Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis Appoints Tasha Carter as Florida’s Insurance Consumer Advocate

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Aug. 1 -- The Florida Department of Financial Services issued the following news release:

Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis today announced the appointment of Tasha Carter, long-time Director of the Florida Department of Financial Services' (DFS) Division of Consumer Services, as the state's Insurance Consumer Advocate effective August 1. The Insurance Consumer Advocate (ICA) works independently from DFS and serves Floridians by actively engaging with consumers and working with stakeholders to find consumer focused solutions on insurance matters.

CFO Jimmy 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."

Insurance Consumer Advocate Tasha 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."

Tasha Carter joined the Department of Financial Services in 2003 and recently served as the Director of the Division of Consumer Services for more than 8 years, leading a team of more than 100 professionals who advocate and assist more than 300,000 insurance consumers annually. In this role, Carter worked closely with CFO Patronis to educate and advocate on behalf of all Floridians who have purchased an insurance or financial product. Carter's professional experience includes more than 19 years of leadership, professional responsibility and broad experience in regulation, consumer advocacy and outreach.