Transition: Navigating the Shift in Policy & Priorities
Wednesday, April 7, 2021 | 9:00am – 1:00pm Eastern Time
Online Event

Look for us on social media #IPPSummit

David Altmaier

Commissioner, Florida Office of Insurance Regulation and President, National Association of Insurance Commissioners 

David AltmaierDavid Altmaier was appointed as the Florida Insurance Commissioner in April 2016 by the Financial Services Commission. He leads the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) and has oversight of one of the largest insurance markets in the world. Under Altmaier’s leadership, OIR has worked to cultivate a market in Florida in which insurance products are reliable, available, and affordable.

Altmaier began his public service at OIR in 2008, serving in a number of roles including Chief Analyst of the Property and Casualty Financial Oversight unit and Deputy Commissioner of Property and Casualty Insurance.

In 2019, Altmaier was voted Vice President of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and was voted NAIC President-Elect for 2020. In his role as President-Elect, Altmaier serves as Vice Chair of the Executive Committee, Internal Administration Subcommittee and the Government Relations Leadership Council. Commissioner Altmaier was also appointed by Governor DeSantis to serve as a member Florida’s Blockchain Task Force.

Prior to joining OIR, Altmaier worked as a Florida licensed 2-20 and 2-14 insurance agent and as a high school math teacher. Altmaier graduated from Western Kentucky University in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics.

Gretchen Cepek

Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Allianz Life Insurance Company

Gretchen CepekGretchen Cepek is general counsel and corporate secretary for Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America (Allianz Life®).  In her role, she leads all of the company’s legal matters, serving the best interests of the company, its customers, and its distribution. She is the legal adviser for the executive management team and oversees litigation, corporate governance, product development, special investigations, regulatory matters, ethics, compliance, and government relations.

Then. Cepek joined Allianz Life in 2009 as a vice president in the corporate legal department. In that role, she was responsible for supervising a team of lawyers who specialize in developing new products and who provide legal guidance to Allianz Life in the areas of distribution and operations. She was also responsible for the Government Relations function.

Prior to joining Allianz Life, Cepek provided strategic legal counsel for Woodbury Financial Services, a retail broker/dealer. Before that, she was a partner at Querrey & Harrow in Chicago specializing in commercial litigation.

And ... Cepek has a BA in political science and history from Illinois Wesleyan University and a juris doctor degree from Valparaiso University School of Law. She serves as the board chair of the Minnesota chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, is president-elect of the Association of Life Insurance Counsel and a member of the Life Insurance Council of New York board of directors. She previously served on the board of the Alzheimer’s Association of Minnesota-North Dakota. Cepek is also a past Working Mother of the Year honoree by Working Mother Magazine and in 2018, was named a “Women in Business” honoree by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.

Michael F. Consedine

CEO, National Association of Insurance Commissioners

Michael F. ConsedineMichael F. Consedine serves as the NAIC's Chief Executive Officer.  As CEO, he principally focuses on strategic planning, policy development and implementation in the areas of state, federal and international affairs and relations. He advocates for NAIC members and represents their interests before federal and international policymakers, state government associations, and consumer and industry groups. Consedine is also responsible for management of the NAIC's Executive Office and staff.

Consedine currently serves as an Executive Committee Member on the IAIS and speaks frequently on both domestic and international insurance matters. He is also on the advisory board for Plug and Play Tech Center and is very involved in both insuretech and fintech issues.

Before joining the NAIC in January 2017, Consedine served as the Global Head of Government and Policy Affairs at Aegon, one of the world's largest financial services companies with operations in 20 countries serving more than 30 million customers. At Aegon he led government relations in Europe, the Americas and Asia. Concurrently, Consedine was Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, and Executive Director of Government Affairs of Aegon's U.S. subsidiary, Transamerica. In this role, he oversaw all aspects of the company's state and federal government relations activities.

Consedine has spent his entire career in the insurance industry as an attorney, regulator, and executive. Most notably, he served as the Insurance Commissioner for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from 2011 to 2015. While Commissioner, he was elected by his peers to serve as an officer of the NAIC as Secretary-Treasurer, Vice President and President-Elect. He served on a number of NAIC committees focused on both international and domestic matters, including as Chair of the International Insurance Relations (G) Committee, the Reinsurance (E) Task Force and the Health Care Reform Alternatives Working Group. In November 2011, the U.S. Treasury Department named him as one of the first members of the Federal Advisory Committee on Insurance, which advises the Federal Insurance Office on domestic and international policy. Consedine acted as the NAIC's representative to the U.S.-EU Insurance Dialogue Steering Committee, which was tasked with resolving mutual recognition/equivalency between the two biggest markets in the world. He was also active in the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS), where he served on their Executive Committee.

