Commissioner's Office
Kari Leonard
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Captive Coordinator and Examinations Bureau Chief
Kari is a Certified Financial Examiner (CFE) and a CPA with 11 years of insurance regulatory experience. Her focus with the regulatory team is the supervision of the Examinations Bureau staff, financial analysis of captive and traditional insurers, and supervision of all examination work. Kari’s role with the team expanded last year when she advanced into the Examinations Bureau Chief position.
Ramona Bidon
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Captive Operations & Compliance Technician
Ramona is in her ninth year with the Department and is in her fourth year of providing operations and compliance support to the captive regulatory team. Her previous roles with the Department included a position with the agency’s Central Services Bureau, and she also held a Legal Secretary position with the Department’s Legal Services Bureau. Ramona’s husband (Ted) also works for the Department; he is the Bureau Chief of Insurance Investigations and Insurance Consumer Services. Ramona and Ted enjoy working on their future mountain cabin and they are avid antique collectors!
Erin Snyder
.
Supervising Captive Insurance Analyst
Erin is in her third year with the regulatory team and her first year as the Supervising Analyst for the Captives Team. She is a CPA and came to the Department with 25 years of insurance accounting and auditing experience from her time with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Montana. In her new role, Erin handles all things RRG-related and oversees all captive regulatory matters. In her spare time, Erin and her husband enjoy hiking and taking day trips within our great state.
Dakota Terry
Captive Insurance Analyst
Dakota is embarking on her third year with the captive regulatory team, including a 3-month stint as a captive intern in the Summer of 2021 between her junior and senior years at Montana State University (MSU). Dakota graduated from MSU with a degree in Financial Engineering. With the captive regulatory team, she is the go-to person who handles the nuts & bolts of captive operations, assisting industry personnel with captive structure questions, new formations, mergers & acquisitions, business plan reviews, loan and dividend requests, and corporate document filing guidance. Dakota loves gardening, cooking, riding horses, skiing, and all things outdoors.
Patrick Hunter
Insurance Analyst
Patrick is in his sixth year with the regulatory team. He brings a wealth of hands-on industry experience to the team, having worked in captive management and running his own captive. Patrick is the resident expert regulator of the state’s farm mutual insurers, and he also conducts financial analysis of traditional property-casualty companies and captive risk retention groups as needed. Patrick’s two dogs are Lewis & Clark.
David Heesch
Insurance Analyst
David joined Montana’s regulatory team last year, bringing 14 years of banking, finance, and licensed insurance agent experience. His familiarity with commercial finance, lending, financial institution management and strategic planning all contribute a breadth of knowledge to his role as an examiner and analyst. David’s role with the team consists of conducting financial examination and analysis of traditional insurers, captive-RRGs, and multiple employer welfare arrangements (MEWAs), as well as reviewing third-party administrator licensing applicants, expansion applicants, surplus lines applicants, and motor clubs.