Helping people, on the job and at home

Though Justin Davis, a Grinnell Mutual claims adjuster, has spent his entire 26-year career in insurance claims, it’s the “why” behind those years that stands out.

Davis started at Pharmacists Mutual Insurance, working his way up to claims management over 20 years. Then an opportunity opened up at Grinnell Mutual for a field adjuster role, a role where he would meet customers face to face, and he took the leap.

His first day at Grinnell Mutual — Aug. 10, 2020 — has a story of its own. That was the day of the company’s largest loss ever from a powerful derecho that swept through the Midwest. His onboarding meetings never happened because the home office lost power. Instead, he watched leadership and co-workers jump in to help employees clean up the damage and recover. “That’s when I saw the family atmosphere firsthand,” he said. “A lot of companies talk about that. Grinnell Mutual actually does it.”

That same instinct to help people shows up in the way Davis talks about his work in Claims. “My job is to help people,” he said. “It’s not checking boxes or hitting audit scores.” Early in his career, he kept a sticky note on his computer that just said, “Help this person,” a reminder that every customer or colleague deserved his full effort.

Rooted in Algona

Outside of work, Davis’s community involvement in Algona, Iowa, runs deep. “I believe I was put on this earth to help people,” he said. “It just makes me feel whole.”

He sits on the board of the Camp Algona POW Museum, a project tied to his love for history. The museum tells the story of a WWII German POW camp where prisoners were treated with unusual dignity, a story compelling enough that it inspired the 2022 film Silent Night in Algona, filmed right there in Algona, Iowa.

He’s also active with Rotary and the YMCA, where he volunteers with a number of local and international service projects and events including BRAK (Bike Ride About Kids), Rotary Turkey Trot, SWIM project (Safe Water International Ministries), and many local service and grant projects. Davis’s most recent volunteer work was helping with an annual school supply backpack drive. What started as 20–25 backpacks a decade ago has grown to more than 100 each year for local kids in need. “To see them get their brand-new backpack instead of worn-out hand-me-downs, that’s really cool,” he said.

Life outside the office

Davis is an avid collector of vintage baseball cards, funding the hobby by selling cards he cares less about to buy the ones he really wants. His favorites are a handful of Jackie Robinson cards from the late 1940s.

But being a dad comes first for Davis. His license plate says it best: RUNRDAD. He’s run since childhood, competed at Simpson College, and still logs around 1,000 miles a year. These days most of his energy goes toward his kids Malyn, Mara, and Landon, who are also talented runners. He especially beams when mentioning his daughters’ success in girls’ wrestling, a sport that’s exploded in Iowa in just a few years. Both medaled at the state tournament last season, a moment he calls one of his proudest as a dad.

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8/2026