As 2026 marks Hagerty’s 25th year of service, we take a moment to pause, reflect, and honor the people who have made every milestone possible. From our earliest beginnings to the present, our team’s dedication, expertise, and unwavering commitment to excellence have shaped every success. Today, we recognize those whose contributions continue to define our story and drive our impact forward.
Early Days at Hagerty: Reflections from Steve Hagerty
Steve at Ground Zero shortly after 9/11; called upon by FEMA to support NYC’s recovery.
When I think about our early days, I think about being lonely. I had no employees to talk to, grab a coffee or share lunch with. For someone who values relationships as much as I do, that was hard. But, as I reflect on how far we have come in 25 years, those lonely days were well worth it.
Hagerty’s first assignment outside of 9/11 was to help on a recovery project in Guam. I could not take the assignment because I was working full-time on the World Trade Center recovery. Fortunately for me, into my office at the 9/11 Disaster Field Office, walked a young man who had recently graduated from college and had a bit of emergency management experience and a penchant for traveling. Within a week, that sharp, young consultant, Liam O’Keefe, was on a plane to Guam for six months.
Around the same time, a former colleague and trusted friend recommended his brother, Anthony Trasatti, to join our growing team. More than two decades later, he remains our longest consecutive-serving team member, and we are better for it. His strong accounting skills and technologically savvy mindset have solved many financial recovery issues.
Within the first five years, we grew quickly—from one employee to six, then 15, and eventually 55. The pace of our growth brought both opportunity and the kinds of challenges typical of an emerging firm taking on increasingly complex work.
I vividly remember an early defining moment during that period. In early 2006, we faced a brief cash-flow crunch. I had already committed my personal savings and other resources available to me to ensure our employees were paid. Fortunately, within 24 hours we received a long-awaited payment, which allowed us to quickly resolve the situation and keep moving forward.
That stressful moment still serves as a reminder that from the beginning, what carried our mission forward was not certainty or capital—it was trust, shared purpose, and people willing to step into the unknown to help communities recover. Twenty-five years later, those values still define who we are.
Steve Hagerty and Hagerty’s now Vice President, Garrett Ingoglia, two tired consultants, working together in NYC after 9/11
Milestones Along the Way
Since our founding in 2001, Hagerty’s dedicated team has supported some of the nation’s most impactful disaster recovery efforts and helped strengthen resilience for countless organizations. Only through the commitment, care, and integrity shown by our team members were these milestones made possible. Reflecting on notable touch points over the years, Senior Managing Associate (SMA) Jim McIntosh, noted the COVID-19 pandemic—a time when our industry needed rapid innovation and Hagerty’s professionals rose to the challenge. He states that, during this time, as in person exercises came to a halt, “we were able to rapidly adjust our method of delivery, support clients with their response needs, and then navigate the ongoing challenges along with them.” Jim continues,
“That passion for our craft and ‘scrappy’ determination is part of what makes Hagerty a true leader in the industry.”
Deputy Director of Recovery and longtime Hagerty professional, Kevin Fuller, shares a similar perspective on the hard working, passionate individuals that make up Team Hagerty. “I can think of dozens of stories of Hagerty employees sleeping on the floor of an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) as a hurricane rolls through or working in harsh conditions in the immediate aftermath of a storm. But I like to also focus on the more understated things we do that take far longer to bear fruit.”
He recalls a time when the Hagerty team supported a midsize coastal county through nearly every aspect of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance (PA) recovery process. On this project, “a conscious effort was made to build up the County’s own knowledge of recovery along the way.” A decade later, as a result, “Hagerty now primarily supports the County on larger eligibility or strategy questions, with the County managing and performing day-to-day tasks. Going above and beyond for the County has made the phrase ‘work our way out of a job’ a reality,” Kevin states with satisfaction.
Teamwork As a Guiding Principle
Though not every notable milestone has been client-facing. Hagerty’s professionals make a concerted effort to build connectedness and camaraderie in a hybrid environment, and to us, that is an accomplishment worth celebrating. SMA, Austin Barlow, shares that one of the most powerful achievements he has been a part of is the development of a Monthly Preparedness Spotlight series with co-lead, Haley Broder. These calls are intended to recognize staff achievement, share knowledge, and offer a space to stay connected. Austin comments,
“The work we put into our employee culture and experience helps us to consistently deliver excellent support to our clients, as our knowledge and skills grow through the breadth of involvement we sustain across our firm!”
This practice serves as a shining example of one of Hagerty’s core values—teamwork. We are stronger together, and Hagerty is proud that our professionals remain steadfast in their commitment to teamwork, day-in, and day-out.
Continuing Our Impact
Through the years, our team—featuring experienced emergency managers and leaders from both the public and private sectors—have leveraged their unique perspectives to continuously drive our collective success. Kevin notes, “over my 12 years with Hagerty, I am always impressed with the people I get to work with every day. There is no stereotypical path to becoming a Hagerty consultant.” This is the key to our success; our people come from all walks of life and educational and professional backgrounds. Continuing, Kevin explains how,
“That depth and breadth of expertise, combined with our diverse backgrounds, allows our teams to provide robust solutions to the very complex problems that our clients need help with.”
Hagerty is deeply appreciative of the way our team combines their skills with lessons learned along the way to continuously grow and better serve communities.
In reflection on his time with Hagerty, Jim shares, “we have improved our ability to more seamlessly support clients through all phases of emergency management. Whether it is surging in to support response and recovery needs, writing plans to fill gaps discovered in response, or identifying grants to support needs uncovered during planning, it seems as though we have gotten better at recognizing these opportunities. This level of capability has helped us to become an even more valuable partner to our clients.” Our employees constantly inspire the firm’s next chapter in this way. Through learning from past experiences and finding innovative paths forward, we are able to continue Hagerty’s success and impact.
Similarly, Austin observes that our people have sustained “a strong innovative spirit” through various national shifts. From scaling our services for the specific needs of each community to ensuring our products are digestible, Austin sees our team “committed to being the best and constantly finding ways to strengthen what we offer.”
Thank You, Team Hagerty
Our professionals’ commitment to excellence, teamwork, innovation, integrity—and above all, to our clients—is unmatched. On this Employee Appreciation Day, we extend our deepest gratitude to each member of Team Hagerty. Today and every day, we celebrate all of you!
Learn more about the story, mission, and values underpin our work and define our team.
