State Farm Agent Abe Dispennette is moving his business in October to 1350 Central Ave., Suite 100, near the Bradbury Science Museum. He has been operating at 1362 Trinity Dr., Suite B, near Viola’s Restaurant, since starting his business five years ago.

“The location is the number one reason I am moving and the access in and out is just great,” he said during an interview this afternoon. “We’ve done really well and this is a natural progression. We’ve nearly doubled our book of business since we started and we are among the top three insurance businesses in the state and one of the businesses with the highest retention and customer satisfaction rates in the state.”

Dispennette credits his staff and his clients for that success.

“We’ve developed a reputation in town as a good, fun and safe place to work,” he said. “It’s all about customer service and we train heavily because our customers deserve to receive great service from us.”

Dispennette plans to host a customer appreciation and grand opening event to include a cookout shortly after he moves to his new location.

Before moving to Los Alamos in June of 2012, Dispennette served as a U.S. Army chaplain with the 101st in service to Afghanistan and 1-77 Heavy Infantry to Iraq, serving in the Special Forces between the two.

“I was one of the last boots in the sand in Iraq and then a month later I was deployed to Afghanistan,” Dispennette said. “I remember a young Afghanistan man stepped on a Russian land mine from the 80s that blew his leg off and his family came to the hospital and began arguing whether to execute him when he went home because he was now a burden to them.”

Dispennette, 39, explained that he learned so much about humanity during his seven years in the service.

“I learned that soldiers aren’t cold blooded killers, they are people and they want to make a difference,” he said. “It was quite an eye-opening experience … who is it that drives our thoughts of who we are supposed to like or not like … the civilians in these countries are just like us, they care about their families in the same way you and I care about our families.”

Dispennette also learned much about the many pitfalls of war from counseling soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“It was so important for soldiers to stay busy and focused,” he said. “I never took time off three months before or three months after serving overseas because that is the critical time for problems.”

Last stationed at Ft. Bliss in El Paso following his tours of duty in the Middle East, Dispennette said he had already missed so much of his children’s lives and didn’t want to miss anymore. He heard about the State Farm opening in Los Alamos and brought his family to visit the community over the spring break weekend.

“We loved it, returned for the kite festival and moved here two weeks later,” he said.

Dispennette met his wife Kirsta in college at Columbia International University in Columbia, SC. They married in 1999 and he went on to seminary in Florida before entering the United States Army. She was a stay at home mom during the next seven years while her husband served in the military. He applied and was accepted to take over the State Farm Agency at 1362 Trinity Dr., Suite B, where he has remained ever since.

The couple has three children and Kirsta works with her husband in the State Farm Agency. “We figured out that we were apart more than three years while I was deployed overseas,” Dispennette said. “Now we’re just a few feet apart.”

“We love how family friendly it is here … this is my first time living in a small town and it’s a welcome change,” Dispennette said. “When I was a kid I said many times if there was ever a city on top of a mountain – that is where I would love to live.”

Dispennette’s office is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and on weekends by appointment. He can be reached at 505.662.2200.