NFI: 14th Annual Insurance Summit Speakers

2018 14AIPPS title

Washington D.C. - Wednesday, March 14, 2018

#IPPSummit

Alan Brubaker

Vice President, Prudential Financial

Alan BrubakerAlan is Vice President of External Affairs and focuses on lobbying Congress on behalf of the company.  In this capacity, he advocates on Prudential’s key issues, including tax, retirement, and financial services issues.

 A native of Washington, D.C., Alan has served in a number of public policy positions, including the staff of the U.S. House of Representatives Banking Committee; Staff Director of the Senate Banking Committee’s Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance and Financial Markets; and Associate Director of the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s safety and soundness regulator.

Prior to working in government Alan was a mortgage banker in Washington, DC.

Mark Calabria

Assistant to the Vice President and Chief Economist, Office of the Vice President

Mark CalabriaMark Calabria currently serves as Chief Economist in the Office of the Vice President of the United States. Previously, he was Director of financial regulation studies at the Cato Institute. Before joining Cato in 2009, Dr. Calabria spent six years as a member of the senior professional staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. In that position, he handled issues related to housing, mortgage finance, economics, banking and insurance for Ranking Member Richard Shelby (R-AL). 

Prior to his service on Capitol Hill, Dr. Calabria served as deputy assistant secretary for regulatory affairs at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and also held a variety of positions at Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, the National Association of Home Builders, and the National Association of Realtors. Dr. Calabria has also been a research associate with the U.S. Census Bureau’s Center for Economic Studies. He has extensive experience evaluating the impacts of legislative and regulatory proposals on financial and real estate markets, with particular emphasis on how policy changes in Washington affect low- and moderate-income households. He holds a doctorate in economics from George Mason University.

Charles (Chuck) M. Chamness

President & CEO, National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC)

Charles (Chuck) M. ChamnessChuck Chamness serves as president/chief executive officer of the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, a 1,400-member-company property/casualty insurance trade association. Members’ $230 billion in premiums account for 54 percent of homeowners, 43 percent of automobile, and 32 percent of the business insurance markets, serving more than 170 million auto, home, and business policyholders.

Chamness was named to his current position in 2003, joining NAMIC in 1995 as vice president of public affairs. He has helped position NAMIC as the largest U.S. property/casualty insurance trade association, focusing on leadership in advocacy, public policy, public affairs, and member services.

Over the last decade, NAMIC has experienced strong growth in membership with nearly 200 new member companies joining the association, revenue growth averaging 10 percent annually, and a member retention rate exceeding 99 percent. In this same time period, NAMIC PAC has increased five-fold to over $1 million in the 2016 election cycle, making it one of the nation’s fastest growing political action committees.

Chamness has testified before both House and Senate committees on topics ranging from the Dodd-Frank Act impact on insurance to the industry’s response to Hurricane Katrina. He worked for 10 years in Washington, D.C., serving in the first Bush administration as deputy assistant secretary for public affairs under HUD Secretary Jack Kemp as well as a press secretary on Capitol Hill and in other public- and private-sector positions.

NAMIC has been named a “Best Place to Work” (mid-sized company category) by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce each time it has entered, placing #2 in 2015.

Chamness serves as chairman of the board of NAMICO, a $55 million asset “A” rated professional liability insurance company owned by the association and its members. He is the immediate past chairman of the board of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, an insurance-industry-founded organization that funds more in childhood cancer research grants than any organization except the U.S. government, with more than $80 million in research grants awarded during his three-year tenure as chair. He has served as a member of the board of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety since 2004 and is a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Association Committee of 100 and the Indiana University Foundation Board of Associates.

Chamness holds a B.A. from Indiana University, Bloomington, and lives in Indianapolis with his wife, Briget, and their four children.

Michael F. Consedine

Chief Executive Officer, National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)

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. Mr. Consedine is also responsible for management of the NAIC's Executive Office and staff.

Before joining the NAIC in January 2017, Mr. 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, Mr. 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.

Mr. 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. Mr. Consedine was also the NAIC's representative to the EU–U.S. Insurance Dialogue Steering Committee and was active in the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS), where he served on their Executive Committee.

