Dwight Geddes, Jamaican-Born Insurance Executive, Wins 2026 Alonzo Herndon Award

# Summary Jamaican-born Dwight Geddes has been named the 2026 recipient of the Alonzo Herndon Award by Business Insurance. The award recognises individuals who work to expand opportunities and inclusion within the insurance industry. Geddes will be recognised at Business Insurance's INSUREChange 2026 on October 8 at the Union League Club of Chicago.

# Who Dwight Geddes is Geddes was born in Kingston, Jamaica. He attended John Mills Primary School and Jamaica College before migrating to the United States in 1985. He continued his education at Pace University and York College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. He is the son of the late Jamaican journalist Tino Geddes.

Geddes began his professional life in investigative and legal-related roles, including work at a plaintiff's law firm. That litigation and investigative experience led to his first role as an insurance adjuster and later to a career spanning more than 25 years in the US insurance industry.

# Career and businesses Geddes worked as an adjuster, claims manager and director of claims. He served as director of claims for a multistate commercial property and casualty carrier in New York, helping to build claims, special investigations and in-house legal operations. In 2011 he launched his own firms. He now heads Metro Claims & Risk Management and The Geddes Management Group, both based in Floral Park, New York.

His companies handle claims, consulting, auditing, risk management and catastrophe response. Metro Claims personnel have been involved in responses to major natural disasters including Hurricane Ike, Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Irma, Winter Storm Uri and Hurricane Ida. Geddes is also a certified mediator, insurance expert witness and FINRA arbitrator.

# Work on inclusion and talent development Geddes has pursued a sustained focus on bringing more people of colour into insurance and supporting their advancement. Roles and initiatives noted in the coverage include:

• Co-dean of the CLM Claims College School of Casualty.
• Leadership positions with the National African American Insurance Association (NAAIA). In 2022 he was elected to the NAAIA National Board of Directors for a three-year term beginning in 2023, becoming the first Jamaican to serve on the organisation's national board.
• Founder of the Northeast Insurance Conference in 2018, which convenes industry professionals to discuss career opportunities and participation of Black professionals.
• Publications, presentations and teaching on fraud, risk management, automobile claims, catastrophe property trends and diversity, equity and inclusion.

# About the Alonzo Herndon Award Business Insurance launched the Alonzo Herndon Award in 2021 to recognise people who promote diversity and inclusion in insurance. The award is named for Alonzo Herndon, who was born into slavery in Georgia in 1858 and later founded what became Atlanta Life Insurance Company. Recipients are recognised for leadership, courage and actions that help others progress in the industry.

# Why this matters Geddes's record combines operational claims experience, catastrophe response leadership and sustained advocacy for greater inclusion and access to insurance careers. The Herndon Award highlights individuals whose work connects professional achievement with efforts to expand opportunity for underrepresented groups in the industry.