Earlier in his career, Consedine was a Partner at Saul Ewing LLP and was Vice-Chair of its Insurance Practice Group.

Dr. Deborah J. Curtis

President, Indiana State University

Deborah CurtisDeborah J. Curtis began her tenure as the twelfth president of Indiana State University on January 3, 2018. She came to Indiana State from the University of Central Missouri where she served as provost and chief learning officer since 2012.

In that role, her responsibilities included overseeing all academic programs and support services, including the university’s four academic colleges, the library and extended studies, as well as enrollment management, information technology and student affairs.

Prior to becoming provost at Central Missouri, Curtis served as dean of the College of Education at Illinois State University from 2006 to 2012, interim dean from 2005 to 2006 and as director of the Cecilia J. Lauby Teacher Education Center and Clinical Experiences and Certification Processes from 2001 to 2005. She served on the faculty of Illinois State for 26 years, advancing to the rank of full professor. Earlier in her career, she taught music in K-12 schools in Illinois and Indiana.

Curtis received her Ph.D. from Indiana State University in curriculum and instruction and also holds a master’s degree in music education from the University of Illinois and a bachelor’s degree in music education from MacMurray College.

Curtis and her husband, Lynn, are the parents of five children and nine grandchildren. Lynn worked in public education for more than 40 years as a teacher, coach, athletic director, principal and school district superintendent.

Dr. Terry Daugherty

Dean, Scott College of Business, Indiana State University

Terry DaughertyDaugherty earned his B.A. at Western Kentucky University, his M.A. at the University of Alabama, and his Ph.D. at Michigan State University.

He was a postdoctoral fellow at Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management. After that, he went to the University of Texas at Austin as an assistant professor in the Department of Advertising. He started at the University of Akron in 2009 where he served on the faculty and in various administrative capacities, including department chair and assistant dean.

Daugherty’s scholarship is focused on examining consumer psychology and persuasion within digital marketing and advertising. He theorizes and empirically tests how individual characteristics and media properties influence cognitive processing and consumer behavior.

Olivia Gillis

Vice President, Compliance & Regulatory Affairs, American Council of Life Insurers

Olivia GillisOlivia Gillis is the Vice President of the American Council of Life Insurers' (ACLI) Compliance & Regulatory Affairs (CRA) department. CRA is responsible for producing several compliance and legal publications on insurance topics that are available to ACLI member companies on ACLI’s website. Olivia is also co-lead of ACLI's Economic Empowerment & Racial Equity Initiative which includes four core ACLI Board-approved Principles: Expanding access to affordable financial security in underserved markets; Advancing diversity and inclusion within companies and on corporate boards; Economic empowerment through financial education; and Expanding investments in underserved communities. 

Greg Goode

Executive Director, Government Relations & University Communications, Indiana State University 

Greg GoodeGregory Goode serves as Executive Director of Government Relations and University Communication for Indiana State University. Since 2012, Mr. Goode has served as the University public affairs lead to the Indiana General Assembly, Governor’s Office and Commission for Higher Education as well as the United States Congress and local governments. He also manages university messaging throughout the state and beyond.

From 2009-2012, Goode served as Chief of Staff to the President of Bastyr University and was the founder and director of the University’s Center for Health Policy and Leadership.

Mr. Goode has a lengthy history of direct involvement in higher education, healthcare, and transportation public policy issues, having worked in Washington, DC for two members of the United States House of Representatives. He is a former Governor-appointee to the Midwest Higher Education Compact.

Mr. Goode has earned two degrees from Indiana State University, performed graduate studies at the Pentagon through the Catholic University of America, and is completing his doctorate at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He resides in Terre Haute with his family.  

José Ramón González

Chief Legal Officer, Equitable

Jose Ramon GonzalezJosé Ramón González is Chief Legal Officer of Equitable Holdings, and a member of the company’s Management Committee. In this role, González leads the Law Department with responsibility for all legal, compliance, regulatory and governmental affairs.

