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Industry Expertise
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Advisory Council CEFEX recognizes that the investment industry is in a continuous state of change. In order to maintain a clear view on the forces which impact fiduciaries, and to ensure that the CEFEX registration remains the industry’s most credible certification, an advisory council is in place to represent various disciplines.
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Brian H. Graff, Esq., APM, Executive Director and CEO, ASPPA
An attorney and certified public accountant, Brian was formerly
legislative counsel to the U.S. Congress Joint Committee on Taxation where he
provided policy and technical analysis relating to pensions and employee
benefits, health care, and Social Security to members of Congress. While working
for Congress, Brian participated in the development of legislation, including
the Small Business Job Protection Act of 1996 and the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. Prior to working on Capitol Hill,
Brian was associated with the Washington, DC, law firm, The Groom Law Group,
which specializes in employee benefits.
Brian has served as a delegate to all of the White
House/Congressional National Summits on Retirement Savings. He is also a member
of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Employee Benefits Committee and serves on the
board of the Small Business Council of America. Brian has testified several
times before Congress and the DOL ERISA Advisory Council on issues affecting
national retirement income policy. He is a frequent speaker at various national
employee benefit conferences.
In 2006, Brian was named as Institutional Investor News’
Washington Impact Player of the Year. He is also one of 401k Wire’s "50 Most
Influential Persons in the 401(k) Industry."
Brian received his doctoral degree in law, cum laude, from the
University of Pennsylvania Law School in Philadelphia. He holds a bachelor of
science in accounting with distinction from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.
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C. Frederick Reish, Esq., Partner Drinker, Biddle & Reath, LLP.
Fred Reish is a partner of the law firm Drinker, Biddle & Reath, LLP.. He specializes in employee benefits law. He is a member of the bar in the State of California, the State of Arizona and the District of Columbia.
Professional Experience
Fred has practiced employee benefits law since 1973. His practice includes representation of both private and public sector entities and their plans and fiduciaries; consulting with employers and fiduciaries on the management and operation of retirement and health and welfare plans; providing technical advice to administrators and actuaries; representation of plans, employers and fiduciaries before the governing agencies (e.g., the IRS and the DOL); and consulting with banks, trust companies, insurance companies and mutual fund management companies on 401(k) investment products and issues related to plan investments. Fred has been engaged to serve as an expert witness in state courts, federal courts and arbitration proceedings involving issues as diverse as legal malpractice, fiduciary liability, fiduciary status of brokers, prohibited transactions, plan interpretation, distribution of benefits, nonqualified deferred compensation plans, and bankruptcy issues for ERISA plans.
Fred was recently appointed as a member of the Wolters Kluwer Law & Business Pension Editorial Advisory Board. He is also a Charter Fellow of the American
of Employee Benefits Counsel. He has served as the Chair of the Employee Benefits Subsection of the Los Angeles County Bar Association; served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Tax Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association; taught "Pension and Profit Sharing" at the Masters of Business Tax Program at the University of Southern California; and served as a member of the Board of Directors of the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA), as well as Co-Chair of the Government Affairs Committee of that organization.
Fred also served as Co-Chair of the Los Angeles IRS Benefits Conference for over 10 years; was a Co-Founder of the 401(k) Summit Conference; and has served as a member of the Executive Committee for the National Conference of the Employee Benefit Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor.
He also serves as a member of the Panel of Advisors for the Nationwide Retirement Education Institute, which focuses on participant education in public sector and private section retirement plans.
On behalf of ASPPA, he has co-authored amicus curiae briefs with the Supreme Court of the
in the case of Patterson v. Shumate and with the Tax Court
in the case of Citrus Valley Estates v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue.
Fred has received a number of awards for his contribution to benefits education, communication, and service, including:
Recognition by 401kWire as the 401(k) Industry's Most Influential Person for 2007.
The IRS Director's Award and the IRS Commissioner's Award for his contributions to employee benefits education.
The 2004 Eidson Founder's Award from ASPPA for his significant contributions to that organization and to the benefits community.
A 2006 Lifetime Achievement Award from Plan Sponsor Magazine.
The 2006 Lifetime Achievement Award from Institutional Investor for his contributions to the benefits community.
Recognition as one of "The Best Lawyers in
America" and as a "Super Lawyer" in
Southern California
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The Alumni Service Award from
Arizona State
University
.
Publications
Fred has written four books and over 350 articles on employee benefits, IRS and DOL audits, and pension plan disputes. He authors a monthly column on 401(k) fiduciary responsibility for Plan Sponsor magazine, as well as a quarterly column on that subject for the Journal of Pension Benefits. He has authored or co-authored most of the IRS plan correction articles published by the Journal of Taxation and the Journal of Pension Benefits. Fred also serves on the editorial boards of several benefits publications.
As an expert on benefits matters, Fred is frequently quoted by both professional and public publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Forbes, Inc., CFO Magazine, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Los Angeles Business Journal, Legal Times, Institutional Investor, Plan Sponsor, Pension World, Tax Notes, CCH Pension Plan Guide, BNA Pension and Benefits Reporter, Pensions & Investments, Compensation and Benefits Alert, BNA Daily Tax Report, and
RIA Pension and Profit Sharing.
