Ms. Bowman, who has been leading Arkansas' Workers' Comp Commission since May 1998, will take over as the state's top insurance regulator on Jan. 3, 2005, when Commissioner Pickens' current term expires.

Ms. Bowman's experience includes working in the insurance department's fraud investigation unit from 1993 to 1996. She had also previously worked as general counsel for the Arkansas Development Finance Authority and as deputy prosecuting attorney for the state's 6th Judicial District.

"There were several outstanding candidates to take the position of insurance commissioner," Gov. Huckabee announced. "But Julie had a solid track record of managing a large state agency and of being an attorney."

The governor also praised Commissioner Pickens' achievements, noting that the commissioner has helped make Arkansas "a national leader in properly regulating the insurance industry."

Commissioner Pickens served as the president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners last year. This year, he also took two months off from his commissioner's post to work in Iraq as an independent contractor for Washington, D.C., consulting firm Bearing Point to help reconstruct Iraq's insurance industry.

Commissioner Pickens is expected to step down from his post on Jan. 3, 2005, when his current term expires. He was appointed commissioner of the department in 1997 and was re-appointed by Gov. Huckabee to serve another four years in 2001. He is expected to return to his private law practice with the Little Rock law firm Friday, Eldredge and Clark.