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State of Arkansas
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PRESS RELEASE
January 14, 1998

State Insurance Commissioner Mike Pickens announced today that he has invited representatives of consumers, agents, and insurers to participate as members of four (4) Commissioner's Advisory Task Forces.

"The purpose of these task forces is to facilitate better communications between this Department and consumers, agents, and insurer representatives, as well as to assist us in developing our legislative package for 1999. In addition to helping us develop legislation, we will use this task force process to address laws and regulations which may be obsolete or unnecessary, with the ultimate goal of eliminating any such laws or regulations," Pickens stated. The task forces will be chaired by a staff member of the Arkansas Insurance Department. The chairpersons will present topics to the task forces for consideration, and will solicit the input and expertise of the task force members in addressing the issues.

The following is a list as of this date of the task forces, members and chairpersons:

Life and Health Advisory Task Force

• John Hartnedy, Chairperson, Arkansas Insurance Department
• John Shields, Chairperson, Arkansas Insurance Department
• Tom Beasley, Farm Bureau, Jonesboro, AR
• Tom Alexander, Farmers Insurance, Rogers, AR
• Deane G. Baldwin, M.D., Little Rock, AR
• Beth Bostwick, Ashley Life Ins. Co., Hamburg, AR
• Jack Hewitt, North Little Rock, AR
• Scott Holladay, Care Link, North Little Rock, AR
• Donald E. Kee, Harding College, Searcy, AR
• Mike Lawyer, State Farm Insurance, Forrest City, AR
• Phil Matthews, Arkansas Hospital Association, Little Rock, AR
• Earl Peeples, M.D., Little Rock, AR
• Frank Sewall, Arkansas BlueCross BlueShield, Little Rock, AR
• Wayne Shearon, Effectiveness Group, Maumelle, AR
• Mike Wilkinson, Union Life Insurance, Little Rock, AR

Life and Health Advisory Task Force (Cont.)

• Norine Yukon, Prudential Health Care, Little Rock, AR
• Lynn Zeno, Arkansas Medical Association, Little Rock, AR

Property and Casualty Personal Lines Advisory Task Force

• Lenita Blasingame, Chairperson, Arkansas Insurance Department
• Ralph Balch, American Management Corp., Conway, AR
• Randy Cozart, Guaranty Insurance, West Memphis, AR
• Bill Ezell, General Accident Insurance, Arkadelphia, AR
• Don Heaton, Farmers Insurance, Little Rock, AR
• Randy Henry, El Dorado Insurance Agency, El Dorado, AR
• Peggy Hollanger, Farmers Protective Agency, Stuttgart, AR
• Johnny Hooks, State Farm Insurance, Monticello, AR
• Jerry Lee Moore, General Insurance Agency, Blytheville, AR
• Elston Strong, State Farm Insurance, Little Rock, AR
• Lynn Taylor, Arkansas Farm Bureau, Little Rock, AR

Property and Casualty Commercial Lines Advisory Task Force

• Lenita Blasingame, Chairperson, Arkansas Insurance Department
• Bruce Baker, Liberty Mutual, Little Rock, AR
• Bill Birch, Birch Insurance Agency, Malvern, AR
• Donna Goss, Liberty Mutual Group, Little Rock, AR
• Bob Hoffman, Hoffman-Henry Insurance, Pine Bluff, AR
• Allan W. Horne, Horne, Hollingsworth & Parker, Little Rock, AR
• Bruce McFadden, ICM, Jacksonville, AR
• John Pierron, Sedgwick James of Arkansas, Little Rock, AR
• Mary Jane Rebick, Copy System, Little Rock, AR
• Karen Regan, Ramsey, Krug, Farrell & Lensing, Little Rock, AR
• Mack Shaddox, Natural State Brokers, Cabot, AR
• Craig Sparks, Union Standard Insurance Co., Little Rock, AR
• Mark V. Williamson, Mark V. Williamson Co., Little Rock, AR

Agents' Issues Advisory Task Force

• Bob Ridgeway, Chairperson, Arkansas Insurance Department
• Randy Allison, Southeast Insurance Associates, Inc., McGehee, AR
• Bud Bulloch, Bulloch Insurance Agency, Monticello, AR
• Chet E. Caldwell, Caldwell & Associates, Fayetteville, AR
• Phil Campbell, Ashley Life, Little Rock, AR
• Brenda Doty, Doty Insurance Associates, Osceola, AR

Agents' Issues Advisory Task Force (Cont.)

• William J. Farris, Jr., Farris Agency, Inc., Conway, AR
• Chris Harrell, Harrell and Associates, El Dorado, AR
• Todd Milne, The Hagan Insurance Agency, Little Rock, AR
• Kathy Otwell, Nelson Insurance Agency, Ft. Smith, AR
• Kim Shumate, McCartney, Manning, McDonald & Guinn, Newport, AR
• Terry Youngblood, Dennis Young Insurance, Texarkana AR

Pickens explained that other people may be asked to participate as the need arises throughout the year.

"It has been said that ‘the power to regulate is the power to destroy,’" Pickens said. "However, the power to regulate also is the ability to create an atmosphere which encourages and facilitates good business practices that are beneficial to all insurance consumers. One of the underlying themes for all these task forces is to create a regulatory atmosphere in Arkansas which is conducive to the creation of a large number of reasonably priced insurance products so that everyone who wants insurance in our State is able to obtain it at affordable prices," Pickens said. "These task forces should help us create such a favorable regulatory atmosphere."

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