Presentations
Fred is a nationally known speaker on fiduciary responsibility, technical compliance matters, and litigation issues. He has spoken at the annual conferences of the American Bar Association, the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries, the Western Pension and Benefits Conference, the Enrolled Actuaries Conference, the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, and the National Institute of Pension Administrators. Topics of those programs have included "401(k) Lessons from the Bear Market," "Fiduciary Responsibility," "Professional Liability for Plan Service Providers," "IRS Plan Audits: VCR and CAP," "Internal Revenue Service and Department of Labor Audits," "Retirement Plans and Bankruptcy," and "ERISA Litigation."
Education
Fred received a B.S. from Arizona State
and a J.D. from the University of Arizona.
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Edward Siedle, President Benchmark Financial Services
Edward Siedle has been referred to as "the Sam Spade of Money Management," “the Financial Watchdog” and "the Pension Detective." He began his career in law with the SEC's Division of Investment Management, which regulates money managers and mutual funds; he later served as Legal Counsel and Director of Compliance to Putnam Investments, one of the largest international money management firms. Since 1989, Siedle has founded and managed firms offering specialized services to municipalities, pension funds and money managers.
In 1999, Mr. Siedle founded Benchmark Financial Services, Inc., which provides “enhanced integrity” money management, fiduciary consulting and investigative services to institutions, law enforcement, regulators and wealthy individuals. The firm has pioneered the emerging field of forensic investigations of the money management industry and has conducted investigations worldwide involving in excess of $1 trillion in assets under management.
He is nationally recognized as an authority on investment management and securities matters. He has testified before the Senate Banking Committee regarding the mutual fund scandals and the Louisiana State Legislature regarding pension consultant conflicts of interest. He was a testifying expert in various Madoff litigations. Articles about him have appeared in publications including Time, BusinessWeek, Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Barron's, Forbes, USA Today, Boston Globe, and Institutional Investor. He widely lectures and has appeared on CNBC, Wall Street Week, and Bloomberg News. He recently appeared in a Bloomberg special on "Hidden 401k Fees" which earned Bloomberg its first Emmy Award. He writes a “Financial Watchdog” column for forbes.com.
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Jon Lukomnik, Founder and Managing Partner, Sinclair Capital
As Managing Partner for Sinclair Capital, a strategic
alternative asset management consultancy, Jon Lukomnik has advised asset
managers on product development, acquisitions, risk management, distribution,
and how to fix broken products and processes. He often acts in various
outsourced senior management functions. He has also provided due diligence, fund
selection and portfolio construction services for various institutional
investors, including current service on three investment committees.
Sinclair also has a corporate governance specialization.
Mr. Lukomnik’s independent fiduciary work, corporate governance consulting and
engagement assignments have included service on the WorldCom, Adelphia and Dana
official creditors committees and several board memberships, as well as advising
a number of activist hedge funds. He also created corporate governance tools for
the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank, co-founded the
International Corporate Governance Network, and chaired the executive committee
of the Council of Institutional Investors.
Mr. Lukomnik currently serves as a Director of Sears
Canada and the Van Eck family of mutual funds. As Deputy Comptroller for the
City of New York from 1994-1998, he was investment advisor for defined
benefit plans with some $80 billion in assets, as well as being responsible for
investing the City’s treasury assets. The City’s pension funds materially
outperformed the average large pension fund in America during his tenure. Mr.
Lukomnik then served as Managing Director, Head of Strategic Planning and
Business Development for CDC Investment Management Corporation (a top ten hedge
fund at the time) where his team increased assets under management from $1.3
billion to $3.5 billion in less than two years.
He is the co-author of the award-winning book, “The New
Capitalists: How Citizen Investors Are Reshaping the Corporate Agenda”, (Harvard
Business School Press, 2006), writes a column for Compliance Week, and has
authored numerous articles for both the trade and the academic press. He is
currently co-chairing the Conference Board’s working group on hedge funds.
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Experts CEFEX assessment methodologies and certification criteria are the result of extensive practical, academic and professional consultation with industry experts. These experts provide guidance to the independent fiduciary oversight process and how it is positioned to serve the investment industry.
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Blaine F. Aikin, CFP, CFA, AIFA, CEO fi360
Blaine Aikin is President and CEO of fi360, which provides training, tools, and resources in support of our mission of promoting a culture of fiduciary responsibility and improving the decision making processes of investment fiduciaries.
Previously the Chief Knowledge Officer and Director of Training for fi360, he is the primary architect of the AIFA program and a major contributor to the development of the Fiduciary Excellence concept that is at the heart of our products and services. He is the author of numerous articles on the subjects of fiduciary responsibility and investment management, and the author of the monthly Fiduciary Corner column in InvestmentNews magazine. In 2011, he was named to Investment Advisor magazine's IA25 list of the most influential people in the investment advisory community.
Blaine received his Master of Public Management and Policy degree from the Heinz School of Carnegie-Mellon University. Upon graduation from CMU, he was selected for the prestigious Presidential Management Intern Program which involved management assignments in the U.S. Department of Treasury and the U.S. Senate. He subsequently served as Budget Officer for Prince William County, Virginia. Blaine then entered the private sector in professional financial management. He earned the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designations and served as a principal and Chief Investment Officer of Allegiance Financial Advisors. After providing contract training and consulting services for PNC Financial Services Group, Blaine became a Senior Vice President and Director of Product Development and Management for PNC Advisors. For several years, he also served as an adjunct faculty member of the College for Financial Planning; providing instruction in investment planning and other subjects leading to the Certified Financial Planner designation.
