Taft Tabs Kielmeyer as Interim Ohio Comp Bureau Chief; Panel Will Review Investment Portfolio

Ohio Gov. Bob Taft announced the appointment of Tina Kielmeyer as the interim administrator of the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation and appointed a panel of top bureaucrats to review the bureau’s investment portfolio and find a permanent administrator.

Previous administrator James Conrad resigned amid a scandal over $10 million in missing rare coins the bureau had purchased as an investment. Kielmeyer, a 23-year veteran of the BWC, has been serving as the bureau’s assistant administrator and chief operating officer since April 2004.

Prior to being named assistant administrator and COO, Kielmeyer served as chief of the BWC’s Injury Management Services Division and was instrumental in developing and implementing the BWC’s managed care Health Partnership Program.

Kielmeyer has dedicated her career at BWC in the operational functions of workers’ compensation insurance and is a recognized industry expert in the areas of claims processing, injury management and risk management.

Taft also announced the creation of a management review team to assist interim administrator Kielmeyer with transition issues and to help manage a thorough review of the BWC’s investment portfolio.

Taft charged Kielmeyer and the team to do the following and make an initial report to him within 45 days:
1. Complete a systematic review of the BWC investment portfolio, including a review of internal audit and control systems.
2. Contract, if necessary, with independent evaluators to assist with the investment review.
3. Assess BWC investment management and audit staffing.
4. Consult on these matters with the BWC Oversight Commission.
5. Cooperate fully with all ongoing investigations and audits.

Named to the team were:
—Tom Hayes. Hayes is director of the Ohio Lottery Commission and will serve as the team leader. Hayes has been Lottery director since January 2005 and previously served as director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services from September 2001 through December 2004. Hayes is credited with making substantial management improvements during his tenure at ODJFS. Hayes is also a former Cuyahoga County administrator, holding that post from 1995 to 1997, and again from January 1999 through August 2001.

—Laurie Fiori Hacking: Since January 2000 Hacking has served as executive director of the Ohio Public Employee Retirement System. OPERS manages about $65 billion in retirement assets, making it the 10th largest statewide public retirement system in the country and 16th largest in the world. She previously served as director of the statewide Minnesota Public Employees Retirement System.

—James Nichols: Nichols has been treasurer of the Ohio State University since 1981. He has also served OSU as interim chief executive officer of University Hospitals and as acting vice president for business and administration. Nichols oversees an investment portfolio of the university that exceeds $2.4 billion and includes endowment, trusts, employee benefit accounts, debt reserves, cash investments and real estate.

Taft also asked Hayes to also assist in the review of candidates for the permanent BWC administrator position.

Topics Ohio