SPRINGFIELD — Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday announced the appointment of a northwest suburban lawmaker to head the state’s Department of Insurance. State Sen. Ann Gillespie of Arlington Heights will step down from her legislative post to lead the agency as acting director. Her appointment requires confirmation by the state
Senate. She replaces Dana Popish Severinghaus, who assumed the department’s top post in 2021 and will be leaving the position next week. Gillespie has been a state senator since 2019 and is a former business executive, health care attorney and consultant in the health care field, the governor’s office said. In a statement, Pritzker said he looks forward to Gillespie’s “decades of experience at work making the insurance system better for every Illinoisan.” Gillespie was a sponsor of legislation last year that authorized a state-based health insurance marketplace. The marketplace goes live for insurance plans in 2026. Pritzker called Popish Severinghaus “a champion for Illinoisans who otherwise would have struggled to navigate vast, complex insurance systems.” The Department of Insurance regulates insurance industry behavior, provides information to Illinoisans about insurance providers and functions as an outlet to file grievances or complaints against insurance providers.