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Chris L. Stroud, MSPA, MAAA, EA - President Simoneaux & Stroud Consulting Services
Chris Stroud is President of Simoneaux & Stroud Consulting Services (SCS), located in Marco Island, FL, which offers consulting services to companies providing retirement services and to non-profit organizations. The firm specializes in strategic business planning, general business consulting, industry and market research, professional skill building and offers assistance to TPAs to help them prepare for the ASPPA Recordkeeper Certification program.
Chris has worked in the retirement services industry since 1978. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Mathematics and a minor in Education. Her professional designations include Member of the American Society of Pension Actuaries (MSPA), member of the American Academy of Actuaries (MAAA) and Enrolled Actuary (EA). Chris is also a member of the ASPPA Benefits Council of South Florida and of the National Institute of Pension Administrators (NIPA).
Chris served as President of the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA) in 2006-2007 after serving on the ASPPA Board of Directors and ASPPA Executive Committee for a number of years. She is currently the Editor of The ASPPA Journal, serves as an ASPPA Educational Programs Advocate and serves on the ASPPA Recordkeeper Certification task force. Over the years, Chris has volunteered her services in various capacities to assist ASPPA, including Chair of the Technology Committee, Chair of the ASPPA Journal Committee, Treasurer of the Finance & Budget Committee, Chair of the ASPPA Management Team, Chair of the ASPPA Nominating Committee and Co-Chair of the The ASPPA 401(k) SUMMIT. She also served on the American Institute of Retirement Education (AIRE) Board of Managers.
Chris was employed for over 20 years by Financial Data Planning Corporation (FDP), a software firm in Miami, FL, specializing in software for the retirement services, life insurance and financial planning industries. In later years at FDP, she served as a Corporate Officer and as Vice President of Pension Sales and Marketing, where she oversaw all sales and marketing functions for the employee benefits software division. FDP entered into a merger with SunGard in 1999, and Chris remained employed by SunGard until forming her own company in 2000. She continued her relationship with SunGard by providing consulting services to them for several years.
Chris has published articles and spoken locally and nationally on various topics related to retirement plans, actuarial science, software systems and TPA best practices, as well as on topics related to customer service, client management, strategic planning, leadership and teambuilding. Her years of experience include management experience in a private corporation environment and a public corporation environment and volunteer and leadership experience with several professional organizations. Prior to her career in employee benefits and actuarial consulting, Chris taught mathematics for two years. Subsequently, she has volunteered time as a “Literacy Buddy,” tutoring children in mathematics and speaking in schools regarding career opportunities in mathematics, actuarial science and employee benefits.
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David A. Vriesenga, Senior Partner, VriesPort Consulting Services
Mr. Vriesenga is the Chief Rating Officer for CEFEX. He is also a fiduciary risk consultant whose clients
include: the Institutional Money Market Fund Associaton (IMMFA), where
VriesPort developed best practice standards for European institutional money
market funds; Scope Group, a Berlin-based rating agency developing an analytical
model for assessing Life Settlement service providers; and HSBC Asset
Management, developing a market analysis on the global money market industry.
Mr. Vriesenga has also held positions at Moody’s Investors
Services in New York, London and Frankfurt where he was responsible for the
development, oversight, assignment and monitoring of Moody’s European and Asian
managed funds business. He managed 10 rating professionals located in London,
Paris, Milan and Tokyo, and developed new analytical products for investment
managers and their institutional clients. Actively involved in consulting both
institutions and regulators on risks in the worldwide mutual fund industry.
Prior to that, as Sr. Vice President & Sr. Credit Officer,
Global Fund Ratings, he was responsible for assigning and monitoring credit and
market-risk ratings to mutual funds, unit trusts and investment trust companies
in Dublin, France, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. He
developed Moody's mutual fund rating business in the U.S. and Europe.
Mr. Vriesenga has held various positions at Fidelity
Investments, Coopers and Lybrand and Peat Marwick, Mitchell & Co. A CPA,
David has taught various college level and professional development courses. He
has given various speeches, worldwide on risk in mutual funds and asset
management companies. He served on the advisory boards of the London School of
Economics’ "Analyzing Finance" publication and the London-based Institutional
Money Market Fund Association (IMMFA).
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J. Rich Lynch, AIFA, COO, fi360
Rich Lynch is the COO of fi360, which delivers training, tools and resources for investment fiduciaries. As one of the main instructors for fi360 Training, he is instrumental in providing investment education and training programs that award the Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF) and Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst (AIFA) professional designations. He also provides oversight to fi360 Tools, which has developed sophisticated Web-based tools and reporting, including the innovative fi360 Fiduciary Score and the Fund Family Fiduciary Rankings for trustees and investment professionals.
Rich assisted with the development of the industry's fiduciary handbook series, Prudent Practices for Investment Fiduciaries.
Rich graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy with
high honors in Economics-Management, where he received the Superintendent's
Award for leadership at graduation. During his twenty-year Coast Guard career,
he served aboard three ships as Operations Officer, Executive Officer and
Commanding Officer respectively. In addition, he held various senior-level
financial management positions, including an assignment to the National
Pollution Funds Center, a newly established Coast Guard unit responsible for
managing the $1 billion Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund. Rich received his
Master's degree (Magna Cum Laude) in Operations Research from George Washington
University.
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Laura S. Moskwa, CPC, QPA, Principal, Laura S. Moskwa Consulting
Laura S. Moskwa is the Principal of Laura S. Moskwa Consulting, providing services to retirement plan providers focusing on business development efforts primarily focusing on TPA service and product solutions.