Previously, Mr. González was Executive Vice President & General Counsel for CNA Insurance, serving as principal counsel to the Chief Executive Officer, senior management team and board of directors. He led the Law Department and was responsible for legal affairs, compliance, regulatory and government affairs, corporate secretary affairs, securities and litigation.

Prior to joining CNA, Mr. González was Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary at QBE North America, and Group General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Torus Insurance. He also held numerous leadership roles over the course of 12 years within the legal function of AIG. During his tenure, he played a leading role in the resolution of numerous significant regulatory matters.

Mr. González began practicing law in 1995 as a corporate associate at Weil, Gotshal & Manges.

With a longstanding commitment to the community, Mr. González has served on a number of not-for-profit boards of directors.  He currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of LatinoJustice PRLDEF, and a member of the boards of The Bass Museum of Art and the Spain-U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. González holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a Juris Doctor from the Columbia University School of Law.

Rep. Trey Hollingsworth (R-IN)

Member, Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development, and Insurance 

Trey HollingsworthRepresentative Trey Hollingsworth represents Indiana’s 9th District, a wide-ranging district comprised of small businesses, suburban communities, hard-working farmers, and striving students all united by their focus on how we collectively build a more prosperous, safer, and stronger America.

A small business owner, Trey began renovating and rehabilitating abandoned industrial sites after graduating from business school.  Even during the depths of the recession as other U.S. businesses moved overseas, Trey’s business found opportunities for companies to expand, produce, and hire right here at home. Due to his strong belief in the productivity of the American worker, the ingenuity of American companies, and the durability of the American economy, Trey knows American manufacturing can compete anywhere in the world if only we get government out of the way.

Later, in 2008, Trey partnered with businessmen and chemists to start an aluminum remanufacturing operation in Indiana.  Today, that facility, with the help of many hard-working Hoosiers, has produced over 1.8 billion pounds of aluminum.

Trey wants to see all Americans have the opportunity to succeed and direct the future of their families, free from government interference.  Because of that, Trey joined Congress focused on a very clear, fundamental agenda:

First, having seen first-hand the cultural divide between Washington and Hoosiers at home, Trey is committed to returning our government to one that is by the people and for the people.  As a first step, he supports term limits for Members of Congress and has promised to the people of the 9th District that he will serve no more than four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Government should serve the people of this great country, not the other way around.

Second, Trey is committed to reinvigorating the economy.  Enabling businesses to get started in Hoosier garages, ensuring government gets out of the way of firms’ expansions, and creating an environment where companies can invest at home versus overseas are all essential to helping American families improve their futures.  Creating opportunity and removing government roadblocks are what enables each generation of Americans to live better than the one before, and Trey will use his business experience to ensure we get back to pro-growth policies centered on ensuring every American has the opportunity for a better future.

Trey and his wife, Kelly, married in 2014 and live in Jeffersonville, near where Kelly grew up and where her siblings and parents still live. They welcomed their first child, Joseph, in July 2017. Trey was elected on November 8, 2016 and took his oath of office, joining the 115th Congress, on January 3, 2017.

Ellei Kay

Senior Gongaware and NFI Scholar, Scott College of Business, Indiana State University

Tracey Laws

Senior Vice President & Head of Government Affairs, Athene

Tracey LawsMs. Laws has over 20 years of experience providing legal, strategic, and lobbying counsel and services. She is responsible for establishing and advocating the RAA’s public policy positions.

Tracey has advocated to Congress to streamline industry solvency regulation, resulting in favorable provisions in the Dodd-Frank Act and elevating the organization’s impact. She oversees all legal matters in the association, including drafting of amicus briefs, legislation and regulations, and handling antitrust, administrative, corporate, political action committee and personnel issues.

Tracey previously was a partner at the law firm of Chadbourne & Parke LLP concentrating on reinsurance matters.

Ms. Laws is a member of Mealey’s 2006 Insurance Advisory Council, the AIDA Reinsurance & Insurance Society Law Committee and the ABA’s TIPS Federal Involvement in Insurance Regulation Modernization Task Force. Ms. Laws is also a Board member of the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies.

Ms. Laws received her BA from the College of William and Mary and her JD from the University of Virginia. Ms. Laws is licensed to practice law in Texas and District of Columbia.

