Michael Conway has been selected by Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper to serve as interim insurance commissioner.

In this role, Commissioner Conway also is head of the Division of Insurance ("DOI"), part of Colorado's Department of Regulatory Agencies ("DORA").

Marguerite Salazar, who had been appointed insurance commissioner by Governor Hickenlooper in 2013, has been serving in two roles since her appointment as DORA's executive director in July 2017. Director Salazar has chosen to step down as commissioner to focus exclusively as executive director of DORA.

"While I have enjoyed serving as insurance commissioner, it gives me great pleasure to see the team that will continue to regulate the business of insurance for the State of Colorado," said Director Salazar. "I couldn't be more pleased with the selection of Michael Conway. He has the ability to reach into the finer points of issues affecting consumers and industry, whether it is title insurance, health insurance, or the details of legislation. It's a skill that always helps resolve problems."

Commissioner Conway has been at the DOI since March 2016, serving as deputy commissioner for consumer and compliance services. Among other things, he guided the DOI's strategies for retaining health insurance companies on Colorado's individual market for 2018. This made Colorado one of only a handful of states to go into 2018 with the same on-exchange lineup of companies as in 2017.

Commissioner Conway came to the DOI from the Colorado Attorney General's Office, where he served as an assistant attorney general in the insurance unit for approximately six years, representing the DOI in all facets of the regulation of the insurance industry.

"He will continue to have the steady and vast knowledge of Peg Brown who serves as chief deputy commissioner, as well as Rolf Kaumann, deputy commissioner of finance," continued Director Salazar. "Peg has been the DOI's foundation for many years and she will be for many years into the future. Rolf's experience is an amazing asset and he is truly irreplaceable. Their leadership has taken the Division of Insurance to a new level of consumer protection as well as creating a safe, open marketplace for the industry."

"Furthering the work that Marguerite has done for the division will be my priority," said Commissioner Conway. "We've weathered some serious storms in recent years and I'm sure the coming year won't be any different. But I know the entire DOI team is up to the challenge."

With the exception of three years he spent in Miami for law school, Commissioner Conway has called Colorado home for nearly 20 years since moving to the state to attend the University of Colorado at Boulder.