New Director of Government Relations Appointed at Montana State Auditor’s Office

Commissioner of Securities and Insurance Announces Personnel Moves

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Helena, Montana –The Office of the Montana State Auditor, Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, is pleased to announce Mr. Trevor Graff of Helena will serve as the Director of Government Relations effective immediately.  The Director of Government Relations is the agency liaison with other government agencies and the Montana Legislature.

James Brown, the State Auditor and Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, said of Mr. Graff’s appointment, “We are happy to welcome Mr. Graff to the agency. His years of experience working with other agencies in the Montana state government and his deep knowledge of the Legislature and legislative processes will serve the agency well. I have the utmost confidence in Trevor as a highly professional policy analyst, strategist, and advisor.”

Prior to joining the Office of the State Auditor, Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, Mr. Graff served in a similar role at the Montana Public Service Commission.  Before that, Graff served seven years as a research analyst for the Montana Legislative Services Division.

“I’m looking forward to continuing to serve the people of Montana at the Office of the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance,” Graff said. “I’m looking forward to working with Commissioner Brown and his team to help everyday Montanans deal with the companies they rely on often in the time of their greatest need.”

Mr. Graff graduated from the University of Kansas in 2014, before filling various roles spanning communications, media relations, public policy, and state legislative affairs in Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, and his native Kansas.

Mr. Graff will replace Mr. Frank Cote as the agency’s chief legislative affairs representative. Cote, who has been associated with the agency in some capacity since 1993, plans to retire from the agency at the conclusion of the current regular legislative session.  Mr. Cote, a native of Butte, Montana, has also served as the agency’s Deputy Commissioner of Insurance since 2022.

Commissioner Brown said of Mr. Cote, “We are grateful to Mr. Cote for his many years of service to this agency and the people of Montana. We wish him well in retirement and all his future endeavors.”  

The Montana State Auditor, Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, regulates the insurance and securities industries in Montana. The State Auditor is also an
ex officio member of the Montana Board of Land Commissioners. James Brown was elected Montana State Auditor in 2024.

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