Kentucky Claims Association

The Association has roots in an earlier Association of the same name.  Sometime in the early fall of 1965 an organizational meeting was held, leading to the formal organization of the original Kentucky Claims Association on November 27, 1965, at Stouffer's Inn in Louisville, Kentucky.  The first state convention was then held the second week of May 1966 at the Kentucky Hotel in Louisville.  Second and third conventions were held the following years (1967-1968) at the same time and place.  Convention plans for 1969 never became reality, due to lack of interest and participation.

There began some talk of reorganizing the old State Association as early as 1974-75, but nothing came of it until Wednesday, September 16, 1981, when representatives of each of the six existing Regional Claims Associations met at Pine Valley Golf Course and Country Club in Elizabethtown, Kentucky to discuss the possibility of forming a new State Association.  Jim Cutrer, then president of the Southern Kentucky Claims Association, Bowling Green, was elected to serve as Acting Chairman of the Organizational Committee.

Subsequent monthly meetings were held in Elizabethtown through December 1981.  At these meetings, the new State Association was formulated and plans were begun for a State Convention in the spring.  On Wednesday, January 6, 1982, the new Board of Directors met at the Executive Inn, Owensboro, Kentucky and began firming up the convention plans.  New State Association officers were elected and it was agreed to formally incorporate as a non-profit corporation.  A rough draft the Constitution, By-Laws and Code of Ethics was formulated, using the former association's as a model.  The new Constitution, By-Laws and Code of Ethics were formally adopted at the regular Board Meeting on Wednesday, February 17, 1982 in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

The KCA was awarded a corporate charter as a non-profit corporation on November 1, 1982.

Those present at the first meeting were:

David Brown, Western Companies                    
Harry Lane, Sentry Companies

J.R. McDuffee, Ohio Casualty                
Ken Duke, St. Paul Companies          
Chuck Wagner, AAA            
Doug Higgs, Kentucky Farm Bureau
Ernie Davenport, Crawford and Company                   
Rusty Shaefer, Westfield Companies                   
Jim Cutrer, Kentucky Farm Bureau                   
Terry Thomas, Ohio Casualty                   
Howard R. Tatum, Ohio Casualty
Bob Hart, Ohio Casualty

Harry Clinard, Clinard Claims Service