New Sheriffs in Town

New leadership took hold at key state regulatory posts throughout the East.

Pennsylvania Commissioner Diane Koken resigned in February after serving for 10 years and three governors to return to the private sector. Her successor turned out to be a familiar face to those who follow state regulation: Joel Ario, who has been Oregon insurance chief since 1994.

In January, N.Y. Gov. Eliot Spitzer nominated Eric R. Dinallo as the new superintendent of insurance. Dinallo joined the department from Willis Group Holdings, where he had been general counsel since 2006. Dinallo worked with Spitzer from 1999 to 2003, during which time he headed an investigation into investment research firms.

In February, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick turned to Superior Court Justice Nonnie Burnes to be his commissioner of insurance.

The same month, Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell named former claims administration executive, Thomas R. Sullivan, as commissioner. Sullivan most recently served as senior vice president of Specialty Risk Services, a subsidiary of The Hartford.

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley named attorney and long-time advisor Ralph S. Tyler to be the commissioner responsible for overseeing Maryland’s $26 billion insurance industry. Tyler had been serving as chief legal counsel for the O’Malley-Brown Administration.