TWFG Rolling Strong Issue 6 - Convention 2018

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BUNCH ON BUSINESS

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CONTENTS

 TWFG Insurance participated in Houston Insurance Day.

05 WELCOME TO TWFG Welcome TWFG’s newest branch owners as they join us on our journey to #1.

07 CATCHING UP WITH BRANCHES We love our agents and recognizing those who have personal as well as business successes.

08 PINT–SIZED HERO Tom Sowell’s six-year-old granddaughter came to the rescue this past January.

09 RUNNING FOR...

Natania and Darren Monteith participated in a 6K run for the Komen Foundation.

13 BLAZINʻ CAJUN WINS AGAIN At the 11th Annual Muddy Trails Bash, TWFG’s Cooking and Tent teams won big.

HOLIDAY OFFICE CLOSURES LABOR DAY

Monday, September 3, 2018

Play video

Click here to watch the TWFG 2018 National Agent Convention video.

Password is: twfg

14 HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION Home Office scared up some good grub and costumes for Halloween.

16 OUR FEARLESS WRITER ”Bunch On Business“ talks about the new tax law for businesses.

18 TWICO BUSINESS Learn more about Twico Business Insurance.

19 SUPERIOR FLOOD COVERAGE TWFG & Hiscox FloodPlus introduce a new flood coverage that goes above and beyond FEMA.

20 CONVENTION 2018 Our 2018 National TWFG Agent Convention at The Woodlands Resort and Conference Center.

IS YOUR BRANCH ROLLING STRONG? If you have a story that you would like featured in upcoming issues of Rolling Strong, please send an email and photos to Alex Bunch at alex@twfg.com.

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HAPPENINGS AT HOME OFFICE

Home Office held a 2018 Kick-Off Luncheon on February 13 at Fleming’s.

Catering for a Cause.

Hands-On CPR Training Lunch on June 8 held in our new Training Room/Kitchen.

Gordy at the groundbreaking for the Kadleck family.

NEW ARRIVALS

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GINO ANTHONY LARSON

MASON ANTHONY AR

DATE OF BIRTH: October 15, 2017

DATE OF BIRTH: December 13,

PARENTS: Brianna & Roger Larson (Branch Owner)

PARENTS: Tiffany & Tara Arena

WEIGHT: 7 lbs. 9 oz.

WEIGHT: 8 lbs. 8 oz.

LENGTH: 21 in.

LENGTH: 20.5 in.

MARTIN JAMES JAECKEL

TRENT WILLIAM SCHLO

DATE OF BIRTH: March 13, 2018

DATE OF BIRTH: April 3, 2018

PARENTS: Lara & Tony Jaeckel TWFG Connection: Aunt is Lindsay Shoemaker (Home Office - Graphic Designer & Content Manager)

PARENTS: Katie & Trent Schloe TWFG Connection: Grandparents (Branch Owner)

WEIGHT: 6 lbs. 12 oz.

WEIGHT: 5 lbs. 12 oz.

LENGTH: 20 in.

LENGTH: 18 in.

NEW TWFG BRANCHES Kimberly Kinkaid Training Manager NOVEMBER 2017

DECEMBER 2017

FEBRUARY 2018

Sid Obied, Mark Chew, Manuel Klinar, Curtis Himes, Mike Hodges, Nelda Aleman

Khahn Nguyen

Chris Moore, LaNissa Davison, Cesar Caceres

MARCH 2018

APRIL 2018

MAY 2018

Carlos Clark, Derrick McGlothin, Stephanie Montiel

Greisy Perekalski, Jacob Duhon, Christi James, Nancy Aguayo

Joel Ramos, Lance Nguyen, Kiara Searcy

RENA

SEBASTIAN ALEXANDER SANCHEZ

, 2017

DATE OF BIRTH: March 3, 2018

a (Branch Owner)

OEGEL, JR.

PARENTS: Iovana Melendez Sanchez & Sabino Sanchez (Branch Owner) WEIGHT: 7 lbs. 15 oz.

LENGTH: 20 in.

