About V. Dale Cozad

Born on a farm in Illinois, Dale Cozad earned a degree in Agricultural Economics from Southern Illinois University and embarked on a career in insurance. Despite finding success in the industry, his growing interest in diversified financial services led him to found Cozad Asset Management in 1972. Today, the company is a registered investment advisor with over $350 million in assets under management.

In recognition of Dale Cozad’s achievements and their long friendship, Peter and Kim Fox established the Cozad New Venture Challenge (originally called the V. Dale Cozad Business Plan Competition) through the Technology Entrepreneur Center in the College of Engineering, in 2000. In addition, they established the V. Dale Cozad Lecture Series in Entrepreneurship through the College of Commerce. Enhanced by family and friends of Dale Cozad, these gifts honor his memory, hard work, dedication, and entrepreneurial spirit.

Greg Cozad, now the president of Cozad Asset management, recalls that his father was “always an entrepreneur at heart, always looking for new financial services that would allow him to serve his clientele better. He was very competitive by nature and loved to encourage and assist young people in their career goals. The Lecture Series in Entrepreneurship and the New Venture Challenge are therefore fitting memorials to my dad, and an outstanding tribute to his legacy. They combine his business interest with his commitment to the University of Illinois.” Dale Cozad was one of the entrepreneurs who founded Cozad Westchester Agricultural Asset Management, which to date has received $390 million in commitments from institutional agricultural investors. He served as a valued member of the Chamber of Commerce Business Advisory Council from 1981 until his untimely death in 1993.