Davis Appoints California Insurance Commissioner

On July 31, California Gov. Gray Davis appointed retired Court of Appeal Justice Harry Low to replace former Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush who resigned from office last month.

The 69-year-old Democrat served as a judge in the San Francisco area for 25 years. He retired from the appellate court in 1992, and has since been working as an arbitrator.

Davis said he picked Low to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Quackenbush because he believes the retired judge will restore credibility to an agency tarnished by scandal.

Acting Insurance Commissioner Clark Kelso congratulated Davis for “making such a superb nomination to fill the position of Insurance Commissioner.” Kelso worked with Low in connection with the California Judicial Council’s 2020 Vision Project. Low’s appointment must still be confirmed by the Legislature.

“If confirmed, which should happen this month before Legislature goes out of session, Low will take on the remaining two years [of Quackenbush’s term],” said Mike Silva, spokesman for the California Department of Insurance (CDI). Davis said he expects Low’s appointment to win quick approval in the Legislature.

Quackenbush resigned July 10 amid investigations into his settlements with major insurance companies over their handling of 1994 Northridge earthquake claims. A top priority of Low’s will be to examine how these quake claims were handled. Low plans to take office in mid-September.

Earlier in July, Kelso announced the appointment of Loren Suter as deputy commissioner of administration for the CDI. Suter is the former chief deputy of the State Controller’s Office and has also served as deputy director of administration for the Employment Development Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Suter, who officially took office on July 24, is in charge of the human resources and accounting divisions of the CDI.

Topics California