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

Peter G. Gallanis

President, National Organization of Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Associations (NOLHGA)

Peter GallanisPeter Gallanis became President of the National Organization of Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Associations (NOLHGA) in April 1999. NOLHGA was formed in 1983 to coordinate the activities of its 51 member state guaranty associations and their member companies (essentially the entire U.S. life and health insurance industry) in connection with insolvencies of multi-state life and health insurers. Mr. Gallanis is generally responsible for all the financial, legal, strategic, educational, communications, and administrative services that NOLHGA provides to its membership. He has been an active member of the insolvency response working groups for a number of major insolvencies.

Prior to joining NOLHGA in 1999, Mr. Gallanis was the Special Deputy Insurance Receiver for the State of Illinois, where he managed the administration of approximately 80 insolvent domestic insurers of all types. He had been Illinois Special Deputy Receiver since 1995 and General Counsel of the Office of the Special Deputy Receiver since 1992. Before that, Mr. Gallanis was a partner in a large law firm in Chicago, where he was in private practice from 1978 through 1991.

Mr. Gallanis also served as an adjunct professor, teaching Insurance Law, at the DePaul University College of Law in Chicago from 1992 until he joined NOLHGA in 1999.

Mr. Gallanis received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago in 1975 and a law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1978. He is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of the State of Illinois.

Mr. Gallanis has frequently participated in trial and appellate court receivership proceedings, both on behalf of parties and as amicus curiae. He has lectured and published often on insurance topics in the United States and in Canada, England, Switzerland, Spain, Bermuda, and Taiwan. In addition, he has testified on insurance legislative proposals before state legislatures and the Congress of the United States.

Any comments by Mr. Gallanis during this program are made solely for the purpose of facilitating open and wide-ranging debate on a variety of topics. His comments do not represent the views or positions of his current or former employers, or any past, present, or future clients, and such comments may not reflect the personal views or positions of Mr. Gallanis on any particular issue.

Jigar Gandhi

Counsel, American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI)

Jigar GandhiJigar Gandhi is a Counsel at the American Council of Life Insurers where he handles issues related to cybersecurity, data analytics, and innovation. Prior to his current position, he was a Regulatory Affairs Counsel for the Financial Services Institute. Prior to that, he was a Regulatory Analyst for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Jigar received his J.D. from the American University, Washington College of Law and his B.A. from Binghamton University.

 

 

Mary A. Griffin

President & CEO, Life Insurance Council of New York (LICONY)

Mary GriffinMary A. (Ciaccio) Griffin is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Life Insurance Council of New York (LICONY).  She oversees the organization's operations and works directly with the LICONY Board of Directors to develop and guide the strategic mission of the organization.  LICONY is the leading life insurance organization in New York, representing over 70 life insurer member companies and more than 20 allied professional firm members.  Its mission is to create and maintain a legislative and regulatory environment in the State of New York that encourages the members of LICONY to conduct and grow their life insurance businesses.

Ms. Griffin joined LICONY in April 2016, and spearheaded the reorganization of the association, consolidating operations in Albany, reducing association expenses and providing LICONY members with their first ever dues reduction.  Ms. Griffin takes an active role in leading LICONY’s advocacy efforts.  Prior to joining LICONY, Ms. Griffin served as a Senior Vice President with Citigroup's government affairs department where she had responsibility for developing and managing Citi's legislative and regulatory strategy in New York in areas such as tax policy, mortgage lending and retail banking.  Her insurance career includes working at the American Insurance Association (AIA) representing their interests before the state legislature, Department of Insurance and Workers Compensation Board.  Ms. Griffin also has extensive legislative and regulatory experience having served at the New York Department of Insurance (forerunner to the current Department of Financial Services) in the administration of Governor Mario Cuomo, and as a program associate with the New York State Assembly.

Ms. Griffin has been consistently recognized for her accomplishments.  During her tenure at the Insurance Department, she was named as an "Outstanding Woman in Government" for her significant contributions to NYS government and is a past recipient of an award from the Northeast Financial Services Association as their "Outstanding Government Affairs Representative" for her work on banking issues in New York. 

A native of Rochester, NY, Ms. Griffin attended Newton College of the Sacred Heart and graduated from Boston College with a B.A. with honors in American History.  Mary and her husband John reside in Menands, NY and have three adult children.

