Two Northeast insurance commissioners announced plans to step down from their jobs in the last month.
Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Joel Ario has stepped down as the state’s top insurance regulator to take a position with the federal government as director of federal Office of Insurance Exchanges.
Robert L. Pratter has been named acting insurance commissioner. He has served as the executive deputy general counsel for litigation with the state’s Office of General Counsel since 2008. A former partner at Duane Morris, Pratter specialized in regulatory, corporate and judicial proceedings affecting the insurance industry. Prior to entering the public sector, Pratter had been senior vice president and general counsel for PMA Capital Corp.
Ario became the state’s commissioner in 2007, after serving as the chief insurance regulator for the state of Oregon.
Virginia Insurance Commissioner Alfred W. Gross announced he will retire at the end of the year. Gross served as commissioner for 14 years.
“It is with mixed emotions that I am making this decision,” said Gross, 64. “I am looking forward to retirement with great anticipation. But, it is going to be difficult to part company with the Bureau’s highly dedicated and capable staff with whom I have worked since 1981.”
The Bureau of Insurance oversees compliance with Virginia’s insurance laws affecting more than 2,500 insurance companies, groups and plans, and nearly 184,000 insurance agencies and agents.
Gross is one of the longest-serving state insurance commissioners in the nation.
His retirement date will be Dec. 31.
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