Michael Conway
Michael Conway was appointed as Colorado Insurance Commissioner by Governor Jared Polis on December 21, 2018, and was confirmed to this position by the Colorado State Senate on January 22, 2019. Prior to this, Conway served as interim Commissioner, a position he was appointed to by Governor Hickenlooper in January 2018. As Commissioner, Conway serves as the chief executive of the Division of Insurance and oversees the regulation of the insurance industry in Colorado. His role brings together consumers, the insurance industry and other stakeholders to create an inclusive, firm and fair regulatory approach to all lines of insurance such as auto, health, homeowner, life, property and casualty, title and workers’ compensation.
Prior to his appointment, Conway served as the Division of Insurance Deputy Commissioner for Consumer and Compliance Services since March 2016. In this time, he was instrumental in developing and guiding the Division’s strategies regarding health insurance during what was a tumultuous time for that industry in Colorado and the nation. He advised the previous Commissioner and the Governor’s staff regarding the possible implications of federal changes to the regulation of health insurance here in Colorado.
Conway’s duties also entailed appearing before state legislative committees to advocate for the Division’s positions regarding insurance and its regulation. He cultivated relationships with consumer groups and the insurance industry to create a regulatory environment that helped Colorado consumers but was a fair, level playing field for the industry. He also worked within the Division to establish objectives that provided for better protection of insurance consumers.
Before joining the Division, Conway was an assistant Attorney General for the Colorado State Attorney General’s Office from 2010 to 2016, where he represented the Division of Insurance in all facets of the regulation of the insurance industry including mergers and acquisitions of insurance companies, insurer rehabilitation/liquidation, and producer and company licensure litigation. He served three Commissioners of Insurance during that time. While in the Attorney General’s Office, he worked with the Colorado Attorney General Pro Bono Family Law Clinic, advising clients on matters of divorce and child custody.
Conway has also worked as an attorney for Colorado Legal Services, advocating for indigent clients regarding housing rights, homelessness prevention, evictions and subsidized housing.
With the exception of three years he spent in Miami for law school, Conway has called Colorado home for nearly 20 years since moving to the state to attend the University of Colorado at Boulder.