Bridget Hagan

Executive Director, Insurance Coalition; Partner, Cypress Group

Bridget HaganBridget Hagan is a Partner at The Cypress Group, a lobbying and consulting firm in Washington, DC specializing in financial services. She is the head of the firm’s insurance practice, and leads a coalition of federally supervised insurance companies working together to ensure that federal regulation is tailored to the business of insurance. Prior to joining Cypress Group in November 2013, Bridget was head of Nationwide’s Washington, DC office of federal government relations. In that capacity, she guided all of the company’s federal legislative and regulatory advocacy efforts, and helped oversee the company’s efforts to implement the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act. Bridget sat on the management team of Nationwide’s Chief Financial Officer.

Before joining Nationwide in June 2002, Bridget was with the American Academy of Actuaries as a pension policy analyst. Prior to that, she worked as a legislative aide for Congressman Earl Pomeroy, who was a former state insurance commissioner. Bridget is a cum laude graduate of Harvard University, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in government. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and is licensed to practice law in Virginia and Washington, DC.

Originally from Alexandria, VA, Bridget is the second-youngest of 12 children, seven of whom were adopted.  She is the mother of three girls.

John Hughes

Vice President, Federal Government Relations, USAA​

John HughesJohn Hughes is USAA’s Vice President for Federal Government and Industry Relations, managing USAA’s federal advocacy team in Washington, DC. Prior to joining USAA, John was a managing director in The Glover Park Group’s government affairs division. John was a senior policy advisor to Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) during his tenure as House Majority Leader and House Democratic Whip, handling financial services, housing finance and consumer protection issues. John also served as counsel to the House Financial Services Committee under then-Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) and managing director of tax advocacy at the National Council of State Housing Agencies.

John earned a B.A. in political science from the University of Pennsylvania and a law degree and master of public policy from the University of Michigan.

Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI)

Chairman, Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Securities, and Investment, House Financial Services Committee

Bill HuizengaCongressman Bill Huizenga represents Michigan's 2nd Congressional District which stretches from Kentwood to the lakeshore and up the coast of Lake Michigan from Holland to Ludington. Huizenga was first elected to Congress in 2010 and is currently serving in his fourth term.

In January, Congressman Huizenga was honored to be elected by his colleagues to serve as a Co-Chair of the Great Lakes Task Force. This bipartisan group fosters cooperation and support for policies and programs that enhance the environmental health of the Great Lakes while also ensuring the full economic potential of the Great Lakes region is realized.

As a member of the prestigious House Financial Services Committee, Huizenga has focused on removing government-imposed barriers to private sector job creation and increasing transparency across the federal government. Because of his steadfast leadership, Congressman Huizenga has been selected to Chair the important Capital Markets, Securities, and Investment Subcommittee for the 115th Congress. 

Congressman Huizenga leads oversight efforts pertaining to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) operations, activities, and initiatives to ensure that it fulfills its congressional mandate to protect investors, maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitate capital formation. The Capital Markets Subcommittee also has jurisdiction pertaining to credit rating agencies, investment advisers, mutual funds, accounting standards, equity/option market structure, and fixed-income market structure. A comprehensive list detailing the jurisdiction of the Capital Markets Subcommittee is available here. Additionally, Bill serves as a member of the Monetary Policy and Trade Subcommittee where he is a leading voice on restoring accountability and transparency to the Federal Reserve.

Huizenga's interest in public service began when he was a young boy. When the family was gathered around the dinner table, his father would encourage thoughtful discussions surrounding business and politics. Huizenga went on to attend Holland Christian High School, and later received his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Calvin College. After college, Bill began his career as a Realtor and entrepreneur. Today, Bill co-owns Huizenga Gravel Inc. located in Jenison, MI. 

Bill became deeply familiar with the issues facing West Michigan residents while serving as the Director of Public Policy for Congressman Pete Hoekstra. That experience combined with Bill's first-hand knowledge of the regulatory and tax burdens facing small businesses and the desire to create a better environment for his children inspired Bill to return to public service.

In 2002, Huizenga was elected to represent the southern portion of Ottawa County, Michigan’s 90th District, in the Michigan House of Representatives. There, he served in elected leadership roles as well as Chairman of the Commerce Committee. He was re-elected until term-limited out in 2008.

