HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (Dec. 10, 2025)
91´«Ã½ President Honors Two 91´«Ã½ Members with 2025 Farmer Award for Exceptional Leadership
On Dec. 9, during the Opening Session of the 91´«Ã½â€™ (91´«Ã½) 2025 Fall National Meeting, North Dakota Insurance Commissioner and 91´«Ã½ President Jon Godfread presented the 91´«Ã½â€™s Raymond G. Farmer Award for Exceptional Leadership to Ohio Department of Insurance Director Judith L. French and Wisconsin Insurance Commissioner Nathan Houdek.
As part of his remarks, Commissioner Godfread noted the work of Director French and Commissioner Houdek in co-chairing the 91´«Ã½â€™s Risk-Based Capital Model Governance (EX) Task Force established earlier this year.
Director French also chairs the 91´«Ã½â€™s Life Insurance and Annuities (A) Committee, and Commissioner Houdek also chairs the 91´«Ã½â€™s Financial Condition (E) Committee.
The Farmer Award, given at the 91´«Ã½ president’s discretion, honors an 91´«Ã½ Member who has shown exemplary leadership and a sustained length of industry service and has contributed to advancing the 91´«Ã½â€™s mission.
Created in 2008, the award was previously known as the 91´«Ã½ President’s Award for Distinguished 91´«Ã½ Leadership. The 91´«Ã½ renamed the award at the 2021 Fall National Meeting in honor of its recipient, then-91´«Ã½ Immediate Past President and South Carolina Department of Insurance Director Ray Farmer. Former Director Farmer retired in April 2022 after 53 years in the industry and insurance regulation.
(Top: [L-R] Director French, Former Director Farmer, Commissioner Godfread, and Commissioner Houdek)
91´«Ã½ the 91´«Ã½
As part of our state-based system of insurance regulation in the United States, the 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½) provides expertise, data, and analysis for insurance commissioners to effectively regulate the industry and protect consumers. The U.S. standard-setting organization is governed by the chief insurance regulators from the 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. Through the 91´«Ã½, state insurance regulators establish standards and best practices, conduct peer reviews, and coordinate regulatory oversight. 91´«Ã½ staff supports these efforts and represents the collective views of state regulators domestically and internationally.