Mike Chaney, Mississippi’s 11th Commissioner of Insurance and State Fire Marshal, is currently serving his fourth term in office.
Chaney previously served 15 years in the Mississippi House and Senate. A longtime businessman, Chaney is deeply invested in economic development. As he is fond of saying, you cannot start and run a successful business without the proper insurance. Chaney’s priority as Commissioner remains consumer protection. The Mississippi Insurance Department, under his direction, returned more than $7 million to Mississippians in 2022. Chaney and his staff take more than 12,000 calls and thousands of written complaints each year.
Under Chaney’s leadership, Mississippi is rated as one of the top two states to work as an insurance agent. Comm. Chaney’s well-known stance against crime and insurance fraud has resulted in very few sanctions and fines against agents – some of the lowest numbers in the nation.
During the 2023 Legislative Session, Comm. Chaney championed the passage of the Length of Service Award Program (LOSAP). The bill will give Volunteer Firefighters with retirement benefits up to $750 per year, to be paid out in a lump sum after 20 years of service. Chaney believes the law will help with firefighter retention and recruitment.
Chaney also serves as State Fire Marshal and knows just how important firefighters are in our communities. Fire deaths trended down from 2021 to 2022. With help from a Federal grant, the State Fire Marshal’s Office has purchased 45,000 smoke alarms to go out into communities statewide.
You can find more about Comm. Chaney’s accomplishments at www.MikeChaney.com As Commissioner, he was inducted into the Insurance Hall of Fame at his alma mater, Mississippi State University, and at the University of Mississippi. He has been named one of the top insurance professionals by Insurance Business America Magazine, and was named a Healthcare Hero by the Mississippi Business Journal.
Comm. Chaney has served the National Association of Insurance Commissioners as chair of the Property and Casualty committee for 5 years. He is a Rotarian and has been named a Paul Harris Fellow twice.
Chaney is a veteran of the United States Army, serving in Vietnam. He and his wife, Mary, have three children and eight grandchildren. Chaney is a native of Tupelo, Miss. and a longtime resident of Vicksburg.
