New Deputy Insurance Commissioners Appointed in Louisiana

Louisiana Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon announced that Executive Counsel Warren Byrd has been appointed to the position of deputy commissioner of the Office of Property and Casualty in the Louisiana Department of Insurance (LDI). Arlene Knighten, who has been serving as deputy general counsel, will assume the position of executive counsel.

Both appointments are effective immediately.

The Office of Property & Casualty is responsible for the regulation of all commercial and personal lines of property and casualty insurance in the state of Louisiana. This includes but is not limited to homeowners, auto and workers’ compensation insurance.

Key responsibilities of the Legal Division center on legislation, regulatory policies and legal opinions.

Byrd joined the LDI in 2004 and worked primarily with the Office of Property and Casualty before being appointed to serve as executive counsel in 2006. Prior to that, he served as an assistant attorney general with the Louisiana Department of Justice and also worked for the law firm of Adams and Reese. Byrd currently serves as chairman of the Louisiana Automobile Theft and Insurance Fraud Prevention Authority and on the board of the Property Insurance Association of Louisiana. He replaces Ed O’Brien who has retired from the LDI.

Knighten joined the Louisiana Department of Insurance in 2004 as a staff attorney and has since served as supervising attorney and deputy general counsel. Prior to that, she served as an assistant attorney general with the Louisiana Department of Justice. Knighten has served in leadership roles in numerous professional and legal organizations including board member at-large of the National Bar Association and president of the Louisiana Association of Black Women Attorneys.

Source: Louisiana Department of Insurance

Topics Legislation Louisiana Property Property Casualty