WILLIAM MILES & RICHARD IAN WORD

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DATE OF BIRTH: April 14, 2018

egel, Sr. s are Mary & Kerry Landry

PARENTS: Brittany & Cameron Word (Branch Owner) WEIGHT: 5 lbs. 3 oz. (Ian)

6lbs. 3 oz. (Miles) LENGTH: 19 in. (Ian)

19.75 in. (Miles) 5

MULTIPLE CLAIMS? PAY ONE DEDUCTIBLE.

You could save with the Safeco Single Loss Deductible.* One deductible for multiple claims.

When the same event causes damage to your home and your car, motorcycle, boat or RV, having to pay multiple deductibles makes an unfortunate situation even costlier. But with the Safeco Insurance Single Loss Deductible, you may only have to pay once if the same event causes more than one claim. For example, if a fallen tree damages both your home and your car, we may waive your auto deductible after the home deductible is paid.

Fast and easy claims processing.

When trouble strikes, you need support right away. That’s why Safeco’s award-winning claims service is fast, fair, hassle-free and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Contact your local Safeco agent for details. ©2015 Liberty Mutual Insurance Insurance is offered by Safeco Insurance Company of America and/or its affiliates,with a principal place of business at 175 Berkeley Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116. The materials herein are for informational purposes only.

Nothing stated herein creates a contract. All statements made are subject to provisions, exclusions, conditions and limitations of the applicable insurance policy. If the information in these materials conflicts with the policy language that it describes, the policy language prevails. Coverages and features not available in all states. Eligibility is subject to meeting applicable underwriting criteria.

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*If you experience a significant loss, like a fire or storm, that is covered on your Safeco Homeowner policy and have other Safeco policies that are affected, we may waive all deductibles after the home policy deductible is paid. Single loss deductible applicability varies by state.

AP-5149 08/15

SPOTLIGHT ON BRANCHES MAKING THE BEST OUT OF A HARVEY SITUATION Lori Conway Branch Owner — TX In the “waterline” photo the blinds are raised even with what we think was the crest. We (mostly my husband) did much of the work and contractors were hard to arrange due to so many flood repairs being done but we finally got moved in last week (May 23). We have gotten a lot of comments from people watching the progress; everyone is glad to see new life for this little place.

Office before

Harvey hit our area pretty hard just before I opened my branch.

While we were preparing to start the necessary upgrades to the first location I had chosen, an interesting property came up for sale. It had been under contract when Harvey hit, but the sale fell through since the property flooded. The property went back on the market; for the most part, it had been taken down to the studs already. Since it was something of a blank slate, we thought it might be a great opportunity rather than making the changes we were facing at the original location.

Office after

DALLAS MONTHLY MEETING Judy Rush National Branch Agency Director On October 17, I had the privilege of attending the DFW monthly dinner. There were 21 branches in attendance and 24 people in total. These meeting are very inspirational, and this group is really demonstrating we are a family.

Topics of discussion were: 1. Different marketing ideas and the results different branches were experiencing. Branches were encouraged to participate in these marketing programs. They feel that they are not competing against each other, but spreading the TWFG name.

2. There was much discussion around Travelers and compliance.

I reviewed what was occurring in the auto insurance industry, and why these corrections were taking place. I discussed some of our challenges during the storms, as it related to compliance. Everyone is on board and all feel strongly about

all agents protecting our carrier contracts. They were all in agreement that turning off codes is exactly how we need to handle agents not willing to follow the rules.

This is a great group and I wish we had this kind of camaraderie elsewhere. A special thanks to Jennifer for her participation and interaction with the agents.

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SPOTLIGHT ON BRANCHES LIVY ALDRIDGE Tom Sowell Branch Owner — TX My six-year-old granddaughter, Livy Aldridge, saved my life in January and was given an award by the Farmers Branch Fire Department. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXALkMO3us4

Olivia "Livy" Aldridge

BORDMAN WEDDING Kenny Bordman Branch Owner — TX We were married on January 20, 2018, at the beautiful Las Palmas resort in Huatulco, Mexico which we rented for the entire week.

