Illinois Director of Insurance

Illinois Director of Insurance
General information
Office Type:	Nonpartisan
Office website:	Official Link
Compensation:	$181,500
2025 FY Budget:	$119,474,100
Term limits:	None
Structure
Length of term:	Serves at the governor's pleasure
Selection Method:	Appointed by the governor
Current Officeholder
Ann Gillespie
Other Illinois Executive Offices
Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Comptroller • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Director • Insurance Director • Natural Resources Director • Labor Director • Illinois Commerce Commission

The Illinois Director of Insurance is a state executive position in the Illinois state government. The Department of Insurance's mission is to protect consumers by providing assistance and information, by efficiently regulating the insurance industry's market behavior and financial solvency and by fostering a competitive insurance marketplace.

Current officeholder

The acting Illinois Director of Insurance is Ann Gillespie (nonpartisan). Gillespie assumed office in 2024. She was appointed by Governor J.B. Pritzker office on April 9, 2024.

Authority

The Illinois Director of Insurance's powers are derived from Chapter 215, Act 5, Article XXIV .

Article XXIV, Section 401:

The Director is charged with the rights, powers and duties appertaining to the enforcement and execution of all the insurance laws of this State. He shall have the power (a) to make reasonable rules and regulations as may be necessary for making effective such laws; (b) to conduct such investigations as may be necessary to determine whether any person has violated any provision of such insurance laws; (c) to conduct such examinations, investigations and hearings in addition to those specifically provided for, as may be necessary and proper for the efficient administration of the insurance laws of this State; and (d) to institute such actions or other lawful proceedings as he may deem necessary for the enforcement of the Illinois Insurance Code or of any Order or action made or taken by him under this Code. The Attorney General, upon request of the Director, may proceed in the courts of this State to enforce an Order or decision in any court proceeding or in any administrative proceeding before the Director.

Qualifications

"The executive and administrative officers, whose offices are created by this Act, must have the qualifications prescribed by law..."

Appointment

Article V, Section 9 of the Illinois Constitution establishes the governor's power to appoint the director of insurance:

Governor - Appointing Power (a) The Governor shall nominate and, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, a majority of the members elected concurring by record vote, shall appoint all officers whose election or appointment is not otherwise provided for. Any nomination not acted upon by the Senate within 60 session days after the receipt thereof shall be deemed to have received the advice and consent of the Senate. The General Assembly shall have no power to elect or appoint officers of the Executive Branch. (b) If, during a recess of the Senate, there is a vacancy in an office filled by appointment by the Governor by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, the Governor shall make a temporary appointment until the next meeting of the Senate, when he shall make a nomination to fill such office. (c) No person rejected by the Senate for an office shall, except at the Senate's request, be nominated again for that office at the same session or be appointed to that office during a recess of that Senate.

Vacancies

Article V, Section 9 of the Illinois Constitution also covers the process for filling vacancies in the office of Illinois Director of Insurance. Because the director of insurance serves at the pleasure of the governor, the process for appointment is the same whether the governor appoints a new director or the current director stops serving in the office. The governor appoints the director with the advice and consent of the state Senate. If the Senate fails to act upon a nomination for appointment with in 60 days of it being made, the appointment will be considered to have received the advice and consent of the Senate. Vacancies occurring during Senate recesses are filled by temporary gubernatorial appointments. The governor must submit a nomination when the Senate reconvenes for advice and consent.

Duties

The director is responsible for the operations of the office of the special deputy receiver, which handles the affairs of insurance companies placed in rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation.

Divisions

Click here to view a larger-scale image of the Illinois Department of Insurance Organizational Chart as of August 5, 2013.

As of January 19, 2021, the Illinois Department of Insurance contains the following divisions:

• Consumer Education and Protection
• Life and Annuities Products Division
• Health Products Division
• Property and Casualty Products Division
• Financial and Corporate Regulatory Division
• Enforcement and Investigations Division
• Finance and Administration‐Procurement/Administration Division
• Human Resources Division
• Innovation and Market Analysis Division
• Office of Legal Affairs Division

State budget

See also: Illinois state budget and finances

The Illinois Department of Insurance's budget for Fiscal Year 2025 was $119,474,100.

