Debbie Walker Honored at NCCIA's 10th Anniversary Conference

The North Carolina Captive Insurance Association (NCCIA) recently announced that its annual conference will move to Charlotte for the next 2 years, with dates to be announced shortly. This follows the recent conference in Asheville, where the domicile and association celebrated their 10th anniversary.

At the Asheville conference, the NCCIA awarded the Lane Brown Excellence in the Captive Industry Award to Debbie Walker, CPA, the first director of the North Carolina Department of Insurance (NCDOI) Captives Division. Lane Brown III, one of the original founders of NCCIA, was instrumental in shepherding the original Captive Practice Act through the General Assembly in late 2013. The board created the annual award in recognition of his efforts after his passing in 2022.

Lane Brown III served three terms in the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1970 to 1976. In 2013, he cofounded NCCIA with Alex Webb, Tom Adams, and Jeff Smith, later becoming the vice president of government affairs.

"The recipient of the Lane Brown Excellence in the Captive Insurance Industry Award, Debbie Walker, retired as head of the NCDOI's Captives Division in 2022. During her tenure, she was responsible for the oversight of what is now North Carolina's extraordinarily successful captive insurance company regulatory program. She will always be remembered for inculcating the strong customer service culture that has propelled North Carolina to the third-largest captive domicile in the United States. Her duties included organizing and staffing the division, the licensing and regulation of captive insurers, as well as promoting the domicile," said outgoing association chair Nate Reznicek.

He continued, "Before taking the role, she held the position of chief financial analyst, where she was responsible for the oversight of the financial solvency and compliance regulation of insurance companies licensed in North Carolina. Prior to that, she held other positions in the department and in the insurance industry."

The NCCIA also shared that its lobbyists continue working to advance the association-sponsored SB 319 in the House of Representatives during the current short session of the legislature. Currently in the House Rules Committee, it is part of a backlog of Senate-passed legislation awaiting action. The duration of the session is unclear, the NCCIA said, but lobbyists believe there is ample time to pass the legislation. Rep. Destin Hall is chair of the committee.