Zimdars to CGIA Transition
When John Zimdars first shared his business transition plans in 2022, he did so with the same thoughtful care and attention to detail his clients have always received from him. Since then, he has deliberately executed every step of his succession plan to ensure that each client will continue to receive the same hands-on, dedicated service they’ve come to expect.
The Zimdars and Groome families are lifelong friends. My father, George, and John met in 1976 at a life insurance industry meeting in Boston. They were randomly assigned as roommates, and the rest is history.
John introduced me to Wisconsin in early 2022, during the heart of winter. I suspect he was testing my resilience in the below zero temperatures. He took me to a Badgers basketball game, and I was hooked. Since then, I’ve returned to Madison 6–7 times each year to meet face-to-face with clients and advisors. It’s become clear to me how important it is to have a local presence, and I’m pleased to share that Colton Groome Insurance Advisors now has an office in downtown Madison, located at: 111 South Hamilton Street, Suite 34 | Madison, WI 53703.
We are committed to maintaining and building upon the legacy of trust that John has established. John will continue to work alongside our team for the next few years—serving clients, mentoring our team, and helping to guide this next chapter. As John puts it:
I’m deeply honored that John believed we were the right partner to carry his firm forward. Over the past three years, I’ve learned so much from him—and I’ve had the privilege of meeting many wonderful people whom he’s served with great care.
Please consider this a personal welcome to Colton Groome Insurance Advisors. The FAQ section below answers many common questions. Our Meet the Team introduces you to the people serving you going forward. If you have any additional questions, just give us a call or send an email. We’re here for you and look forward to serving you.
Warm regards,
G. Tate Groome, CFP®, CLU®, AEP®, CEPA®
G. Tate Groome
and John Zimdars
“Strategy is a commodity, execution is an art.”
Peter Drucker
Zimdars – CGIA Transition:
Frequently Asked Questions (August 2025)
Contact Information
Mailing Address & Main Headquarters:
Colton Groome Insurance Advisors
1127-B Hendersonville Rd.
Asheville, NC 28803
Madison Office Address:
111 South Hamilton Street, Suite 34
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: (608) 729-4695
Website: www.coltongroomeinsurance.com
Email: insuranceservices@coltongroome.com
How long will John continue to work?
John will remain actively involved for the next 2–3 years, working out of our downtown Madison office and collaborating closely with our CGIA service team to support clients.
How can John be reached?
John’s email is jzimdars@coltongroome.com. His primary service support will be handled by Emily Layne, who can be reached directly at elayne@coltongroome.com or by calling (608) 729-4695.
Has my file transferred from Zimdars to CGIA?
Yes, both teams have worked diligently to transfer more than 600 client files. While most are now in our systems, we are continuing to organize and categorize the data so that we can serve you efficiently. We expect to be fully transitioned by late Fall 2025. We appreciate your patience if we take slightly longer than usual to respond. For urgent matters, please include “Urgent” in your email subject line.
How do I schedule a meeting with John and/or Tate?
You can reach out to either John, Tate or Emily to schedule a meeting. We are happy to meet in person or virtually—whatever works best for you. Emily also handles both Tate’s and John’s schedules.
How often will Tate be in Madison?
Tate visits Madison 6–7 times per year for in-person meetings with clients and advisors. If you would like to schedule an in-person meeting, please let us know.
Premium Payments and Reminders:
Here is where we need your help. Timely payment of premiums is necessary to maintain the valuable insurance protection John has helped you put in place. Insurance companies do NOT always send premium reminders to our office if a premium is late or missed. Some insurers do a better job than others, but ultimately the premium payment responsibility is that of the policy owner. We will do our best to remind you when we receive a late premium notice from an insurer. To help with timely payment of premiums, we are working to roll out premium reminder notifications to your email addresses along with a service portal on our website www.coltongroomeinsurance.com. Our targeted completion date for this project is Q1 2026.
What level of service does CGIA offer?
Our service model includes a dedicated and personal support team. We aim to respond to all non-urgent inquiries by the next business day and to urgent requests the same day. As we get to know all of our new clients, we thank you in advance for your patience and grace.
Will there be any additional fees associated with my policies?
There are no additional fees for routine service of your current insurance policies. We do charge fees for projects that fall outside the scope of routine service and communicate those in advance of any engagement.
How will my policies be managed?
Just like John’s approach, we will continue to review and manage your coverage regularly and reach out when updates or opportunities arise. If there are ever any changes or new product recommendations, they will be clearly communicated if we feel they are in your best interest. What you can do: when there are life changes for you (retirement, change in health, etc,), please keep us informed in case any modifications to your insurance program are needed.