Compensation

See also: Compensation of state executive officers

2023

In 2023, the officer's salary was $181,500, according to the Council of State Governments.

2022

In 2022, the officer's salary was $162,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2021

In 2021, the director received a salary of $159,600, according to the Council of State Governments.

2020

In 2020, the director received a salary of $159,600, according to the Council of State Governments.

2019

In 2019, the director received a salary of $135,081, according to the Council of State Governments.

2018

In 2018, the director received a salary of $135,081, according to the Council of State Governments.

2017

In 2017, the director received a salary of $135,081, according to the Council of State Governments.

2016

In 2016, the director received a salary of $135,081, according to the Council of State Governments.

2015

In 2015, the director received a salary of $135,081, according to the Council of State Governments.

2014

In 2014, the director received a salary of $135,081, according to the Council of State Governments.

2013

In 2013, the director received a salary of $113,308, according to the Council of State Governments.

2012

In 2012, the director received a salary of $135,081, according to the Council of State Governments.

2010

In 2010, the director received a salary of $135,100, according to the Council of State Governments.

Historical officeholders

A total of 53 officials have served as the Illinois director of insurance from 1893-Present.

List of Former Officeholders from 1893-Present
#	Name	Tenure
1	Bradford Durfee	1893–1897
2	James R. Van Cleave	1897–1901
3	Henry Yates	1901–1903
4	William R. Vredenburgh	1903–1907
5	Fred W. Potter	1907–1913
6	Rufus Potts	1913–1917
7	Fred W. Potter	1917–1921
8	Thomas J. Houston	1921–1923
9	Alex Johnson	1923–1927
10	George Huskinson	1927–1930
11	Harry Hanson	1930–1933
12	Ernest Palmer	1933–1940
13	S. Hayden Davis	1940–1941
14	Paul F. Jones	1941–1944
15	N.P. Parkinson	1944–1949
16	Harry B. Hershey	1949–1950
17	J. Edward Day	1950–1953
18	Robert E. Barrett	1953–1954
19	Laddie T. Pelnar (Acting)	1954
20	Justin T. McCarthy	1954–1957
21	Joseph S. Gerber	1957–1963
22	Richard. G. Hershey	1963–1965
23	John E. Bolton Jr.	1965–1969
24	James Baylor	1969–1973
25	Fred A. Mauck	1973–1974
26	Robert B. Wilcox	1974–1976
27	Dennis W. Toivonen (Acting)	1976
28	Michael P. Duncan	1976–1977
29	Richard L. Mathias	1977–1979
30	Philip R. O'Connor	1979–1982
31	James W. Schacht (Acting)	1982–1983
32	John E. Washburn	1983–1989
33	Zack Stamp	1989–1991
34	James W. Schacht (Acting)	1991
35	Stephen F. Selcke	1991–1994
36	James W. Schacht (Acting)	1994–1995
37	Mark Boozell	1995–1998
38	Arnold Dutcher (Acting)	1998–1999
39	Nathaniel S. Shapo	1999–2003
40	Arnold Dutcher (Acting)	2003
41	J. Anthony Clark	2003–2004
42	Deirdre Manna (Acting)	2004–2005
43	Michael McRaith	2005–2011
44	Jack Messmore (Acting)	2011
45	Andrew Stolfi (Acting)	2011
46	Bob E. Wagner (Acting)	2012
47	Andrew Boron	2012–2015
48	James Stephens	January 2015–July 2015
49	Anne Melissa Dowling	2015–2017
50	Jennifer Hammer	2017–2018
51	Kevin Fry (Acting)	2018–2019
52	Robert Muriel	2019–2020
53	Dana Popish Severinghaus	2021-2024
54	Ann Gillespie	2024-Present

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Illinois Director of Insurance. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Illinois Director of Insurance - Google News

Contact information

Springfield Office:
320 W. Washington Street
Springfield, IL 62767-0001
Main Phone Number: (217) 782-4515
TDD: (866) 323-5321

Chicago Office:
122 S. Michigan Ave., 19th Floor
Chicago, IL 60603
Main Phone Number: (312) 814-2420
TDD: (866) 323-5321

See also

• Insurance Commissioner
• Andrew Boron

External links

Suggest a link

• Illinois Department of Insurance