Keith Birkhead receives 2018 “Ad Astra” award from Kansas Association of Property and Casualty Insurance Companies

Keith Birkhead, Chairman of the Board for the Farmers Alliance Companies, was recently honored by the Kansas Association of Property and Casualty Insurance Companies (KAPCIC) for his service to the industry and the state. Annually, KAPCIC recognizes one individual who has been a long-standing, positive influence on the Kansas insurance industry. For 2018, the award was presented to Keith Birkhead.

Keith serves a Chairman of the Board for Farmers Alliance, having retired as President and CEO in 2015, with more than 38 years of service. During that time, Keith represented the Kansas insurance industry on numerous national boards, including the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, the Alliance of American Insurers (now known as PCI), and the American Institute for Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriters. In late 2017, at the request of the Farmers Alliance Board of Directors, Keith returned to “active duty” as interim President & CEO during the company’s search for new leadership. He continued in that role until late August 2018.

According to Jack Rader, President of KAPCIC, “We want to recognize Keith for his decades of service to the insurance industry in Kansas. In addition to his past accomplishments, Keith’s recent actions were instrumental in maintaining the stability of the company during a time of significant change. This has benefitted policyholders and employees, and ensured a strong, stable future for Farmers Alliance and the entire market in Kansas.”

Birkhead is pictured with, left to right, Brian Schmidt (Farmers Alliance Property Claims Manager), Andy Edwardson (Farmers Alliance Chief Information Officer), Curtis Holle (Bremen Farmers Mutual Insurance Company President, and KAPCIC Board Member), Ryan Hicks (Farmers Alliance Vice President for Human Resources), Chris Brown (Upland Mutual Insurance Company President and KAPCIC Board Member), Rick Wilborn (Kansas State Senator and former KAPCIC Board Member), Sandy Baldwin (Farmers Alliance Casualty Claims Manager), Tonya Schafer (Farmers Alliance Vice President for Compliance & Product Development), Sue Howard (Farmers Alliance Corporate Secretary), Randy Lutgen (Farmers Alliance Vice President for Underwriting), Keith Birkhead, and Jack Rader (Farmers Alliance Chief Marketing Officer and KAPCIC President).