Southern Indiana agency owner wins
PIA National Young Insurance Professional of the Year
By Christopher W. Cook
Photography by Tim Meyers
Each year, the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) honors individuals and organizations for their outstanding contributions to the independent agency system. One of these awards goes to the Young Insurance Professional of the Year, which is given to an individual under the age of 40 who serves as an employee, agency owner or principal of a PIA member agency or is involved in a PIA young professionals association.
In 2025, The Professional Insurance Agents of Indiana nominated this year’s winner, David O’Neil, owner of Beacon Insurance in Mount Vernon, Indiana, noting his “strong leadership and operational excellence in managing relationships with key carrier partners.” On the nomination form, the group also states he leads by example, “fostering a culture of professionalism, accountability and strategic alignment across the agency.”
Here’s David’s story.
After graduating from Mount Vernon High School in 2003, David continued his education at the University of Southern Indiana, located in nearby Evansville, where he would earn a Bachelor of Science degree in advertising and public relations in 2009.
But going to college to further his education wasn’t the only mission on David’s mind. “I enlisted in the Indiana National Guard in 2004 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 2009,” he says. “I deployed to Afghanistan in 2015 and transitioned to the U.S. Army Reserves in 2016. I currently have 22 years of military service, which has played a major role in shaping both my leadership style and work ethic.
David O’Neil (left) with the Beacon Insurance team
(right) With 22 years of military experience, David continues to serve in the Indiana National Guard.
“Over the years, I’ve completed a long list of Army schools, including Infantry School (enlisted and officer), Airborne School, Air Assault School, Jumpmaster, Advanced Airborne School (Master Jumpmaster), Civil Affairs, Multifunctional Logistics, Aerial Delivery Material Officers Course, and multiple combative courses—plus a few more along the way,” he adds.
On top of his military service, David joined the workforce in 2010. “I started out in door-to-door sales with Time Warner Cable and quickly learned that I really enjoyed meeting people and building relationships,” he says.
“To me, this award doesn’t mean I’ve reached the finish line—it just means I was in the right place at the right time. My hope is to continue giving back far more than I take from this incredible community.”
—David O’Neil
Owner
Beacon Insurance
David volunteers for Shriners International’s Funsters Unit, performing at various events as Firecracker.
David and his family enjoy spending time at Mount Vernon’s Riverbend Park. The swing his daughter sits on is dedicated to David’s Cousin, “in loving memory of Ryan James O’Neil and his love for the Ohio River.”
As part of his service with the National Guard, David helps manage the training of soldiers jumping out of airplanes (below right)
David’s career path led him to the insurance industry in 2012, when he became a general agent with American Income Life Insurance. Several experienced agency owners encouraged David to take a leap of faith and launch his own agency. At the time, he and his wife were raising a two-year-old and expecting their daughter. With only a single income to rely on—and a lot of faith—Beacon Insurance was founded in 2013.
Beacon Insurance does business in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. (As a University of Evansville grad myself, I know that the southwest corner of Indiana, where Mt. Vernon is located, is referred to as the “tri-state” area.) The agency of six employees offers P&C and life insurance. Through their hard work, they received a 2024 Gold Readers’ Choice Award and again in 2025 from the Evansville Community Choice Awards. The agency also maintains a Google rating of 4.9 with over 100 reviews.
The agency also is well known in the community it serves, sponsoring a number of local school and recreational sports teams—four to six on average each year. It often attends several Trunk or Treat events for Halloween and donates candy to local trick or treat events with fire and police departments. Beacon also sponsors a number of school organizations and events.
(Left) David O’Neil with his family in downtown Mt. Vernon
(below) As a Funster, David participates in parades, hospital visits, elementary school performances, and the Hadi Shrine Circus.
Personally, David volunteers coaching youth sports. “I’ve coached a variety of youth sports teams over the years, from kindergarten through eighth grade, and I really enjoy staying involved with kids in the community,” he says.
“I’m also a Mason and a Shriner. Through the Shrine, I’m part of the Funsters Unit—where I serve as a clown; my clown name is Firecracker. I participate in parades throughout the year, perform in the Hadi Shrine Circus, and help with hospital visits and elementary school performances.
“I’m also one of the three clowns who pile into our one-of-a-kind ‘Bucking Car,’ which usually gets more laughs than we expect,” he adds.
In addition to his time volunteering as a coach and clown, David is the founding president of the Evansville Area Referral Network (EARN), and he’s a member of the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership, as well as the Freemasons at the Beulah Lodge #578 and a past member of the International Kiwanis (a former president), both located in Mt. Vernon.
Within the insurance industry, he is active with Indiana’s PIA chapter and its young agents committee. “I’ve been an active PIA member since 2014 and try to stay as involved as possible. I attend the annual convention, participate in most PIA events, and stay engaged through PIA’s social media channels,” he says.
“I currently serve on the Membership Committee and the Young Professional Committee, and I’m planning to pursue a board position in the coming year, with the goal of becoming more involved at the national level.
“PIA has been an incredible resource,” David adds. “It’s a place where agents and agency owners can openly share ideas, challenges, and lessons learned—sometimes from wins, sometimes from mistakes. Every conversation I’ve had with PIA staff, board members, or fellow agents has been welcoming, honest, and genuinely helpful.”
David also is a member of Insurance Soup and the Insurance Agent Owners Alliance (IAOA) and has earned the Certified Professional Insurance Agent (CPIA) professional designation.
When it comes to his career, David doesn’t thank one single mentor but claims that it was shaped by “a lot of conversations with a lot of good people,” he says. “Several agency owners took the time to offer guidance before I opened my own agency, and their encouragement was critical in making that decision.
“Early on, earning a contract with Erie Insurance was also a major milestone. The district sales manager and underwriters I worked with were incredibly supportive and helped set the foundation for Beacon Insurance.”
As for winning the National PIA Young Insurance Professional of the Year award, David is “truly humbled to be selected among so many talented young professionals in this industry. To me, this award doesn’t mean I’ve reached the finish line—it just means I was in the right place at the right time. My hope is to continue giving back far more than I take from this incredible community,” he says.
Between owning a business, serving in the Army Reserves, and volunteering, David’s life stays busy with his family. “My wife and I have been married for 17 years, and we have three kids who stay active in just about everything—football, soccer, marching band, pep band, theater, basketball, and cheerleading, just to name a few,” he says.
“We also have around a dozen chickens at home. We lost our black lab, Trey, after 15 great years a few years ago, and while we haven’t added another dog yet, he’s still very much part of our family story,” he concludes.
(Military and Funster photos courtesy of David O’Neil)
