Sharon Clark, a 17-year veteran of Kentucky state government, has been appointed commissioner of Kentucky's Department of Insurance.
Clark was previously director of the Consumer Protection and Education division at the Department of Insurance (DOI), served three years in positions in the Kentucky House of Representatives, and worked in the Finance and Administration Cabinet last year.
"Sharon Clark brings a wealth of knowledge to the Department of Insurance and we are pleased to have someone with her experience serving as commissioner," says Robert Vance, secretary of the Public Protection Cabinet. "Sharon's knowledge of the industry, coupled with her background in consumer protection, will serve the department well."The Kentucky insurance department has seen a number of changes over the past year. The former executive director of the Office of Insurance, Julie McPeak, left office in December 2007 after Democrat Steve Beshear unseated incumbent Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher in November election. The DOI was part of a cabinet reorganization under Fletcher that combined three cabinets into one large organization. When Beshear took office, he split those cabinets back into separate entities and changed the Office of Insurance back into the DOI.
McPeak joined the Nashville law firm of Burr & Forman in July and serves as counsel to the firm's insurance practice group. John Burkholder served as acting commissioner in the interim.
"Long term, I really want to try to bring some stability back to the department," Clark says. "Since 2001 there have been around seven commissioners or acting commissioners, and that has made it difficult for there to be any continuity of leadership."
She says she also hopes to develop closer relationships with the various stakeholders the agency serves. "That was really put on hold the last few years," she says.
Pat Gisler, executive director of the Automotive Service Councils of Kentucky, hopes that Clark will be more sympathetic to the concerns of the collision repair industry than her predecessors.
"Since she doesn't come from an insurance background, we're hoping that she will be more open to our issues and concerns," Gisler says.
The repair industry in Kentucky has had only limited success addressing issues such as steering and material caps with the insurance department over the years. In part, Gisler said, that's because most commissioners come from an insurance industry background and have very little understanding of how auto repair businesses operate, or how repair industry concerns can impact the consumer.
Prior to leaving office, former Commissioner McPeak caused a stir when e-mails she had sent to former North Dakota insurance commissioner Jim Poolman inquiring about working for the insurance industry were made public. Poolman left office in 2007 to work as a consultant for the insurance industry. Poolman and McPeak worked together on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners controversial model law to regulate the life settlements industry.
"I'm optimistic that Commissioner Clark could be helpful to our industry because of her background in consumer protection," Gisler says. "In our business, if it's good for the consumer, it's good for us. We're simply trying to correctly repair vehicles and get paid to do that work."
Clark said she is familiar with steering concerns from her days in the consumer protection office, but needs time to get up to speed on specific automotive issues.
"Our communication lines are open and we are receptive to hearing about any issues out there," Clark says.
