Pennsylvania Names New Deputy Commissioner

Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Diane Koken announced yesterday Gov. Tom Ridge’s appointment of Ronald A. Gallagher Jr. of Cumberland County as Deputy Insurance Commissioner for Consumer and Producer Services.

“Ron brings a strong customer focus to this position with a positive record of providing prompt and accurate service to both internal and external customers,” Koken said. “His experience makes him uniquely qualified to assure that consumers and producers receive top quality service from the department.”

Gallagher will oversee the Consumer Services and Producer Licensing bureaus of the Insurance Department. Consumer Services has four regional offices that process more than 100,000 consumer inquiries and complaints annually. They recovered more than $6 million for Pennsylvania consumers in 1999.

Producer Licensing is responsible for testing and licensing the more than 120,000 insurance agents, brokers, public adjuster solicitors, surplus line agents, motor vehicle physical damage appraisers and professional bondsmen in the Commonwealth. Gallagher has served the department as director for the bureau of special funds since October 1995.

As director, he managed and developed policies related to claims and funding practice of the Catastrophic Loss Benefits Continuation Fund, the Workers’ Compensation Security Fund and the Underground Storage Tank Indemnification Fund. Collectively, the programs administer more than 6,000 claimants a year with administrative and benefit payments exceeding $75 million annually.