Get to know Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey
February 16, 2022 at 11:28 a.m.
For Republican Mike Causey, it took some persistence to get the elected office he wanted. He ran unsuccessfully for insurance commissioner three times – in 1996, 2000 and 2012 – before winning the office in 2016.
He's now in his second term overseeing the state’s insurance regulatory agency, as well as serving as the state fire marshal.
Age: 71
What are some of the past jobs you’ve held outside of state government? Lifelong farmer, field engineer for a general contractor, insurance sales rep, general manager for an insurance agency and produce market owner.
What lessons from those roles have you applied to your current position? Focus on the job at hand with a vision for the long-range goal.
What’s the most common misconception about your agency? We sell insurance. The Department of Insurance regulates insurance. We do not sell insurance.
Who do you most admire, and why? President Ronald Reagan. He was a patriotic example of a leader who listened to the working men and women of America. He believed in America and the opportunities available to all people.
What’s the best advice you’ve received about how to get things done in state government? Listen to the people doing the everyday work – the subject matter experts.
Where did you grow up? The Alamance community of southeastern Guilford County – Greensboro area.
Where do you most enjoy taking an out-of-town visitor in your hometown? The farming areas.
What is your favorite hobby outside of work? Being outside on the farm driving tractors, general farm work or landscaping, planting wildflower plots and wildlife plots.