Wisconsin Insurance Commissioner

The Office of the Commissioner of Insurance of Wisconsin is an independent agency of the Wisconsin state government responsible for supervising and regulating the insurance industry in Wisconsin. The office licenses insurers operating in the state, examines their financial and business practices, investigates consumer complaints, ensures compliance with state laws and regulations, and provides information on the insurance industry to the public.

Office of the Commissioner of Insurance of Wisconsin
Agency overview
FormedApril 1, 1878 (1878-04-01)
HeadquartersState Education Building (GEF 3) 125 S. Webster St. Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
43°4′29.388″N 89°22′49.26″W
Employees134.83 (2021)[1]
Annual budget$361,907,100 (2021)[1]
Agency executives
  • Nathan Houdek, Commissioner
  • Rachel Cissne Carabell, Deputy Commissioner
Websiteoci.wi.gov

The Office is headquartered in the State Education Building, or GEF-3, in downtown Madison, Wisconsin.[1][2]

History

The insurance business was first authorized and regulated in Wisconsin in 1870 (1870 Wisc. Act 56). The original law vested insurance regulation as a power of the Secretary of State of Wisconsin. These powers were transferred to a separate commissioner of insurance by an act of the Wisconsin Legislature in 1878 (1878 Wisc. Act 214). The office was initially designed as a gubernatorial appointee, and the first insurance commissioner, Philip L. Spooner, Jr., was appointed by Governor William E. Smith. In 1881, however, a new act of the Legislature (1881 Wisc. Act 300) converted the appointed office into a state-wide elected office. This continued until 1911, when the office was converted back into a gubernatorial appointee.[3]

Organization

The senior leadership of the Office consists of the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner, along with the administrators and directors of the internal divisions of the Office.[4]

  • Commissioner: Nathan Houdek
  • Deputy Commissioner: Rachel Cissne Carabell
  • Administrator of Financial Regulation: Amy Malm
  • Administrator of Market Regulation & Enforcement: Rebecca Rebholz
  • Director of Operational Management: Jesse Patchak
  • Director of Public Affairs: Sarah Smith
  • Director of the Office of Administrative Services: Kristina Thole
  • Chief Legal Counsel: Richard Wicka

Subordinate boards

Separate from the ordinary organizational structure of the Office, there are a number of commissions and boards created by acts of the Wisconsin Legislature to oversee, advise, or administer certain funds.

  • Board of Directors of the Insurance Security Fund
  • Board of Governors of the Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund / Wisconsin Health Care Liability Insurance Plan
  • Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund Peer Review Council

Commissioners
Order Commissioner Took office Left office Notes
1 Philip L. Spooner Jr. April 1, 1878 January 3, 1887 Appointed by William E. Smith, then elected in 1881 and 1884.
2 Philip Cheek Jr. January 3, 1887 January 5, 1891 Elected in 1886 and 1888.
3 Wilbur M. Root January 5, 1891 January 7, 1895 Elected in 1890 and 1892.
4 William A. Fricke January 7, 1895 January 2, 1899 Elected in 1894 and 1896.
5 Emil Giljohann January 2, 1899 January 5, 1903 Elected in 1898 and 1900.
6 Zeno M. Host January 5, 1903 January 7, 1907 Elected in 1902 and 1904.[5]
7 George E. Beedle January 7, 1907 January 2, 1911 Elected in 1906 and 1908.[6]
8 Herman Ekern January 2, 1911 June 30, 1915 Elected in 1910. The law changed in 1911, turning the office into an appointed position. Governor Francis E. McGovern attempted to remove him in 1913, but he successfully sued the governor to remain in office.
Lewis A. Anderson January 15, 1913 January 30, 1913 Appointed by Francis E. McGovern, but appointment was enjoined by the court, then vetoed by the Wisconsin Senate.
9 M. J. Cleary June 30, 1915 April 10, 1919 Appointed by Emanuel L. Philipp. Resigned.
10 Platt Whitman April 16, 1919 June 30, 1923 Appointed by Emanuel L. Philipp.
11 W. Stanley Smith June 30, 1923 June 1, 1926 Appointed by John J. Blaine. Resigned.
12 Oswald H. Johnson June 2, 1926 January 7, 1927 Appointed by John J. Blaine. Resigned.
13 Milton A. Freedy January 11, 1927 June 30, 1931 Appointed by Fred R. Zimmerman.[7]
14 H. J. Mortensen June 30, 1931 June 30, 1939 Appointed by Philip La Follette.[8]
15 Morvin Duel September 20, 1939 August 18, 1948 Appointed by Julius P. Heil.[9] Re-appointed by Walter Samuel Goodland (1943) and Oscar Rennebohm (1947). Died in office.[10]
16 John R. Lange November 27, 1948 June 1, 1955 Appointed by Oscar Rennebohm.[11]
17 Alfred Van De Zande June 1, 1955 November 1, 1955 Appointed by Walter J. Kohler Jr.[12]
18 Paul J. Rogan November 1, 1955 June 1, 1959 Appointed by Walter J. Kohler Jr.[13]
19 Charles L. Manson June 1, 1959 September 15, 1965 Appointed by Gaylord Nelson.[14] Re-appointed by John W. Reynolds Jr. (1963). Reached mandatory retirement age.
20 Robert Haase September 15, 1965 September 7, 1969 Appointed by Warren P. Knowles.[15] Resigned.
21 Stanley C. Du Rose Jr. October 1, 1969 April 9, 1975 Appointed by Warren P. Knowles.[16]
22 Harold R. Wilde April 9, 1975 April 16, 1979 Appointed by Patrick Lucey.[17]
23 Susan Mitchell April 16, 1979 August 1, 1982 Appointed by Lee S. Dreyfus.[18]
24 Ann Haney August 1, 1982 March 1, 1983 Appointed by Lee S. Dreyfus.[19]
25 Thomas P. Fox March 1, 1983 April 24, 1987 Appointed by Tony Earl.[20] Resigned.
26 Robert Haase April 24, 1987 December 16, 1992 Appointed by Tommy Thompson.[21] Resigned.
John Torgerson December 16, 1992 March 8, 1993 Acting commissioner.
27 Josephine Musser March 8, 1993 January 2, 1998 Appointed by Tommy Thompson.[22]
Randy Blumer January 2, 1998 January 4, 1999 Acting commissioner.[23]
28 Connie L. O'Connell January 4, 1999 February 5, 2003 Appointed by Tommy Thompson.[24]
29 Jorge Gomez February 5, 2003 January 1, 2007 Appointed by Jim Doyle.[25]
30 Sean Dilweg January 1, 2007 January 3, 2011 Appointed by Jim Doyle.[26]
31 Ted Nickel January 3, 2011 January 7, 2019 Appointed by Scott Walker.[27]
32 Mark Afable January 7, 2019 December 31, 2021 Appointed by Tony Evers.[28]
33 Nathan Houdek January 1, 2022 Current Appointed by Tony Evers.[4]

