Carter Lawrence Chosen as Tennessee's Top Insurance Regulator

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has named state insurance regulator Carter Lawrence commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI), effective immediately.

Mr. Lawrence "is a proven public servant who has stewarded key priorities for the administration throughout his tenure, and I'm confident he'll continue to support Tennessee businesses and consumers with integrity," Mr. Lee said in a November 12 statement.

Captive insurance organizations also welcome the selection of Mr. Lawrence as Tennessee's top insurance regulator.

"The captive industry is very pleased with the appointment of Carter Lawrence as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance by Governor Lee. TCIA has worked with him extensively in the past on captive insurance matters. I believe he will do an excellent job and is well qualified to lead the TDCI at this time," Kevin Doherty, president of the Nashville-based Tennessee Captive Insurance Association (TCIA), said in a statement.

Prior to his appointment as commissioner, Mr. Lawrence served as the TDCI's chief deputy commissioner and chief operating officer.

Mr. Lawrence succeeds Hodgen Mainda, who announced late last month that he would be leaving the TDCI on November 13 to move to the private sector and to spend more time with his family.

Other Tennessee insurance regulatory changes this year include the June appointment of Belinda Fortman as the Captive Insurance Section director and the naming in August of Joshua Clark, a veteran insurance executive, as director of business development for the Insurance Division, where he has been involved in attracting more captives to the state.

Tennessee is one of the largest US captive domiciles with, according to recent statistics, 210 captives.