About Tom Ager
Tom was born in Minneapolis, MN in 1949, but was raised and graduated high school in Fremont, CA. Tom was a Boy Scout and played a variety of sports including basketball and soccer, and was captain of the golf team. He was also a part of the school’s marching band for 2 years.
Tom is a 1972 graduate of the University of Montana-Missoula with a B.S. in History and Political Science. While there, Tom held every office in the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity.
Tom spent one year in the Army ROTC counter guerrillas (Green Beret of ROTC) and joined the Navy Reserve in 1968 as an enlisted man. He graduated from boot camp in San Diego and qualified for and accepted into the Officer Candidate Program. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Officer Candidate School, a 22-week program in 1972 as an Ensign.
Tom served on active duty for 4 years spent over 22 in the Naval Reserve. He retired in 1993 as Lieutenant Commander. Tom is a veteran of both Vietnam and Desert Storm. He qualified as a Surface Warfare Officer and command of a Naval Ship and held many positions of responsibility throughout his career, including Commanding Officer, Executive Officer, Engineering Officer, and received numerous commendations and letters of merit. Tom also received the Meritorious Service Medal for his accomplishments during and after the Loma Prieta Earthquake in San Francisco. Tom served as the National Vice President for Navy in the Reserve Officers Association (ROA).
While serving on the Admirals Staff at Commander Naval Base, San Francisco on Treasure Island, Tom was one of the first ever Military Reserve Officers to attend the “Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officers” school in Emmittsberg, MD. There were 2 in the class. After completing the course Tom became a qualified FEMA Disaster Preparedness Liaison Officer. As a Liason Officer with FEMA, Tom dealt with issues such as Disaster Preparedness, and additional duties such as anti-terrorism, and counter terrorism as the Reserve Operations Officer for the Command. This training proved very useful when the LOMA PRIETA earthquake occured 18 months later.
Tom started in the insurance business in 1977 as an All Lines Claims Adjuster/Examiner with USF&G Insurance Company in Helena, MT. He was promoted to Full Claims Adjuster, in record time, for Meritorious Performance.
In 1977 Tom settled a claim with a nuisance value of $3,000 that could have potentially cost the company an estimated $400,000. The commendation letter states that Tom accomplished a feat that is seldom accomplished by a seasoned adjuster, but had never been accomplished by an Adjuster Trainee.
Tom worked for several large Insurance Agencies in Walnut Creek, CA before starting his own agency. As a seasoned Prime Agent for Aetna Tom set national sales records in the sales of Auto, Home, Umbrella and Life Insurance.
Tom and his wife have four daughters and seven grandchildren. Tom has enjoyed a number of wonderful vacations and traveling adventures across the Unites States and across “the Pond”. He’s enjoyed a full life and has a marvelous, rich family history, and as a result has a great story to share.