Jennifer Ahrens
is
the Executive Director of TALHI. Most recently she was the Senior
Associate Commissioner for the Life, &
Health & Licensing Program at the Texas
Department of Insurance. In that capacity Ms. Ahrens oversaw the regulation
of a wide range of
life, annuity, accident and health insurance, and related coverages offered by insurance companies, in addition to the licensure of
insurance
agents and adjusters in Texas. From 2004 to 2005, Ms. Ahrens
acted as General Counsel and Advisor for Governor Rick Perry’s Office
of
Budget, Planning, and Policy. In that capacity, Ms. Ahrens advised the
Governor on policy and budget issues primarily related to
insurance and the
workers’ compensation system. Ms. Ahrens served as General Counsel to
Senator Jane Nelson of Grapevine and
Legislative Aide to Senator Jeff
Wentworth of San Antonio. She was also Government Relations Liaison for the
Texas Department of
Family and Protective Services. Ms. Ahrens graduated
from Texas Tech University with a B.S. in Agricultural and Applied Economics
and the University of Texas School of Law.
R. Michael "Mike" Pollard is the Senior Advisor
at TALHI. Prior to June 1, 2008, he was the Association's Executive Director
since 1995 (previously TLIA). He served in the United States Air Force and is a
graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. A CPA by profession, his career
began at the firm of Price Waterhouse as a Staff Auditor. He has worked in all
facets of the life and health insurance industry for more than 35 years. Prior
to becoming TALHI Executive Director, he was president and CEO of a major Texas
life insurance company, and was afterward engaged as a consultant in life and
health regulatory compliance and mergers and acquisitions for over 15 years. He
is recognized as having been extremely instrumental in bringing about the 1997
merger of the Texas Life Insurance Association (TLIA) and the Texas Legal
Reserve Officials Association (TLROA), which formed TALHI, now the largest
organization of its kind in Texas.