In February 2026 I nominated my late friend, David O.Creighton Sr., to be posthumously inducted into the Iowa Insurance Hall of Fame (IIHOF). I just found out that he will be inducted this year on October 6, 2026 at the Meadows Event Center in Altoona, IA..
The submission to the IIHOF included letters of recommendation from several people. I was honored to able to send the following letter of recommendation the IIHOF Board of Directors.
To the Nominating Committee and the Board of Directors of the Iowa Insurance Hall of Fame,
I met David in 1993 when Preferred Risk Mutual (now GuideOne Insurance)
acquired the Bryton Companies. David was president of the Bryton Companies. We worked together to successfully combine the
Bryton Companies with Preferred Risk’s wholesale brokerage called CGA Insurance
Services. During those years I found David to be a visionary on identifying and
then implementing best practices in agency automation and optimizing workflows
to the benefit of both policyholders and employees.
David met annually with Iowa’s legislators in Washinton D.C. to provide input on issues that affected the insurance industry at the carrier, agency, and policyholder level. I was present with David at one such meeting with Congressman Jim Leach. This was just prior to the passage of the Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act. The sponsors had locked down the bill as they had enough votes in both houses and agreement from the Clinton administration. The problem was this version had an inherent flaw in the privacy provisions that would have made underwriting difficult or even impossible. Industry leaders and even Representative Leach’s staff knew the bill was flawed but the votes were secured and Representative Leach would not entertain any discussion of the matter.When industry leaders and Representative Leach’s staff found out that our delegation had a meeting Representative Leach, we were swept into a private club on Capitol Hill and briefed on the issue. When we met with Representative Leach he politely listened as I talked about the issues that would make underwriting difficult for the carriers. Then David spoke eloquently about the impact on his customers and that message got through to Representative Leach. He instructed his staff to “put this issue on the agenda with the White House next week.” We found out later that next week that those changes were agreed to by both houses and the Clinton administration. David saved the industry an untold amount of chaos and expense!
David was a lifelong learner and encouraged others to further their
education. Among other designations and certifications that David held was the
Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation. He was a member
in good standing and an active member of the Iowa CPCU Society.
Others will write about his years of dedicated service
on the Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System (IPERS) board, his many years
on the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology Arts & Sciences, and his
successful efforts to bring professional golf tournaments to Des Moines.
In conclusion David O’Neil Creighton,Sr., CPCU, has significantly impacted
the insurance industry, served as a role model for young people and others in
the industry (he was my mentor), exhibited the highest standards of ethical
conduct, and he contributed to our community. David’s induction into the Iowa
Insurance Hall of Fame would be the proper recognition of his life of achievement
and contribution.
Executive Director, Iowa FAIR Plan Association
