In 2024, at the end of his six term in office, Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler is going to call it quits. At the present time, Kreidler is the nation’s longest serving commissioner.
Kreidler made the announcement to quit in an email to his staff.
“Serving alongside you as Insurance Commissioner for Washington state has been, and continues to be, the greatest honor of my life,” Kreidler said in the email. “I’ve always said it was the best job I’ve ever had, and I still feel that way today.
PIA Western Alliance Executive Vice President Kim Legato said the PIA Washington wishes Kreidler the best.
“Though we have disagreed with the commissioner many times, and especially on his contentious credit scoring stance, and ill-conceived edicts on the same subject, we wish Commissioner Kreidler a long and happy retirement,” she said.
Kenton Brine is the president of the NW Insurance Council. He, too, wished Kreidler well.
“NW Insurance Council congratulates Commissioner Kreidler on his plans to retire after a long career of public service. Despite controversial stands on some insurance issues and unfortunate disruptions to the Washington insurance market over recent years, we respect Commissioner Kreidler’s passion and long-standing commitment to protect insurance consumers,” Brine told Weekly Industry News. “We will continue to work with the Commissioner and OIC staff over the remainder of his term, and will be ready to forge relationships and dialogue with new leadership as we seek to improve the competitive P&C insurance market and bring greater choice in products and prices for Washington consumers.”
Kreidler says he’s proud of his accomplishments.
“The list of issues we’ve tackled could go on and on, but at the end of the day, I think of the individual people we help—the thousands of families we’ve advocated for, day after day. That, above all else, is what makes me the most proud of this agency and of all of you,” the commissioner said. “Now, it’s time for someone else to step forward and carry on this agency’s important consumer protection work.”
Kim Legato agrees it’s time for change.
“PIA Washington is now hoping that candidates who have insurance background experience consider running for this position. It’s vital the industry issues we face come with a balanced approach with an agent and carrier perspective.”, she said.
Source link: Washington Department of Insurance — https://bit.ly/3ARzfpa
