History of the Insurance Institute of Kentucky
In 1995, representatives from numerous property and casualty insurers gathered to discuss how they might collectively have a more visible and effective presence with the Kentucky General Assembly and with state insurance regulators. Following several meetings by members of the planning group, organizational by-laws were drafted, and the new organization to be known as “The Insurance Institute of Kentucky” was registered as a non-profit organization with the Kentucky Secretary of State on September 12, 1996. Membership was open to any insurer doing business in Kentucky, as well as national and state insurance trade associations, individuals such as Agents or lawyers, and groups, such as agencies and law firms.
In 1997, Carl Sumner was named the first President of IIK. After many years of excellent service, he retired at the end of 2006 and was replaced by Executive Director Mark Treesh, a former legislator and KY Commissioner of Revenue, who began with IIK in September 2006.
In the fall of 2013, IIK expanded its scope to also include life insurance topics in addition to property and casualty insurance.
IIK’s newest leader, former State Representative Bart Rowland, joined IIK in March 2023 and became its President after Mark Treesh retired as Executive Director at the end of 2023. Mark continues to work with IIK on a part-time basis dealing with accounting, tax, and billing functions.
IIK continues to represent the interests of its members and insurance consumers before the Kentucky General Assembly and the Kentucky Department of Insurance. It is represented ably by its legislative agent Chris Nolan of MMLK Government Solutions, as well as the rest of the MMLK team which includes Chris’s assistant Catherine Mefford.
Meet Our President
Bart Rowland became the President of IIK at the beginning of 2024. Before joining IIK in March 2023, Rowland served as the District 21 State Representative in the Kentucky General Assembly for more than a decade, serving his last six years as Chairman of the House Banking and Insurance Committee. As a legislator, he was an active member of the National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL), serving as Chair of the Workers Compensation Committee and two terms as Chair of the Property and Casualty Committee.
Rowland has been a licensed Insurance Agent for property, casualty, life, and health since 1999, and he serves as Vice President of Rowland Insurance Agency, with locations in Tompkinsville, Glasgow, and Burkesville, Kentucky. He holds the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and the Certified Workers’ Compensation Advisor (CWCA) designations. He resides in Tompkinsville, Ky. With his wife Jerri and three children, Thomas Stone, Jay Cooper, and Cariana Jewell.