TAFT APPOINTS INTERIM DIRECTOR OF INSURANCE DEPT.
COLUMBUS (December 2, 2002) - Governor Bob Taft today announced the appointment of Holly Saelens as interim director of the Ohio Department of Insurance.
Saelens, 36, is a Lancaster native, and has served as the department's assistant director for policy and legislation since January 2000. Previously, Saelens served as a director of public policy services for the Ohio Manufacturers' Association, a legislative liaison for the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, and an aide in the Ohio Senate.
"Holly has been an integral part of the leadership of the Department of Insurance for three years," Taft said. "I have every confidence that she will maintain the department's forward momentum during this transition."
Saelens assumes the role of interim director following the resignation of former director Lee Covington, which was effective November 29. She earned a B.A. from Ohio University in 1988 and a master's degree in public administration from The Ohio State University in 1998. She and husband David T. Bartleson reside in Gahanna with their daughter, Abigail Hope.
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.
# # #
Contact: Todd Boyer, Department of Insurance, at 614-644-3481; or
Joe Andrews, Governor's Office, at 614-644-0957.