The Delaware State Chamber of Commerce posthumously awarded the Gilman Bowl to David F. Lyons, Sr. His widow, Catharine N. Lyons, accepted the award with her sons, David Jr. and Timothy.
The Gilman Bowl was established as a tribute to small business leadership. It is named in memory of Marvin S. Gilman, who served as a small business leader and champion in Delaware. The recipient of the Gilman Bowl’s identity was held confidential until its presentation at the awards ceremony.
“We are deeply honored to receive the Gilman Bowl on David’s behalf. He had an instinct for leadership and inspired us all with big ideas and the ability to make things happen,” said Catharine Lyons upon accepting the award.
David Lyons founded Lyons Companies in 1984 in the back of his father’s dental office.
Over the last three decades, Lyons built the company to be one of the region’s largest independent and privately held risk management and insurance brokerage firms. The company now boasts 50-plus employees.
In addition to his service as a member of the Board of Trustees at the University of Delaware, he chaired the Board of Trustees of the Delaware Council on Economic Education, where he founded the “Economic Forecast” event that brings together national economic policymakers and business leaders in an annual forum covered by the national press.
“One of the most powerful tools an individual can provide others is education. To that end, David Lyons Sr. was devoted to educating both children and adults about economics, personal finance, and entrepreneurship via his involvement as chairman of the Delaware Council on Economic Education (DCEE) and partner of the UD Center for Economic Education (CEEE),” stated Carlos Asarta, president and director of the CEEE. “Thanks to his personal support, the DCEE/CEEE is now able to reach more than two thousand educators a year who, in turn, provide an effective education to hundreds of thousands of students with the ultimate goal of seeing them graduate as economically literate and productive citizens.”
David was active in the Delaware Business Roundtable, advocating for policies to encourage job creation and business growth in Delaware, serving as vice-chairman from 2014 to 2018. He chaired the Garrett Lyons Dental Fellowship for Nemours Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children.
In 2016, Mr. Lyons ran and served as mayor of Henlopen Acres. He was also a member of the Tatnall School’s Board of Trustees and chaired New Castle County Ducks Unlimited.
The awards event also honored five outstanding companies as Superstars in Business and Award of Excellence winners. Winner videos and event information can be found at www.dscc.com/superstarsinbusiness. The program included remarks from Alisa Morkides of Brew HaHa! and Ernie Dianastasis of The Precisionists, Inc.
