Life Insurance

John A. Gunn was a Canadian immigrant who wound up in Iowa in 1895 working for a farm implement manufacturer. He was involved in several business associations and ventures and that got him involved in workers' compensation that led him in 1911 to found what is now Employers Mutual Casualty Co.

The Des Moines-based company still handles workers' compensation policies and also sells property and casualty insurance. It employs more than 2,000 people and includes Employers Mutual, which is owned by policyholders, and publicly held EMC Insurance Group Inc.

- Dean E. Brooks, Iowa manager of State Auto Insurance Co. A 35-year veteran of the insurance industry, he was cited for a commitment to insurance education. He has taught at Drake University, Des Moines Area Community College and the Insurance Institute of America.

- Paul Siedenburg, retired executive of Farm Bureau Insurance. He was a marketing vice president in charge of sales agents in Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska. He retired in 1985 after a 46-year career.

- Robert Skow, chief executive of the Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa. He worked for several insurance companies and agencies, and served three terms in the Legislature. In 2002 he was named chief executive of the trade group that 17 years earlier had named him its young agent of the year.

- Robert Verhille, retired life insurance agent from Cedar Rapids. In a career that began in the 1950s, Verhille received numerous awards and worked with trade groups to advance agent education. He also served on various community advancement organizations in and around Cedar Rapids.

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