Florida State Treasurer/Insurance Commissioner/Fire Marshal
The Treasurer/Insurance Commissioner/Fire Marshal (commonly referred to as State Treasurer) is a former statewide constitutional officer of Florida. The office was abolished following the Florida Cabinet reforms of 1998 which took effect in 2003.
A statewide office, with a seat in the Cabinet, the official handled the duties of the State Treasurer, Commissioner of Insurance, and Fire Marshal. These duties included payroll, pensions, tax collection, state finances, insurance regulation, and the investigation of fires. The most visible responsibility of the officeholder was as Insurance Commissioner.
Following the Cabinet reform, the office was merged with that of the state Comptroller to create the new office of Chief Financial Officer of Florida, which oversees the Florida Department of Financial Services. The new department contains many of the functions of the previous offices, but has less direct control over insurance regulation than the previous office did. This was done to lessen the control of one person over financial services regulation in the state.
Tom Gallagher was the last Treasurer/Insurance Commissioner/Fire Marshal and the first CFO. Other persons who held the office included U.S. Senator Bill Nelson and William D. Gunter, Jr.
History
Below is a list of past officeholders:[1]
| Picture | Office Holder | Term Started | Term Ended | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Byrd | August 5, 1845 | January 8, 1848 | |||
| William R. Hayward | January 8, 1848 | January 24, 1853 | |||
| Simon Barclay Conover | August 19, 1868 | January 16, 1873 | Appointed treasurer | ||
| Charles H. Foster | January 16, 1873 | January 9, 1877 | |||
| Walter H. Gwynn | (January 9, 1877 | February 1, 1881 | Well known surveyor, previously served as a secretary for Governor John Milton; appointed to office by Governor George Franklin Drew | ||
| Henry A. L'Engle | February 1, 1881 | February 19, 1885 | |||
| Edward S. Crill | February 19, 1885 | January 8, 1889 | |||
| Francis J. Pons | January 8, 1889 | December 31, 1891 | |||
| E. J. Triay | December 31, 1891 | January 3, 1893 | |||
| Clarence B. Collins | January 3, 1893 | June 19, 1897 | |||
| James B. Whitfield | June 19, 1897 | March 1, 1903 | Declined to seek election in 1902 in order to run (and win) for Florida Attorney General | ||
| William V. Knott | March 1, 1903 | February 19, 1912 | Term ended upon appointment to be Florida Comptroller by Governor Albert W. Gilchrist | ||
| J. C. (John Christian) Luning | February 19, 1912 | September 28, 1928 | Appointed by Governor Gilchrist due to W.V. Knott appointment to Comptroller. Term ended upon death in South Dakota motoring accident on September 26, 1928. | ||
| William V. Knott | September 28, 1928 | January 3, 1941 | Appointed by Governor John W. Martin upon Luning's death | ||
| J. Edwin Larson | January 3, 1941 | January 28, 1965 | |||
| Broward Williams | January 28, 1965 | January 5, 1971 | Title changed to Treasurer and Insurance Commissioner in 1969 | ||
| Philip F. Ashler | June 3, 1975 | November 9, 1976 | |||
| William D. "Bill" Gunter Jr | November 9, 1976 | January 3, 1989 | |||
| Tom Gallagher | January 3, 1989 | January 3, 1995 | |||
| Clarence William "Bill" Nelson | January 3, 1995 | January 3, 2001 | Resigned upon winning election to the United States Senate | ||
| Tom Gallagher | January 3, 2001 | January 3, 2003 | Won special election to replace Nelson and served as the last State Treasurer. Ran unopposed in 2003 for the newly created office of Chief Financial Officer of Florida, which he held until 2007. | ||