R.J. Lehmann to Join The Heartland Institute

Published September 29, 2011

WASHINGTON, DC – Ray J. Lehmann, a seasoned journalist with deep experience in the insurance industry, will join The Heartland Institute on October 3 as deputy director of its Center on Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate.

Lehmann will conduct research on issues affecting insurance, credit, and finance markets, help to oversee various center projects, and edit the center’s flagship Web site, Out of the Storm News.

Lehmann comes to Heartland from a position as a senior industry editor at SNL Financial. Prior to joining SNL, he headed the Washington, DC bureau of the financial news service A.M. Best. Prior to his work as a financial journalist, he served as public affairs director for Oakland, California’s Independent Institute. His work has appeared in a variety of publications including the San Francisco Chronicle, American Spectator, and Travel Weekly.

“In my years covering the insurance and financial markets, I developed a great respect for the work done by Heartland and CFIRE to promote market-based solutions to the often-thorny problems of risk and regulation,” Lehmann said. “I’m very excited to work with the center’s coalition partners in helping the public and decision-makers better understand the importance of risk-based pricing, the moral hazards of subsidies, and the ways insurance differs from other financial products.”

Lehmann replaces Arin Greenwood, who left Heartland for a position as an editor for The Huffington Post. Greenwood and Lehmann are married. They met one another at a conference organized by CFIRE director Eli Lehrer and CFIRE Policy Advisor (former South Carolina insurance commissioner) Scott Richardson.

“I’m delighted that we found such a good and strong candidate so close to home,” said Lehrer.

Lehmann can be reached at 202/525-5719, or by email at [email protected].


The Heartland Institute is a 27-year-old national nonprofit organization with offices in Chicago, Illinois; Washington, DC; Austin, Texas; Tallahassee, Florida; and Columbus, Ohio. Its mission is to discover, develop, and promote free-market solutions to social and economic problems. For more information, visit our Web site or call 312/377-4000.