IRES's Career Development Seminar is the Society's premier professional development activity, a three-day series of workshops, panels and social events, usually held in late July or early August.

The '01 CDS once again attracted a record crowd of regulators and others interested in insurance regulation – and next year's session, scheduled for July 28-30 at the Hyatt Regency Riverwalk in San Antonio, should be another popular event.

Interested in joining your peers? Mail back a downloadable registration form or request registration materials be sent to you by mail. (After '02, future Career Development Seminars are scheduled for '03 in Scottsdale, '04 in Denver and '05 in Tampa.)

If you have a general question about the upcoming San Antonio meeting, please contact the '02 CDS chair Douglas Freeman. Or click on the links below to send a message to one of the seven section chairs.
  
 
 
To give you an idea of what a CDS is like, here's the schedule of sessions offered in Baltimore. Once we begin planning for the '02 meeting, we'll substitute those sessions – so keep watching this space.

Financial Section
Contact Section Chair: Donald Carbone, CIE
  dcarbone@ins.state.ny.us | 212-480-5142
TeamMate 2000 Demo – An overview of how this new electronic workpaper software can assist both financial and market conduct examiners. You're heard about it, now come and see it! Emphasis on financial exams
Speaker: James H. Dreyer, AIE, CFE, CISA, director, insurance regulatory solutions, Pricewaterhouse-Coopers; Brian Kettering, computer audit specialist, NAIC; Mike Press, programmer analyst, NAIC
The Federal Reserve – An overview of how the "umbrella supervisor" regulates its entities, how examinations are conduced and the risk-based approach to exams. All lines
Speakers: Robert C. Johnson, director, large institution supervisor, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco; Lee J. Kapos, senior examiner, large institution supervisor, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
The NAIC Form A Database – A Long-Needed Tool – A description of the NAIC's new database to capture data on mergers and acquisitions. What information is collected, how it works, how successful it is. All lines
Speaker: Betty Patterson, senior associate commissioner, Texas
NAIC's Financial Analysis Working Group – The charge of the NAIC working group, when it meets, what it does and the use of NAIC's analytical tools to analyze companies. All lines
Speaker: Jeffrey C. Johnston, director, financial reporting and analysis, NAIC
ACL – Its Time Has Come – How this electronic audit software can assist financial examiners. All lines
Speakers: Keith Perry, AIE, automated examinations specialist, Texas; Brian S. Kettering, computer audit specialist, NAIC; John Kuta, senior consultant, American Express Tax & Business Services; Terry Smith, FLMI, senior automated examination specialist, Texas; Thomas Stranger, supervisor, American Express Tax & Business Services; Mike Press, programmer analyst, NAIC; Pat Tracy, CPA, managing director, American Express Tax & Business Services

Consumer Services Section
Contact Section Chair: Paul J. Bicica, CIE
  pbicica@bishca.state.vt.us | 802-828-4884
Hot Topics and Cold Facts – Current Issues Affecting Consumers – Panel will discuss current issues, including viaticals, fraudulent annuities, suitability of the sale of life insurance policies, State Farm/Dateline issue of paper review of medical UIM claims. All lines
Speakers: John Chasky, associate examiner, New York; Kevin McCarty, deputy commissioner, Florida; Kirk Yeager, CIE, CLMI, CPCU, assistant commissioner-consumer affairs, Colorado
Banking on Your Records – The mix of banks and insurance has raised issues of privacy. A panel discussion of the consumer's right to privacy and how it will and won't be protected under state or federal law. L&H
Speakers: William E. Bailey, JD, CPCU, moderator; John Fielding, NAIC; Robbie Meyer, American Council of Life Insurers; David B. Reddick, market regulation manager, NAMIC; Thomas P. Vartanian, partner, Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson
Medicare HMO Terminations – What are the Options? – Will focus on how states respond to Medicare HMO beneficiaries faced with the annual threat of losing health insurance coverage, having to change doctors and having to make decisions on replacement of coverage. What have insurance departments done to assist? What works and what doesn't?
Speakers: Christine R. Curtis, consumer affairs administrator, Nebraska; Karen Carpenter-Palumbo, CSW, executive vice president, Capital District Physicians Health Plan; Roseanne Johnson, Health Care Financing Administration; Merline Smith, principal examiner, New York
How to Get 10 People into a VW: Auto and Health Claim Fraud – A panel discussion of auto and health claim fraud investigation. Identify and investigate auto and health claim fraud. P&C and health
Speakers: Craig Nemecek, SIU litigation manager, Allstate; Kate O'Donnell, assistant attorney general-criminal investigations, Maryland
Long-Term Care Policies That Partner with Medicaid – Panel discussion of a pilot project of the Health Care Financing Administration/Long Term Care Partnership to Medicaid spend down.
Speakers: James Palma, planning analyst, Connecticut Office of Policy Management, moderator; Merline Smith, principal examiner, New York

