New Texas insurance commissioner to start next month
The current executive director of the Texas Department of Information Resources will take over the Texas insurance commissioner role starting next month, as the current commissioner is set to retire.
Amanda Crawford, of Round Rock, also currently serves as the state’s chief information officer. She previously served as deputy attorney general and general counsel for the state’s attorney general.
Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Crawford to the position for a term set to expire Feb. 1, 2027, according to a press release from the governor’s office.
Crawford is also a member of the state Bar of Texas and a past president of the National Association of State Chief Information Officers. Crawford received a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from The University of Texas at Austin and a Juris Doctor from the University of Houston Law Center.
The state announced last week that current Commissioner Cassie Brown will retire Feb. 2 as head of the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI).
Brown has held the position for four years and oversees regulation of the $293 billion Texas insurance market, the second largest in the nation. The market includes 3,400 companies and 875,000 agents and adjusters.
“Commissioner Brown’s more than 20 years in public service embody what it means to be a Texan,” said Abbott in the press release. “Under her leadership at the Texas Department of Insurance, Texas maintained the second-largest insurance market in the nation and ensured the insurance market best served hardworking Texans. I thank her for her dedication to our state, and I wish her the best in her next chapter.”
The release praises Brown for concurrently working to keep the marketplace competitive while also protecting consumers with proactive approaches and intervention strategies. This included focusing on educating consumers about insurance coverage, claim filing, and avoiding scams.
“I leave knowing that TDI can be counted on to protect consumers, maintain a competitive insurance market to provide consumers with a choice in the company they use and insurance products they purchase, and provide industry with a stable regulatory environment that welcomes new business and innovation to the state,” said Brown.
Brown saved consumers millions through rate reviews, resolving consumer’s complaints, and obtaining restitution for fraud victims, the release says.
Prior to serving as commissioner, she served as the commissioner of workers’ compensation.
In 2024, TDI, while under Brown’s command, conducted a data call from 10 auto insurers on appraisal use and outcomes. The data was used by the Auto Body Association of Texas (ABAT) when lobbying for a right-to-appraisal clause bill, which was passed.
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Photo of Amanda Crawford from the National Assocation of Attorneys General.