Ray Farmer was appointed by Governor Nikki Haley to serve as Director for the South Carolina Department of Insurance November 13, 2012.  With more than forty years' experience, Mr. Farmer received his degree in Insurance from the University of Southern Mississippi and earned his law degree from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School. 

Mr. Farmer served as the Deputy Insurance Commissioner of the Enforcement Division for the Georgia Department of Insurance and more recently Vice President for the American Insurance Association.  Mr. Farmer is a member of the State Bar of Georgia and a member of the Tort and Insurance Practice section as well as the Workers’ Compensation section.

In 2014, he was named the Industry Person of the Year from the Independent Agents and Brokers of South Carolina.  In 2017, Mr. Farmer received The Order of the Palmetto from Governor Haley, the state's highest civilian honor awarded to citizens of South Carolina for extraordinary lifetime service and achievements of national or statewide significance.  Most recently, Mr. Farmer was honored to be elected the Vice President for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. 

Mr. Farmer is a native of Atlanta and he and his wife, Gayle, have two children and five grandchildren.