Carter Lawrence serves as the Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance and as the Tennessee State Fire Marshal. Before his appointment to Governor Lee’s cabinet, Lawrence served in a variety of leadership roles in the Department, including as Assistant Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer.

As Commissioner, he has advocated for the removal of overly burdensome regulations, improved customer service through the use of better tools, and spearheaded initiatives focused on creating greater efficiencies and employee engagement.

On behalf of the Governor’s administration, Commissioner Lawrence has served on several initiatives throughout his career including as a sub-committee chairman on the Tennessee Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council. On a national level, he has served in various leadership roles on committees as part of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).

Lawrence is an attorney who studied law at the University of Tennessee, where he also obtained a Master of Business Administration. For undergraduate studies, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts from Wheaton College in Illinois.

A Middle Tennessee native, he regularly volunteers with his church, local youth sports leagues, and is a board member of an adoption-focused organization. Carter and his family live in the Nashville area.

Lawrence remains focused on leading the Department to protect Tennesseans through balanced oversight of insurance and regulated professions while enhancing consumer advocacy, education, and public safety.