Wayne Goodwin is the former North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance and now CEO and President of his North Carolina-based company, Seaboard Strategic Consulting, LLC. His company provides insights & guidance on business, finance, government, insurance, politics, and regulatory matters anywhere in the United States.
Prior to joining the Board of Directors for Nelson Taplin Goldwater and creating his own private consulting firm, Goodwin served eight years as North Carolina’s 10th Insurance Commissioner. Elected in 2008 and re-elected in 2012, he also previously worked four years as the Assistant Insurance Commissioner and Assistant General Counsel to his predecessor. Overall Goodwin spent 12 years as an insurance regulator.
Before joining the Department of Insurance, he served eight years in the House of Representatives. Elected to four terms, he introduced or sponsored many proposals pertaining to the business of insurance – including items requested by the state’s Insurance Commissioner. Goodwin created and operated his own law practice for 13 years with a focus on workers’ compensation and insurance law.
In 1989, Mr. Goodwin graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with honors in Political Science – a recipient of the prestigious Morehead Scholarship and U.S. Senate/William Randolph Hearst Scholarship – and earned his Juris Doctor degree in 1992.
As Insurance Commissioner, he saved North Carolinians over $2.4 Billion, created the State’s highly-successful captive insurance industry, held insurance companies accountable, championed the fight against insurance fraud, and helped his State achieve the lowest average auto insurance premiums in the country and one of the most competitive, stable auto insurance markets in the country. As Insurance Commissioner for a coastal state highly prone to hurricanes, Goodwin negotiated new laws that stabilized the insurance market, promoted availability of coverage, and protected consumers. Further, Commissioner Goodwin has been a strong advocate both for state-based insurance regulation and for independent insurance agents, appointing over 100 insurance agents to advisory committees during his tenure.
He also served on the Executive Committee of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), chaired various committees and working groups, and was the elected Vice Chair of the NAIC Southeast Zone. His duties also included service as State Fire Marshal, making him the voice of 50,000 fire and rescue personnel in the Tar Heel state.
Commissioner Goodwin is married to Melanie Wade Goodwin, also a former legislator and now a Deputy Commissioner and hearing officer for workers’ compensation cases. They have two young children, Madison and Jackson, and reside in Raleigh.