With over 25 years in the pension industry Laura has accumulated a broad range of experience. Most recently she worked for Transamerica Retirement Services as Vice President and Director of TPA Services. Laura was hired to develop and grow the TPA Channel which included building a presence for the company in the Channel and Industry as a committed partner, a TPA Services Department and Program, as well as product and services specifically designed for TPAs. Laura also has eighteen years of experience as a TPA which encompassed many roles as well as ownership and a couple of years of experience at a Broker Dealer/RIA Firm as Director of Retirement Services.
Laura has been a member of the American Society of Pension Professional and Actuaries (ASPPA) for over 20 years. She currently sits on the Board of Directors and is Chair of the Marketing Committee. Laura has also served on the Executive Committee as Vice President, the Education and Examination Committee, the Conferences Committee and numerous taskforces. She has also spoken at industry conferences and lead exam study sessions.
Laura received a Bachelors Degree in Economics and Finance from Douglas College, Rutgers University. She earned the Certified Pension Consultant (CPC) and the Qualified Pension Administrator (QPA) designations from ASPPA. Laura also holds Series 7 and 63 Security Licenses.
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Richard N. Carpenter, CPC, CEBS - President & Founder, USVI Pensions and Consulting
Richard is the founder of the Technical Answer Group, Inc (TAGdata.com), now owned by Wolters Kluwer Law and Business. In the 10 years he operated TAG, he developed over 2,000 customer relationships with accounting firms, law firms, insurance companies, mutual fund companies and more than 1,500 third party administration (TPA) firms.
Prior to founding TAGdata.com, Richard was formerly the Senior Manager in charge of the Florida employee benefits consulting practice for Deloitte & Touche.
He has an MBA with an emphasis in Finance from the University of South Florida. He earned the Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) from the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists (ISCEBS) and Certified Pension Consultant (CPC) from the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA).
Richard was an instructor for the CEBS program and is a frequent national speaker on the design and administration of 401(k), 403(b) and other qualified deferred compensation arrangements. He has also spoken on pending legislation affecting the qualified retirement plan industry as well as preparing small to medium size businesses for acquisition.
Richard entered the pension business in 1978. Richard drafted a white paper describing the opportunities available with the pending legislation of section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. When section 401(k) was added as part of the Revenue Act of 1978, the firm was in a strategic position to be one of the first in the 401(k) marketplace. He installed his first 401(k) plan in November of 1981, two weeks after the issuance of the first proposed 401(k) regulations. His clients have included Price Waterhouse, Office Depot and Alamo Rent A Car.
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Analysts The following individuals have established agreements with CEFEX to conduct fiduciary assessments. All CEFEX Analysts are Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analysts (AIFA®). Analysts qualified by CEFEX to perform ASPPA Recordkeeper Certification assessments must carry the AIFA® designation and at least one of the following ASPPA designations: Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA), Qualified Pension Consultant (QPA), Certified Pension Consultant (CPC) or Fellow, Society of Pension Actuaries (FSPA).
Firms interested in certification should contact the Analysts to establish credentials/background and request a quotation. The CEFEX Analyst is not permitted to have worked for, or been associated with, a CEFEX assessed entity, for the previous 2 years, or for 6 months after an assessment.
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Name
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Firm
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ASPPA Qual. *
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Allan Henriques, AIFA®
Smart Investor
Registered Financial Consultant
Accredited Estate Planner
Certified Investment Specialist
Investment Advisor Representative
Californial Life and Health Insurance License Allan Henriques established Smart Investor in June of 2001 and currently serves as President, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Compliance Officer for the firm. In this role, Allan is responsible for the implementation of the firm’s business plan, the management and oversight of company operations, and creating and maintaining client relationships. Allan is a former attorney, a Registered Financial Consultant (RFC) and Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst®. He works with individual and institutional clients throughout the United States. For over 25 years, Allan has drawn on his legal and financial services experience to help clients meet their financial objectives while legally reducing potential tax liabilities and protecting their estate values. His professional mission is to assist his clients achieve financial security and live a financially balanced life. Allan is actively involved in the community and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Club of Auburn and the Sutter Roseville Medical Center Foundation. Allan and his wife, Linda, live in Auburn, CA. In their free time, the couple enjoys traveling and spending time with their five adult children and fourteen grandchildren. Education includes: B.A. Political Science, University of California Davis J.D. McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific
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Amir Habib
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Integrative Financial Strategies
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Analyst
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Alamo, CA
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Amir Habib, AIFA(R), Integrative Financial Strategies
Amir Habib is the founder and chief investment officer of Integrative Financial Strategies. He has over 25 years of experience as investment analyst, strategic planner, institutional investment manager, and investment banker. Amir began his career as a Senior Financial Analyst with International Paper Company and subsequently served as strategic planner to Gulf Oil Corporation and management consultant to Fortune 100 U.S. corporations with international operations.
He subsequently managed several hundred million dollar private investments for a very large private family-owned investment company.
Just prior to founding his own firm, Amir spent nearly seven years as an investment banker with a San Francisco-based securities brokerage firm where he structured and placed initial public offerings, private financings and mergers and acquisitions. Amir brings his extensive experience in finance and investments to individuals and corporations. Amir began working with corporate retirement plans over ten years ago at the Principal Financial Group, one of the leading providers of 401k and other defined contribution and defined benefit plans in the country. He brings in-depth experience in all aspects of 401k plans to his clients. Amir holds a MBA from Harvard University and a BS degree from the University of California, Berkeley. He has taught at the Graduate School of Business at the University of Phoenix. Amir has earned the Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst* (or AIFA*) professional designation issued in conjunction with the University of Pittsburgh by Fiduciary360. He has received formal training in investment fiduciary assessment.
