Jun 5, 2023

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Today, Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky announced the appointment of Sheryl Parker as the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation’s (OIR) first Deputy Commissioner of Market Regulation and Virginia Christy as OIR’s Deputy Commissioner of Property and Casualty.

“During their time at OIR, Sheryl and Virginia have been critical to our consumer protection, market regulation and financial oversight efforts,” said Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky. “They both are bringing extensive knowledge and experience to their respective positions and I am proud to announce their appointments as Deputy Commissioners. I’m confident they will continue to serve and protect policyholders to the fullest extent.” 

The Deputy Commissioner of Market Regulation position was established with the purpose of overseeing all of OIR’s market regulation efforts to further protect insurance consumers from unlawful or harmful business practices. The Deputy Commissioner of Property and Casualty oversees the Property and Casualty Financial Oversight and Product Review units. Within OIR, Deputy Commissioners provide executive, regulatory and policy leadership, and administrative direction and support for their respective business units.

Recently, Governor DeSantis signed three bills that strengthen Florida’s property insurance market, expand the state’s home hardening and hazard mitigation programs, and further protect consumers against bad actors. The Deputy Commissioner of Market Regulation and the Deputy Commissioner of Property and Casualty will work to implement this legislation and ensure consumers are being protected from predatory insurer practices.

Sheryl Parker

Sheryl Parker is a lifelong public servant with more than 20 years of consumer-focused experience in insurance regulation. Ms. Parker was appointed to serve as the first Deputy Commissioner of Market Regulation at the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) in June 2023. In this role, she oversees OIR’s market regulation efforts to protect insurance consumers from unlawful or harmful business practices.

Prior to her appointment as Deputy Commissioner of Market Regulation, Ms. Parker served as OIR’s Director of Property and Casualty Market Regulation since 2019. Her primary responsibilities as Director included the overall supervision and operation of the Property and Casualty Market Regulation business unit. This unit is responsible for conducting examinations and investigations of property and casualty insurers and related parties regarding business practices and patterns of alleged violations of the Florida Insurance Code.

Ms. Parker began her career at OIR in 2012, as an operations review specialist and was promoted to a financial administrator in direct support of the Deputy Commissioner of Property and Casualty in 2017. Prior to joining OIR, Ms. Parker worked in a variety of positions for the Florida Department of Financial Services Division of Consumer Services guiding and training staff on how to assist Floridians with resolving a variety of insurance-related concerns.  A Marine Corps veteran, Ms. Parker began her insurance career in 1990 and was a licensed insurance agent in North Carolina and Florida.

Ms. Parker received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Kaplan University. She holds multiple professional certifications, including a Market Conduct Management designation from the Insurance Regulatory Examiners Society and an Associate in Risk Management designation from the Insurance Institute of America.

Virginia Christy

Virginia Christy is a skilled regulator with more than a decade of experience in insurance regulation. Ms. Christy was appointed to serve as Deputy Commissioner of Property and Casualty at the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) in June 2023. In this role, she oversees the Property and Casualty Financial Oversight and Product Review units. 

As Deputy Commissioner of Property and Casualty, Ms. Christy serves as OIR’s representative member on the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (Citizens) Market Accountability Advisory Committee. The Citizens Market Accountability Advisory Committee assists the Citizens Board in developing awareness of its rates and its customer and agent service levels in relationship to the voluntary market insurers writing similar coverage.

Prior to her appointment as Deputy Commissioner of Property and Casualty, Ms. Christy served as OIR’s Director of Property and Casualty Financial Oversight since 2017. Her primary responsibilities as Director included the overall supervision and operation of the Property and Casualty Financial Oversight business unit. This unit is responsible for the licensure and regulation of all Property and Casualty insurers. Prior to becoming the Director of Property & Casualty Financial Oversight, Ms. Christy served as OIR’s Chief Assistant General Counsel. In this role, she managed the Legal Division’s Regulatory Actions Section which provides legal counsel to the Commissioner and staff of OIR, regarding all matters related to the regulation of insurers, including the review and analysis of the legal sufficiency of admissions applications and other company documents.

Before joining OIR, Ms. Christy served as an Assistant Public Defender with the 2nd Judicial Circuit. Ms. Christy received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting from Missouri Southern State College in Joplin, Missouri and her Juris Doctor from Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville, Florida. She has been a member of the Florida Bar since 2007.