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I have made a few New Year’s resolutions. Of course there is the standard ‘lose weight’ and ‘be healthier’. I also have made it a goal to run a half-marathon this year. My brother-in-law has made a vow to stop using a certain swear word. And so this got me thinking – where does a New Year’s resolution really come from? Could it be they are our way of looking back and wishing we had done things differently? Come to think of it, perhaps they are our way of turning disappointments into goals.

Last year the Tuscano Agency went through a significant change. We felt the impact of our expansion into 17 states. The past 12 months were dedicated to executing our strategy to be a regional wholesaler while at the same time being guided by the values that brought us this far. What is remarkable is our growth was not just from our acquisition; but from increased capability and the dedication of our staff to earn your trust and confidence that we can get the job done for you and your customers.

All year long we felt like we were on a fast-track, getting up to speed writing business in a whole lot of new states and making a whole lot of new friends. In 2013 we hired 11 new staff in both underwriting and support services. We changed our team structure in commercial underwriting in order to have smaller, more agile, and supportive teams of underwriting specialists.

While I mutter on about all of the challenges and accomplishments of 2013, I’d be remiss not to say thank you to all of you for choosing Tuscano as your insurance wholesaler. Without you, we’d be out of business and we know it. You have many choices on where to broker your business so we will never take it for granted. Every piece of business you send is our chance to make a difference. Another of my New Year’s resolutions is that we at Tuscano might provide even more amazing service for you because we want to be the best wholesaler you deal with.

In 2013 we also had to say goodbye to a very dear friend, Dayle Gardner. Dayle passed away shortly before Christmas after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Even though Dayle retired from Tuscano in 2011, she remained a part of our family. Dayle worked at Tuscano for 22 years and prior to that she worked with Bill Tuscano as a company underwriter. When she joined Tuscano, we asked her to become a Garage Underwriting Specialist and by golly she did! She could explain how every rating factor and coverage form applied in the Garage Form and while she was admittedly ‘old school’ she never shied away from learning new things. We will remember Dayle most for her kind and generous soul, her love of laughter, adventure, and family. She has left her mark on so many people in the insurance industry and especially this agency family.

My #1 New Year’s resolution is to have a renewed sense of purpose and it is my hope for all of us as well. Whether at work or at home, let’s make a difference for our loved ones and our community.

Have a wonderful 2014,