NAIC President Honors Four State Insurance Regulators’ Service and Leadership with 2023 Robert Dineen Award

During the opening session of its 2023 Fall National Meeting on December 1, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) recognized four state insurance regulators for their exemplary service with the organization’s Robert Dineen Award.

NAIC President and Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance Director Chlora Lindley-Myers presented this year’s award to:

• George Bradner, assistant deputy commissioner and Property & Casualty Division director, Connecticut Insurance Department
• Denise Gardner, chief of staff, Louisiana Department of Insurance
• Joy Little, chief examiner and director of the Insurance Company Examinations section, Tennessee Department of Insurance
• Jackie Obusek, chief deputy commissioner of insurance, North Carolina Department of Insurance

The Robert Dineen Award was established in June 1989 for Outstanding Service and Contribution to the State Regulation of Insurance and named in honor of the founder of the NAIC’s Support and Services Office.

You can read more about each recipient below:

George Bradner

(NAIC President-Elect and Connecticut Insurance Commissioner Andrew N. Mais with George Bradner)

George is a thought-leader on insurance regulation and is engaged in many issues within the NAIC framework, including all property and casualty insurance issues, in addition to rate and form filing modernization. He serves as assistant deputy commissioner and Property & Casualty Division director at the Connecticut Insurance Department, where he represents Connecticut in coordination with other states as a member of the Sustainable Insurance Forum. Among his accomplishments, George has been an enthusiastic supporter of innovation and technology development and is active in consumer and climate and resiliency issues. He was one of three regulators to co-lead the State Innovation and Technology State Contacts group. George has helped states develop Continuity of Operations and disaster recovery plans, and he formed a Northeast Zone catastrophe resilience group, which continues to meet periodically.

Denise Gardner

(Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon with Denise Gardner)

During a 32-year career that has seen her take on leadership roles including chief of staff, chief deputy commissioner, and deputy commissioner of financial solvency, Denise has shepherded the Louisiana Department of Insurance through some of its toughest hours. In 2011, after two of the department’s insurance fraud investigators were killed in the performance of their duties, Denise helped guide the agency and employees in their time of tremendous loss, making the office a compassionate environment for staff. Denise was also instrumental in developing and implementing the Insure Louisiana Incentive Program following Hurricane Katrina. After the 2020-2021 hurricane seasons battered Louisiana with four strong hurricanes over 13 months, Denise has led the restarting of the incentive program and has also been instrumental in long-term efforts to address the affordability crisis. The NAIC has also benefitted from Denise's active participation and expertise throughout the years, selecting her in 2009 for specialized training at Lloyd's of London.

Joy Little

(Tennessee Insurance Commissioner Carter Lawrence with Joy Little)

Over a 40-year regulatory career, Joy has served as chief examiner at the North Carolina and Texas Insurance Departments and is currently the chief examiner and director of the Insurance Company Examinations section at the Tennessee Department of Insurance. In each location, Joy has worked and built relationships with many state employees to make process improvements, and she has led all three states through successful NAIC accreditation reviews, including the first-ever full five-year accreditation reviews for North Carolina and Texas. She has served on numerous NAIC working groups, including as chair and co-chair, and she was president of the Society of Financial Examiners from 1994-1995. She was also the EIC and a team member of the first-ever NAIC reviews of Lloyd’s in 1998 and 1999.

Jackie Obusek

(North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey with Jackie Obusek)

Since starting with the North Carolina Department of Insurance in 1996 as an entry level financial examiner, Jackie has served in many roles and is now the chief deputy commissioner of insurance. At the NAIC, Jackie's many contributions have included chairing the NAIC's Mortgage Guaranty Insurance (E) Working Group, where she helped develop the revised Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Model Act (Model #630), which affords stronger protections to consumers, lenders, and government-sponsored entities. Jackie has also been instrumental on the Financial Regulation Standards and Accreditation (F) Committee and in the decisions to adopt model laws as accreditation standards. Under Jackie’s leadership, North Carolina has implemented processes and procedures to remain an accredited state with sound and reliable financial oversight standards. Jackie is a strong proponent of state-based regulation and believes strong NAIC accreditation standards and oversight support that system.

(Top: [L-R, Second Row] Tennessee Insurance Commissioner Carter Lawrence, Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon, North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey, NAIC President-Elect and Connecticut Insurance Commissioner Andrew N. Mais, and George Bradner. [L-R, First Row] Joy Little, Denise Gardner, Jackie Obusek, and NAIC President and Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance Director Chlora Lindley-Myers.)