HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (Dec. 10, 2025)
º£½ÇÂÛ̳ President Honors Two º£½ÇÂÛ̳ Members with 2025 Farmer Award for Exceptional Leadership
On Dec. 9, during the Opening Session of the º£½ÇÂÛ̳’ (º£½ÇÂÛ̳) 2025 Fall National Meeting, North Dakota Insurance Commissioner and º£½ÇÂÛ̳ President Jon Godfread presented the º£½ÇÂÛ̳’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 º£½ÇÂÛ̳’s Risk-Based Capital Model Governance (EX) Task Force established earlier this year.
Director French also chairs the º£½ÇÂÛ̳’s Life Insurance and Annuities (A) Committee, and Commissioner Houdek also chairs the º£½ÇÂÛ̳’s Financial Condition (E) Committee.
The Farmer Award, given at the º£½ÇÂÛ̳ president’s discretion, honors an º£½ÇÂÛ̳ Member who has shown exemplary leadership and a sustained length of industry service and has contributed to advancing the º£½ÇÂÛ̳’s mission.
Created in 2008, the award was previously known as the º£½ÇÂÛ̳ President’s Award for Distinguished º£½ÇÂÛ̳ Leadership. The º£½ÇÂÛ̳ renamed the award at the 2021 Fall National Meeting in honor of its recipient, then-º£½ÇÂÛ̳ 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)
About the º£½ÇÂÛ̳
As part of our state-based system of insurance regulation in the United States, the º£½ÇÂÛ̳ (º£½ÇÂÛ̳) 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 º£½ÇÂÛ̳, state insurance regulators establish standards and best practices, conduct peer reviews, and coordinate regulatory oversight. º£½ÇÂÛ̳ staff supports these efforts and represents the collective views of state regulators domestically and internationally.