FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KANSAS, TEXAS REGULATORS EARN
NAIC'S HIGHEST INDIVIDUAL HONOR
Bruning, Smith-Daley Receive 2008 Robert Dineen Award

GRAPEVINE, Texas (Dec. 5, 2008) - The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) today honored two regulators with the 2008 Robert Dineen Award:

• Larry Bruning, FSA, MAAA, CLU, chief actuary at the Kansas Insurance Department; and
• Ana M. Smith-Daley, deputy commissioner of the Life Health Division at the Texas Department of Insurance.

"Both of these individuals truly represent the 'best of the best' in insurance regulation," said NAIC President and Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger. "Their tireless efforts to improve regulatory uniformity and cooperation at the national level through the NAIC - all while maintaining a full workload at their home state insurance department - have not gone unnoticed."

Larry Bruning

Since joining the Kansas Insurance Department in 2003, Bruning has provided leadership, expertise and counsel in a national effort to establish principles-based reserving, which is a new framework for determining life insurers' required capital and reserves.

In addition, Bruning has served as chair of the Life and Health Actuarial Task Force, chair of the Accident and Health Working Group and chair of the C-3 Phase II Results Subgroup. He has been a member of the Capital Adequacy Task Force and the Life Risk-Based Capital (RBC) Working Group. He also is active with the American Academy of Actuaries, serving on the organization's board of directors and its Life Practice Note Working Goup.

"I often hear Larry's praises from fellow regulators and industry representatives, among others," Praeger said. "In particular, they value his thoughtfulness of the issues, professionalism in dealing with difficult matters and overall effectiveness in communicating complex, technical information."

Ana M. Smith-Daley

During her tenure, Smith-Daley has actively and effectively promoted insurance regulatory modernization efforts by playing an indispensable role in developing product standards that embody the highest levels of consumer protection and filing efficiencies.

In addition, Smith-Daley has served as a member of the Interstate Compact National Standards Working Group, Operational Efficiencies Working Group, Senior Issues Task Force and Long-term Care Working Group. She is active with the Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Commission (IIPRC), serving as chair of its Product Standards Working Group. She also served on an ad hoc team to integrate IIPRC into the NAIC's System for Electronic Rate and Form Filing (SERFF).

"Ana has been very active at the NAIC and is viewed as a leader among regulators," Praeger said. "In particular, her work on the Interstate Compact has been enormously helpful in moving a diverse coalition of states toward a common goal - to the benefit of regulators, consumers and the industry alike."

About the Dineen Award

Established in 1989 and named in honor of the founder of the NAIC's Support and Services Office, the Robert Dineen Award is presented to an individual in recognition of his or her outstanding achievement as a career regulator. It is the highest individual honor bestowed by the NAIC. For more information, visit www.naic.org/members_dineen.htm.

About the NAIC

Formed in 1871, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is a voluntary organization of the chief insurance regulatory officials of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. The NAIC has three offices: Executive Office, Washington, D.C.; Central Office, Kansas City, Mo.; and Securities Valuation Office, New York City.

The NAIC serves the needs of consumers and the industry, with an overriding objective of supporting state insurance regulators as they protect consumers and maintain the financial stability of the insurance marketplace. For more information, visit www.naic.org.

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