IIAV Past President - C. Dwight West, III, CPCU

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This is the 24th in our series of conversations with former leaders of Independent Insurance Agents of Virginia. Dwight West served as IIAV Chairman of the Board after being elected in 2000 at the convention at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

A shiny new nickel. What a prize! Doesn’t seem like much today, but when a pair of 9-year-olds found the coin in 1938 it was enough for an ice cream cone. The girls, childhood friends Peggy Phillips and Pauline Allen, gleefully proceeded down Jefferson Avenue in downtown Newport News for the ice cream treat. Seventy-two years have passed since that day, but Pauline still vividly recalls that a very distinguished, dapper gentleman with a walking cane crossed Jefferson Avenue just in front of them as he, too, proceeded down the sidewalk oblivious to the two barefoot youngsters silently trailing him . Pauline carefully pointed out that the gentleman, Caleb D. West, Sr., did not actually need the cane but it added immensely to his charisma and business persona. Even at the tender age of 9, the girls were aware of the prominence of Mr. West and his standing in the community.

The traditions and integrity of C. D. West, Sr. have been passed along to the following two generations. This article is not about C. D. West, Sr. but about C. D. West, III. To know and to understand the latter, one should know something of his roots.

C. Dwight West, III, CPCU today heads the Newport News office of Gateway Insurance Services, Inc./C. D. West & Co. as Senior Vice President. His insurance roots can be traced back to the late 1800s. West, Sr. was working as an insurance agent in Sussex County, Virginia. The population was mighty thin in Sussex County at the time and the insurance agent to general population ratio was not attractive. At the tender age of 21, West, Sr. traveled by bus, train and ferry to reach Newport News where he entered into an agency partnership with W. E. Barrett. The year was 1897.

Thirteen years later, in 1910, Caleb West, Sr. bought out Barrett’s interest and changed the name of the agency to C. D. West & Co. In today’s incredible soft market with rates still heading south in many cases, it is staggering to realize that in those early years fire insurance rates were as high as $18 to $20 per $1000 and commission percentages were high. The agency actually has a photograph of the very first risk it insured: a "rickety-looking blacksmith shed" in Homeville, Sussex County.

The family-owned agency changed hands from West, Sr. to West, Jr. and the business further expanded as C. D. West & Co. Real Estate was established in 1987.

C. Dwight West, III was born in Newport News. After attending Hampton Roads Academy, a very ambitious Dwight West seriously considered several different colleges and universities before deciding upon Wake Forest University. In 1981 West graduated with a double major – business and math. One would have assumed he’d immediately start his business career by joining the family business. However, Dwight and his father knew it would be a terrific experience for him to enter the industry elsewhere. West had envisioned perhaps entering the banking, savings & loan, or real estate fields but he carefully selected the insurance business for a multitude of reasons. The insurance business was more appealing as it made necessary the task of "getting to know your client’s business." The long term build-up of business renewals was attractive, too.

West sought positions with both Continental Insurance Company and The Hartford. Nothing was immediately available with Continental. However, through Jeff Wells, General Manager of the Richmond office of The Hartford, West applied for and secured a position in Bridgeport, Connecticut as a Marketing Representative. West resided in New Haven, Connecticut from 1981 through 1985 and the experience was most rewarding. He was able to observe how other agencies were set up and operated and the opportunities to participate in meaningful education and training sessions were frequent. One humorous episode that occurred while West was at The Hartford centered around company auditors scheduled to arrive at the branch office to routinely inspect the files, etc. Surely Dwight had no part in this caper, but he relates that in anticipation of the arrival of the very serious auditors, a dummy file was created insuring nuclear missile silos on a BOP policy. Notes in the file indicated "nuclear missile silos" were not specifically excluded as a business class. As Dwight recalls, the auditors were not initially amused.

In 1985 Dwight returned to Newport News and joined C. D. West & Co. with his eyes on becoming a producer. The agency had written premiums in the amount of about $2 million. Dwight’s father was involved with a local Savings & Loan and was aware the financial institution landscape was in flux and that many S&Ls across the country would soon be going public. One of Dwight’s first challenges was to begin opening up $50 savings accounts with S&Ls all across the county. Dwight recalls that he must have opened up over 100 accounts . . . each with a little passbook recording his $50 deposit. With each account, West became an "owner" of the S&L. When they ultimately went public, West was rewarded with stock in the newly created venture. Some of them panned out handsomely.