If you feel up to it you can watch our amazing wedding video here: https://vimeo.com/256258527/recommended

Kenny and Paige Bordman

SUMMER KICK-OFF EVENT Christi James Branch Owner — TX I set up my first community event to support the local community. Every year, the city kicks off the summer with a First Friday & Fireworks Extravaganza. The event features lots of fun activities, food trucks and live bands. Local businesses are invited to set up and showcase their business with some type of activity for the attendees to participate in. This year, over 1,000 people came out to participate in the free event. Attendees had fun participating in a bean bag toss at my booth and enjoyed Popsicles, juice boxes, candy and bubbles!

Christi James & husband Matt along with a few helpers

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MARILYN RANDAZZO: NEW LOCATION GRAND OPENING Marilyn Randazzo Branch Owner — TX

I had my first open house/customer appreciation get-together. I think we had around 100 people in attendance. This is our new building we just bought.

KOMENʻS RUN FOR THE PINK 6K Natania Monteith Branch Owner — FL

Our office sponsored a Susan G. Komen Cancer Race for the Cure® for the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale affiliate called the Komen’s Run for the Pink 6K on Sunday, February 18, 2018.

We ran for our family, friends and clients that morning.

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SPOTLIGHT ON BRANCHES RUN THE HIGHLANDS Reed Wilcox Branch Owner — TX Office after Office before

On April 28, 2018, we served approximately 400 snow cones for the Run The Highlands event and had a “ball.”

Lake Highlands Junior Women’s League http://www.lhjwl.org/run-the-highlands-info

L to R: Reed Wilcox, Kenia Flores-Garcia, Johanna Tellez-Ortiz

TRI-CITY CORVETTE CAR SHOW Terry Cauthen Branch Owner — TX On Saturday, May 19, I sponsored the 24th Tri-City Corvette Car Show in Beaumont, Texas. Each car registered received a bag branded with TWFG INSURANCE –Terry Cauthen and loaded with goodies. There were over 119 Corvette’s from as far as North and South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and the great state of Texas.

Terry Cauthen

Jerry Offner down in Mexico, where he was honored by the village.

Allen Emfinger completed his fifth MS150 this April.

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Mark Bartlett using our branding in a mall setting.

Sean Meyers on his honeymoon with Kendra.

FOR AGENT USE ONLY

TOP 3 REASONS

to offer Safeco® RightTrack® to your customers 1.

2.

3.

It saves your customers money

It’s easy

It strengthens your customer relationships

Your customers earn a 5% initial discount for enrolling in the program and installing the RightTrack telematics device.1 They can also earn up to a 30% final discount2 based on how they drive during a 90-day review period.3 Participation in RightTrack will never increase your customers’ premiums, and there’s no cost associated with the program.4

Once you register a customer, Safeco takes it from there.

The RightTrack kit will be shipped directly to their home.

The kit includes the telematics device and simple installation instructions to help them get started.

Customers who have installed and used the RightTrack device have shown a tendency to stay with their carriers longer. And with the automatic 5% discount and up to 30% savings, they’ll appreciate your recommendation to try RightTrack.

And should they have any questions, Safeco’s customer service team is always standing by.

Questions? Contact your local Safeco Territory Manager, or visit SafecoNow.com/RightTrack.

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΄

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MUDDY TRAILS BASH Judith Wighaman Book Transfer Coordinator/Operations Support Associate plus two special guests from LA — Juan and Angela Vaughn; Antonio Reyes (audit-OPS), and John Scully (IT). The team prepared a delicious, spicy crawfish boil and a special — best Cajun dish – Crawfish Pasta.

TWFG-Twico Tent Team – Judith Wighaman (OPS) & spouse, Lidia Muniz (process).

TWFG placed in the following Judging Categories • 1st Place – Best Cajun Dish – Crawfish Pasta • People’s Choice – Best Crawfish Taste • Best Decorated Tent – 2nd Place Several TWFG employees showed off their “chopped“ and “designing” skills as they participated in the 11th Annual Muddy Trails Bash held on Saturday, April 7 – let’s first start off by saying it was the coldest — windiest day that we have experienced and temperatures were in the low 30s and included cold morning rain as well.