Congressman Huizenga is a lifelong resident of Ottawa County, where he currently resides with his wife and children.

Governor Dirk Kempthorne

President & CEO, American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI)

Dirk KempthorneDirk Kempthorne was appointed president and CEO of the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI) in November 2010 after an impressive career in public service. As president and CEO of ACLI, Governor Kempthorne is the chief representative and spokesman for the life insurance industry before Congress, the administration, in all state capitals, and in the international arena. ACLI’s more than 300 legal reserve life insurer and fraternal benefit society member companies account for over 90 percent of the assets and premiums of the U.S life insurance and annuity industry. Governor Kempthorne's focus is on the important role life insurers play in providing financial and retirement security to many millions of American families. His efforts help shape public policies that make it easier for families to manage risk and ensure they have protection, long-term savings, and guaranteed income-for-life options in retirement.

He graduated from the University of Idaho in 1975 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. Governor Kempthorne began his commitment to public service in 1985, when he was elected Mayor of the City of Boise, Idaho. After serving seven years as Mayor, he was elected to the United States Senate in 1993. With Idaho issues close to his heart, he left the Senate after one term and was elected Governor of Idaho in 1998, and was easily re-elected for a second term in 2002. While serving as Governor, Kempthorne made improving education, especially early childhood education, a priority. In 2006, Governor Kempthorne returned to Washington, D.C. to serve President George W. Bush as the 49th Secretary of the Interior, charged with resurrecting the Department’s tradition of responsible stewardship of public lands. In this role, Governor Kempthorne managed 20 percent of U.S. lands with an annual budget of $18 billion.

While in the U.S. Senate, he authored two strong bipartisan bills on state mandates and safe drinking water that were signed into law by President Bill Clinton and remain enacted today. Governor Kempthorne also understands the importance of international partners to U.S. prosperity, and has led numerous trade missions and delegations to key trading nations such as Japan, China, Korea, and Costa Rica

Governor Kempthorne also has served as chairman of the National Governors Association and the Western Governors Association, and president of the Council of State Governments. Governor Kempthorne and his wife, Patricia, also a University of Idaho graduate, have two children, Heather and Jeff, and four grandchildren.

J. Kevin A. McKechnie

Executive Director, HSA Council, American Bankers Association

Kevin McKechnieJ. Kevin A. McKechnie, Executive Director of the Health Savings Account (HSA) Council and the American Bankers Associations’ Office of Insurance Advocacy Health Savings Account (HSA) represents the HSA Council and ABA before Congress. He served as Legislative Director to former Congressman William Dannemeyer of California. He holds a BA in History and Political Science from York University in Toronto, Canada.

 

 

Julie Mix McPeak

President, National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance

Juli McPeakTennessee Insurance Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak became president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners earlier this year. Ms. McPeak, who frequently testifies on Capitol Hill on behalf of the NAIC, was appointed by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam to lead the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance in 2011. Her leadership as TDCI Commissioner garnered recognition from Business Insurance Magazine which honored her as one of the 2013 Women to Watch.

Before being named to lead the department, McPeak practiced as Counsel to the insurance practice group of law firm Burr & Forman LLP. She also served as the Executive Director of the Kentucky Office of Insurance (KOI). Before her appointment as Executive Director, she spent nine years as an attorney for KOI, the final five as general counsel. She also served as general counsel to the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet. She is the first woman to serve as chief insurance regulator in more than one state.

McPeak served as co-counsel for the Kentucky Association of Health Plans v. Miller, a case heard before the Supreme Court of the United States, regarding ERISA preemption and state “Any Willing Provider” statutes. McPeak is a frequent author and lecturer on insurance issues, having addressed members of the American Council of Life Insurers, the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, the National Alliance of Life Companies and the Million Dollar Roundtable. McPeak authored chapter 9: “Licensing of Insurers” for New Appleman on Insurance, Library Edition and co-authored the article, "The Future of State Insurance Regulation: Can it Survive?" featured in Risk and Management Insurance Review.

McPeak is a member of the Tennessee Bar Association, Kentucky Bar Association, and the Nashville Bar Association. She has been a member of the American Bar Association, Tort and Insurance Practice section, where she served as vice-chair of the Insurance Regulation Committee and a member of the Federal Involvement in Insurance Regulatory Modernization Task Force. McPeak has also served on the Board of Directors of NIPR.

