Vantage Point – CEO of the NAIC. Senator Nelson became the CEO of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in 2013. He was selected for the post because of his unique combination of executive, legislative and regulatory experience. He was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000 where he served for two terms as Democratic Senator from Nebraska. In the Senate, he served on the Agriculture and the Armed Services Committee’s. He also served as chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee. Working with Republicans and Democrats, Senator Nelson forged agreements between the Bush administration and the Senate on tax cuts, Medicare reform and homeland security. During the first term of the Obama administration, he co-founded a bipartisan “Jobs Squad” of Senators that cut billions in spending from an economic recovery plan that ultimately became law. In the months following 9/11, Senator Nelson was instrumental in gaining passage of the federal Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, which provided a “backstop” for catastrophic insurance losses resulting from acts of terrorism. Earlier in his career, Senator Nelson was governor of Nebraska. In 1994, he was the first Nebraska governor to be elected to a second term in two decades. His record of balancing Nebraska’s budget as governor was an asset as he worked to reduce federal spending in a way that was effective and fair. Senator Nelson started his career in  insurance law. He served as CEO of the Central National Insurance Group, as chief of staff and executive vice president of the NAIC, and as Director of the the Nebraska Department of Insurance. He completed his bachelor’s, master’s and law degrees from the University of Nebraska in 1970.

www.naic.org

Vantage Point – Kentucky Commissioner of Insurance. Sharon Clark is the Insurance Commissioner for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Commissioner Clark was appointed to the post in 2008 and again in 2012. Prior to becoming Commissioner, she was the first director of the “consumer protection and education division” at the department, a position she held for 5 years. Clark served as the chair of the Kentucky Health Benefit Exchange Advisory Board during its inaugural year and continues as a board member. She is also a member of the Kentucky Group Health Insurance Board. On a national level she is the Vice President of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. She is also past secretary-treasurer of the National Insurance Producer Registry, Board of Directors and is interim chair of the Surplus Lines Multi-State Compliance Compact. Prior to being appointed Commissioner, she worked at the Kentucky Finance and Administration cabinet. She also held positions for the Kentucky House of Representatives, the Public Service Commission and the former Workforce Development Cabinet. Clark earned both a bachelor and masters degrees from the University of Kentucky.

ky.gov