Kansas Insurance Commissioner Appoints New Staff

Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger has named a new general counsel, a new consumer assistance director and made title changes for two staff members at the Kansas Insurance Department (KID).

Praeger named Zachary J.C. Anshutz as general counsel.

She also named Kevin Davis, government affairs officer, as director of Consumer Assistance and Government Affairs. Davis has been with the department since September 2010.

Cindy Hermes, who has worked with both consumers and legislators while at KID, has been named the department’s Health Care Consumer Ombudsman and director of Public Outreach.

Linda Sheppard, KID Accident and Health Division director, was also appointed project manager for implementation of Kansas guidelines for the federal Affordable Care Act.

Anshutz was KID assistant general counsel from July 2008 to June 2010 and was a staff attorney for the department from 2006-2008. Prior to returning to KID, he spent six months as associate general counsel for the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts. He was also an attorney for the Kansas Association of School Boards in 2005-2006. He replaces John Campbell, who accepted a position in the Kansas Attorney General’s office.

Davis worked as senior attorney and government affairs counsel for American Family Insurance Co. for more than 20 years prior to joining KID in 2010. He also previously worked as an attorney for Kansas Fire and Casualty Co., the League of Kansas Municipalities and the Kansas Department of Administration. He replaces Jim Welch as director of Consumer Assistance. Welch accepted a position in the Kansas Attorney General’s office.

Hermes has been with the department since 2003. Sheppard has been accident and health director since 2008.

Topics Kansas