Florida’s chief financial officer, Jimmy Patronis, has appointed Tasha Carter, director of the Division of Consumer Services at the Florida Department of Financial Services (“DFS”), to be the state’s insurance consumer advocate (“ICA”).

The ICA works independently from the DFS and serves Floridians by engaging with consumers and working with stakeholders to find consumer-focused solutions on insurance matters. In a statement, Mr. Patronis said, “As director of the Division of Consumer Services for nearly a decade, Tasha Carter has tirelessly advocated for Florida’s insurance consumers while fighting to hold insurance companies accountable. Her extensive knowledge of the insurance industry and the important issues facing everyday consumers make her a perfect fit for the role of Florida’s Insurance Consumer Advocate.” Ms. Carter said, “I am honored and excited to be appointed by CFO Patronis to serve as Florida’s insurance consumer advocate. I’ve spent much of my career fighting for Florida’s insurance consumers and advocating on their behalf. I look forward to working on consumer-focused policy solutions and ensuring consumers’ interests are always represented when insurance decisions are made.” Ms. Carter joined the DFS in 2003 and has served as the director of the Division of Consumer Services for more than eight years, leading a team of more than 100 professionals who advocate and assist more than 300,000 insurance consumers annually. In this role, Ms. Carter worked to educate and advocate on behalf of all Floridians who have purchased an insurance or financial product. Ms. Carter’s professional experience includes more than 19 years of experience in regulation, consumer advocacy, and outreach.