In the latest entry in our Commissioner Spotlight series, we are focusing on Commissioner Jim Donelon, the current and longstanding leader of the Louisiana Department of Insurance (LDI) and a former president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). When he retires early next year, Commissioner Donelon will have served as insurance commissioner for 17 years; he is the longest-serving insurance commissioner in Louisiana’s history.

Prior to becoming Louisiana’s insurance commissioner in 2006, Commissioner Donelon held several leadership positions in the LDI, including as Chief Deputy Commissioner and Executive Counsel. Commissioner Donelon, a New Orleans native, also spent 20 years in the Louisiana House of Representatives, where he chaired its Committee on Insurance.

Why Commissioner Donelon is Important to Agents:

Commissioner Donelon served as president of the NAIC in 2013 and has been an active member of NAIC leadership throughout his time as commissioner. He currently serves as the chair of the NAIC’s Surplus Lines Task Force and as chair of the Southeast Zone. Commissioner Donelon also currently serves on the NAIC’s Executive (EX) Committee in his capacity as Southeast Zone chair. Additionally, he serves as co-vice chair of the Climate and Resiliency (EX) Task Force.

Commissioner Donelon also shepherded hurricane-prone Louisiana through a number of deadly natural disasters, including Hurricanes Gustav and Ike (both 2008), Isaac (2012), Laura and Delta (both 2020), and Ida (2021).

Earlier this year, Commissioner Donelon announced that he will not seek re-election at the end of his current term, which will conclude in early January 2024. PIA has appreciated our collaborations with Commissioner Donelon during his historic tenure and values his decades of dedicated service to insurance consumers of Louisiana and nationwide.

PIA has long valued its close relationship with the NAIC and its leaders, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with Commissioner Donelon’s successor, Tim Temple, who is unopposed in the forthcoming Louisiana insurance commissioner election.