McPeak received her J.D. from the University of Louisville, School of Law in 1994. She is a 1990 graduate of the University of Kentucky, where she received her B.B.A., With Distinction, in Marketing.

Frank Nutter

President, Reinsurance Association of America

Frank NutterFrank Nutter has been President of the Reinsurance Association of America since 1991. He held the same position from 1981-1984. In the interim, he was president of the Alliance of American Insurers and Property Loss Research Bureau, which have now merged as the Property Casualty Insurance Association of America (PCI). Mr. Nutter was the RAA’s General Counsel from 1978-1981.

Mr. Nutter currently serves on the Advisory Board of the Center for Health and Global Environment, an adjunct to the Harvard University School of Public Health; the Advisory Board of the OECD's International Network for the Financial Management of Large-Scale Disasters and the RAND Center on Catastrophic Risk Management and Compensation.  He has recently served on the Council of the American Meteorological Society and the Board of the University Center for Atmospheric Research, a consortium of universities managing the National Center for Atmospheric Research sponsored by the National Science Foundation.  He has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Worker's Compensation Research Institute, the Board of Overseers of the Institute for Civil Justice, a subsidiary of the RAND corporation, and on the Board of the Bermuda Institute for Ocean Sciences.

Mr. Nutter received a Juris Doctorate from the Georgetown University Law Center and a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Cincinnati.  Mr. Nutter was an officer in the U.S. Navy and is a Vietnam veteran. He is listed in Who’s Who in America and Insurance Broadcasting’s 2011 List of the 100 Most Powerful People in the Insurance Industry.

Preston Rutledge

Assistant Secretary, EBSA, U.S. Department of Labor

Preston RutledgePreston Rutledge is the Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA). Before joining the Department of Labor he served as senior tax and benefits counsel on the Majority Tax Staff of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee where his responsibilities included employee benefits, retirement issues, tax-exempt organizations, health tax issues, and the tax provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Prior to joining the Finance Committee, Mr. Rutledge served as a senior tax law specialist on the Headquarters Staff of the Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division of the Internal Revenue Service, and as a senior technical reviewer in the Qualified Pension Plans Branch of the IRS Office of Chief Counsel. During his tenure there, he was the recipient of an Office of Chief Counsel National Award. Mr. Rutledge also served as a law clerk on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and worked in private law practice as an employee benefits counselor and ERISA litigator. Mr. Rutledge earned a B.S. in business, cum laude, from the University of Idaho; J.D., with high honors, from the George Washington University School of Law, and an L.L.M. – taxation, with distinction, including a certificate in employee benefits law, from the Georgetown University Law Center. Prior to law school, Mr. Rutledge was a Naval Officer and served on the U.S.S. Bagley (FF-1069).

Steven E. Seitz

Deputy Director, Federal Insurance Office (FIO) 

Steven SeitzSteven E. Seitz is the Deputy Director for the Federal Insurance Office (FIO) in the U.S. Department of Treasury.  FIO develops federal policy on prudential aspects of international insurance matters, including representing the United States at the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS).   FIO is also a non-voting member of the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC).  Additionally, FIO serves as the source of insurance expertise in the federal government and administers the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program.

At the IAIS, Steven serves as a member of the Financial Stability and Technical Committee, the Vice Chair of the Systemic Risk Assessment Task Force, and the Chair of the Joint IAIS-Basel Committee Task Force on Systemically Important Banks and Insurers.  Steven is also a member of the FSOC Deputies Committee.  

Prior to joining FIO, Steven worked in Treasury’s Office of the Assistant General Counsel (Banking and Finance).  Previously, Steven served as Counsel in the Office of the General Counsel at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Steven holds a B.A. from Cornell University and a J.D. from The University of Chicago Law School.

David F. Snyder 

Vice President, International Policy, Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI)

David SnyderDavid F. Snyder is Vice President, International Policy, for the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) in which capacity he covers international and domestic insurance regulatory and trade issues. He represents PCI members before numerous international, federal and state legislative and regulatory bodies. Mr. Snyder graduated Magna Cum Laude from Dickinson College and earned his law degree from the George Washington University Law School.  He is admitted to practice in three jurisdictions and is a Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter.

