Welcome to American Agent & Broker's new graphics and editorial redesign–the result of six months of blood, sweat, tears, swearing and an excuse for my increase in gray hair. (Not that you need to worry about that: We only hope you enjoy the results.)

We designed our new look, feel and content to strike a successful balance between what you've always liked about AA&B and what you've told us you want more of.Take a look around, and you'll see that all your favorite AA&B columnists are still here, albeit looking a little snazzier with a new layout. You'll also find four new departments and a new column: "Legislative Roundup," "Avoiding Errors & Omissions," "Getting Personal," "Agency Success Stories" and "The Last Word.""Legislative Roundup" is guest-written each month by experts close to the action in the states and on Capitol Hill. Our kickoff author is Paul Tetrault of NAMIC, who is closely involved in legislative issues both on the state and national level.Another new addition based on your suggestions is "Avoiding Errors & Omissions." Our premiere columnist is Louie Castoria, an attorney at the San Francisco law firm of Wilson Elser. Louie is not only an agency E&O guru but a clever writer to boot, and we're very pleased to have him on the AA&B roster.For "Getting Personal," we asked industry experts to recommend agencies that have made personal lines sales a significant part of their organizations. These will be written by the principals of these firms and other personal lines specialists, focusing on practical advice about how you can tap into this lucrative business."Agency Success Stories" are just that: real-life examples of firms that are doing a stellar and creative job in growing their businesses. This month's spotlight is on Cook, Hall and Hyde, a New York firm that successfully merged three agencies into a $20 million multiline broker.Finally, "The Last Word" is a page for industry spokespeople to sound off about hot-button issues of the day.When we began planning how to position AA&B for the future, we gave a lot of thought to what makes our publication unique. Based on what we heard from you–and looking back to our beginning as "Local Agent" almost 80 years ago–it became clear that we've always been committed to providing practical advice to help you nurture your business. This guidance comes not only from agents and brokers, but from professionals in all areas of insurance affecting your business. It's a legacy we're proud of, and dedicated to propagating now and in the future. We hope that legacy is reflected in our new direction, and that it's appealing and useful to you.Laura M. Toops,Editor