Arizona Governor Appoints Barbara Richardson as Insurance Director

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has announced the appointment of Barbara Richardson as director of the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI).

Most recently, Ms. Richardson was commissioner of the Nevada Division of Insurance, a position she has held since March 2016. Prior to leading the Nevada Division of Insurance, Ms. Richardson served for 12 years as the director of operations and fraud for the New Hampshire Insurance Department. She has also worked at various times in her career for CNA, Kemper Financial, the Federal Reserve Bank in Chicago, and Putnam Securities.

Ms. Richardson is a graduate of Vassar College, has a law degree from the University of New Hampshire School of Law, and has a master of business administration from Loyola University in Chicago. She has also been an active member of various committees, task forces, and work groups of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

"I look forward to working with Barbara, a well-respected and experienced leader in her field," Governor Hobbs said in a statement. "I believe the depth of regulatory experience possessed by Barbara will be a tremendous asset to DIFI, industry stakeholders, and most importantly, to Arizona consumers who rely on DIFI for information, education, and consumer assistance."