J: Last thing, do you have stories, your favorite about your leadership years? I mean that what do you want to say to your grandchildren and their children that will make them to the mark and be successful?

M: I have a lot of those stories. I used to tell my children, they probably can tell the stories better than I.

J: They can probably tell how the stories have changed over the years. I know with my Dad, it was one way, then it changed.

M: A man talked to me one time. He is a state legislator now. Our children went to the same elementary school. He said, “Allen, I'd like you to be the vice president of PTA. Just support me, I am president, everything will be ok. It doesn't mean that you have to be president next year.” I said ok, I will do it. In the PTA meeting, we were all elected. A week later, he called and said I am going to have to leave, I am moving. And you are president. Ok, lessons. If you are in any kind of role like this, if you are in a leadership role, if you're not willing to move the next one, don't get into the first one. Watch your steps and plan them. That was a great experience, which I was not looking for to be the president of PTA. I did a lot of things, fund raising and stuff that I never thought I would do, so it was a good experience, but it didn't happen the way I thought it would. Junior achievement, years ago, junior achievement was an after school program, where they capitalized, made a widget, sold a widget, then we liquidated, we turned a profit or loss, did the annual statement and stuff. I outgrew the problems because you couldn't get enough youngsters after school into the junior achievement center, and you were not able to expose youngsters that were involved in cheerleading athletics, and so on. We went into the in school system. I was the President of Junior Achievement when we did in school. We would have a volunteer go into a classroom and work with the instructors and teach class one hour a week for a semester. Well, I went into a seventh grade class at Austin Christian Academy , which is where my children went to school and my daughter was in the seventh grade to teach a class. I thought this is going to be great. She is going to be thrilled. She was humiliated that her father would come into this classroom and teach this class. Now when it was over, when we went through the whole thing, she was thrilled, her friends thought her dad was neat and such. Fifteen years later, I went to fifth grade classroom in eastern Nashville to teach, and the teacher was my daughter. So we shared the duties, which was great experience. Now, without my role at American General, I couldn't have been involved in Junior Achievement, I couldn't have been president, I couldn't do a lot of things. So my role allowed me to do that. Now, let's talk about leadership. The downside in all acquisitions is where you start downsizing people. Those are the toughest decisions that I have ever been involved. Because you do get to know the individuals, their situations, family and etc, and most of time we are talking about the physically picking the company up, moving from X city to Nashville . Those are very difficult times. You lay awake and think about what impact you are having on families, etc. So those are really heart-ache times, they really are. The pleasure times are when you see people grow, and they develop, like you said earlier. They are ready to move on, and you pat them on the back, and they move on. They just continue to climb and grow, which you see them happy and you see their families. Those are successes. And the success that you probably, I appreciate most is when we are in a very difficult situation, and I am trying to peel off everything that is not relevant, so I know what I really deal with. I am working with a team that is really well put together, and you hear click. You just start clicking and the team starts and within a matter of days, we take a situation that was pretty serious, and it is almost gone away. You know that everything that you tried to preach, teach and learn are passed on, and it is starting to work. I mean it's pride. Many times no one ever knows about it. The highest level of problem solving is problem avoidance, and if you can detect and get it solved before it happens, that is good. I enjoy those things. But I enjoy being part of the executive team and making key decision on directions, where you are going. Yes, those are exciting times.

J: Is there anything that you would do different?

M: No, I married one of the best wonderful girls and women in the world and have a beautiful family. My career has been very good. I have been fortunate, my career has been very good to me at American General. In my thirty-three year career, it has been very good to me. I was good to it. I think you reap what you sow. So it has been good to me. And it all started in Kitrell Hall right over here. I've never been away from my college at all.

J: Well, you come back all the time, you are a big supporter. We appreciate it so much.

M: And I have that level to appreciation for it. The faculty and everything it stands for .

J: We are your biggest fans. Thank you for coming

M: OK.