Tradara McLaurine

Career Services Executive Director, Indiana State University

Tradara McLaurineTradara McLaurine, CDP is the Executive Director for Career Services at Indiana State University. Tradara is a three time alumna of Indiana State University with two Bachelor's degrees one in accounting and one in legal studies. She received her master's degree in Student Affairs and Higher Education and her certification in Women’s Entrepreneurship from eCornell. She has over ten years’ experience working in higher education in the areas of career advising, academic advising, student conduct, conferences and events programming, teaching, and residential life. Tradara currently holds two certifications as a Certified Diversity Professional from the Institute of Diversity Certification and Certified Trainer for Understanding and Engaging Under-Resourced College Students from Bridges Out of Poverty. She is also a certified Predictive Index Practitioner.

She is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and a board member for Junior Achievement and United Campus Ministries. Tradara has articles published in the American Association for Employment in Education Job Search Handbook and Diversity: Recruitment Partners in Education. In July 2017, she published two children's books titled Why Mommy Works and Why Daddy Works. In November 2017, the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce recognized Tradara as 12 under 40. She, her husband and business partner owns Wing Stop located in Terre Haute, Indiana; Evansville, Indiana; and Fort Wayne, Indiana. In her spare time, she enjoys watching TV, volunteering, crocheting and spending time with family.

David Nadig

Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Allstate 

David NadigDavid Nadig’s professional career extends more than 30 years in corporate law and business management. He joined Allstate’s Law & Regulation Department in 1985 and progressed through the company with increasing levels of responsibility across the enterprise. He previously served as the general counsel for all insurance operations from 2006 to 2017, and is currently Allstate’s chief government affairs officer, overseeing all legislative, public affairs, and regulatory efforts.

A native of Northbrook, Illinois, Nadig is an active member of his community where he served on his local elementary school board from 2007 to 2015, chairing the finance and curriculum committees. His commitment to community improvement and philanthropy extends beyond his hometown as he currently chairs Chicago Debates, a nonprofit organization supporting debate programs in the Chicago Public Schools.

Nadig received his juris doctorate in 1985 from Loyola University of Chicago, where he served on the National Moot Court Team. Prior to that, he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree with highest honors in journalism from the University of Illinois, Urbana.

George Nichols III

President & CEO, The American College of Financial Services and Former NAIC President

George Nichols IIIGeorge Nichols III currently serves as the 10th President and CEO in the storied history of The American College of Financial Services. He continues to take motivation from founder Solomon S. Huebner’s pioneering vision in 1927, while empowering The College to usher in the next century of excellence.

A life of private sector experience and public service brought Nichols to The College, where he shares its commitment to benefiting society by educating and influencing the financial services profession. He joined The College after a 17-year stint at New York Life, where he held principal roles in sales, strategic initiatives, and public policy. He most recently served as executive vice president in the Office of Governmental Affairs, which encompasses all of the legislative, regulatory, and public policy issues at the company.

In 2006, Nichols was named to the company’s Executive Management Committee, a group of senior executives tasked with assisting the CEO in setting company policy.

Prior to joining New York Life, Nichols was Kentucky’s first African-American insurance commissioner, leading the regulation of the state’s $10 billion insurance industry through his expertise in health insurance reform and financial services integration. He gained this knowledge through stints as the executive director of the Kentucky Health Policy Board, vice president of marketing for Athena of North America, executive director of product development with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kentucky, CEO of Central State Hospital in Louisville, and executive assistant to the commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Mental Health/Mental Retardation Services.

Along with his role as Kentucky’s first African-American insurance commissioner, Nichols was the first African-American president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (2000) and the first African-American elected to New York Life’s Executive Management Committee (2006). He has twice made the list of “Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America,” (2018 and 2012), an honor given by Savoy, the leading African-American business and lifestyle magazine.

These accolades were born from opportunities that he is passionate about extending through The College’s diversity initiatives. Because of his bold leadership in launching a Four Steps Forward plan to promote upward mobility and wealth creation for Black America, Nichols was recently honored as one of “The Ten to Watch in 2021” by WealthManagement.com.

Nichols currently sits on the Boards of City Year, a non-profit organization committed to partnering with teachers and school leaders in urban areas to provide high-impact student, classroom, and school-wide support, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Main Line Health, and Republic Bank, a regional bank originated in Nichols’ home state of Kentucky. He is also a member of the Board of Regents at one of his alma maters, Western Kentucky University.

