Kempthorne takes job as life insurance lobbyist

BOISE — Former Idaho governor, U.S. senator and Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne is taking over as the top lobbyist for the country’s life insurers. According to a statement from the American Council of Life Insurers, Kempthorne will succeed former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating as chief executive officer and president of the group. Kempthorne and his staff will advocate for more than 300 legal reserve life insurer and fraternal benefit society member companies. The Washington, D.C.-based group says Kempthorne, who was elevated to Interior secretary by President George W. Bush in 2006, “will be a tremendous asset in advocating for an industry that plays a vital role in Americans’ lives.” Early in his career, Kempthorne was a lobbyist in Idaho for chemical maker FMC Corp. He’ll take the post Nov. 3.