Ken Ross

Ken Ross was named Commissioner, Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation, by Governor Jennifer M. Granholm effective February 22nd, 2008.

As Commissioner, Mr. Ross is responsible for the regulation of Blue Cross Blue Shield, 27 HMOS, 139 banks, 169 domestic insurance companies, 221 credit unions, 1,303 foreign insurance companies, 1,750 investment advisers, 2,100 securities broker-dealers, 7,772 consumer finance lenders, 146,419 insurance agents, and 115,000 securities agents.

Prior to being appointed as Commissioner, Mr. Ross was the Acting Commissioner and the Deputy Commissioner for Policy.  In addition to managing Policy Division staff and spearheading the Commissioner’s legislative agenda, his duties included serving as the principle liaison to Michigan Legislature, working with a variety of internal and external stakeholders concerning all legislative issues pertaining to the financial services industries in Michigan, testifying before legislative committees, meeting with state and federal policymakers on issues of concern falling within OFIR’ public policy footprint.

Ross came to OFIR as the Commissioner’s Chief of Staff in December 2003. In this role, Mr. Ross’ primary responsibilities include working with OFIR staff and a variety of external stakeholders and administration officials to ensure the execution of the Commissioner's agenda; ensuring the efficient day to day management of agency operations, and overseeing the management of OFIR media, public relations and legislative operations.

Prior to coming to OFIR, Mr. Ross served as the Vice President of Regulatory and Legal Affairs for the Michigan Credit Union League (MCUL). Responsibilities included directing all aspects of MCUL’s regulatory advocacy, compliance and legal affairs program. Ross was invited to speak at numerous regional meetings and conventions on a variety of regulatory compliance topics. In addition, Ross regularly participated in a variety of legislative and regulatory outreach initiatives, and routinely met with state and federal legislators and regulators.

Mr. Ross served as the Director of Regulatory Affairs for the MCUL from 2000 to 2003. As Regulatory Affairs Director, Ross led a diverse working group of CEO’s from Michigan credit unions through an eighteen-month comprehensive review of the Michigan Credit Union Act.  Working with a variety of stakeholders, Mr. Ross participated in drafting the re-codification of the Michigan Credit Union Act, which governs the operation of credit unions chartered by the state of Michigan.  Three years of work culminated in the passage of the re-codification which Governor Granholm signed into law in December of 2003.

Prior to his work with the MCUL, Mr. Ross was appointed an Assistant Attorney General, serving under Attorneys General Frank Kelley and Jennifer Granholm. Mr. Ross served in the Tort Defense Division, representing the interests of the State of Michigan, its agencies and employees, with responsibility for handling litigation at trial and at the appellate level in both state and federal courts.

Prior to that Mr. Ross also served as Chief of Staff for State Representative Agnes M. Dobronski. In that capacity, he was responsible for a wide variety of issues including crafting the legislative agenda, committee management and policy development.  His primary public policy focus areas were election and local government law.

Mr. Ross earned a J.D.,cum laude, from Thomas M. Cooley Law School and a Bachelors degree, double majoring in Philosophy and Political Science from the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

Please note: this biographical information is provided for your use in promotional materials and to introduce Mr. Ross at speaking engagements. Please edit as appropriate. If you have any questions, contact OFIR Communications toll-free at (877) 999-6442. OFIR has insurance, bank, credit union, consumer finance and securities information available on our Internet site - www.michigan.gov/ofir.

Peggy Bryson was appointed Acting Chief Deputy Commissioner by Linda A. Watters, Commissioner of the Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation, in May, 2007. She is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Office of Financial Evaluation within OFIR, which includes the Bank & Trust Division, the Credit Union Division, the Enterprise Monitoring Division, the Supervisory Affairs and Insurance Monitoring Division, and the Mortgage Examination and Investigation Section.

OFE staff are responsible for examining and ensuring the safety and soundness of state banks, savings banks, trust banks, BIDCO's, and state credit unions; examining insurance entities; examining/investigating mortgage brokers/lenders/servicers, investment advisers, and securities broker-dealers; managing corporate filings of financial institutions and insurance companies; conducting consolidated reviews and analysis of financial service enterprise organizations financial analysis of foreign and domestic insurance entities; and overseeing troubled insurance entities, including those under supervision, seizure, rehabilitation or liquidation.

Ms. Bryson has been with the agency and its predecessor, the Financial Institutions Bureau, for 30 years, starting as a bank examiner in 1977.  Before being named Deputy Commissioner for bank and trust supervision in 2001, a position she continues to hold, she was Deputy Commissioner for policy in the Financial Institutions Bureau.   Ms. Bryson is a graduate of Michigan State University (Accounting, 1976)  and resides with her husband, William Bryson, in Bath.