References
  1. "The Executive" (PDF). Wisconsin Blue Book 2021–2022 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. 2021. pp. 212–214. ISBN 978-1-7333817-1-0. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  2. "About the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance". Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  3. "Wisconsin State Government" (PDF). The Wisconsin Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. 1913. p. 452. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  4. "Senior Leadership". Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  5. Erickson, Halford, ed. (1905). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 1072. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  6. Beck, J. D., ed. (1909). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 1090. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  7. "Insurance Officer for Wisconsin is Named Saturday". La Crosse Tribune. January 9, 1927. p. 1. Retrieved March 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "H. Mortensen Gets Freedy's Insurance Job". Wisconsin State Journal. June 19, 1931. p. 1. Retrieved March 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Morvin Duel Appointed to Insurance Job". The Post-Crescent. September 20, 1939. p. 1. Retrieved March 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "State Insurance Chief, Duel, Dies". Wisconsin State Journal. August 18, 1948. p. 1. Retrieved March 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Lange Appointed Insurance Chief". Wisconsin State Journal. November 27, 1948. p. 1. Retrieved March 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Senate OKs Van de Zande, Rouse to Top State Positions". Wisconsin State Journal. June 23, 1955. p. 5. Retrieved March 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Rogan to Head Insurance Unit". Wisconsin State Journal. October 19, 1955. p. 1. Retrieved March 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. "Nelson Names Manson State Insurance Chief". Wisconsin State Journal. May 5, 1959. p. 3. Retrieved March 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. "Knowles Names Robert D. Haase State Insurance Commissioner". Wisconsin State Journal. September 2, 1965. p. 1. Retrieved March 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "Pick Du Rose for Chief of Insurance". The Capital Times. October 1, 1969. p. 2. Retrieved March 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. "Senate Confirms DeBardeleben". Wisconsin State Journal. April 9, 1975. p. 4. Retrieved March 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. "Ex-insurance commissioner defends buyer's guide proposal". The Capital Times. April 17, 1979. p. 25. Retrieved March 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. "Haney takes experience to new post". The Capital Times. June 17, 1982. p. 1. Retrieved March 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. "Earl to name Fox insurance chief". Wisconsin State Journal. February 16, 1983. p. 1. Retrieved March 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. "Governor nominates Haase". Wisconsin State Journal. April 25, 1987. p. 5. Retrieved March 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. "Prescribing a cure for the system". Wisconsin State Journal. March 9, 1993. p. 1. Retrieved March 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. "Musser adds her name to list of Congress hopefuls". Wisconsin State Journal. January 7, 1998. p. 19. Retrieved March 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. "New insurance commissioner tackles managed care reform". The Capital Times. December 21, 1998. p. 3. Retrieved March 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. "Doyle picks leaders for insurance, disaster posts". Wisconsin State Journal. February 4, 2003. p. 3. Retrieved March 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. "New appointments". Green Bay Press-Gazette. December 31, 2006. p. 8. Retrieved March 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. "Cabinet Appointments". Wisconsin State Journal. January 5, 2011. p. 11. Retrieved March 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. "Evers picks ex-Obama official, 2 lawmakers". Wisconsin State Journal. January 4, 2019. p. A3. Retrieved March 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
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