Florida Office of Insurance Regulation Appoints New Chief of Staff, Deputy Commissioners

Florida Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier has appointed Michael Yaworsky as the new chief of staff for the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR), replacing former Chief of Staff Belinda Miller, who retired at the beginning of July.

Miller worked at OIR for nearly 30 years in a variety of capacities, including as deputy commissioner of Property & Casualty and general counsel.

In a statement on Miller’s retirement, Altmaier said Miller was instrumental to the OIR through several significant market events, including the rebuilding of Florida’s property market after the 2004-05 hurricane seasons and economic crisis, the examination of the asymmetrical use of the death master file by life insurance companies, and the receivership of several significant carriers in the state.

“Her knowledge of Florida’s insurance market and her steadfast devotion to consumers is unparalleled. In 2014, our peers nationwide honored her achievements with the prestigious Robert Dineen Award, given annually to only a handful of regulators for their outstanding service and contributions to the state regulation of insurance,” he said.

Yaworsky’s appointment became effective July 24, 2017.

Since 2015, Yaworsky served as Legal Counsel for the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, where he was responsible for advising the commissioner and senior staff on policy decisions and performing administrative, regulatory and litigation duties associated with the legal unit. He also served as General Counsel for the Office of President Pro Tempore in the Georgia Senate from 2013 – 2015.

Altmaier said Yaworsky has a wide range of experience serving in state government positions both in Florida and Georgia.

“This public service background combined with his exceptional leadership abilities will be a tremendous asset to the Office. I look forward to his counsel and on working with him to implement strategies to bolster the administrative and operational functions of the Office,” said Altmaier.

Yaworsky has a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science from Florida State University and a Juris Doctor degree from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law. He has been a member of the Georgia Bar since 2014.

OIR also appointed two new deputy commissioners in March.

Susanne Murphy was tapped as deputy commissioner of Property & Casualty. Murphy has been with OIR since 2013. In her new role, Murphy oversees the Bureaus of Property & Casualty Financial Oversight and Product Review and a newly created Property & Casualty Market Conduct unit.

Eric Johnson was picked for the role of deputy commissioner of Life & Health. He joined the OIR in 2011, and since that time has been a “nationally recognized thought leader on issues from the Affordable Care Act to Long Term Care,” according to Altmaier.

In his new role, he will oversee the Bureaus of Life & Health Financial Oversight and Product Review, as well as a newly created Life & Health Market Conduct unit.

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation has primary responsibility for regulation, compliance and enforcement of statutes related to the business of insurance and the monitoring of industry markets.

Topics Florida Legislation Georgia Property Property Casualty