Nearly 50 candidates vie for state insurance commissioner role

Top insurance regulators from across the country, along with a former Treasury Department official, are among the 47 applicants for the position

Insurance News

By Lyle Adriano

Forty-seven insurance regulators from across the country, as well as a former official with the Treasury Department, are all competing to be Florida’s next insurance commissioner, according to a report by the Tampa Bay Times.

Kevin McCarty submitted his resignation as the state’s insurance commissioner after nearly a decade of service from 2003. His resignation is effective May 2.

Since McCarty’s announcement of his resignation, Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet have launched a nationwide search for a new commissioner to replace McCarty in time for Florida’s Hurricane Season, which starts May.

Last Mar. 11 was the deadline for applications to the position. Several notable applicants include McCarty's current chief of staff Belinda Miller, chief actuary for the Florida Department of Insurance Eric Johnson, Deputy Commissioner for Tennessee's Office of Commerce and Insurance Chlora Lindley-Myers, Alabama State Department of Insurance chief examiner Richard Ford, and retired executive director of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program for the U.S. Department of Treasury Jeffrey Bragg.

Cabinet officials announced earlier this year that they anticipate starting the interview process with applicants late March, hoping to elect a commissioner by April.

To attract more capable candidates, the Cabinet voted to increase the insurance commissioner’s pay to $200,000 a year—one of the highest-paying insurance commissioner roles in the country. Previously, McCarty made $134,000 annually.
 

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