LYONS, David J.

LYONS, David J. (Dubuque, IA-- ). Lyons received his B. S. degree from LORAS COLLEGE in 1980 in the area of political science. In 1983 he received his J. D. degree from the University of Iowa School of Law in the area of international law and legal studies. (1)

Moving to Des Moines, Lyons served as a counsel to the Iowa Legislature from 1982 to 1987. He directed and coordinated legal drafting and consultation to both chambers of the Iowa Legislature in the areas of commerce, judiciary, state government and ethics. He also directed teams for advanced activity on civil, corporate and constitutional law issues. (2)

From 1987 to 1994 he served as the commissioner of the Iowa Insurance Division. It during this time and through his determined investigation across the United States that millions of dollars invested by Iowa municipalities in the IOWA TRUST FUND were recovered after they had been misappropriated by Steven Wymer. (3) During this time, he directed all activity for statewide oversight of insurance, securities, regulated industries and other responsibilities assigned by the governor or the legislature. He directed a multi-million budget and a staff of approximately one hundred. (4)

Lyons served as the director of the Iowa Department of Economic Development from 1994 to 2000. In this capacity, he directed all activity for statewide business development, workforce support, community development, international trade, finance authority, tourism in addition to other responsibilities assigned by the governor, legislature of the Economic Development board of directors. (5)

Moving outside of government, Lyons served as the Chief Business Development Officer of the Iowa Farm Bureau from 2000 to 2009. He was the senior executive for new business research and development with areas of responsibility including rural vitality, health insurance and wellness, new business opportunities, community development, and membership benefits. (6)

In 2010 Lyons and Cliff Gold founded CoOportunity Health, a cooperative, member-owned company set up with millions of dollars in seed money from the federal Affordable Care Act. Hailed as one of the most successful of the 23 such health-insurance co-ops organized nationally, CoOportunity was one of two main insurance carriers selling policies on the new online public insurance exchange, a key part of the Affordable Care Act. Lyons, who had led the company, would serve on the organization's board and focus on turning the company's board into one controlled by co-op members who were elected by other members as required by the new federal law. Gold would focus on running the company. (7)

The state's insurance commissioner announced January 23, 2015 that he would seek liquidation of CoOportunity Health, a carrier formed with $146 million in federal grants and loans under the Affordable Care Act. CoOportunity covered nearly 120,000 people in Iowa and Nebraska before hitting financial problems in late 2014. Iowa Insurance Commissioner Nick Gerhart took over the faltering carrier in late December. CoOportunity's collapse was a blow to supporters of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. It is the first cooperative to fail and marked the first time in 26 years that the Iowa insurance division had to take control of a large, faltering carrier. (8) The insolvency was due to payments withheld by Congress, with the Supreme Court holding in 2020 tht such withholding was illegal...although it was to late to resurrect CoOpportunity Health. (9)

Returning to Dubuque and working with the GREATER DUBUQUE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, Lyons served as the sustainable innovations consultant who ensured the city was not bypassed by broadband communication expansion. (10) He also continued innovation work with the the following non-profits: GREATER DUBUQUE DEVELOPMEN CORPORATION, DUBUQUE INITIATIVES, and the COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF GREATER DUBUQUE. (11)

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Source:

Special appreciation to Amy Muchmore of the Carnegie-Stout Public Library for research used in this entry.

1. David Lyons. Online: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-lyons-87489631

2. City of Dubuque. Online: http://weblink.cityofdubuque.org/WebLink/1/doc/189565/Page35.aspx

3. See: IOWA TRUST FUND

4. City of Dubuque

5. City of Dubuque

6. City of Dubuque

7. Leys, Tony. "CoOportunity Health Board Names Gold CEO," Des Moines Register, August 28, 2014. Online: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/health/2014/08/28/cooportunity-health-board-names-cliff-gold-as-ceo/14761431/

8. Leys, Tony. "CoOportunity Health to be Liquidated," Des Moines Register, January 24, 2015. Online: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/health/2015/01/23/iowa-liquidating-cooportunity-health/22223393/

9. Lyons, David. Email, 12/25/2024

10. "Partnerships Lead to Growth of Broadband," Telegraph Herald, December 17, 2017, p. 24

11. Lyons, David. Email 12/25/2024