Topeka, Kan. – Kansas Assistant Insurance Commissioner Barbara Rankin, today, announced that she is retiring from her role with the Kansas Department of Insurance (KDOI). During her 43 years of practicing law, Rankin has served the State of Kansas for 17 of those years, almost seven of which were with the KDOI.
“Barb’s knowledge and expertise have been an invaluable asset to the Department,” said Commissioner Vicki Schmidt. “She has left an indelible mark on everyone she has worked with through her mentorship, work ethic and detailed understanding of Kansas law. I’ve been incredibly blessed to have her as my Assistant Commissioner and Kansas is better because of her service.”
In her capacity as Assistant Insurance Commissioner, Rankin served as the administrative hearing officer for the Department; oversaw the Financial Surveillance, Consumer Assistance, and Rate and Form Compliance Divisions; and managed various other projects – most notably the implementation of sweeping legislative changes in 2021 to the Kansas’ producer licensing act and the transition of the producer licensing from an internal manual process to NIPR to SBS. She also served as Deputy Liquidator for a domestic insurance company that was put into liquidation in 2019.
“I will always be grateful to Commissioner Schmidt for giving me the opportunity to join her leadership team at the Department in 2019,” said Rankin. “It has been a wonderful experience to work with such a dedicated and collaborative group. Under the Commissioner’s leadership, so much has been accomplished to enhance the processes at the Department, in particular the assistance that is provided to Kansans, and the operations that impact the industry.”
Prior to joining the Department, Rankin worked primarily as in-house counsel in the insurance and banking sectors. Most recently, she served as Chief Counsel for the Kansas Department of Transportation for eight years. Rankin was the recipient of the Chief Justice Kay McFarland Award from the Women Attorneys Association of Topeka (WAAT) in 2020 for advancing opportunities for women in the legal profession. She also was the recipient of the Christel Marquart Trailblazer Award from the Kansas Bar Association for her role in cofounding WAAT in 1984. She has been active in mentoring young women attorneys in her various legal roles. In addition, she has served on the Grievance and Ethics Committee for the Topeka Bar Association for the past ten years.
###