Bowman Replaces Pickens As Arkansas Commissioner

By Michael Ha

NU Online News Service, Dec. 8, 3:26 p.m.EST?Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has named Julie BenafieldBowman, the chief executive of the state Workers' CompensationCommission, to replace departing Insurance Commissioner MikePickens.[@@]

Mr. Pickens said he has decided to return to the private sectorafter serving eight years in his post.

Ms. Bowman, who has been leading Arkansas' Workers' CompCommission since May 1998, will take over as the state's topinsurance regulator on Jan. 3, 2005, when Commissioner Pickens'current term expires.

Ms. Bowman's experience includes working in the insurancedepartment's fraud investigation unit from 1993 to 1996. She hadalso previously worked as general counsel for the ArkansasDevelopment Finance Authority and as deputy prosecuting attorneyfor the state's 6th Judicial District.

"There were several outstanding candidates to take the positionof insurance commissioner," Gov. Huckabee announced. "But Julie hada solid track record of managing a large state agency and of beingan attorney."

The governor also praised Commissioner Pickens' achievements,noting that the commissioner has helped make Arkansas "a nationalleader in properly regulating the insurance industry."

Commissioner Pickens served as the president of the NationalAssociation of Insurance Commissioners last year. This year, healso took two months off from his commissioner's post to work inIraq as an independent contractor for Washington, D.C., consultingfirm Bearing Point to help reconstruct Iraq's insuranceindustry.

Commissioner Pickens is expected to step down from his post onJan. 3, 2005, when his current term expires. He was appointedcommissioner of the department in 1997 and was re-appointed by Gov.Huckabee to serve another four years in 2001. He is expected toreturn to his private law practice with the Little Rock law firmFriday, Eldredge and Clark.