Halloween is almost here, and I am jealous of all of you who still have little ones at home, excited about costumes, trick-or-treating, and counting down the days until the New Year! I miss those years so much. I miss carving pumpkins, watching the kids get all dressed up, tick-or-treating, pretending I wasn't enjoying it every bit as much as they were. And then came Thanksgiving, the over-eating with family and friends then the Christmas season, living vicariously through my kids' enjoyment of all the decorations in the neighborhood. Those days were hectic, expensive, exhausting, and absolutely wonderful! If you're living through those years right now, I hope you have a chance to slow down just enough to appreciate them. Someday, like me, you'll wish you could have just one of those crazy, wonderful days back!

While the young ones grow up, or even after they are grown, things come up and you might need someone to call. Remember, we're here to answer any questions you might have about protecting your future or building your assets. We are also here to help, if you just don't know who else to call. I am absolutely certain that one of us in the office has been there and can share their experience to help you persevere. When you call, text, or email during our extended office hours, you will receive a warm, live greeting from me or a member of our extraordinary team, no call centers, no phone trees, just a great human who knows you. When you call our office after hours State Farm support is available 24 hours a day, 365 days per year.

Though our office is in Leesburg Virginia, every member of our team is a multi-state licensed insurance professional with significant real-life experience. All of us are parents, and as a team we have traveled through many of life’s most meaningful moments, including marriage, divorce, the tragic loss of a spouse, child, and parents, and total losses to homes, vehicles, and recreational property. We offer more than:

· Homeowner’s, Renter’s and Condo Insurance

· Auto, Motorcycle, Boat and Recreational Vehicle Insurance

· Life Insurance, to protect your loved ones' quality of life if something unexpected happened to you

· Savings and Retirement Planning, whether you are hoping to buy a home, save for education, or have a goal for your retirement date.

Those are just products. We offer guidance, before and sadly, often after you experience a loss. One or more of us has been exactly where you are. We are not a call center selling policies. We are people helping people, one-on-one, taking the time to truly understand your needs so that we can properly protect and ensure you receive the right protection at the right price. When something difficult happens and you have to reach out, we hope you find some comfort in the fact that we will already know each other before that unfortunate event occurred.

While the insurance business continues to change, our commitment to personal connection remains. Whether you live in Leesburg or Ashburn, Aldie, Braemar, or Chantilly, or anywhere in Virginia, Maryland, DC, West Virginia or North Carolina, we meet with customers every day, both in-person and by videoconference. Videoconferencing allows us to connect face-to-face from the comfort of your home, saving time, gas, and traffic frustrations. We can share screens, review coverage, and make thoughtful decisions together whenever it is convenient for you.

I often feel young, but I must be older than I think. Before becoming a State Farm Agent here in Leesburg, I built careers in three different industries including Small Business Consulting, Medical Technology, and Information Technology. I have been married and divorced and was a full-time single father to two wonderful children who are now thriving college graduates in their late twenties, one recently got engaged!

Originally from Wisconsin, I grew up in Northern Indiana, spent most of my life in Southern California, lived in Oregon, several years in Belgium while I was managing Western Europe, decades in Virginia, and recently Oklahoma. I genuinely enjoy conversations with people who, like me, have lived in many different places. This combination of professional and life experience offers a perspective that is uncommon in this industry and valuable when discussing coverage decisions that truly affect families.

I hold an undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a master’s degree in Global Leadership and Management from the Thunderbird School of Management at Arizona State University. I also hold designations from the American College as a Chartered Life Underwriter®, Chartered Financial Consultant®, and Retirement Income Certified Professional®. And, I am currently working on earning a Ph.D in Business – Entrepreneurship from Oklahoma State University, in Stillwater Oklahoma.

For more than ten years, I have been happily engaged to an amazing, kind, brilliant woman who is also wonderfully spirited. We split our time between Leesburg and Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she is pursuing her Ph.D in Experimental Psychology. I travel back and forth and still work regular hours, joining appointments by videoconference when I am in Tulsa alongside one of our exceptional team members here in Leesburg.

Our purpose is simple. We listen. We share our experience. We help you prepare for the days you expect and support you through the days you do not. We are here to ensure your Auto, Home, and Life insurance are thoughtfully arranged and that you have a trusted guide when life becomes challenging.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about me and our Agency. We look forward to welcoming you to the Duray Insurance and Financial Services Leesburg family.