James DuBrueler Jr

Most people remember their first job. Mine was working alongside my parents, learning that running a business meant showing up even when you didn't feel like it. By the time I hit college at Shepherd University, I was splitting my weeks between classes and 40-hour work schedules. I'm not sure that I'd recommend that pace to anyone, but it built something in me that never left.

I've worked in insurance for nearly three decades. Eight years ago, I added financial advisory work because I kept seeing the same problem. People would reach their sixties with decent savings and no real plan for what came next. They'd saved well but hadn't thought through the transition itself. How do you replace a paycheck? What happens if health costs spike? How do you protect what you've built while actually using it?

Running operations at Creekside Financial Group means I'm managing portfolios, overseeing systems, and making sure nothing falls through the cracks. I carry a Series 65 license and credentials across life, health, property, and casualty insurance. The licenses matter because this work requires both sides. Investments without insurance leave gaps. Insurance without investment strategy leaves money sitting idle. We handle both because retirement planning demands both.

Amy and I started dating in high school and have been together ever since. We raised our kids here in Frederick County, where both our parents still live. Our son Adam moved to New York for advertising work. Our daughter Emily stayed closer, working in our insurance firm while raising our granddaughter Olive with her husband Russell, a physician in Richmond. We're a tight group, and we make time to see each other whenever schedules allow.

I play golf badly, ride ATVs through trails I probably shouldn't, and disappear into the mountains when I can. Living in the Shenandoah Valley means I'm never more than an hour from something worth seeing. Amy and I travel when work allows, but honestly, we've built a life here that's hard to leave for long.