Jefferson City, Mo. - The Missouri Department of Insurance has appointed veteran financial regulators to new positions for the start of 2014.

DIFP Director John M. Huff recently announced the appointment of Leslie Nehring, CFE, CPA, as acting chief financial examiner for the Division of Insurance Company Regulation.

Nehring began her career with the department in 2003 as a financial examiner. She left five years later for private sector experience and became the lead examiner for Regulatory Consultants Inc. in Kansas City. In her capacity as lead examiner, Nehring was responsible for planning and performing financial examinations on the solvency of insurers, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of internal controls in all business segments of examined companies, and reviewing her associates' examinations. Nehring then returned to the department as an examiner-in-charge.

"We look forward to leveraging Leslie's private sector technical expertise and examination knowledge in her new role as chief financial examiner. Missouri consumers will be better protected with her solvency oversight of insurance companies," Huff said.

Nehring is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo., having earned a bachelor's of arts degree in accounting. She is a certified public accountant and certified financial examiner.

Huff also named John Rehagen, CFE, ACI, as acting director of the Division of Insurance Company Regulation. In his new role, Rehagen will oversee insurance company solvency regulation in Missouri. Previously, he served as the division's deputy director and as Captive Program manager before holding a position as a financial examiner and financial analyst.

Rehagen has been with the department since 2003 and holds a certified financial examiner designation from the Society of Financial Examiners.