The affair was a community family event featuring 5K and 10K trail runs, the Little Muddy Kid’s Fun Run and a 2K-9 Fun Run. In addition, there was live zydeco music, a friendly competition for Muddy Bowl Crawfish Cook-Off and Best Tent Award.

2018 TWFG “Blazin’ Cajun” cooking team – Michelle Gibbons (UW) & Spouse, Henry Hickford (IT), Apprillé Moore (Acct.),

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HALLOWEEN 2017 01

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Costume — Nursery Rhymes

03. Accounting Department 04. Inside Sales Department — First Responders

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01. The participants for the individual costume contest 02. The Ops Department Group

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05. Underwriting Department — Superheroes 06. eVo Department — Devo 07. One of our scary desserts 08. Witchy Jalapeño Eye Popper Dip 09. More scary appetizers

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10. Commissions Department — “Wizard of Oz” 11. Commercial Department — Jellyfish 12. IT Department — DeBuggers and Bugs 13. Jan Mock — Winner of the Individual Contest

DEDICATED TO SPECIALIZATION PROPERTY CASUALTY PROFESSIONAL SMALL BUSINESS PERSONAL LINES SPECIALTY PROGRAMS GROUP BENEFITS

To learn more about the resources we provide, visit amwins.com/onyourteam

We’re more than your partner, we are on your team.

At AmWINS, everything we do is for the single purpose of supporting our retail and market clients. As a dedicated partner to retailers globally, we work with you to solve complex insurance placements through industry specialization, market knowledge, data analytics and a commitment to service.

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BUNCH ON BUSINESS Gordy Bunch President and CEO

2018 ECONOMY BOOSTED BY NEW TAX LAWS My company, and those of many other corporate friends and associates, share the thought that we should begin 2018 by thanking President Trump, House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady, and all those who devised and made it possible to pass the nation’s first major tax cut in 31 years. AT&T, American Airlines, Southwest, Travelers, and Comcast have already responded to the tax cut with special $1,000 employee bonuses. AT&T, AFLAC, Boeing and others announced billions in new investments.

FedEx and CVS both announced they would be adding thousands of jobs and expanding their respective companies.

Wells Fargo, BB&T, and many others, are voluntarily increasing their workforce minimum wages to $15 hr.

I believe these announcements should result in a healthier economy, lower unemployment, increased wages, and increases to our GDP. Concurrently, this will be good for most businesses since it will likely translate into more customers with additional discretionary income. In our Congressional district, it is expected to provide an average of $2,600 extra income per household. These incremental retained earnings will also help our employees to ameliorate many concerns about their financial security.

It is true that larger “C” corporations (a business taxed under Subchapter C of Gordy Bunch the Internal Revenue Code and legally distinct from its owners) will benefit more from this new tax code, but it should also be acknowledged that nearly everyone benefits from a healthier economy. Most of us rely on 401(k)-style retirement plans that are largely invested in “C” corporations’ equities or debt instruments. As these investments grow, so do our collective retirement accounts. As

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wages increase, so do the contributions toward the beleaguered Medicare and Social Security programs. Many of our customers emanate from these major employers, so their job stability also leads to a more stable customer base.

What is in this bill for “S” corporations? (A corporation in which five or fewer people own at least half the stock. It enjoys the legal rights of a corporation but is taxed as a partnership.) Section 179 has been expanded from $500K to $1M allowing for accelerated depreciation of assets used actively in the business. The accelerated deductions directly reduce current year tax liabilities. The 20% qualified business income deduction is complex because it excludes businesses that perform services such as attorneys, accountants and financial services. I am personally excluded since our company provides financial services.

There are limitations based on taxable incomes above $157,500 for individuals or $315,000 for joint filers before the 20% deduction. Owners excluded by income or business type will pay at their ordinary income tax rate. The new top rate for those above $500K individual or $600K joint has been reduced from 39.6% to 37%. I recommend having a CPA review its impact on your businesses. This initial tax-reduction year will require a more in-depth evaluation.

While we have seen some of the larger companies make announcements that support the 2018 tax expectations, it will take more time for the rest of us to realize the true long-term ramifications. What to expect for the New Year? Pundits say the overall impact from the new tax bill is expected to grow our economy, repatriate overseas earnings, expand domestic manufacturing, and improve wages.