Dwight earnestly pursued insurance educational classes and instruction and in 1989 he earned his CPCU designation. West, Jr. turned the operational reins over to Dwight in 1991. Obviously, Mr. West, Jr. had a great deal of faith and trust in his son and was willing to let the him take over and do things differently.

The agency celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 1997. Under Dwight’s stewardship as President, the agency had grown to over 4,000 customers with written premium of $5 million.

Dwight West always knew there was a time to buy agencies and a time to sell them. Passing the agency torch on to one of his children was "not in the cards" and the business climate was favorable to sell. In 2006, Gateway Bank purchased the agency.

Once in the agency business, becoming involved in the local and state associations was as natural as could be. C. D. West , Jr. proudly served as IIAV President in 1942 to 1943. Dwight quickly became involved in the Independent Insurance Agents of Tidewater and served as their President. As a young agent, he found that IIAV was a great place to further his insurance objectives. Then IIAV Executive Director Ted Smith called Dwight to serve on the IIAV Board. West also served on IIAV's Convention Committee and Young Agents Committee.

2000 was a bittersweet year. Dwight was elected IIAV President; however, he also lost his father. One the first things Dwight recalls asking of Ted Smith upon taking over the role of IIAV President was "don’t dare leave during my term." Well, shortly thereafter Smith did in fact announce his intentions of departing for the head position with the Florida Auto Dealers Association. West was now faced with the challenge of finding a qualified replacement. He assembled a Search Committee and retained a recruiting firm. Over 100 resumés were reviewed and the impressive list was pared down to five. The Committee selected Bob Bradshaw and West knew they had made a wise decision.

Also that year, IIAV entered into rather serious negotiations with the Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina. The subject: merging the two associations. So serious were the discussions that the IIAV Executive Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the merger take place. In a rare departure, the IIAV Board rejected the recommendation and the merger talks ceased.

Like his father and his grandfather before him, Dwight has been very active not only in the insurance industry community but in the general business and civic community as well. West has served as President of the Boys and Girls Club of Virginia Peninsula and been awarded its National Service Youth Award. He has been a tremendous supporter of the United Way and received the 2001 Hero Award. The local YMCA bestowed upon West the Distinguished Leadership Award and he also served as its President from 2002 to 2004.

Just a few short years ago, as a result of an "arranged meeting" set up by friends and colleagues, West married Barbara Walsh from Richmond. Barbara is with the law firm McGuire Woods. West was able to completely remodel (an understatement) the house his father had built in the mid-'60s and make it his current residence.

Besides his family and his business, West readily admits that since about age 14 golf has been his "passion" and he passes up few opportunities to play at either of his two clubs, James River Country Club locally or Robert Trent Jones in Gainesville. Of course there are still about 85 targeted courses across the country he has not yet played. In fact, he has a putting green in his back yard.

"I love the insurance business" Dwight says, and "I have no regrets. It is a business for which one can set one’s own work schedule." To those considering insurance as a career, West adds, "It is a great business to be in. No two days are the same." Yes, Dwight admits that the playing field is changing. The Internet is changing the buying patterns for many in the personal lines arena. However, he is quick to point out that "larger commercial accounts will not be sold online anytime soon. There will always be a place for the independent agent at this level."

Describing the character of the West’s family insurance business in Dwight’s words, there is this quote from a March 18, 1987 article in the Daily-Press: "Our success in the future will be based upon what made us successful over the last 100 years: hard work and honesty. You could say that that is the main part of our business philosophy. There is a story my grandfather told my father. Once a local businessman starting out asked my grandfather for some tips on being successful. He told him that it took hard work and being honest."

If Pauline Allen and Peggy Phillips could see C. Dwight West, III amble across Thimble Shoals Boulevard today they would, of course, not see any stylish walking cane – although they might see a 7-iron. But they definitely would still be able to distinguish the charisma, character, honesty and integrity of this hard working gentleman. It is evidently in the genes.

If you missed the previous articles you may find them on our website at www.iiav.com under News. 

Danny Mitchell (dmitchell@iiav.com), IIAV Membership/Marketing Director