The Kansas Legislature established the Kansas Department of Insurance in 1871. The first Superintendent of Insurance, later changed to Commissioner of Insurance in 1927, was William C. Webb. There have been twenty-six Commissioners to lead the Kansas Department of Insurance, including current Commissioner Vicki Schmidt. The longest-serving Commissioner was Frank Sullivan, who served from 1947 to 1971.
In 2017, the Department began regulating securities after the Legislature merged the Office of the Kansas Securities Commissioner with the Kansas Department of Insurance. Prior to the 2017 Legislation, the Securities Commission was an executive branch agency that reported to the Governor. Originally established in 1911, Kansas was the first state to pass a law regulating the sale of investments.
Insurance and securities have changed over the years but the responsibility of the Kansas Department of Insurance to the people of Kansas remains unchanged.
The mission of the Kansas Department of Insurance is to Regulate, Educate, and Advocate.
Regulate:
Regulate and review companies that sell policies in Kansas to ensure solvency and compliance with insurance and securities laws and regulations. License and register the agencies, firms and individuals selling these products in Kansas.
Educate:
Consumers about all things insurance and securities by publishing brochures and rate guides to assist in the shopping process, giving presentations to groups across Kansas and serving as a non-biased source of information.
Advocate:
For a strong and competitive market to give Kansans choices when shopping for products that meet their needs.
Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt, a lifelong Kansan, was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas. She and her high school sweetheart, Mike, both attended Wichita South High School. Their families lived two blocks from each other, and they shared similar upbringings focused on hard work, honesty, and faith. They headed off to the University of Kansas to continue their education together and then married in 1974. Commissioner Vicki Schmidt graduated from the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy and began work as a pharmacist.
Schmidt has served Kansas families and seniors as a local pharmacist for more than 40 years. It was her professional work experience and her commitment to helping Kansans that motivated her to run for the Legislature. As a pharmacist, Schmidt found errors in the Kansas Medical Assistance Program, errors that were costing the state millions of dollars. She became a voice for reform—speaking up and pushing for cost-effective practices in Medicaid’s drug rebate program, which ultimately resulted in more than $391 million in recouped dollars for the state and taxpayers.
In 2005, Schmidt brought her expertise to the Legislature, where she served for 14 years representing Shawnee and Wabaunsee counties. On November 6, 2018, she was elected Kansas Insurance Commissioner, and was reelected on November 8, 2022—during both elections she received the largest vote count statewide. She became the first pharmacist to serve as Kansas Insurance Commissioner and is the only pharmacist in America currently holding elected statewide office.
Commissioner Schmidt currently serves as chair of the NAIC Midwest Zone and co-vice chair of the Financial Regulation Standards and Accreditation (F) Committee. She also serves as a member of the Life Insurance and Annuities (A) Committee, International Insurance Relations (G) Committee, and the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) Board of Directors.
Vicki and Mike reside in Topeka, where they raised their two sons. They are also proud grandparents of four grandchildren.
To contact the Kansas Department of Insurance staff members, please email KDOI@ks.gov.
Vicki Schmidt
Insurance Commissioner
785-291-3299
Karen Perez
Assistant to the Commissioner
785-291-3299
Dan Klucas
Assistant Commissioner of Insurance, Securities Division
785-291-3299
Clay Johnson
Assistant Commissioner of Insurance
785-296-4568
Mandy Roe
Chief of Staff
785-296-7807
Kyle Strathman
Deputy Chief of Staff
785-296-7831
Dale Hubbell
Director, Human Resources
785-296-7802
John Eichkorn
Director, Compliance, Enforcement and Anti-Fraud
785-296-5203
Steve Karrer
General Counsel
785-296-7847
Tish Becker
Director, Financial Surveillance
785-296-7816
Eric Turek
Director, Government Affairs
785-296-2461
Julie Holmes
Director, Rate and Form Compliance
785-296-6410
Lauren Hermes
Director, Consumer Assistance
785-291-3604
Nick Bylsma
Chief Information Technology Officer
785-296-7839
Charlotte Daubert
Comptroller
785-291-3191
Monicka Richmeier
Director, Producer Licensing
785-296-5185
Nicole Boyd
Chief of Actuarial Services
785-296-6253
John Hesse
Chief of Securities Compliance
785-296-3911
Juell Hitt
Chief of Securities Registration
785-296-5215