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As the flood threat increases, existing insurance cover is failing to deliver the comprehensive and effective protection US homeowners need.

Designed for single-family, residential properties in any flood zone, Hiscox FloodPlus offers a simplified option to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The Hiscox FloodPlus is a surplus lines product underwritten by Lloyd’s of London.

Comparison Chart Hiscox FloodPlus

NFIP

Underwriting Questions

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60+

Elevation Certificate Required

No

Yes

Photos Required

No

Yes

$25 Primary Home Surcharge

No

Yes

$250 Secondary Home Surcharge

No

Yes

Reserve Fund Assessment Fee

No

Yes

$1,000,000

$250,000

70% of Dwelling Value

$100,000

Other Structures

10% of Dwelling Value

No

Loss of Use

20% of Dwelling Value

No

Deductibles

$1,000/$2,000/$3,000/$5,000

$2,000/$5,000/$10,000

Flood Zones

All zones

All zones

None

30 days

No

No

Personal Property Replacement Cost Coverage

No

Claims Handling

Flood certified claims professionals

Flood certified claims professionals

Lender Accepted

Yes

Yes

Max. Dwelling Value Max. Personal Property Limit*

Waiting Period Ground Collapse Coverage Optional Coverages

*Personal Property options - Primary - 35% to 70%; Secondary/Seasonal/Tenant – 10% to 70%; Vacant/Course of Construction – 0%

Quoting is available on TWFGHome.com To learn more about TWFG/Hiscox Premier Flood, call Inside Sales at 281-466-1111 19

2018 AGENT CONVENTION: THURSDAY The largest “Family Reunion” yet.

The 2018 TWFG Agent Convention was our largest yet, with over 650 branch owners, producers, CSRs, agents, home office staff and sponsors coming together for an extraordinary three days at The Woodlands Resort and Conference Center.

It was the perfect balance of work and camaraderie as we learned about new products, markets, and policies, as well as quelled our inner competitive spirit with bowling, laser tag, billiards and shuffleboard at The Main Event for our annual

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Family Day competition. Team “Commitment” won the day this year, and next year we’ll be looking to change things up to offer a more challenging competition.

If you missed the convention this year, you really missed out on reconnecting with the TWFG Family and the inspiration and invigoration that comes with attending. We’ll be releasing the date for next year’s convention soon, so be on the lookout for the “save-the-date” email.

See you next year!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW AND DOWNLOAD PHOTOS FROM THE 2018 TWFG NATIONAL AGENT CONVENTION

CLICK HERE TO VIEW AND DOWNLOAD PHOTOS FROM THE 2018 TWFG NATIONAL AGENT CONVENTION

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2018 AGENT CONVENTION: FRIDAY

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CLICK HERE TO VIEW AND DOWNLOAD PHOTOS FROM THE 2018 TWFG NATIONAL AGENT CONVENTION

CLICK HERE TO VIEW AND DOWNLOAD PHOTOS FROM THE 2018 TWFG NATIONAL AGENT CONVENTION

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2018 AGENT CONVENTION: SATURDAY

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CLICK HERE TO VIEW AND DOWNLOAD PHOTOS FROM THE 2018 TWFG NATIONAL AGENT CONVENTION

CLICK HERE TO VIEW AND DOWNLOAD PHOTOS FROM THE 2018 TWFG NATIONAL AGENT CONVENTION

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AWARDS GALA

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CLICK HERE TO VIEW AND DOWNLOAD PHOTOS FROM THE 2018 TWFG NATIONAL AGENT CONVENTION

CLICK HERE TO VIEW AND DOWNLOAD PHOTOS FROM THE 2018 TWFG NATIONAL AGENT CONVENTION

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2017 TWFG AWARD WINNERS PRESIDENT’S CLUB (28 TOTAL MEMBERS):

MILLION DOLLAR CLUB (95 TOTAL MEMBERS):

