Charles R “Dick’’ Tutwiler was the Founder, President and CEO of Tutwiler & Associates Public Adjusters from 1984 until his retirement on 12/31/2021 when he sold his interest in the business to Charles R. Tutwiler & Assoc., Inc. Rick Tutwiler will take over day to day operations. Mr Tutwiler will remain active in the insurance adjusting industry on a limited as need basis through his new company, C R “Dick” Tutwiler, LLC.

As the Founder of Tutwiler & Associates, Dick amassed a long line of impressive credentials and knowledge during his public adjusting career. He began his insurance career with Travelers Insurance Company, where he learned the internal methods used in the claims settlement process used by insurance companies with their policyholders. While at Travelers he earned the professional designation of Casualty Property Claim Law Associate (C.P.C.L.A.) and Property Claim Law Associate (P.C.L.A.) from the American Educational Institute. This program was specifically designed for the property casualty side of the insurance industry, emphasizing issues focused on the property loss adjustment process. After several promotions and reaching the 10-year vesting/retirement period, he recognized that sometimes the best interests of the policyholder and the insurance carrier do not always line up. As a result he made a career choice to become a public adjuster and represent property owners and business professionals who need assistance when they experience a loss and need help managing their insurance claim.

Charles R. Tutwiler and Associates Inc., incorporated in March of 1984, and was founded to assist property owners in assessing, documenting, presenting and negotiating settlements from fires, hurricanes, floods, collapses, thefts, sinkholes, business interruptions, and other perils commonly covered in property insurance policies. Specializing in property loss adjustment, damage surveys, and loss appraisals, Dick stresses a professional and ethical approach, enabling businesses, condominium associations, homeowners, and property owners of all types to achieve full value for their insurance claim on a timely basis.

Dick is currently licensed in 12 states and the Virgin Islands. He is a wind umpire under the Windstorm Insurance Network Umpire Certification Program and served on the faculty for the advanced umpire certification class at the 2008 Windstorm Conference. He has also received his New York State Instructor Approval document.

He is a valued member of the Anderson-Kill Loss Advisors, an organization of six of the most respected public adjusting firms across the United States. He is a contributing writer to Anderson Kill’s The Loss Advisor, a quarterly publication published and distributed throughout the United States. Dick is also a frequent contributor as a United Policyholders featured expert.

After graduating from Marshall University with a B.B.A. in Business Management and four years of service with the U.S. Air Force, Dick moved to Florida, where he has provided 35 years of uninterrupted claim service. He was recognized in the March 1994 edition of Who's Who in American Finance and Industry and in the June 1993 edition of Who's Who in Insurance in Florida. His expert credentials include membership in the American Arbitration Association, National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (NAPIA), National Society of Claim Law Associates, Tampa Bay Executive Association, Marshall University John Marshall Society, and University of South Florida President's Council. He also served as Vice Chairman of Marshall University's National Prominence Campaign and was featured in Marshall University's Profiles in Prominence (second edition, October 2003) along with nine other alumni. Dick is past President and charter member of the Florida Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (F.A.P.I.A.), a statewide professional trade association.

Having received this level of recognition, Dick has been called upon to speak and teach at insurance executive seminars, conferences, and other civic and industry-related forums on issues concerning the insurance loss adjustment process and disaster preparedness. He has appeared in various television markets throughout Florida and is recognized as a noted authority and guest speaker on issues involving hurricanes, fire and flood losses and related insurance claim matters. Most notably, he has appeared on The Today Show, broadcast from New York in a special report on Hurricane Andrew. If your group is in search of a property insurance claims expert, Dick is happy to make himself available to educate and speak to your group about trends in property claims.

In addition to serving as the former editor and publisher of the Journal for Insurance Loss Adjustment and the Quarterly Update, an insurance trade publication, Dick has contributed to articles in The New York Times, The Miami Herald, South Dade News Leader, Tampa Bay Business Journal, Sarasota Herald and the Community Association Institute, a trade publication for condominiums and cooperative homeowners associations. His letters have appeared in the editorial section of The Tampa Tribune, and he was profiled in the business section in November 2001. He has been a feature writer for Claims Magazine, a Division of the National Underwriter, the Condominium Times, Condominium Management Magazine, and Wind News, the newsletter of the Windstorm Insurance Network.

While serving on the Florida Department of Insurance Testing Committee, Dick was charged with rewriting testing protocol and procedures for licensing adjusters in the State of Florida. He has been certified as an expert in insurance property adjusting matters in U.S. Federal Courts and State of Florida courts. Over the years, he has been directly involved in the legislative process in Tallahassee, where his actions have resulted in new legislation affecting licensing and competency issues of adjusters who apply for licensing in Florida as well as protecting best interests of insurance policyholders. He was selected by the Florida Department of Insurance as one of its experts in the "mold trials" that followed the Department's rejection of requests from Florida insurers to limit or exclude mold coverage.

Dick formerly served as a director on the board of the Windstorm Insurance Network Inc.(WIND), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting a cooperative dialogue among individuals and groups concerned with windstorm issues. He was also past president of WIND in 2004/2005 and was awarded the second annual WIND Presidential Recognition Award at the 2011 Windstorm Insurance Conference in Houston, Texas. The award was established to recognize annually a member who has contributed significant knowledge, service and leadership to better the Windstorm Insurance Network (WIND). Subsequently, in 2014 Dick was part of the first group of property insurance experts to be named to the Windstorm Network Fellows Program established to recognize within the insurance industry, individuals that demonstrate professionalism and technical knowledge in the field of property and windstorm insurance claims. He is a former director on the board of the National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (NAPIA) a national organization that represents the interests and professional conduct of public insurance adjusters. 

In 2003 Dick was honored by his Alma matter, Marshall University, with a feature profile: Dick Tutwiler - Profiles in Prominence Volume II. In 2017 he was inducted into the Marshall University's Lewis College Business Hall of Fame and featured in a video profile (starting at 1:06) highlighting his professional accomplishments and support for the university. To be inducted into the Lewis College of Business Hall of Fame is the highest honor awarded to business leaders by Marshall University. Nomination requires that candidates be of the highest moral character and their business and personal reputations be meritorious. Each candidate will have served in his or her professional life for a substantial period of time, and each candidate must either be a graduate or have made a significant impact on Marshall University. 

Contact public adjuster Dick Tutwiler if you have a question about or would like a free consultation about a property insurance claim.