For Immediate Release
November 23, 2021
Contact: Emme Anderson
(732) 201-4133
NCOIL ELECTS NEW OFFICER TEAM
CA’s Cooley, NY’s Cahill, TX’s Oliverson & AR’s Ferguson to Lead National Insurance Legislator Group
Scottsdale, Arizona – The nation’s premier legislator-led insurance public policy organization, the National Council of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL), elected CA Assemblyman Ken Cooley President, NY Assemblyman Kevin Cahill Vice-President, TX Representative Dr. Tom Oliverson Treasurer, and Arkansas Representative Dr. Deborah Ferguson as Secretary for the upcoming year.
“I am proud of the bipartisan friendships and solutions that NCOIL promotes and I consider it a great honor to be asked to take on duties as NCOIL President during 2022,” stated Cooley.
NCOIL is a national legislative organization with the nation’s 50 states as members, represented principally by legislators serving on their states’ insurance and financial institutions committees. NCOIL writes Model Laws in insurance and financial services, works to preserve the State jurisdiction over insurance as established by the McCarran-Ferguson Act seventy six years ago, and to serve as an educational forum for public policymakers and interested parties. Founded in 1969, NCOIL works to assert the prerogative of legislators in making State policy when it comes to insurance and educate State legislators on current and longstanding insurance issues.
“This has been a unique time to be NCOIL President” said IN House Majority Leader Matt Lehman, who concluded his term as NCOIL’s President at the Annual Meeting. “I certainly never planned to be NCOIL President for two years, and could not have done so without the tremendous support and assistance of the other NCOIL officers and our staff over this period.”
“Ken’s unique background has made him nationally respected among his lawmaker peers in the 50 states for his collaborative style and thoughtful insurance public policy insights,” Lehman concluded.
“NCOIL owes a debt of gratitude to President Matt Lehman for his service during the trying times of the pandemic these past two years,” stated Cahill. “I have tremendous confidence in Assemblyman Cooley to carry the mantle forward over the next year, and am honored to serve as Vice President,” he concluded.
“I often tell people that ‘everything I know about insurance I learned at NCOIL’ and now I am both honored and delighted to join its officer ranks as Treasurer,” stated Oliverson, who also chairs the Texas House of Representatives Insurance Committee.
Rep. Ferguson stated “I am honored to serve as an officer and help guide NCOIL. I am grateful to have an organization like NCOIL. I have learned so much from the in-depth policy discussions on insurance issues in a non-partisan atmosphere. The model legislation and discussions inform my
legislative decisions in Arkansas.”
Asm. Cooley continued, “[a]s a national organization of state legislators, NCOIL focuses on helping legislators solve insurance availability and operation problems back home and this makes its meetings very practical and bipartisan. NCOIL is the only national public policy organization I’ve been active with as a California Assemblymember since 2013.”
“Everyone associated with NCOIL is exceptionally appreciative to Matt Lehman for his tireless leadership over these past two years; we owe him a great debt,” said NCOIL CEO Commissioner Tom Considine.
“We are also fortunate to have the new officer corps the membership has elected. Ken Cooley has proven, at NCOIL, the NAIC and in the CA legislature, to be one of the most insightful and thoughtful insurance minds in the country. Kevin Cahill is a real leader as the NY Assembly Insurance Chair in addition to his fine work at NCOIL. Also, NCOIL has set a new precedent with the election of two doctors as officers, as well as a welcome return of a woman officer after too long an absence,” Considine continued. “Tom Oliverson and Deborah Ferguson have been leaders in their states on insurance issues and at NCOIL for a number of years and will be excellent officers,” Considine concluded.
“I look forward to maintaining NCOIL’s strong tradition of collegial problem-solving,” Cooley concluded.
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