Tom Cusick

Thomas Patrick (Tom) Cusick JR was born on February 13, 1953 to Thomas Patrick (Pat) Cusick and Ann Leath Cusick in Sheridan, Wyoming. Pat Cusick a World War II Navy veteran, and graduate of Notre Dame. After the war, Pat went back to Wyoming and worked as a cowboy, following his dream of becoming a Rodeo star, he won the silver belt buckle for bulldogging at the Gillette, Wyoming Rodeo in 1949. To support his growing family, his daughter Toni, and son Thomas (Tom) JR, Pat became an oil drilling rig worker known as a Roughneck moving them first to New Mexico, then Arizona, finally settling in San Antonio, Texas. Pat Cusick worked in the Insurance business in San Antonio until his retirement.[5] Raised in San Antonio, Texas, Tom P. Cusick JR an excellent student, and athlete was drafted out of high school to play baseball for the Montreal Expos. However, he chose instead to initially accept a scholarship to play football at the University of Arizona, but in the spring of 1971 opted for a baseball scholarship and attended the UTSA. Tom P. Cusick JR earned his Bachelors of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and followed in the footsteps of his father entering the business world as an executive in the insurance industry.

Tom P. Cusick JR entered the insurance business in 1975, and in 1982 with Aetna he formed Benefit Planners (BPI), Inc. the Boerne, Texas based third-party insurance administrators. Cusick grew the new company at 20% per year, and BPI was ranked nationally in the top 10 health benefit administrators along with United Healthcare, Blue Cross, and CIGNA.[6] During this time, Cusick also formed The Preferred Health Arrangement, a Preferred Provider Organization and National Stop Loss Associates, a broker for re-insurance and other excess lines. In 1995, BP Risk Management was formed to complete the circle of employee benefit needs by handling workers compensation. In 1996 Cusick was honored as Entrepreneur of the Year in the service category and in 2002, Benefit Planners was named the #1 Call Center of the Year in Central Texas topping USAA and Southwestern Bell (now AT&T). In 2001, Cusick sold Benefit Planners and affiliates to Fiserv and remained with the company until 2003 at which time he made plans to pursue his passion for ranching and real estate.[7][6] In 2003, Cusick next set his eyes on 1,000 acres of prime Texas Hill Country land, and in 2003 he negotiated the purchase naming it Estancia at Thunder Valley. Cusick spent the next several years turning his dream into reality. Parceling the land into only 65 homesites, creating what Cusick terms, "the perfect community to raise a family in." Estancia boasts a 55,000 square foot equestrian center, indoor full court gym, baseball and soccer/football fields, 5 acre fishing lake and more. Apart from Cusick and his family, George Strait was one of the first residents of the secluded Texas estate community.[1][8] Tom Cusick and George Strait created their charity, Vaqueros Del Mar (which means "Cowboys of the Sea") that raises money to benefit wounded servicemen, servicewomen, returning home, and their families. In 2012 Tom Cusick and George Strait teamed of with another of Cusick's long time friends David Feherty to host their celebrity invitational tournament and concert Vaqueros Del Mar I, to benefit Feherty's Troops First Foundation.[9][10] The invitational continues to grow each year since, Vaqueros Del Mar No. 7 in 2017 raised a record 1.5 million dollars (USD).[11][9] The Invitational and Concert has attracted impromptu performances by friends of country music legend Strait such as:Asleep at the Wheel, Jamey Johnson, Jewel, Ray Benson, TV Director/Producer James Burrows, Dean Dillon and others. In April 2017, Tom Cusick, and George Strait along with Medal of Honor recipient, Leroy Petry attended the official ribbon cutting ceremony of the Leroy Petry Village of Honor, located in Arlington, Virginia.[12][13][14] Built with funds raised by Vaqueros Del Mar, and Troops First Foundation events the village of seven custom homes, built specifically for the wounded veterans needs and their families, are made available to them free of charge for up to one year as they transition from combat service to civilian life, dealing with severe injuries including: multiple amputations, severe brain trauma, and severe burns.

• Official website
• Tapatio Springs Resort