By John Riedel
For many, the idea of retiring seems like an end. But for those not ready to take a backseat, it’s a new beginning.
David Sanguinetti joined National Life Group in September of 1986 and will be retiring June 30 for what many call a “radical sabbatical.”
A radical sabbatical is when a person “retires” but dedicates his or her newfound free-time to bettering themselves and their community.
David has been a part of the financial planning team throughout his career, working to ensure National Life’s value continues to grow.
“I am very much aware that I’m extraordinarily fortunate to be able to do this kind of thing because there are a lot of people who won’t ever have this kind of opportunity,” David said. He first read about “radical sabbaticals” in an online article
“My plan is to take a year to go do and study in those subjects and skills that interest me,” David said.
Once his “retirement” starts, he expects to be quite busy. David is already an active member in several local organizations, including the Montpelier Chamber Orchestra Society, U-32 High School’s theater program, the Masonic Temple of Barre, and the Unitarian Universalist Church in Barre.
David added, “I’m anticipating that a year or so from now, I’ll be looking for a new adventure – where and what are still to be determined.”
“One of the very cool things about our organization is that people here are very willing to share what they know,” he said. “That’s part of our servant leadership culture and makes us stronger. We play better as a team because of this sharing and it has been wonderful to learn the various aspects of our business and then put that knowledge to good use. I’ve also had the opportunity to ‘pay it forward’ by teaching classes through the People Center’s NLGroup University – which I’ve enjoyed immensely.”
Reflecting again on his time here, he concluded, “It is the people of this company that make it special – I’m very grateful for everything my co-workers have done for me during my time at National Life.”