The Texas Department of Insurance announced on Mar. 17 that Matthew Tapp has been appointed as the new deputy commissioner of its Consumer Protection Division.
Tapp will lead the division responsible for helping Texans with insurance questions and complaints, as well as overseeing agent and adjuster licensing. The division also manages the department’s disaster response program and serves as the ombudsman for the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association.
According to the department, last year Consumer Protection staff answered more than 126,000 consumer calls and resolved over 19,600 consumer complaints. The division was also involved in disaster recovery efforts following tornadoes in Southeast Texas, storms in Central and North Texas, and flooding events in the Rio Grande Valley and Central Texas. Staff were deployed to assist affected consumers with contacting insurance companies, minimizing property losses, and expediting claims processes.
Tapp previously served for four years as TDI’s associate commissioner of Consumer Protection. Before joining TDI, he worked at the Indiana Department of Insurance and in the Indiana State Senate. He is a graduate of Butler University and Regent University School of Law.
The appointment comes at a time when consumer protection remains a key focus for the agency due to frequent severe weather events across Texas.