Nichols received his Associate’s degree from Alice Lloyd College, a faith-based liberal arts school in eastern Kentucky, before earning his Bachelor’s degree from Western Kentucky University. He began his career in financial services after receiving his Master’s Degree from the University of Louisville.

He continues to lean on the love of his family—wife Cynthia Jean “CJ” and three children—and his unyielding faith to navigate the journey that brought him to this distinguished institution.

Thomas R. Sullivan

Associate Director, Division of Supervision and Regulation, Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System

Thomas R. SullivanThomas R. Sullivan is an Associate Director with the Federal Reserve, Board of Governors. Mr. Sullivan, an insurance industry regulatory veteran, leads the Federal Reserve on supervisory and regulatory matters presented by insurance firms within the responsibility of the Fed. The Fed is the consolidated regulator for roughly one-third of the U.S. Insurance Industry; the world’s largest insurance market.

Among his core responsibilities, Mr. Sullivan leads the insurance policy development activities of the Fed. Mr. Sullivan also represents the Fed at the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) and manages the Federal Reserve’s participation in IAIS committees, working groups and projects. He is the Fed’s point of contact with senior officials from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), state insurance commissioners, the Federal Insurance Office, and foreign insurance supervisory authorities. Sullivan contributes to the Federal Reserve’s participation in the Financial Stability Board (FSB) when the FSB addresses issues related to insurance and briefs the Director, other Fed senior officers, and members of the Board, on matters of relevance in insurance regulation.

Mr. Sullivan was most recently a Partner in the financial services regulatory consulting practice at one of the world’s largest professional services firms.

Most notably, Mr. Sullivan served nearly four years as Connecticut’s 30th Insurance Commissioner beginning in 2007. As Commissioner, Sullivan, successfully guided his agency through the depths and challenges of the most recent financial crisis, a time of significant stress for some regulated financial institutions within his dominion. Commissioner Sullivan was also an active member of the NAIC, leading and serving on a number of committees including the Executive Committee, Government Relations Leadership Counsel, Life and Annuities Committee, Property Casualty Committees, and the Climate Change Task Force.

Mr. Sullivan has more than 25 years of experience in the insurance industry. He began his career at The Hartford, advancing through various positions of responsibility in management, leadership, and finally as an executive in the firm.

Jenn Webb

Assistant Vice President of Government Relations, Pacific Life

Jenn WebbJenn directs the State government relations program for Pacific Life and is subsidiaries, representing Pacific Life before lawmakers, regulators, state trade associations, and national trade associations. Jennifer works to educate public officials and their staff on public policy that impacts Pacific Life and its customers.

Previously Jenn has held senior level government affairs roles at the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA), the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) and the National Council of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL). Jenn earned her B.A., from Tulane University and her J.D. from the Catholic University of America. Jenn resides in Washington, D.C with her husband John and their dog Herbert.

Karima M. Woods

Commissioner, District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking

Karima WoodsKarima M. Woods was appointed Acting Commissioner of the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) on January 21, 2020. The Council of the District of Columbia confirmed Woods as Commissioner on July 28, 2020. As Commissioner of the DISB, Woods is responsible for cultivating a regulatory environment that protects consumers and attracts and retains financial services firms to the District, empowering and educating residents on financial matters and providing financing for small businesses. Since beginning at DISB, Woods has focused on developing and implementing DISB’s response to COVID-19 while focusing on cultivating the strengths of the agency.

Woods previously served as the Director of Business Development and Strategy in the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED), where she provided strategic leadership, stakeholder engagement and global outreach to the business community. Ms. Woods has held several positions within DMPED, including Deputy Director of Business Development and International Business Manager, where she helped shape signature business development initiatives, attract foreign direct investment and establish new business relationships with international markets. Her leadership has led to the successful execution of the Mayor’s economic strategy and the District’s business attraction and retention efforts across key sectors. Her work has also contributed to several policy outcomes, including increased investment in underrepresented entrepreneurs to address the human, social and financial capital required to grow and expand. Ms. Woods has served on several boards and commissions, including the Mayor’s Innovation Technology Inclusion Council, the Washington DC Economic Partnership, Destination DC and the Greater Washington Board of Trade Council on Economic Development Officials.

Woods holds a M.B.A. from George Washington University and B.A. in law and society from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

Woods is married and lives with her husband and two daughters in Washington, DC.

 

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