DCI News

Jefferson City, Mo. - The Missouri Department of Insurance has appointed two veteran insurance regulators to division director positions:

Mary Kempker, Market Regulation Division - Kempker has worked at the Department of Insurance for more than 10 years, including the last six as director of the Consumer Affairs Division. In that role, she managed the division responsible for handling consumer complaints against insurance companies and agents. Her division returned more than 12 million dollars to Missouri insurance consumers in 2008.

Kempker takes over the Market Regulation Division, which:

• Examines the records of insurance companies suspected of violating Missouri insurance laws. In 2008, the Market Conduct Section recovered more than six million dollars to Missouri consumers who paid too much in insurance premiums or received no money or not enough money for their insurance claims;
• Reviews all insurance policies for compliance with Missouri insurance laws before they can be sold to consumers;
• Maintains on file all rates charged to Missouri consumers by insurance companies; and
• Tracks industry trends and generates annual reports on topics including medical malpractice insurance, consumer complaints and market share data for various lines of insurance, under the direction of a full-time statistician.

Kempker has a professional designation from FAHM (Fellow Academy of Healthcare Management) and is a candidate for SPIR (Senior Professional Insurance Regulator), offered by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).

Her previous employment included the Missouri Consolidated Health Care Plan, Blue Cross / Blue Shield of Missouri and Missouri Farm Bureau, where she handled excess & surplus lines and workers' compensation insurance.

Angela Nelson, Consumer Affairs Division - Nelson has worked at the department since 2002, and for the past year has managed the Property and Casualty Section, which oversees policies and rates for several lines of insurance, including homeowners, auto and workers' compensation. Before taking that position, Nelson worked as a market conduct analyst and workers' compensation insurance specialist for the department.

Prior to joining the Department of Insurance, Nelson was a licensed insurance agent with a State Farm agency in Holts Summit, Mo.

In addition to an extensive insurance background, Nelson graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree and an MBA from William Woods University.

Both Mary Kempker and Angie Nelson are proven leaders with a record of protecting Missouri consumers, said John M. Huff, director of the Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration (DIFP). The department's mission is always to protect the public, but it's especially important in these economic times that consumers have an aggressive advocate watching out for their interests.