CONGRATULATIONS, SOUND PACIFIC INSURANCE
By Dave Willis, CPIA
The votes are in. Past Rough Notes cover agents and brokers have spoken. And we have a winner.
Selected from the cast of amazing candidates, the 2024 Rough Notes Agency of the Year is Sound Pacific Insurance—a Tacoma, Washington-based firm led by Elisha Cavanaugh, a 25-year agency veteran.
Cavanaugh, who founded her agency more than a dozen years ago, takes pride in making complex policy language easy for insurance agency customers to understand. Besides serving clients, she is actively involved in several industry councils, contributing to the growth and evolution of the independent agency channel.
Deciding on the Agency of the Year is the responsibility of leaders whose firms have graced Rough Notes covers since the late 1980s. These professionals review each of the candidates—their stories, their successes, and their accomplishments—and cast a vote for which firm they believe deserves our top honor.
A common thread among voters is the challenge of choosing just one from those in the running. Variations of one past winner’s comment, “There were three that I really liked, but I voted for Sound Pacific,” were echoed by others as they cast their votes.
One agency leader who cast a vote for Sound Pacific wrote, in support of his decision, “I believe the best agencies balance growth, entrepreneurship, and innovation with core values (family) that will be passed down for generations.”
A past Agency of the Year winner added, “I was particularly impressed with Elisha’s journey starting at age 16, progressing to a captive agent, and then to opening her own independent agency. Elisha proves the value in creating a true partnership with her carriers.
“Her accomplishments highlight the importance of creating a team you can trust and the success that can be achieved through collaboration with both stakeholders and peers.”
Another agency leader concurred: “The work and resilience it takes to do what she did is remarkable.”
“We definitely need more young career agents,” another Sound Pacific voter wrote, “and I have always been an advocate for people in this industry to try and explain insurance to our clients in plain English, like Elisha advocates.”
“The CEO’s goal to demystify insurance language client by client is admirable and badly needed,” another agency leader wrote.
And finally, added another Agency of the Year principal, “I’ve had the privilege of knowing Elisha for many years, and during that time, two qualities have consistently stood out: consistency and integrity. These traits are invaluable, especially in light of the challenges we as an industry have recently faced.
“Month after month, Elisha shows up, gives her absolute best, and leads her agency with unwavering integrity. That level of dedication and character sets her apart in this market and makes her truly deserving of this recognition.”
Sound Pacific Insurance will be recognized at a dinner in the agency’s honor in Indianapolis this spring that takes place in conjunction with the Rough Notes Agents Editorial Advisory Board meeting. The Sound Pacific Insurance cover story appeared in the April 2024 issue of Rough Notes magazine. Visit the agency website at soundpacificins.com.
