The Dick Fanazick Award
"Just as ripples spread out when a single pebble is dropped into water, the actions of individuals can have far-reaching effects."
— Dalai Lama
Honor someone who has profoundly impacted your life.
The power of one can have a rippling effect on shaping the course of others’ lives. In the case of Sean Hawkins, Co-founder of HawkSoft, the power of one was his teacher, Mr. Dick Fanazick. His actions significantly impacted Sean and changed his family’s future. That pivotal moment inspired the foundation of HawkSoft, an insurance technology company that today employs 100+ people and services thousands of independent agencies who in turn serve thousands of families in their respective communities. The Dick Fanazick Award is created to recognize and encourage these pivotal moments in the lives of HawkSoft’s customers.
Read about the Dick Fanazick StoryRead about the 2021 Dick Fanazick Award Recipient
Submit Nomination by March 15, 2022
Your family’s vision, perseverance and sacrifice are a testimony to the definition of success. That ripple effect has and will impact the lives of your workforce and of those you serve.
We each have different pivotal points in our lives, that as we look back at a decision we made or a direction we took, we can see how it has changed the course of where we are today versus where we could have been. Usually, there is somebody that has influenced or impacted that change. We owe it to those individuals to thank them for the influence they had on our lives.
How to nominate someone for the Dick Fanazick Award
HawkSoft has created the Dick Fanazick Award to honor individuals who have had a profound impact on a member of our HawkSoft family’s life. This is your chance to share your story of a pivotal moment that changed the course of your life, and perhaps the lives of many others. The award serves as a platform where you can recognize that special teacher or mentor and say “Thank you; you made a difference in my life.”
Award Nomination Requirements
- Be a current user of the HawkSoft agency management system
- Attend (or be willing to attend) the next HUG National Conference (where the award winner will be announced)
- Have had a life-shaping experience that was the direct result of the influence of someone like a teacher, coach, pastor, mentor, etc.
- Know that this influential person is still alive
- Complete the required Nomination Form (no other type of submission will be eligible) by March 15, 2022
* At HawkSoft's discretion, prior year submissions that have not previously received the award may automatically be included in subsequent year nomination reviews (a resubmission is not needed).
Award Winner
The winning submission and its nominator will each receive a $250 gift card, as well as a $1,000 donation from HawkSoft to the charity of their choice
Award Review & Announcement
A designated HawkSoft committee, including two individuals who are not (and have never been) HawkSoft employees, will review nominations and select a winner before the upcoming HUG National Conference. The winner of the Dick Fanazick Award will be announced at HUG National in Orlando, Florida, May 11 – 13, 2022.
Nomination Form
Complete this form to nominate a teacher, coach, pastor, or mentor that you feel should be recognized and honored for the profound impact they have had on the course of your life. (Note: this person must have personally impacted your life, not just the lives of others).
Deadline: Form must be submitted by March 15, 2022.
The Dick Fanazick Story — Teachers Matter!
A wise elementary grade teacher is recognized for the impact he had 25 years ago on shaping the course of a young boy’s life and that of a family business: HawkSoft.
As told by Heather Hansen, Sean Hawkins’ sister
Back in 1984, my brother Sean was in 5th grade. He was bored in class even with additional work. Mr. Fanazick recognized this and knew that Sean needed something more. He contacted our dad and suggested he buy a computer for my brother. He also suggested not buying any games, but instead buying a programming book. I’m not sure how my parents managed to pay for that computer back then. We didn’t have money for extras or even essentials at times. But he made it happen and bought my brother a 1984 Tandy 1000. That computer and programming book changed the course of my brother’s (and dad’s) life.
My brother and dad taught themselves how to program using that Tandy 1000. Thirty-five years later, a family-owned business, HawkSoft, is still growing strong as a result of those Tandy programming days.
On December 18, 2018, we surprised my brother Sean at work. HawkSoft flew our 5th grade teacher, along with his wife, from Spokane, WA, to Canby, OR. His daughter drove down from Seattle to be part of the surprise.
My husband Jason, who is also one of the three co-founders of HawkSoft, found a 1984 Tandy 1000 computer on eBay like the one my dad first bought Sean. We surprised Sean with that too on the same day that Mr. Fanazick visited.
Mr. Fanazick is a very important part of the story of our company. Without his wisdom to advise my dad to buy Sean a computer and programming book, we might not be in the business of programming insurance software today. Mr. Fanazick’s guidance was so influential in shaping the course of our family’s lives that it became our mission to let him know the impact he had. We are honored to be able to recognize and applaud Mr. Fanazick for being a great teacher. HawkSoft employs over 100 people and services thousands of independent agencies. That may not have been possible without Mr. Fanazick’s wise guidance. He made a difference.