Market Conduct Section
Contact Section Chair: Kirk R. Yeager, CIE
  kirk.yeager@dora.state.co.us | 303-894-7749
Proactive Market Conduct – Back by popular demand. Key regulators and industry share what works and what doesn't work in the market conduct examination process. All lines
Speakers: Susan Ezalarab, CIE, director market regulation, Wisconsin; Fred Kotman, first vice president-market conduct, Mutual of Omaha; Sonja Larkin-Thorne, vice president government affairs, The Hartford; Charles Rapacciuolo, CIE, CFE, assistant bureau chief, New York
TeamMate 2000 Demo – An overview of how this new electronic workpaper software can assist both financial and market conduct examiners. You're heard about it, now come and see it! Emphasis on market conduct exams.
Speakers: Brian Kettering and Mike Press, NAIC
How Do Your Exams Measure Up? – Using management skills and techniques to improve quality and quantity of market conduct exams. All lines.
Speakers: Jann Goodpaster, CIE, CPCU, chief market conduct examiner, Oregon; Marge Spencer, CFE, CPA, CIA, Arthur Anderson; Kirk R. Yeager, CIE, CPCU, FLMI, assistant commissioner-consumer affairs, Colorado
NAIC Market Conduct Handbook: It's Only a Guide – Using the NAIC's Market Conduct Handbook to develop a state-specific handbook. All lines.
Speakers: Tim Mullen, CIE, JD, senior regulatory services manager, NAIC; Kirk R. Yeager, CIE, CPCU, FLMI, assistant commissioner-consumer affairs, Colorado
Dueling Attorneys – Does Litigation Benefit Consumers? – Be the judge while attorneys for plaintiffs and insurers answer questions in debate-style format. Topics include the importance and dangers of litigation, class actions and punitive damage awards. All lines.
Speakers: Angela Ford, senior deputy commission, North Carolina; Michael Gisriel, attorney, Foard, Gisriel, O'Brien Ward, LLC; Peter Schneider, executive vice president and general counsel, Primerica Life Insurance Co.; Wanda Smith, senior vice president, compliance officer, Primerica Life

Life and Health Section
Contact Section Chair: Maryellen Baker, AIE
  maryellen.baker@ins.state.oh.us | 614-644-3766
Med Supp HMOs – Friend or Foe? – Do Medicare supplement HMOs provide better benefits than traditional supplemental plans? Participating providers, preauthorization requirements, plans pulling out of counties. How are senior handling these requirements and problems? We'll take an in-depth look at these products and discuss their advantages and disadvantages.
Speakers: Thomas Abel, AIE, FLMI, ALCS, ACS, rate and forms supervisor, Colorado; Dawn Dailey, training supervisor, Ohio
What's Hot and What's Not – We'll take a look at new products entering the life and annuity markets, discuss what today's consumers are looking for, explore if and how the industry is meeting those needs. Life
Speakers: Linda Lanam, vice president, ACLI; Howard Max, chief administrator, Maryland; Terry Tiede, vice president-compliance, American Investors Life Insurance Co.
CARFRA – What is it and How Does it Work? – Learn all about the Coordinated Advertising, Rate and Form Review Authority, a national clearinghouse for form, rate and rule filings. L&H
Speaker: Eric C. Nordman, director of research, NAIC
Patient's Bill of Rights – A look at which states have enacted their own patient's bill of rights and whether those laws are really providing added protection to consumers. Are denials being overturned? Are consumers satisfied? We'll look at cases that have been through the process and review the outcomes. Lastly, we'll discuss the possibility of a federal bill? Health
Speakers: Art Chartrand, Chartrand Law Office; Weldon Hazelwood, principal market examiner, Virginia; Julie Phillips, AIE, FLMI, ACS, health supervisor, Ohio; Marcia Zimmer, examiner, Wisconsin
Dead or Alive – The Facts on Viatical Settlements – Exactly what these creatures are and how they're intended to work. Have states had problems with them? We'll decipher if the states have sufficient regulatory authority of if there's a need to establish viatical-specific state laws to govern them.
Speakers: Bill Bradbury, deputy commissioner, North Carolina; Stacy Braverman, CEBS, HIA, ALHP, MHP, chief legislative compliance officer, Viaticus, Inc.; Marlyn K. Burch, supervisor, life division, Kansas

