On the evening of Tuesday, February 11, 2025, NAIFA-Texas held it's Centennial Celebration and Awards Gala at the Austin Club. The NAIFA-Texas Awards program recognizes highly qualified members that have been identified and recommended by their peers for exhibiting leadership qualities, character, significant contributions to the insurance and financial industries, and meet or exceed the required qualifications for the award in which they are being recommended. During the program, we honored the following recipients:

• 2024 Young Advisor Team (YAT) Leader of the Year Award Recipient - Derek True, DIA, DHP of The DI Center and NAIFA-Dallas.
• 2024 Tom Currey Local Leader of the Year Award Recipient - Mark Jones of Remington Insurance Group and NAIFA Houston.
• 2024 Bruce Murray Tall Texan Award Recipient - NAIFA-Texas Past President, Hollie Gandy Donohue of Safe Money Solutions and NAIFA-Amarillo Area
• 2024 John M. Ruckel Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient - T. Leslie "Les" Littleton of T. Leslie Littleton Insurance Agency and NAIFA Pineywoods of East Texas

Young Advisor Team (YAT) Leader of the Year

The NAIFA-Texas YAT Leader of the Year Award recognizes an advisor’s commitment to NAIFA including service on local, state, and committees as well as participation in the Leadership in Life Institute (LILI); involvement with state and/or federal legislative efforts; participation in external service work such as charities; and an ability to inspire others.  The NAIFA-Texas Board of Directors is proud to announce the 2024 recipient of the NAIFA-Texas YAT Leader of the Year Award, Derek True, DIA, DHP.

Derek True, DIA, DHP | The DI Center, Brand & Operations Manager

Derek is the Brand & Operations Manager for The DI Center, a Brokerage General Agency in Allen, Texas that makes asset protection and income protection easier for producers nationwide.

Derek’s title is a fun way to say that he oversees brokerage marketing and underwriting processes with a knack for the competitive landscape. He has presented to audiences throughout the country on disability insurance, operational excellence, and sales.

Derek has been an active NAIFA member since joining The DI Center in 2011, shortly after graduating from Texas Tech University. He is the current NAIFA-Dallas President Elect and has served on the NAIFA-Texas Membership Value and TLRT Committee since 2021. He is also a member of the Texas Leaders Round Table (TLRT) and the International DI Society (IDIS). Derek enjoys traveling with his wife Emily and their four children, Owen, Tristan, Reese, and Charlotte. He is active in his local community, leads within his church, and is an avid sports fan.

Tom Currey Local Leader of the Year

The NAIFA-Texas Tom Currey Local Leader of the Year Award recognizes an advisor’s commitment to NAIFA by their service and leadership at the Local Chapter and/or Affiliate level and their positive impact on the insurance and financial services industry. To be eligible for this award, a nominee must be a current NAIFA member in good standing. They must demonstrate significant contributions to NAIFA-Texas, including participation in their Local Chapter and/or Affiliate leadership team and positively impact the insurance and financial services industry.

In 2024, the NAIFA-Texas Awards Committee and Board of Directors renamed the award after Thomas ‘Tom’ D Currey, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF. Tom joined NAIFA in 1980 and has been an integral part of the success of our association. He is a member of the NAIFA-Fort Worth Chapter.  Tom led NAIFA-Texas as state President in 1998 – 1999 and played a crucial role in the development of the Leadership in Life Institute (LILI). The first recorded LILI was held in Texas in February 2000 and was led by Tom Currey. Tom went on to serve as NAIFA National President in 2009-2010. He is a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), Life Underwriting Council Fellow (LUTCF) and a Financial Security Advocate. 

The NAIFA-Texas Board of Directors is proud to announce the 2024 recipient of the Local Leader of the Year Award, Mark S. Jones.

Mark Jones | Mark S Jones & Assoc., Remington Ins Group, Inc

Mark S. Jones was raised and educated in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. He entered the insurance business, June 1, 1974, with Protective Life while still a student at The University of Texas at Arlington and qualified for MDRT by the end of that year. Within a few years Mark was appointed General Agency Manager of the Houston office for Protective Life (age 24, the youngest in the company’s history). After receiving numerous company and industry awards as an Agency Manager, he returned to personal production and led Protective Life in various sales categories for several years. In addition, he received their highest honor “ Mr. Quality Award” and was twice nominated to the Insurance Sales magazine’s All Star Honor Roll.

Mark established his own independent agency in 1982, and later founded Remington Insurance Group, Inc., a marketing group representing several major life companies for independent producers and General Agencies. He served for many years as a Sr. Arbitrator for the Better Business Bureau.  He has been an active member of NAIFA Houston, chairing multiple committees, as well as serving on the Board of Directors and as an Officer. He was the creator and principal author of the very successful LIMRA publication, “Are You In Compliance?”, which sold over 100,000 copies and produced a very generous revenue stream back to NAIFA Houston. He continually serves NAIFA Texas in various areas.

Bruce Murray Tall Texan Award

NAIFA Great Southwest (GSW) historically honored a member for outstanding contributions to the association. This award is named in honor of Bruce Murray, one of NAIFA GSW’s most faithful and long-serving members. NAIFA-Texas continues this long-standing tradition by presenting this award in homage to Bruce and NAIFA Great Southwest. The criteria for this award focus on issues that were important to Bruce and involved association members. The considerations focus on PAC involvement, political involvement, and local participation.

