David Kelliher: SAV-ON’s Artist/Graphic Designer

I’m David Kelliher, the graphic designer who creates the SAV-ON Newsletter every few months. In fact, I have worked with SAV-ON Insurance for over 15 years, creating marketing postcards, updating their website, posting for them on social media, and creating many of their posters and graphics.

How did this business relationship begin? I was Phil Devitte’s neighbor, co-owner of SAV-ON Insurance, for many years in Federal Way. At one neighborhood Christmas party Phil and I were chatting and he found out I was a graphic designer and web creator, and said he might have some work for me. Little did either of us know that 15 years later it would still be happening!

Born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota, I discovered the Seattle area when I took a summer vacation between my freshman and sophomore years in college.

I immediately loved the Seattle area, got married and moved here, settled in West Seattle, and started my career as a newspaper artist and journalist.

I started in the production department, but soon was creating cartoons, maps, charts, and any other artwork and designs the editors needed.

Eventually, after winning a number of awards for my work, I decided it was time to move to a bigger paper.

I was hired at a newspaper in the Bay Area of California. But, eventually, I wanted to get back to Seattle and ended up working for both the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and The Seattle Times before starting my own graphic design business.

Working with SAV-ON has been very rewarding. They allow me to provide them with the graphic design they need without too much oversight. Maybe it’s because I’ve worked with them for many years and know what they like, or maybe it’s because they know it’s my area of expertise, but it’s been an excellent working relationship and I feel close to the ownership.

In addition to creating graphic design for SAV-ON Insurance and other small businesses, I also participate in many fun activities in my free time.

I am the player/coach for two senior softball teams in the area. One of them is a traveling tournament team called the Pastimers, and we have won the National Championship in our age group four times. This year we topped that by winning the World Masters Softball Championship in Las Vegas!

When I’m not creating graphic design or playing softball, I like to get out on my pontoon boat on the Columbia River in central Washington where I have a vacation retreat. I spend as much time as I can boating in the summer and skiing in the winter. I just don’t let life slow me down!

I have a close family who live in this area and that’s important to me. Both my sisters are close, and I have two grown daughters and two grandchildren who live in Federal Way.

So, between my design work, grandkids, softball, skiing, and boating there’s not much time left. But, I wouldn’t have it any other way!