For Immediate Release
November 30, 2022
Contact: Pat Gilbert
(732) 201-4133
NCOIL ELECTS NEW OFFICER TEAM
AR’s Ferguson, TX’s Oliverson, NY’s Hunter, and MN’s Utke to Lead National Insurance Legislator Group
Belmar, NJ – The National Council of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) recently met and elected its lineup of officers for the upcoming year. Arkansas Representative Deborah Ferguson, DDS will serve as President; Texas Representative Tom Oliverson, M.D. will serve as Vice President; New York Assemblywoman Pamela Hunter will serve as Treasurer; and Minnesota Senator Paul Utke will serve as Secretary.
“It’s a great honor to be elected NCOIL President and I look forward to working with my fellow officers to continue the advancement of the organization,” said Rep. Ferguson. “NCOIL has made great progress in the past few years both in terms of its adoption of a wide array of Model Laws as well as increasing its national reach. I look forward to building on that momentum.”
In addition to the newly elected officers, California Assemblyman Ken Cooley and Indiana House Majority Leader Representative Matt Lehman remain in the leadership serving as Immediate Past Presidents. The officer group assumed their responsibilities at the conclusion of the 2022 NCOIL Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA.
“I’ve seen firsthand how vital NCOIL is in helping educate legislators about emerging insurance public policy issues and I am glad to be a part of guiding its strategic direction,” said Rep. Oliverson. “Along with my fellow officers, we will strive to have NCOIL reach even more of our
legislator colleagues around the country.”
“Working on insurance issues both as Chair of the NCOIL Health Insurance and Long Term Care Issues Committee as well as a Member of the New York Assembly Insurance Committee, it’s become clear how important NCOIL is to insurance public policy across the nation,” said Asw. Hunter. “I’m glad to help be a part of NCOIL leadership as it takes on timely issues in the years to come.”
Sen. Utke said “Having been involved with NCOIL for a number of years, I am looking forward to joining its officer ranks and doing all I can to continue to advance the organization. The issues currently facing the insurance sector are indeed complex and NCOIL will play a key role in helping legislators and interested parties stay educated and informed.”
NCOIL CEO Commissioner Tom Considine stated “We are very fortunate with the officer group the membership has elected. Deborah Ferguson hit the ground running in her first year as an officer and when she decided to run for President, everyone knew she was beyond prepared. Tom Oliverson has been a leader on insurance issues both here at NCOIL and in Texas where he chairs the House Insurance Committee. Our two new additions to the officer ranks have proven records of success chairing policy committees here at NCOIL. We’re all confident Pam Hunter and Paul Utke will now make even greater contributions to the organization as officers.”
“I’d like to thank Assemblyman Cooley for his contributions not only during his presidency but also throughout his broader service to the organization. Everyone at NCOIL appreciates all he has done to positively impact insurance public policy,” Rep. Ferguson concluded.
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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 over seventy 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.