The GLBTAA Distinguished Alumni Awards are presented to members of the LGBTQ community and individual allies or supporters of the LGBTQ community, regardless of sexual orientation. Only living alumni of Indiana University are eligible. Nominees shall have been outstanding in their fields of endeavor and shall have made significant contributions benefiting Indiana University or their communities, states or the nation. We are pleased to announce the following  recipient of our 2016 Distinguished Alumni Award. 

Michael T. McRaith has early on made extraordinarily impressive marks as a private lawyer, public servant and tireless volunteer to his various communities. He earned national prominence in Chicago practicing commercial litigation for fifteen years before serving as the Director of the Illinois Department of Insurance, where he led the charge for extended consumer protections and parity. Since his appointment in 2011 by U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, he has served as the inaugural Director of the Federal Insurance Office, where he continues his passion and commitment to the American public. Among the many accolades surrounding his federal appointment, the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers commented "..Mike was probably the most unique person qualified to fill the job, because he equally draws respect from fellow state regulators and those of us who would like to see a more assertive federal preemptive regime." Throughout his career, he has been a steadfast supporter of the LGBTQ community. After serving nearly a decade on the Board of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, he was recently designated Director Emeritus.

McRaith received his BA in 1986 in English and Psychology from IU Bloomington and his JD in 1990 from Loyola University of Chicago. While on the Bloomington campus, he was active in student government and his fraternity Kappa Sigma. He testified before the Indiana legislature in favor of the state's anti-hazing laws which were subsequently ratified. Following law school, he practiced law in Chicago, where he gradually specialized in insurance and related matters representing financial institutions and insurers. He became partner at McGuire Woods, LLP.

Following his success as an insurance specialist, in 2005 McRaith was appointed Director of Insurance for the State of Illinois, becoming the first openly-gay state insurance commissioner in national history. His tenure there lasted six years during which he accomplished many important deeds, which have been heralded as strengthening protections for consumers while creating economically viable plans for insurers. He continued to expand his own stellar reputation as a model public servant, who is a smart, dedicated, principled, focused and compassionate consensus-builder, while ever committed to the end objective.

Throughout his meteoric rise in both the private and public sectors, he has made the time to "give back" and to play his favorite sport - basketball. Among volunteering in a number of capacities in the LGBTQ movement for equality, he has continued his long-term support of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. Additionally, he has devoted countless hours to the Chicago Chapter of the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention. McRaith's efforts were also critically important in the beginning of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. His support remains steady and resolute. As an openly-gay man from the onset, McRaith was willing to assist with the early sessions that led to the creation of the Victory Fund Institute held in Chicago. His example of being open and proud has undoubtedly boosted the ever-growing acceptance of the candidacy for public office by members of the LGBTQ community. His handprints are also all over Chicago's gay basketball league. He was an active player from 1991 through 2011, including overseeing the league for six years. During his leadership, the league grew to three divisions and tripled in size, encouraging the participation of more players of all skill levels, ages, races and socio-economic backgrounds. Chicago's league remains one of the largest in the world and one of McRaith's passionate interests. He has remained engaged with IU, and in particular the College of Arts and Sciences. Most recently he has volunteered with the College's Luminaries Program, a student/alumni mentorship program.

Based on his proven record of achievement, character and leadership, in 2011 McRaith was appointed as Director of the Federal Insurance Office (FIO), under the  federal Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (Dodd-Frank). The FIO is housed within the U.S. Department of Treasury. The FIO's authorities extend to all lines of insurance, other than health insurance, long-term care insurance and crop insurance. The FIO is charged with monitoring all aspects of this defined insurance sector, including identifying activities within the sector that could potentially contribute to a systemic crisis to the broader financial system and monitoring the extent to which under-served communities have access to affordable insurance products. McRaith, as Director, also serves (i) as a non-voting member of the Financial Stability Oversight Council and (ii) represents the United States at the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS), the global standard-setter for the insurance sector. McRaith serves on the IAIS Executive Committee and as Chair of its Financial Stability and Technical Committee. In addition, the FIO is tasked with assisting the Secretary of the Treasury in a number of designated areas.

We remember when our country faced an economic crisis of epic proportions not seen since the Great Depression, and the insurance and financial sectors were on the verge of collapse. McRaith's appointment was not only timely, but also crucial to restoring regulatory credibility and the public's confidence in the system.

Please join us on Friday, January 29 to extend congratulations to Mr. McRaith and to enjoy an evening of festivities and fun at the Neal-Marshall.