Industry Insight: Hotaling's Dieppa Named to Citizens Board of Governors

New Appointment to Florida's Insurer of Last Resort

Florida's property insurance market continues to evolve at a rapid pace, and leadership changes at Citizens Property Insurance Corporation carry outsized importance for policyholders, public adjusters, and claims professionals across the state. On September 22, 2026, Insurance Journal reported that Gabriel "Gabby" Dieppa, managing partner at Hotaling Insurance Services in Miami, has been appointed to the Florida Citizens Property Insurance Corp. Board of Governors for a three-year term running through July 2029.

Dieppa was appointed by former Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez before Perez departed to become U.S. ambassador to Brazil. Dieppa succeeds LeAnna Cumber, a former Jacksonville City Council member who had served on the board since her 2023 appointment by then-Speaker Paul Renner.

Who Is Gabriel Dieppa?

Dieppa brings substantial commercial insurance brokerage experience to the Citizens board. Since 2018, he has served as managing partner at Hotaling, a brokerage and risk management firm with a national footprint. Prior to that role, he spent nearly four years as a vice president at Brown & Brown, one of the nation's largest independent insurance intermediaries. Dieppa holds an MBA from the University of Miami and a bachelor's degree in human resource development from the University of Florida.

His appointment places another commercial insurance perspective on a board that oversees the largest property insurer in Florida by policy count — an entity originally designed to be an insurer of last resort but which has, at various points over the past two decades, swelled to become one of the state's largest carriers by sheer necessity as private insurers retreated from catastrophe-exposed coastal markets.

The Commercial Clearinghouse Debate

Dieppa's first board meeting, held this week, included discussion of a contentious and long-debated proposal: a commercial policy "clearinghouse" designed to help depopulate Citizens by shifting eligible commercial policies to private-market carriers. This mechanism mirrors the residential clearinghouse process that has been used for years to encourage — and in some cases require — policyholders to accept private-market offers when available, rather than remaining insured by Citizens.

Notably, Dieppa declined to stake out a position on the clearinghouse ahead of his first meeting, stating in a released comment that it would not be "appropriate" to take a stance before reviewing the underlying data and hearing from stakeholders. He acknowledged that his background as a commercial insurance broker would inform his eventual perspective, but emphasized the need to understand the objectives and potential implications of the policy before reaching conclusions.

Why This Matters for Public Adjusters and Policyholders

Board composition changes at Citizens are not merely administrative footnotes — they shape policy direction that directly affects claims handling, depopulation incentives, and the broader trajectory of Florida's property insurance market. For public adjusters and policyholders who interact with Citizens on a daily basis, several practical considerations flow from this appointment:

• Commercial policy movement: If the clearinghouse proposal advances, commercial policyholders currently insured by Citizens may see increased pressure — or increased opportunity — to transition to private carriers, which can affect coverage terms, claims-handling practices, and policy limits.
• Board philosophy shifts: New governors often bring differing views on rate adequacy, underwriting standards, and claims settlement philosophy. A board member with deep commercial brokerage experience may push for market-based solutions that differ from prior board dynamics.
• Long-term stability signals: Citizens' board decisions influence reinsurance purchasing, surplus management, and assessment risk — all of which trickle down to affect premium stability and the broader private market's willingness to write business in Florida.

Broader Context: Florida's Ongoing Insurance Market Transition

This appointment arrives amid a period of continued transition in Florida's property insurance landscape. Legislative reforms enacted in recent years have aimed to stabilize the market, attract new capital, and reduce Citizens' policy count through depopulation programs. Board leadership plays a critical role in how aggressively — and how fairly — those depopulation and clearinghouse mechanisms are implemented.

For policyholders who find themselves shifted from Citizens to a private carrier, it is essential to understand that the transition does not automatically preserve favorable claims-handling practices or coverage terms. Policy language, claims history, and carrier financial strength can all change meaningfully in a depopulation transfer, and policyholders should carefully review their new policy documents rather than assuming continuity of coverage.

Practical Takeaways

• Commercial policyholders currently with Citizens should monitor clearinghouse developments closely, particularly if they operate multi-property portfolios sensitive to coverage changes.
• Public adjusters handling Citizens claims should stay alert to any shifts in claims-handling guidance or settlement philosophy that may emerge from new board leadership.
• Policyholders transitioned out of Citizens via depopulation should have their new policy reviewed by a qualified professional to confirm coverage adequacy before a loss occurs.

How Louis Law Group Can Help

Navigating Florida's property insurance market — whether you're insured by Citizens or a private carrier — requires informed guidance, especially when policy terms shift due to regulatory or market changes. Louis Law Group has extensive experience representing Florida policyholders in disputes with Citizens Property Insurance Corp. and private carriers alike, from underpaid claims to wrongful denials. If you have a pending claim, believe your policy was improperly transferred, or need help understanding your rights following a depopulation or clearinghouse move, our team is ready to assist. Contact Louis Law Group today at (833) 657-4812 for a free consultation and let our experienced attorneys fight for the compensation you deserve.

Source: Insurance Journal - People: Hotaling's Dieppa Appointed to Florida Citizens Board of Governors