Property and Casualty Section
Contact Section Chair: Jo A. LeDuc, CIE
  jo.leduc@oci.state.wi.us | 608-267-9708
Does it Help or Hurt? – Back by popular demand! An exciting debate between industry, regulators and consumers on the use of credit scores in rating and underwriting personal lines insurance. P&C
Speakers: Tim Mullen, senior regulatory affairs manager, NAIC, moderator; Birny Birnbaum, Center for Economic Justice; Dudley B. Ewen, chief examiner, Maryland; Eddie Lo, client and regulatory affairs manager, Fair, Isaac & Co.; Mark D. Niehaus, general manager, Progressive Insurance Group
Formula K – A panel discussion by regulators, industry and consumer representatives on risk classification and data collection. Who should have access to data? What and how to file? What kind of improvements in data collection are needed for rates and forms filings?P&C
Speakers: Eric C. Nordman, director of research, NAIC, moderator; Richard A. Bates, JD, MBA, CPCU, ARe, counsel, State Farm; Birny Birnbaum, Center for Economic Justice; Timothy B. Perr, ACAS, MAAA, managing principal, Perr & Knight; Mary Van Sise, assistant vice president-government relations, ISO; Alan Wickman, ACAS, P&C actuarial administrator, Nebraska
ABCs of Credit and Mortgage Insurance – Learn the basics of credit and mortgage insurance.
Speakers: Russell Kirsch, senior vice president-regulatory administration, Assurant Group; Joseph Ziino, senior vice president-regulatory relations, Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corp.
Workers Compensation Retrospective Policies – Learn how retrospective workers comp policies work, the differences among the various types and the ins and outs of the retro formula. P&C
Speaker: Steve Ginsburg, director, workers comp regulatory product services, Wausau Insurance

Producer Licensing Section
Contact Section Chair: Laurna J. Landphier
  laurna.landphier@oci.state.wi.us | 608-267-1238
Best Practices in Agent Licensing – Realistic compliance strategies to speed agent time to market while achieving excellence in market conduct exams. Session is designed for licensing managers and their support staff, provides clear view of what examiners are looking for. Hands-on tools to evaluate existing processes, minimize chances of being cited for violations. All lines
Speaker: Ward Weller, insurance government relations manager, CT Corporation Systems
Financial Services Modernization and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act – This session will cover S.900's impact on the industry, NAIC's position on NARAB, the importance of state regulation, uniformity in licensing and current automation efforts. Sponsored by the Life-Health and Producer Licensing sections All lines
Speaker: Sam Meyer, assistant director, South Dakota, who serves as chair of the NAIC Agent Licensing Working Group, member of NAIC's Strategic Systems Planning
The National Insurance Producer Registry: Licensing in the 21st Century – Session will cover industry and insurance department collaboration and common goals on the regulation of agents, uniformity in licensing efforts and automation efforts underway by this subsidiary of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. All lines
Speaker: Sam Meyer, assistant director, South Dakota
Cyber-Education – Continuing Ed – A panel of experts will review the ways agents are able to complete continuing ed requirements over the Internet. Now that all states have continuing education requirements, how regulators are attempting to inch toward uniformity. All lines
Speaker: Cindy Davidson, director of poublishing and insurance, eMind; Gene T. Reed Jr., licensing director, Delaware