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Arnold T. Beck, Jr. AIFA, President Financial Management Associates, LLC.
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B. Heath Grubbs, AIFA(R) Vice-President Financial Management, Inc.
Vice-President of Financial Management, Heath originally joined FMI in 1997. In December of 2001, Heath was called to active duty by the U.S. Navy and spent a year in Bahrain in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. After completing his military service, he spent six years working as a sales manager for a Fortune 100 company and rejoined the firm in 2009. Heath has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and a MBA with an emphasis in international business from Webster University. Heath is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary AnalystTM in association with the Center for Fiduciary Studies in Pittsburgh, PA. Heath’s primary role is marketing and new business development.
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Barry M. Corkern, AIFA, President, Barry M. Corkern & Co., Inc.
The College for Financial Planning – Mr. Corkern received his CFP® designation in 1983.
A Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) is a member of a distinguished profession dedicated to
serving the financial needs of individuals and businesses. The designation of CFP® is obtained
by passing six examinations in various disciplines of financial planning. These disciplines
include investment, tax, estate, risk management, and retirement planning.
The University of Pittsburgh Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business – Mr.
Corkern received his ACCREDITED INVESTMENT FIDUCIARY AUDITOR™ (AIFA®)
designation in 2003 from the Center for Fiduciary Studies, a nationally recognized training
organization for fiduciaries. AIFA® designees have completed a classroom or custom training
program; have passed a comprehensive exam on investment fiduciary practices as defined by
the Foundation for Fiduciary Studies; and are certified to conduct investment fiduciary audits
and reviews. Mr. Corkern is the first and sole AIFA® in the state of Arkansas. The Center for
Fiduciary Studies is a first full-time training and research facility for fiduciaries for fiduciary
standards of care and investment best practices designed for trustees and investment
professionals.
The American College, Solomon Heubner School - Mr. Corkern received is Chartered
Life Underwriter designation in 1983. The designation of CLU is obtained by passing ten
examinations relating to investment, tax, estate planning, insurance and investments.
The University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School – Private Wealth
Management Professional Track – Mr. Corkern received 23 credit hours for attending a
special course previously only offered to private investors but in 2005 was opened up to
professionals with a virtually identical program. Mr. Corkern was one of 23 students allowed to
attend this course. Candidates are selected on their ability to benefit from and contribute to the
program. The course allows participants to increase their depth of knowledge in key areas of
wealth management while having the unusual opportunity to meet and work with others who
serve families with substantial assets and come from different disciplines such as law,
accounting or investments. The case study for the program is directly related to private wealth
management and requires a multi-disciplinary approach.
Mr. Corkern is the founding president of the Arkansas Chapter of the Financial Planning
Association (FPA) and past chair of that organization. The Financial Planning Association
presented Mr. Corkern The Lifetime Achievement Award for 2004 For two years, he hosted a
radio program on financial planning for KARN, Little Rock, Arkansas. In the November 1987
issue of Money Magazine, Mr. Corkern was designated as one of the best 200 financial
planners in the United States. In the August 2002 edition of Bloomberg Wealth Manager
magazine, the Firm was rated 54th in a list of the 150 top wealth managers in the United States.
Bloomberg Wealth Manager magazine has rated Mr. Corkern’s practice in the top 250 for the
past five years.
Mr. Corkern’s comments and opinions have been quoted in Medical Economics, the Arkansas
Democrat-Gazette, USA Today, Physicians Financial News, Investment Advisor Magazine,
Good Morning Arkansas, Active Years, Boston Globe Online, Bloomberg Wealth Manager,
and Journal of Retirement Planning. Mr. Corkern is now a recurring public figure delivering
financial information via television appearances with KKYK and KHTV in Little Rock,
Arkansas. Mr. Corkern is a co-author of Widowed - Beginning Again Personally and
Financially published in 1999. Profits from the sale of this book are donated to nonprofit
organizations that assist widows.
Although Mr. Corkern is not currently securities licensed, he has held the NASD General
Securities representative and principal, variable annuity/variable life, mutual funds and direct
participation licenses.
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Brent Morton
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Morton Wealth Management
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Analyst/Advisor
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Dallas, TX
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Brent Morton, VP Investments, Morton Wealth Management
Brent Morton is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst™ who uses his CFO background and experience to provide similar guidance to executives and families. Brent is one of the select advisors that has earned the AIFA® professional designation. He has received formal training in investment fiduciary responsibility and is certified to conduct investment fiduciary assessments.
Brent’s success at addressing his clients’ retirement planning and estate needs is the result of a holistic financial management approach which includes coordinating with clients’ attorneys and CPAs to make sure the strategies in place are the most effective and tax efficient. He believes building strong relationships with clients is key to better understanding needs, while establishing and exceeding expectations by creating healthy financial habits.
Brent has over 25 years experience in financial management. As a graduate of UT Austin, Brent earned a BBA in Accounting, followed by an MBA from the University of Dallas. He was with Merrill Lynch before joining FFEC and has corporate finance and management experience having held positions of Controller, CFO, Regional Managing Dir. and VP of Global Client Services at previous firms.
