In Memoriam
Remembering George Klouda

We are not in the habit of using our Announce space to communicate matters of a personal nature, such as the passing of an employee or his/her relative, no matter the significance of such a loss to us and our employees who knew that person. However, George Klouda was not an ordinary person in the history of this company, and his passing on December 5th is worthy of an exception as we show him the respect he deserves for all he did for us.

George attended high school in Hopkins, and was State HS Golf Champion there in 1942. After graduating from the University of Minnesota (where he also golfed on the college team), he went right into insurance, working with American Hardware Mutual, Phoenix Mutual, American Mutual Liability and a Managing General Agent. It was 1955 when George joined what was then known as Mutual Creamery Insurance Company as a field sales representative with the goal of taking the then direct writer to an agency sales system of production. Quickly rising through the management ranks, George became an officer in 1958, a Director in 1959, EVP and General Manager in 1963 and then President in 1968. He served in that role, and as Chairman of the Board, until his retirement in 1992. After a stint as Interim CEO, ending when he hired me as President in the fall of 2001, George continued to serve on the Board until his retirement from that position in 2006 -- the culmination of over 50 years of service to Western National and its Independent Agents. Over that time George also served the insurance industry (as a member of the Workers Compensation Reinsurance Association, the Insurance Federation of MN, and the Alliance of American Insurers, amongst others) and his local community (as a member of the Masons and Zuhrah Shrine Committee).

The Company went from a few million in premium to over $200 million at his retirement, with Policyholder Surplus growing at an equally impressive rate. Most of the employees now working in Edina were hired by him, and worked closely with him (and his wife, Marilyn - equally as committed to the Company as she was to George) for many years. His contributions by building Western from a small local entity to a significant state-wide presence (and beyond) allowed us to rebuild the economic lives of our insureds through claim payments, and to support our employees, agents and their families by providing meaningful employment and opportunity. All in all, a life well lived; and one that deserves our recognition and thanks.

~ Stu Henderson, President & CEO