I come bearing sad tidings. After 27 years as Florida’s voice for the insurance industry, Florida Underwriter is shutting down. What began as a glimmer in the eye of super-salesman Dave Weidinger (still with the parent company, by the way, and a territory vice president in Atlanta) grew over the past two-plus decades into a respected and authoritative resource for everyone involved in and interested in Florida insurance.

Unfortunately, the double demons of our state’s falling economy and the dominance of the Internet over print products have brought us to this difficult decision. This will be the magazine’s final issue.

It has been a long and rewarding journey for both me and Florida Underwriter. I, too, “launched” myself into insurance in the early 1980s. I remember meeting Dave during the magazine’s early days and placing ads (and my faith) in him and this fledgling publication. Over the years, as I provided corporate communication services to various insurance companies, I came to rely on Florida Underwriter for essential information and marketing opportunities. It has been a wonderful bit of serendipity to find myself as its editor-in-chief these past few years.

I was proud to carry on the publication’s mission of being “The Leading News Source for Florida Agents & Brokers.” An added bonus has been the truly wonderful experience of getting to know so many of you personally through these pages and my travels around the state. Your contributions both in commentary through feature articles within our pages and private conversations with me were, I hope you know, always received with open arms and mind.

My thanks especially to our superb editorial advisory board members: Mike Colodny of Colodny, Fass, Talenfeld, Karlinsky & Abate, P.A.; Jeff Grady, president and CEO of the Florida Association of Insurance Agents; Steve Israel of South Florida Affiliated Health Insurers, Inc.; Lynne McChristian, Florida representative of the Insurance Information Institute; Jim McConnaughhay of McConnaughhay, Duffy, Coonrod, Pope & Weaver, P.A.; Sam Miller, executive vice president of the Florida Insurance Council; Erin O’Leary of Shelly, Middlebrooks & O’Leary, Inc.; and William Stander, founder of WHISPER – William H. Stander Public Relations, Inc. Their insight and friendship have been invaluable to me in countless ways.

As Florida Underwriter fades into the archives at Summit Business Media, I hope you will continue to enjoy the other insurance magazines in the company’s portfolio, especially American Agent & Broker and National Underwriter Property & Casualty and Life & Health.

As for me, I will remain involved in our industry. For those of you who would like to stay in touch, I encourage you to email me at [email protected]. I would love to hear from you and share the opportunities that the new year will bring me.

For now, as Edward R. Murrow used to say, “Good night and good luck.”