Morton Wealth Management operates under First Financial Equity Corporation, Member FINRA, SIPC. Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through First Financial Equity Corporation.
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Christine L. Denton, AIFA, Senior Vice President, Roland Criss Fiduciary Services
www.rolandcriss.com
Christine L. Denton is Senior Vice President of Roland/Criss. She manages its investment fiduciary audit and CEFEX certification assessments. She has extensive experience in advising qualified plan fiduciaries on ERISA related issues. In addition to managing investment fiduciary review and audit assignments, Ms. Denton oversees Roland|Criss’ co-fiduciary services to investment committees. Christine has over 10 years experience in the Roland|Criss organization helping qualified plan and endowment fiduciaries fulfill their legal obligations through sound processes.
Christine has been active in the field of fiduciary counsel since 1994. Prior to joining Roland|Criss she was a financial analyst with LFG/Sky Chefs Corp. in its investment group.
During her tenure with Roland|Criss, Christine has served as the Executive Director of the Trustee Training Institute. She has acted as an expert witness in disputes representing both defendant and plaintiff positions. She is also a guest lecturer at trade conferences and workshops. Christine guided the development of the software solutions used in Roland|Criss’ fiduciary quality management program named FiduciaryPLUS™.
Christine earned a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Baylor University. She holds the Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst (“AIFA®”) designation as bestowed by the Center for Fiduciary Studies, Katz School of Business, and University of Pittsburgh. In addition, she has obtained licenses as both a registered investment advisor and a general securities representative from the National Association of Securities Dealers.
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Daniel S. Glusica, President, Employee Benefits Group, Inc.
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David R. Boone, President of Atlanta Wealth Management, Inc.
www.atlantawealth.com
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Donal Ford
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Pinnacle Financial Services Inc.
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Analyst
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Lantana, FL
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Donal K. Ford, AIFA President Pinnacle Financial Services, Inc.
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Donald K. Denton, AIFA, QKA
www.rolandcriss.com
Don is a lead Analyst for CEFEX/ASPPA Recordkeeper certification assessments. Previously, he was Chief Financial Officer with a Dallas, Texas-based services company. He has a wide range of experience in financial reporting, audit methodologies, pension plan administration, asset-liability management, and investment fiduciary standards of care.
Don earned his BA Degree in Finance from Baylor University. He is also an Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst™ (AIFA®) and holds the QKA designation issued by ASPPA. Together, the AIFA® and QKA qualify him to conduct and supervise certification audits of recordkeeping firms that seek registration under ASPPA’s program.
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Duane R. Thompson, AIFA®, President, Potomoc Strategies, LLC.
Duane Thompson is president of Potomac Strategies LLC, a legislative and media relations consulting firm in the Washington, D.C. area. He also serves as Senior Policy Analyst at fi360, a fiduciary training organization for the financial services industry.
Thompson has 20 years of experience lobbying on business issues in both Washington and more than two dozen state capitals around the country. In 2005 Thompson managed an aggressive media, lobbying and litigation campaign for the Financial Planning Association to overturn a controversial SEC exemption that allowed stockbrokers to provide financial planning advice under a lower regulatory standard. Two years later a federal court of appeals vacated the so-called “Merrill Lynch Rule,” forcing brokers to convert $300 billion in customer assets to fiduciary accounts under the jurisdiction of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
Thompson has been quoted extensively on the financial services industry in national media, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Investor’s Business Daily, Financial Times, The Nation, and CBS MarketWatch. He also speaks frequently to trade and professional groups on financial service industry issues, and writes several blogs on current policy topics.
Thompson holds the Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst® designation, which qualifies him to conduct independent fiduciary assessments of investment management firms and ERISA retirement plans, private trusts and foundations. Thompson also holds a Master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, and a Bachelor of Arts in history and studio art from Principia College in Illinois. He resides in Kensington, Maryland, with his two children, Jon and Jenny.
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Edward M. Lynch, Jr., AIFA, Managing Director, 401(k) Advisors Group
Edward Lynch, Jr. has worked with ERISA-qualified plan sponsors and designated fiduciaries in most aspects of plan development and maintenance since the early 1980s.
In 2003, Mr. Lynch became one of the first practitioners in the United States to complete the Accredited Investment Fiduciary Auditor, AIFA®, program of advanced studies at The Center for Fiduciary Studies (Joseph Katz School of Business, University of Pittsburgh).
In September 2008, 401(k) Advisors Group became one of the first Investment Advisors globally to successfully complete the Centre for Fiduciary Excellence (CEFEX) independent certification process.
In 2009, Mr. Lynch was voted by his peers as one of the 40 “Most Influential Retirement Plan Advisors” in the United States in a national survey conducted by the 401(k) Wire, the 401(k) Exchange and The Boston Research Group.
His focus in working with fiduciaries, such as pension, profit sharing and 401(k) plan sponsors and trustees of endowments and foundations, is
- Assessing compliance with accepted “standards of fiduciary care”
- Review of documents, investment performance and due diligence files
- Developing prudent review and monitoring processes for plan or trust assets
- Preparing, implementing and monitoring investment policy
- Analyzing and developing asset allocation strategies
- Evaluating reasonableness of fee structures and overall plan performance
He is a graduate, summa cum laude, of Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts, is a member of a number of professional and employee benefits organizations, a columnist as well as a frequent speaker on ERISA-plan topics. He has served as an Expert Witness in ERISA-plan related litigation and is a Contributing Editor for Pension Governance, LLC.
