Insurance commissioner explained

An insurance commissioner (or commissioner of insurance) is a public official in the executive branch of a state or territory in the United States who, along with their office, regulate the insurance industry. The powers granted to the office of an insurance commissioner differ in each state. The office of an insurance commissioner is established either by the state constitution or by statute. While most insurance commissioners are appointed, in some jurisdictions they are elected.[1] The office of the insurance commissioner may be part of a larger regulatory agency, or an autonomous department.

Insurance law and regulation is established individually by each state. In order to better coordinate insurance regulation among the states and territories, insurance commissioners are members of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).[2]

Duties and powers of insurance commissioners

The purpose of insurance commissioners is to maintain fair pricing for insurance products, protect the solvency of insurance companies, prevent unfair practices by insurance companies, and ensure availability of insurance coverage.[3] In order to accomplish these goals, each state grants several powers to insurance commissioners and their offices, including:[4]

List of current insurance commissioners

, the various insurance commissioners are:[5]

State/territory Name Title Name of Office Elected/Appointed
Mark Fowler Commissioner Alabama Department of Insurance Appointed
Lori K. Wing-Heier Director Alaska Division of Insurance Appointed
Peni 'Ben' Itula Sapini Teo Commissioner Office of the Governor Appointed
Barbara D. Richardson Interim Director Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions Appointed
Alan McClain Commissioner Arkansas Insurance Department Appointed
Commissioner California Department of Insurance Elected
Michael Conway Commissioner Colorado Division of Insurance Appointed
Andrew N. Mais Commissioner Connecticut Insurance Department Appointed
Commissioner Delaware Department of Insurance Elected
Karima Woods Commissioner District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking Appointed
Michael Yaworsky Commissioner Florida Office of Insurance Regulation Appointed
Commissioner Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner Elected
Michelle Santos Commissioner Guam Department of Revenue and Taxation Appointed
Gordon I. Ito Commissioner Hawaii Insurance Division Appointed
Dean CameronDirector Idaho Department of Insurance Appointed
Ann GillespieDirector Illinois Department of Insurance Appointed
Holly W. Lambert Commissioner Indiana Department of Insurance Appointed
Doug Ommen Commissioner Iowa Insurance Division Appointed
Commissioner Kansas Insurance Department Elected
Sharon Clark Commissioner Kentucky Department of Insurance Appointed
Commissioner Louisiana Department of InsuranceElected
Robert L. Carey Superintendent Maine Bureau of InsuranceAppointed
Marie Grant Commissioner Maryland Insurance AdministrationAppointed
Michael T. CaljouwCommissioner Massachusetts Division of InsuranceAppointed
Anita G. Fox Director Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial ServicesAppointed
Grace Arnold Commissioner Minnesota Department of CommerceAppointed
Commissioner Mississippi Insurance DepartmentElected
Mick Campbell Director Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional RegistrationAppointed
James BrownCommissioner Montana Office of the Commissioner of Securities and InsuranceElected
Eric Dunning Director Nebraska Department of InsuranceAppointed
Scott Kipper Commissioner Nevada Division of InsuranceAppointed
D.J. Bettencourt Commissioner New Hampshire Insurance DepartmentAppointed
Justin Zimmerman Commissioner New Jersey Department of Banking and InsuranceAppointed
Alice T. Kane Superintendent New Mexico Office of Superintendent of InsuranceAppointed
Adrienne A. Harris Superintendent New York State Department of Financial ServicesAppointed
Commissioner Commissioner of InsuranceElected
Commissioner North Dakota Insurance DepartmentElected
Remedio C. MafnasCommissioner Office of the Insurance Commissioner Appointed
Director Ohio Department of InsuranceAppointed
Commissioner Oklahoma Insurance DepartmentElected
Andrew Stolfi Commissioner Oregon Insurance DivisionAppointed
Michael Humphreys Commissioner Pennsylvania Insurance DepartmentAppointed
Alexander S. Adams Vega Commissioner Office of the Commissioner of Insurance Appointed
Elizabeth Kelleher Dwyer Superintendent Rhode Island Division of InsuranceAppointed
Michael Wise Director South Carolina Department of InsuranceAppointed
Larry Deiter Director South Dakota Division of InsuranceAppointed
Carter Lawrence Commissioner Tennessee Department of Commerce and InsuranceAppointed
Cassie Brown Commissioner Texas Department of InsuranceAppointed
Joanathan Pike Commissioner Utah Insurance DepartmentAppointed
Lt. Governor/ Commissioner Division of Banking and Insurance Elected
Sandy Bigglestone Commissioner Vermont Department of Financial RegulationAppointed
Scott A. White Commissioner Virginia Bureau of InsuranceAppointed
Commissioner Washington Office of the Insurance CommissionerElected
Alan L. McVey Commissioner West Virginia Offices of the Insurance CommissionerAppointed
Nathan Houdek Commissioner Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of InsuranceAppointed
Jeff Rude Commissioner Wyoming Insurance DepartmentAppointed

Notes and References

  1. Web site: State Commissioners - 2014. naic.org. NAIC. August 18, 2015.
  2. Web site: About the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). www.naic.org. August 18, 2015.
  3. Web site: The Purpose of Insurance Regulation: A Preliminary Inquiry in the Theory of Insurance Law. heinonline.org. August 18, 2015. Kimball. Spencer. 1961.
  4. Insurance Regulation in the United States: Regulatory Federalism and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Randall. Susan. 1999. Florida State University Law Review. https://web.archive.org/web/20150611212837/http://archive.law.fsu.edu/journals/lawreview/downloads/263/rand.pdf. June 11, 2015. dead.
  5. Web site: National Association of Insurance Commissioners Membership List. January 8, 2025. January 12, 2025. www.naic.org. NAIC.