On Tuesday, Florida state CFO Jeff Atwater named Sha’Ron James as insurance consumer advocate.
James replaces Steve Burgess who retired from the post. When making the announcement on Tuesday, Atwater’s office noted, “The role of Florida’s insurance consumer advocate is to independently and ardently represent the needs of policyholders when insurance decisions are made.”
Atwater praised James’ record, including her current work as director of the Florida Department of Financial Services’ Division of Rehabilitation and Liquidation.
“Sha’Ron’s experience holding insurance companies accountable and her in-depth understanding of the insurance industry raises the bar for Florida’s advocacy efforts,” Atwater said on Tuesday. “Sha’Ron has fought to ensure that the interests of consumers come before profit and special interests, and I am confident she will carry her passion for the people of Florida into this role.”
While Atwater is a Republican, his appointment of James won some praise on the other side of the aisle. Sean Shaw served as insurance consumer advocate when Alex Sink served as state CFO. After his time in Tallahassee, Shaw founded the Policyholders of Florida which focuses on insurance matters. Last year, Shaw ran for an open Florida House seat but came up short in the Democratic primary.
On Wednesday morning, Shaw praised James, saying she was up to her new responsibilities.
"Policyholders need a strong, smart advocate in Tallahassee, and Sha'ron James is the right woman for the job," Shaw insisted on Wednesday. "Having worked with Sha'ron, I expect that she won't let policyholders be pushed around in disputes or during the legislative process. It's a tough job, but she's up for it."
Toma Wilkerson, currently the assistant director of the Division of Rehabilitation and Liquidation, will move up and replace James as director.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
