GOVERNOR TAFT THANKS COVINGTON FOR SERVICE
AS DIRECTOR OF INSURANCE DEPARTMENT
COLUMBUS (November 22, 2002) - Governor Bob Taft today announced that Lee Covington has informed the Governor of his intent to resign his position as Director of the Ohio Department of Insurance by December 10.
Covington, 35, was appointed by Taft as director of the Ohio Department of Insurance in March 1999. Previously, Covington had served as the deputy commissioner of the Arkansas Department of Insurance, as legal counsel to Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, and as an attorney for the law firm of Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates and Woodyard.
"When I appointed Lee Covington to head the Ohio Department of Insurance, I asked him to protect Ohio's insurance consumers, strengthen the insurance market in Ohio, and make the department a national leader in the regulation of insurance," Taft said. "He has accomplished those tasks with great energy, integrity, and dedication. I want to thank him for his leadership and service to the people of Ohio, and wish him and his wife Heather every success in the future."
The Ohio Department of Insurance regulates more than 160,000 licensed insurance agents and 1,700 companies selling insurance products in the state. The department employs 265 people.
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Contact: Todd Boyer, Department of Insurance, at 614-644-3481; or
Mary Anne Sharkey, Governor's Office, at 614-644-0957.