Susan Pagones started selling insurance part-time in 1985, leaning in further with kids into a full-time role with the insurance agency in 1989. When Susan was defining what kind of agent she'd be in her career, she made the move to set up a nursery for her young children in the office, defining her role as a working parent and aligning her family priorities with her professional ones. "In those days, you could do that. I had to. Working from home was not an option."

Commitment to children is a thread that has remained constant throughout her career. In addition to the numerous ways Antalek & Moore has donated to the community over the years, the business is one of the first to step in to aid in school functions and fundraisers. When asked about what makes selling insurance at a local level so special, Susan's first response is: "Schools. When we donate to school organizations, sports, spaghetti dinners, and things like that, it lets us give directly to people in need. My kids have gone through all of Beacon schools, and we try to donate back to the great foundation that all of the educators have made."

Providing insurance directly at the local level brings Susan and the entire staff at Antalek & Moore closer to the community at large. That connection enables them to act quickly to bring people together. "Because we're all local, we all depend on each other. When Addy started school years ago, there was a fundraiser for National Fire Safety Month, to educate the students about fire safety. To add fun to the event, we were able to donate the fire hats that were handed out. Through knowing the people in the community, we were able to ask the right people to come."

Susan's Current Passion - Fighting Distracted Driving

When she first started out, Susan specialized in Personal and Auto insurance. When she became partner and COO at Antalek & Moore, she contributed her strength in an administrative role, bringing everything together. Recently, Susan added Certified Defensive Driving Instructor to her list of qualifications, as distracted driving (and walking!) has become an epidemic.

Starting in 2017, Antalek & Moore will offer discounted classes to clients as a way to increase awareness about distracted driving, as well as to lower clients' premiums. Partner Pat Moore wasn't too shy to put himself out there as an actor for the Distracted Driver role in one of the video campaigns Antalek & Moore produced, staring Susan's daughter, Addy. "Distracted driving is a big problem right now, and that’s what I’ll be focused on," Susan reiterates. "Putting on makeup, food, phones, and with inexperienced operators, forget it. I say to parents: 'Set the example. As soon as you get in the car, put it away. Put the phone away.' "