Van Buren appointed chief legal counsel for Office of the Commissioner of Insurance

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The Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance has announced appointments to the agency leadership and senior management team.

Governor Tony Evers has reappointed Nathan Houdek as commissioner of insurance. Houdek has served as commissioner since January 2022, and previously served as deputy commissioner for three years under former Commissioner Mark Afable.

Rachel Cissne Carabell will continue to serve in her role as deputy commissioner managing the day-to-day operations and supervising the regulatory, public information, legal, legislative relations, and administrative responsibilities of OCI. Carabell is an experienced health insurance and employee benefit expert who has held leadership roles in both the public and private sectors.

Lauren Van Buren has been appointed as chief legal counsel to replace Richard Wicka, who is departing to pursue opportunities in the private sector. Van Buren has served as an attorney at OCI for over five years, prosecuting administrative actions with a focus on financial advisor fraud, securities fraud and life insurance suitability. She has been active with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, with a focus on the use of big data and artificial intelligence.