The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) announces new leadership for the State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO). Debra Knight will serve as the new State Fire Marshal for Texas.
Knight brings more than 30 years of experience in administrative and criminal law, as well as insurance and compliance analysis. She joined TDI in 2013 after 20 years in private practice and the insurance industry.
Before being appointed to the position of State Fire Marshal, Knight served as the deputy commissioner of Compliance and Investigations for the Division of Workers’ Compensation. She oversaw investigating administrative and criminal violations.
Before retiring in 2014 as a colonel in the United States Army, Knight served as the FEMA Region VI Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer for the U.S. Army in Texas.
She holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence from South Texas College of Law.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office is a division of the Texas Department of Insurance. The state fire marshal is the chief investigator in charge of investigating arson and suspected arson in the state.