From Allstate to Independent: Meet Our Personal Lines Team

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Who are Dave Rysavy and Patrick McHugh?

Dave Rysavy is our VP of Personal Lines. He earned his Illinois producer license in July 1990, opened his own Allstate agency in 1994 and ran it until he joined Pro Insurance Group in August 2023. That is 29 years of owning an agency and keeping families insured through every kind of market.

Patrick McHugh joins us as a Personal Lines Producer on October 5, 2026. He started his career in 1992 at Transamerica Financial Services, then opened his own Allstate agency in Palatine in November 1995 as a scratch agent, building it from zero clients. He ran it for 27 years, sold it in 2023, and stayed on for three more years to help the new owner and the clients he had served for decades. He is licensed in Illinois and Wisconsin and lives in Port Barrington.

Between them, Dave and Patrick spent 56 years owning agencies on the captive side of the business. They know how that model works for customers, where it works well, and where it runs out of room.

What did 29 years as an agency owner teach Dave?

Owning an agency is a different job from selling policies. You answer for every renewal, every rate increase and every claim, and your name is on the door when something goes wrong. Much of Dave's business has come through referrals, which only happens when people trust you with the calls that matter.

Outside of work, Dave coaches football and girls softball with Huntley Youth Sports and is a proud father of three.

What does Patrick bring to Port Barrington and the Barrington area?

Retention. Over 27 years, Patrick and his staff helped thousands of families across the northwest suburbs and kept more than 91 percent of their customers year after year. Some of his clients have been with him for over 30 years. Numbers like that are earned one renewal and one claim at a time.

Patrick lives in Port Barrington, a Fox River town, and most of his clients are his neighbors in the Barrington area, western Lake County and northwest Cook County, from Lake Barrington Shores to Saddlebrook Farms in Grayslake. He knows what river-town homeowners worry about, which is why his first article for us covers whether home insurance covers Fox River flooding.

"At an independent agency there are more opportunities to help customers, because we have more insurance carriers to choose from. We can be selective and make sure every client has the right protection at the right price."
Patrick McHugh

Outside of work, Patrick has been married for 31 years and raised three children in the Wauconda area. His family helps with local charities, including the food pantry, and he has played the bagpipes since he was 12. Today he plays in a pipe band with his son and his sister at parades, weddings and football games.

What changes for you when your agent is independent?

The main change is choice. A captive agent offers the products and prices of one company, while an independent agent can compare several. When your renewal goes up, a captive agent can look for discounts or adjust coverage inside that company, and that is often helpful. What they generally cannot do is place you with a competing company.

An independent agent can. At Pro Insurance Group, Dave and Patrick can compare your home insurance and auto insurance across 20+ carriers, then re-shop it later if your rate climbs. For a deeper look at the two models, read our guide to independent vs. captive insurance agents in Illinois. If you are weighing it for your own household, see how an independent agent handles home and auto.

Is an independent agent always cheaper?

No. An independent agent gives you more companies to compare, not a guaranteed lower price. Your rate depends on your home, your vehicles, your drivers, your claims history and the coverage you choose, and sometimes the company you already have is the best fit. When that is the case, Dave and Patrick will tell you so.

Staying put can be the right call when:

• Your current price is already competitive for the coverage you carry.
• You would give up a discount or policy feature that matters to you.
• You are in the middle of a policy term. Some policies charge a fee for cancelling early, so ask before you move.

A review is only worth your time if it leaves you with better coverage, a better price, or the confidence that you are already in the right spot.

What stays the same?

The part people liked about their captive agent: a local person who picks up the phone, knows your family and helps when you have a claim. Dave and Patrick still work that way. You get a named producer, not a call center, and you can stop by our Huntley office.

Thinking about switching? What to have ready

1. Your current home and auto declarations pages.
2. Your renewal dates, so a new policy can start the day the old one ends.
3. Any recent claims or tickets, so the quotes you get are real.
4. A list of what you want to keep, like a specific deductible or an umbrella policy.

Our guide on switching homeowners insurance without a coverage gap walks through the timing step by step.

Common Questions

Reviewed by Dave Rysavy, VP Personal Lines, and Patrick McHugh, Personal Lines Producer
Illinois licensed insurance producers #2121123 and #2121371.

Allstate is a registered trademark of Allstate Insurance Company. Pro Insurance Group is an independent agency. It is not an Allstate agency and is not endorsed by Allstate. National General is an Allstate company and is one of the carriers we represent. Comparing carriers does not guarantee a lower price. Quotes and coverage are subject to each carrier's underwriting.