Lee names Lawrence commissioner of Commerce & Insurance Department
Gov. Bill Lee has promoted Carter Lawrence to commissioner of the Commerce & Insurance. Lawrence, who had served as the department’s chief deputy, succeeds Hodgen Mainda, who resigned following a sexual misconduct investigation. Mainda has denied any wrongdoing.
Lawrence previously served as interim commissioner after former agency head Julie Mix McPeak left for the private sector last year.
Here’s the release from the governor’s office:
NASHVILLE – Today Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced Carter Lawrence will serve in his cabinet as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance, effective immediately.
“Carter is a proven public servant who has stewarded key priorities for the administration throughout his tenure and I’m confident he’ll continue to support Tennessee businesses and consumers with integrity,” said Gov. Lee. “We appreciate his dedication to the Department of Commerce & Insurance and look forward to his continued service.”
Lawrence currently serves as Chief Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer at the Department of Commerce & Insurance.
He has also served on Tennessee’s Economic Recovery Group throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, assisting Gov. Lee’s efforts to reboot the state’s economy.
A lifelong Tennessean and Nashville native, Lawrence earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence and a Master of Business Administration at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Prior, he graduated from Wheaton College in Illinois.
He currently resides in Nashville with his wife and three children and is a member of Nashville’s Church of the Redeemer.
Carter Lawrence sworn in as interim Commerce & Insurance commissioner
Gov. Bill Lee has sworn in Carter Lawrence as the interim commissioner of Commerce & Insurance. He succeeds Julie Mix McPeak, who left to take take a job in the private sector.
Proud to share photos of @GovBillLee swearing in @Carter_Lawrence (alongside his awesome wife Amy and their sons) as our interim commissioner! We're excited for Tennessee consumers and the future! To read his bio, visit: https://t.co/IAgNtyzEFT #leadership #Tennessee pic.twitter.com/RF7alyeWdW
— Commerce & Insurance (@TNCommerceInsur) June 17, 2019
Lawrence, of Williamson County, had served as deputy commissioner for the department’s administration and for regulatory boards. He has law and business degrees from the University of Tennessee.
McPeak was a holdover from Gov. Bill Haslam’s administration. Greenberg Traurig announced last week that she is founding the law firm’s new Nashville office — the company’s 41st location worldwide and 31st in the U.S.
McPeak was president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners last year.
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