In addition, he is the founder and Managing Director of Fiduciary Plan Governance, LLC., specialists in fiduciary assessment and management. He is the co-author, with Lynne McAuley, CPA, CEBS, AIFA® of the forthcoming eBook “Fiduciary Plan Governance: A Guide for 401(k) and 403(b) Sponsors.”
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Gerald Wernette
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Rehmann Financial Group
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Analyst/Advisor
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Farmington Hills, MI
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Gerald Wernette, Principal/Director of Consulting Services, Rehmann Financial Group
Gerald Wernette is Director of Consulting Services for Rehmann Retirement Builders. He believes that by listening to his clients and being proactive toward meeting their needs, he can assist them in achieving their business goals.
Since 1984, Gerald has provided retirement plan strategies to industries ranging from professional services to manufacturing, and from one-person firms to organizations with over 15,000 employees. His scope of services has taken him from plan design through a vast array of fiduciary oversight consulting services, including investment advisory, administration and guiding clients through the plan termination process. Gerald combines his strong technical skills with a solid set of communication skills to deliver the high level of service needed in today’s business environment.
Prior to helping to form Rehmann Retirement Builders, Gerald worked in the tax department of Rehmann and practiced extensively in the Federal Tax area.
Gerald is a graduate of Central Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. He has also earned his designations as a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (through the Wharton Business School), and Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst™. He holds an Accident, Health and Life Insurance license and is an Investment Advisor Representative. Gerald has spoken at various local and national conferences, served for many years as an assistant scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts of America, serves on the Great Lakes Boy Scout Council’s Executive Board and Executive Committee and has taught and mentored in local youth programs and served as a board member on a local adoption charity.
Gerald is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists, former Chairman Detroit Area Chapter; the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants, former Chairman Employee Benefits Committee; and the Center for Fiduciary Studies. Gerald was voted in 2009 and 2010 as one of 300 most influential advisors in the defined contribution space and was voted by his peers in 2011 as of the 60 most influential advisors in the defined contribution space. He is also a founding lecturer at The Retirement Advisor University at UCLA’s Anderson School of Executive Management.
Rehmann Retirement Builders provides plan design, consulting and administration services to over 1280 plans and provides fiduciary consulting, investment advisory services to over 360 plans with over $1.8 billion in assets. Rehmann Financial also services many wealth management clients while providing comprehensive financial services and in total oversees approximately $3.0 billion for all our clients. Rehmann Financial is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Rehmann Group which is a large accounting/consulting, wealth management and corporate investigative services firm with over 650 associates and offices in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Florida.
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Irene Diamond
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Midwest Fiduciary Services, Inc.
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Analyst
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Yes
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Oacoma, SD
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Irene F. Diamond, CPA, CPC, QPA, AIFA
www.midwestfiduciary.com
Irene Diamond graduated from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, and Mary College in Bismarck, North Dakota, with a Bachelor of Science degree, Accounting major, Business Administration minor. After obtaining her Certified Public Accountant license in 1985, Irene worked for two CPA firms in their audit and tax divisions. In 1991, Irene started her own CPA firm in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, doing tax and small business accounting work. This soon led to a "specialty market" for third-party administration of retirement plans and Section 125 (cafeteria) plans.
Irene and her former Third-Party Administration firm (Diamond, Johnson & Associates, LLC) joined forces with the Employee Benefits Division of Williams & Company, P.C. (a regional CPA firm) in December 2000, to form their wholly-owned affiliate Siouxland Benefit Consultants, LC (SBC). At SBC, her position was Director of Marketing, where Irene was responsible for consulting with employers and providing bids on employer-sponsored retirement plans and cafeteria plans, including plan documents, employee meetings, employee meeting videos, administration, recordkeeping, reporting to governmental agencies, and assisting with IRS, Department of Labor and independent audits.
Irene has satisfactorily completed tests through the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries to achieve the designations of "Qualified Pension Administrator" (QPA) in 1996 and "Certified Pension Consultant" (CPC) in 1999. In 2004, Irene satisfactorily completed tests for NASD Series 6, 63, and 65 and for the Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®) designation from the Center for Fiduciary Studies. In 2006, the AIFA® (Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst) designation was achieved. AIF® and AIFA® Program graduates are specially trained in investment fiduciary responsibility and portfolio management.
Early in 2005, Irene created Midwest Fiduciary Services, Inc.
This company draws all her talents together and allows her to:
Conduct structured fiduciary assessments for:
- Investment Stewards (i.e., qualified or public retirement plans, foundations, endowments, public/governmental funds, and other individuals entrusted with money)
- Support Services and Due Diligence
- The ASPPA Retirement Plan Service Provider Certification
- Fiduciary Advisers and Eligible Investment Advice Arrangements
- Investment Advisors
- Investment Managers
Prepare Investment Policy Statements
Independent Fiduciary
Provide consulting for employee benefit plans and for Investment Committees.
Irene is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, South Dakota CPA Society, and American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries. Her community involvement included, among many other monetary entrustments, serving as a Board Trustee of the City of Sioux Falls Fireman's Pension Fund.
