Inducted into the Wall of Distinction Class of 2020
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While attending Dayton High School, I was a 4 Year Member of the Varsity Baseball Team, holding the position of Captain my Junior and Senior years. I also was a member of the Basketball Team for my 4 Years at DHS. I served on the Student Council for 4 Years, holding the Position of Treasurer my Junior and Senior years. I was also fortunate enough to be selected as a Representative to Boys State. I was a member of a number of the other School Based Clubs while attending DHS. This involvement with School transcended to my involvement with the Scott High School Boosters Club, while my children attended at Scott for 6 years. During that time, I served as President of the Club for two years and was very active in fund raising activities that would enhance the physical plant (like renovating locker rooms) and securing much needed new equipment and uniforms for all the teams, band and students. In 2013, my wife and I were honored with the Founder’s Award from the Scott High School Hall of Fame for our work with the School.
I attended Morehead State University from 1965 to 1969 and graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree. It was at Morehead that I met my future wife, Mary Elizabeth Sharp from Sharpsburg, KY, whom I married on August 8th, 1970. We have two children, Clayton Thomas Siereveld, born on November 26th, 1974 and Elizabeth Anne Siereveld, born on November 26th, 1977. We have 4 grandchildren, Kalie (18), Kelsey (16) and twins Aiden and Austin (14) who live with their parents, Clay and Karla Siereveld, in West Chester, Ohio and attend the Lakota East High Schools. My daughter, Elizabeth, lives in Lexington, KY with her husband Francisco and she holds a Doctor of Physical Therapy while working as the Chief Physical Therapist with the Orthopedic Team at University of Kentucky Hospital.
My first job in Business after graduating from Morehead was as a Territorial Production Underwriter, for the Insurance Company of North America. During this time, I worked with many Insurance Agencies throughout Kentucky and was eventually promoted to the position of Senior Underwriter. In May 1978, I resigned my position and along with my neighbor, started our own Insurance Agency, Fulcher Insurance in Edgewood, KY. It was during this time that I really developed my passion for the Fire Service.
After the birth of our son in 1974, I joined the Southern Hills Volunteer Fire Department, serving the next 20 years as an active fireman and also serving in a leadership position as President of the Corporation on several occasions. While serving a term as President, I was approached by the Mayor of Edgewood and asked if I would lead the petition drive to establish a Tax District for our Fire Service area, in order to secure the long-term funding that would guarantee the future of our Fire Department in an ever expanding need for future services, like Paramedics for the ambulance and full-time firemen on duty during the daytime hours. The establishment of the Fire District was successful, and I served as Chairman or Vice Chairman of the Fire District for about 10 years, as well as being an active volunteer fireman. My most memorable episode as a volunteer fireman came in October of 1980, when our Department was dispatched to assist with the explosion and fire at Simon Kenton High School. Upon our arrival, our Engine Company was asked to help with a complete secondary search of the school, to see if any more students or faculty were trapped or injured. Shortly after this search started, there was a second gas explosion in the school, injuring about 50 of the firemen on scene, including me. I was taken out of the building by other members of my Department and transported to St Elizabeth Hospital in Edgewood, where I spent the next 27 days.
It was this involvement with the Fire Service that led to my lifelong vocation and passion. In the fall of 1978, I was asked to help insure my own Fire Department after a minor auto accident that had not been covered by their existing insurance Carrier. During this meeting, I found out many exposures for the Fire Department were not covered by the Standard Insurance Company policies and this led to my involvement with the Volunteer Firemen’s Insurance Services Program. After meeting with their representatives during the fall of 1978, my Partner and I signed an Exclusive Contract to be the Regional Directors for VFIS in Kentucky in 1979 and began soliciting Fire Departments around the State of Kentucky. In 1983, my Partner and I dissolved our Partnership and I retained the exclusive rights to represent the VFIS Program in Kentucky. Today, my Agency writes about 60% of the Fire Departments and Ambulance Services in the State of Kentucky with the VFIS Program
During my tenure with the VFIS Program, I have served several terms as a member of the Regional Directors Advisory Council, including two as Chairman. I also have been honored twice by VFIS, when my Agency was Named the Regional Director of the Year. I have also become very active with the Kentucky Firefighters Association and the Kentucky Fire Chief’s Association in helping these Organizations promote Legislative Actions with the elected Representatives in Frankfort, even going so far as helping Draft proposed wording for a Fire Service initiative that became Law. I have also been very involved with the KFA in funding a Scholarship Program for Firemen and their Children through the sale of Commemorative Prints, for which I served on the Committee to meet with prospective artists and eventually commission the prints to be sold. I also work with the Kentucky Fire Chiefs Association to sponsor the Award for Kentucky Volunteer Fire Chief of the Year.
The involvement I have had with the Kentucky Firefighters Association has lasted over 3 decades and has included serving on many committees from Membership, Legislative (including many trips to Frankfort to discuss Fire Service Issues with Representatives and Senators during the annual Legislative Sessions) and Scholarship. My Agency has sponsored the Trophies for the winning teams in the KFA Firefighter Olympics for over 20 years, and I served as a Judge in many of them, including once during the remnants of a Hurricane while in Owensboro!.
My most prized Professional Honor has been to be inducted into the Kentucky Firefighters Association Hall of Fame. This honor was bestowed upon me in 2011 while attending the State KFA Conference in Owensboro. The Program said this honor was given to me because of my outstanding Leadership and exceptional contributions to the Fire Service in Kentucky, however, all that I can say is that it was truly my pleasure and honor to share this time with so many talented and dedicated people who rightly taught me what it is to serve others!