The NAIFA-Texas Board of Directors is proud to announce the 2024 Bruce Murray Tall Texan Recipient, Hollie Gandy Donohue, CSA, CLTC 

Hollie Gandy Donohue, CSA, CLTC | Safe Money Solutions, Retirement Income Specialist

Hollie Gandy Donohue has a long history with NAIFA, and NAIFA-Texas. Not really understanding all the layers and nuances of the insurance profession, she followed a recommendation to attend a NAIFA meeting in September 1999. While there, she met noteworthy NAIFA members, Randy Robertson and Joel Williamson, where she met camaraderie and intuitive advice. Hollie joined NAIFA in 200 and quickly became involved with the NAIFA-Amarillo Area leadership team, availing herself of every opportunity that was presented.

Hollie has held various positions on the NAIFA-Texas State Chapter Board of Directors and is one of only three women to hold the State President (2018-2019) position. She is also the longest serving President in NAIFA-Texas history. She has led the role of the NAIFA National Independent Advisor Task Force Member, the NAIFA-Texas Membership Chair, and the NAIFA-Texas Non-Dues Revenue Committee Chair during her time with the association. She is also a NAIFA Leadership & Life Institute (LILI) graduate.

Hollie donates to the IFAPAC regularly, committing to yearly increases in her contributions. Hollie is also an Ambassador for The Financial Awareness Association and has participated in many Monthly Awareness campaigns to heighten education and knowledge for all ages. Her involvement has been accentuated through the years as she has grown in the understanding that Advocacy matters to consumers, clients, the industry, and her colleagues. 

John M. Ruckel Lifetime Achievement Award

The John M. Ruckel Lifetime Achievement Award is NAIFA-Texas’ top-ranking award that recognizes the most prestigious and successful members in our association. The award is named after long-standing NAIFA-Texas member, John M. Ruckel, who began his career in June 1969.  

John served as President of the Texas Chapter of National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA-Texas) from 1987 to 1988 and went on to serve as President of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA National) from 1999 to 2000.  John received the NAIFA-Texas Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007 for his outstanding commitment and contributions to the organization. The award was aptly named after the outstanding John M. Ruckel in 2024 following a unanimous decision by the NAIFA-Texas Board of Directors.

The John M. Ruckel Lifetime Achievement Award recipients are selected by the NAIFA-Texas Awards Committee after thorough consideration. Recipients of the award must have a minimum of twenty (20) years of continuous membership in NAIFA-Texas, demonstrate significant contributions to NAIFA-Texas, including local and/or state leadership involvement, contribute to the NAIFA-Texas Political Action Committee (PAC), and contribute to the insurance and financial services industry.

The NAIFA-Texas Board of Directors is proud to announce the 2024 John M. Ruckel Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient, T. Leslie Littleton, CLU, LUTCF.  

T. Leslie Littleton, CLU, LUTCF | NAIFA-Pineywoods of East Texas, Financial Security Advocate

T. Leslie ‘Les’ Littleton and his family are originally from San Antonio, Texas. Les entered the insurance business in 1978 in Longview, Texas and has resided in Nacogdoches, Texas. Les quickly became involved with the Texas Chapter of National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA-Texas) and served on several local, state, and national committees since joining in 1980, including serving as the NAIFA-Texas State PAC Committee Chair. He went on to serve as Local Chapter President in Longview from 1989 to 1990, Local Chapter President in Lufkin/Nacogdoches from 1992 to 1993, and the NAIFA-Texas State President from 2003 to 2004.

Les has been a member of the Texas Rangers Foundation since 1994. The Foundation exists to raise funds for the scholarships of those Texas Rangers whose children are going to college in the law enforcement degree area. He was a Board Member of the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame Museum from 2009 to 2018.  Les is involved in his community as a member of the First Christian Church, Lions Club, and volunteers for the March of Dimes. Les has been married to his wife Pat for 54 years. They have one son, Tracy, and one grandson, Trenton. 

Thank you to everyone in attendance for making our event special and memorable. Please enjoy some of the photos we were able to capture during the celebration. To view the digital conference program, please click here.

	NAIFA-Texas President, Rick Demko with Derek True, YAT Leader of the Year Recipient
Derek True, YAT Leader of the Year Recipient and his mother, Karen True	Karen True introducing the 2024 Young Advisor Team Leader of the Year, Derek True
2025 NAIFA National President, Doug Massey
NAIFA-Texas Immediate Past President, Jim Thompson	2025 NAIFA-Texas President, Rick Demko
	Derek True and Mark Jones
NAIFA-Texas Executive Director, Renae Davies (right) and NAIFA-Texas Programs Director, Rebekah Hazlett (left)	NAIFA-Texas Award Recipients
2025 NAIFA-Texas President, Rick Demko	Lel Arandela, Michelle Talley, Darla Ussery, and Carol Matejowsky at the Legislative Reception
Samir Abdullah, Augie Isaacson, and Keith Forster at the Legislative Reception.	NAIFA National Secretary Treasurer, John Wheeler, Jr. and NAIFA-Texas Executive Director, Renae Davies
2025 NAIFA National President, Doug Massey	Left to Right: John Ruckel (NAIFA-Texas and NAIFA National Past President), Les Littleton (Recipient of the John M. Ruckel Lifetime Achievement Award), and Rick Demko (2025 NAIFA-Texas President)
NAIFA-Texas Members and Members of the 89th Texas Legislature	Les Littleton, recipient of the John M. Ruckel Lifetime Achievement Award
	Mark Jones, recipient of the Tom Currey Local Leader of the Year Award
2025 NAIFA-Texas President, Rick Demko, presenting Mark Jones with the Tom Currey Local Leader of the Year Award	2025 NAIFA-Texas President, Rick Demko, presenting Hollie Gandy Donohue with the Bruce Murray Tall Texan Award