2017 NEW MEMBERS (3):

2017 NEW MEMBERS (23):

• Lisa Knight • Nick Le • William Woodall

PRESIDENTʼS CLUB EXISTING MEMBERS: • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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Anthony Voiron Betty Loick Bobby Counts Brandon Richey Brian Johnson Buffy Doiron Hooper Carlos Cantu Carlton Kon Darren & Natania Monteith Denise Davis Holland Brothers Jenny Xu John Keefer

• • • • • • • • • • • •

John Sparks Kelly Lee Kerry Landry Marilyn & Randy Caldwell Marilyn Randazzo Mark Bartlett Mark Morgan Rick Rogers Roger Larson Russell Knapp Sameer Khan Stephen Lovecchio

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Ann Tran Cherie Johnson Cindy & Kirk Balsley Cory Cannon Dana & Raymond Tucker Debbie Box Ed Sirafi Felipe Mejia Greg Rains Joe Murphy Joe Vallot Jon Brasher Karen Kaiser Laudy Yazbek Lisa Wilson Mark Glaug Michael Rogers Quyen Nguyenba Tara Arena Thai Hoang Timothy Molgren Vince & Dona Wirt Waqar Khan

MILLION DOLLAR CLUB EXISTING MEMBERS: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Adam Ayers Adrian Saman Albert Rivera Alison Cuevas Alla Mokritsky Amber Pillsbury Ann Moore Ashley Floyd Barbara Mitchell Bentley Fitch Betsy Henslee Bobbie Gail Torres Brandon Mangum Brian Stamper Chad Gunal Chris Forman Chris Holland Clay Hudnall Dale Ratliff Daniel Oh Darrell Barfield & Thomas Sowell Derek Benavides Don Oh Dusty Olivier Estela Portillo Greg Armstrong Harlivleen Kaur J.R. Zamorano Jane Wang Jean & Rick Burridge Jennifer Ly & Paul Ly Jennifer Salinas Jennifer Vargas Jennifer Wragge Jerry Offner Jimmy Goodwin

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

John Robnett Joseph Vu Julio Manchego Karen Sahota Katie & Jeff Cannon Katlyn Brenneise Keith Tilghman Lane McKinney Lea Ann Leslie Lisa Newman Melanie Head Mike Underwood Monica Pedraza Monika Mir Noel Sanchez Norma Pineda Phyllis Benjamin & Sara Fry Quynh (Judy) Lam Randy Costa Reed Wilcox Ryan Guillory Sean Meyers Shaileen Smith Shannon Hartgrove Sun Ha Hong Susan Stover Terry Cauthen Terry U. Nguyen Thomas Phan Thuy Cao Tim Martin Todd Golden Viet Truong Vlada Cruz Wendy Guerrero William Waldrep

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Veronica Paz

PERSONAL LINES GROWTH AGENT OF THE YEAR: East: Stephen Lovecchio TX: Buffy Doiron Hooper

COMMERCIAL LINES GROWTH AGENT OF THE YEAR: East: Stephen Lovecchio TX: Carlos Cantu West: Mark & Cindy Bartlett

LIFE & HEALTH GROWTH AGENT OF THE YEAR: Asifa Shamim

EXCELLENCE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE: Winner: Melanie Head Branch Finalists: Lisa Newman

Terry Cauthen

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THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SPONSORS! DIAMOND

PLATINUM

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GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Allstate® CRC/Tapco Jewelers Mutual Live Oak Bank® Pure Insurance RPS® Insurance USLI

EXHIBITOR 1. 3Mark Financial 2. AFS/IBEX® 3. Americas Insurance 4. AmTrust 5. AmWINS® 6. Appalachian Underwriters, Inc. 7. Atlas General 8. Bankers Insurance, LLC. 9. Commercial Sector 10. Craig & Leicht 11. Employers® 12. Equipment Insurance International 13. GeoVeraSM 14. Hagerty® 15. Homesite 16. Houston General Insurance

17. MAPFRE Insurance® 18. Markel® 19. MetLife 20. Midlands 21. National General 22. National Lloyds 23. Nationwide 24. Oak Street Funding® 25. Philadelphia Insurance Companies 26. State Auto® 27. Swyfft 28. The Hartford 29. Travelers 30. UPC 31. US Assure 32. Wright Flood™ 31

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