Previously, Mr. Dave Snyder served as the vice president and associate general counsel of public policy for the American Insurance Association (AIA). His portfolio specialized in international trade, insurance regulatory issues, transportation insurance and legal reform. In addition to his leadership at AIA, Snyder worked for both Nationwide Insurance and State Farm Insurance Company. Prior to these positions, he served the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in a number of legal and legislative roles.

His state and federal government experience includes appellate and civil litigation as well as administrative law. David is serving his sixth term as a Falls Church, Va. City Council Member, having served as mayor and vice mayor.  He chairs the National Capital Region Emergency Preparedness Council and has chaired Washington, DC metropolitan region transportation and environmental boards.  In 2010, he received the Washington Metropolitan Area's highest award for regional leadership, having chaired transportation and environmental bodies and served on the Emergency Preparedness Council.

Thomas R. Sullivan

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

Thomas R. SullivanThomas 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.

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.

Greg Goode

Government Relations Executive Director, Indiana State University

Greg GoodeMr. Goode serves as Executive Director of Government Relations for Indiana State University. In that capacity, he serves as the University liaison to the Indiana General Assembly, Governor’s Office and Commission for Higher Education as well as the United States Congress and local governments. From 2009-2012, Mr. Goode served as Chief of Staff to the President of Bastyr University in Seattle, WA and was the founder and director of the University’s Center for Health Policy and Leadership. In addition to his positions at Indiana State and Bastyr, Goode has held key roles on the staffs of former U.S. Reps. Steven Buyer, Brian Kearns and Ed Pease, served on the boards of directors of Terre Haute Regional Hospital and the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce and on the Indiana Chamber of Commerce federal policy task force. He earned two degrees from Indiana State University including a B.S. in Political Science and M.A. in History. He is a PhD Candidate in Public Administration and Policy at Virginia Tech.

Brien N. Smith

Dean, Scott College of Business, Indiana State University

Brien SmithBrien Smith is the dean for the Scott College of Business at Indiana State University. Smith attained his PhD in industrial/organizational psychology in 1989 from Auburn University. He has over 25 years of administrative experience in higher education and has actively participated in university governance.  Smith previously worked at Ball State University where he served a number of roles including associate dean, chair for the Department of Marketing and Management, and director of business graduate programs.

While at Indiana State, the college of business has experienced marked growth in undergraduate and graduate enrollments.  Dean Smith has secured nearly 10 million dollars in grant funding for new and existing programs in the college.  Under his direction the college developed the Student Managed Investment Consortium with over 30 university affiliates.  The college continues to be recognized as a thought leader in insurance and risk management, hosting the Insurance Public Policy Summit in Washington, D.C. each year.

Smith published numerous articles in refereed proceedings and journals, including many of the most highly acclaimed journals in his field: Journal of Applied Psychology, European Journal of Operational ResearchJournal of Business and Psychology, and Journal of Applied Social Psychology. He has delivered presentations and speeches at national and international conferences. 

Dr. Smith has a strong interest in psychological applications to the workplace, and draws heavily from his organizational psychology background.  His 2004 article, “Transformational and Servant Leadership: Content and Contextual Comparisons” in the Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies has been cited hundreds of times in journal articles, periodicals, and books.

Monica Griesemer

Networks Scholar at Scott College of Business, Indiana State University ​

Monica GriesemerMonica Griesemer is a senior Networks Scholar at Indiana State University from Shelbyville, Illinois. She will graduate with Bachelor of Science in marketing this May. Within the Networks Professional Development Program, she has taken on a number of roles including Scholarship Recruitment Coordinator, Special Events Programmer for the 12th Annual Ethics Conference, and Chair of the Student Advisory Council. Griesemer states that the Networks Professional Development Program has been especially impactful by giving her the chance to learn by experience and helping her grow confidence as a business professional.

 On campus, Griesemer is involved in Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity, The Indiana State University Vocal Chorale, is a member of the Federal Hall Art Committee, and a part of the Honors College. Her favorite moments at Indiana State University include singing the Alma Mater with her choir at the Dedication of Normal Hall Gala and studying abroad with two fellow Networks Scholars in Prague, Czech Republic. She has recently accepted a job at Citrix in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and looks forward to stepping into a Product Marketing role.

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