About N.Y.’s New Superintendent

Gov. George Pataki nominated Howard Mills to succeed Gregory Serio as the state’s Superintendent of Insurance last December. Serio served as superintendent from April 2001 until February of this year, when he took a job in the private sector with a firm run by former U.S. Sen. Alphonse D’Amato.

A lifelong Republican, Mills began his career in public service as an aide to Congressman Benjamin Gilman. He was elected councilman in the town of Wallkill in 1989, winning a second term in 1991. He served as director of development at Mount Saint Mary College from 1991 to 1993, while an adjunct instructor of geography. In 1994, Mills began his tenure as supervisor of the Town of Wallkill where he won reelection twice.

Mills was first elected to the New York State Assembly in 1998, representing portions of Orange and Rockland Counties. He served as deputy minority leader of the Assembly and on the insurance committee for four years and on other committees during his three terms.

In the private sector, Mills has worked as a business consultant to the telecommunications industry and business development officer for the Myles Financial Services Group in Florida, N.Y. where he has worked since 2001.

The insurance superintendent is responsible for the regulation of more than 1,000 insurance companies with cumulative assets exceeding $2 trillion. The position also includes oversight responsibility for more than 100,000 brokers, agents and financial intermediaries and the management of approximately 1,500 department employees.