Enforcement and Compliance Section
Contact Section Chair: Susan Ezalarab, CIE
  sue.ezalarab@oci.state.wi.us | 608-266-8885
Fraud Update – A panel of state fraud directors discusses current issues. P&C
Speakers: Betty M. Bates, fraud compliance manager, District of Columbia; Stephen M. Perry, fraud director, District of Columbia; Gregory D. Sacco, CFE, CLFS, director insurance fraud prevention, Delaware; Ronald A. Sallow, CFE, CIFI, associate commissioner, Maryland
Resources to Combat Internet Fraud – Federal/state efforts to combat online fraud, and a discussion of what resources are available to state regulators. All lines
Speaker: Robert Ober, antifraud coordinator, NAIC/div>
Are We Sinking or Swimming? – Panel discussion of market conduct compliance procedures, how states work to encourage compliance. All lines
Speakers: Dayle Axman, AIE, ACS, FLMI, lead rates & forms analyst, Colorado; Larry Jackson, CFE, assistant chief emarket conduct examiner, Texas; Terry Keating, deputy chief counsel for litigation, Pennsylvania
Internet Regulation and Enforcement: Part I – Presentation of basic concepts, tools and laws that affect business conducted over the Internet. All lines
Internet Regulation and Enforcement: Part II – Panel discussion of the best practices in monitoring insurer activities on the Internet. All lines
Speakers: Rhonda Peterson, AIE, CPCU, HIA, Wisconsin; Charles Rapacciuolo, CIE, CFE, New York

Joint sessions
The Workers Compensation Market Today – An overview of workers compensation today. How and why the California comp market got where it is. A discussion of the various products that are sold, including alternative markets. Sponsored by the Financial and Property-Casualty sections P&C
Speakers: Doug Barker, chief, rate filing bureau, California; Ralph Gehrke, chairman, Risk Partners Inc.; Steve Ginsburg, director, WC regulatory product services, Wausau Insurance
Investigation or Examination – Which tool to use and when – Commissioners and key regulators talk about how and when to address hot issues by market conduct exam, consumer complaint investigation or both. Third-party vendors, fraudulent activities and multi-state concerns will be addressed. Sponsored by the Market Conduct & Enforcement, Compliance and Consumer Services sections All lines
Speakers: Dudley Ewen, AIE, chief market conduct examiner, Maryland; Jann Goodpaster, CIE, chief market conduct examiner, Oregon; William J. Kirven III, commissioner, Colorado; Chlora Lindley-Myers, director of consumer protection and antifraud, NAIC
Crime and Punishment – Experts will discuss the Violent Crime Control Act of 1994 and its impact on companies and licensing administrators. A mock trial will be held. Don't miss this one! All lines>
Speakers: Michael Berlet and Missy Miller Berlet, Josephine Theater Group; Mike Bownes, general counsel, Alabama; Mike Granger, president, Granger & Santry; Ken Larsen, president, Applicant Insight; Laurna Landphier, chief, agent licensing, Wisconsin; Lori Petrusaitis, vice president, AON Risk Services; Wanda Smith, executive VP, Primerica

NAIC training
NAIC's Exam Tracking System – It's not just for financial exams. NAIC staff will help us review the newly revised and more user-friendly version of this I-site tool, which allows examiners to view, call and update exams.
I-Site Market Conduct Applications: CDS, RIRS, SAD – An NAIC presentation on CDS (Complaints Database System), RIRS (Regulatory Information Retrieval System) and SAD (Special Activities Database). Regulators only



Besides CDS, the Insurance Regulatory Examiners Society has two other sessions aimed at encouraging professional development in the critical area of insurance regulation: Regulating the Marketplace and the Market Conduct School.

Click here to learn more about them.