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James E. Rowley
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NFP Lincoln Benefits Group
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Analyst/Advisor
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Ft. Washington, PA
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James E. Rowley, President/CEO Lincoln Benefits Group
Jim Rowley founded Lincoln Benefits Group (LBG) in 1987 and serves as its Chief Executive. He specializes in comprehensive planning, management and administration of employee benefit programs as well as consulting services for retirement programs while acting as advocate for both the employer and the employee. LBG’s core competency is the design and administration of 403(b) plans, Erisa and non-Erisa. Based in the Philadelphia area, LBG is a provider of flexible benefits programs for various employer groups in the Greater Philadelphia area. LBG’s primary marketplace is community based and non-profit organizations, as well as many colleges, universities and hospitals. Jim is a Past President of the National TSA Association. In addition to serving on the Board of the Mercy Volunteer Corp & Hope Partnership for Education, Jim has served on the Boards of the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition’s Education Children and Youth Committee and the TAIG Foundation. Jim leads National Financial Partner’s (NFP) national 403(b) practice. Jim has earned the ACCREDITED INVESTMENT FIDUCIARY AUDITOR™ (or AIFA™) professional designation, awarded by the Center for Fiduciary Studies, which is associated with the University of Pittsburgh, and certifies him to conduct investment fiduciary audits and/or reviews. He holds a BA from LaSalle University and holds securities registrations as a Registered Principal through NFP Securities, Inc. Jim is married and has six daughters, one son and six grandchildren.
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Jaqueline M. Hummel, Hardin Compliance Consulting, LLC
www.hardincompliance.com
Jaqueline M. Hummel, Esq. is a securities attorney and regulatory compliance consultant and is licensed to practice law in Ohio and Massachusetts. She has extensive experience as an in-house attorney in the areas of investment adviser, broker-dealer and investment company regulation and compliance. Jaqi counsels clients on a wide variety of investment management issues including risk management, compliance with SEC regulations, and evaluation of compliance programs. Ms. Hummel also performs due diligence, compliance reviews and mock SEC examinations for registered investment advisers, private funds and registered investment companies. Most recently, Ms. Hummel began performing fiduciary assessments to assist clients in meeting their obligations under ERISA. Prior to joining Hardin Compliance Consulting LLC, in January 2011, Ms. Hummel held the position of Chief Compliance Officer for investment adviser affiliates of PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. and National City Corporation. Ms. Hummel also spent thirteen years as in-house counsel in the finance services industry. From 1993 to 2001, she worked as an attorney advising the investment management division of MassMutual Financial Group, a diversified financial services organization with more than $200 billion in total assets under management. From 2001 to 2004, she acted as in-house counsel for National City Corporation's investment advisor and broker dealer affiliates. Ms. Hummel holds the designations of Investment Adviser Certified Compliance Professional from National Regulatory Services, Inc. and the Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst™ (AIFA®) from the Center for Fiduciary Studies™, the standards-setting body for fi360. She received her B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1986, and a J.D. from Emory University School of Law in 1989.
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Jeanine Calandri
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Praxis Consulting and its advisors associated with NFP Securities Inc., an RIA
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Analyst/Advisor
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Sacramento, CA
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Jeanine Calandri, AIFA, Principal Praxis Consulting
Jeanine Calandri is a Principal at Praxis Consulting and the Director of Retirement Plan Operations. She oversees the management of all retirement plan accounts, and provides fiduciary oversight for both retirement plan and wealth management accounts. Jeanine has over 10 years of experience developing and executing streamlined practice management systems, and helping qualified retirement plan sponsors implement and adhere to sound fiduciary practices.
In 2006, Jeanine obtained her Accredited Investment Fiduciary Auditor (AIFA®) designation from the Center for Fiduciary Studies, a nationally recognized training organization for fiduciaries.
In 2008, Jeanine co-developed the Fiduciary Vault®, a comprehensive compliance system providing retirement plan sponsors assurance they are operating their plan according to the highest fiduciary standard.
Jeanine is passionate about improving the level of trust among the investing public by assessing and certifying Investment Stewards, Investment Advisors and Investment Managers through the use of the CEFEX fiduciary audit process. Jeanine is a highly organized project manager, and uses these skills to effectively facilitate the CEFEX certification process with minimal disruption to their daily schedule.
In addition to her AIFA® designation, Jeanine is a Chartered Retirement Plan Specialist (CRPS®) and also holds Series 6 and 63 securities licenses.
Outside of the office, Jeanine volunteers for the Women’s Clothing Closet at Sacramento’s Union Gospel Mission which serves homeless women and the working poor. She is also a member of Professional Business Women of California and the Sacramento Area Human Resource Association.
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John "Jay" Hutchins, M.S., CFP, AIFA, CDFA
Quoted by ABC News, Forbes, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, News Week, the Associated Press, Businessweek, Bloomberg, Investment News, MSNBC, CNNmoney.com, Morningstar, Dow Jones Newswire, and others, Jay Hutchins is a nationally sought-after source of expertise on investing, personal financial planning, and wealth management. (Google "Jay Hutchins Financial Planner" for a sampling of quotes.)
Experience: Mr. Hutchins is a twenty-five year veteran of the financial services industry. He founded Comprehensive Planning Associates, Inc. (corporate owner of The Wealth Conservatory trademark) in 1995, following a ten-year career as a Vice-president and Trust Specialist for the brokerage firm A. G. Edwards & Sons. His background also includes having held licenses in property-casualty, life, and health insurance.
Education: Mr. Hutchins holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst™ (CDFA) designations, a Master of Science degree in Personal Financial Planning from the College for Financial Planning in Denver, Colorado, and he has earned the Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst® (or AIFA®) professional designation, awarded by the Center for Fiduciary Studies, which is associated with the University of Pittsburgh.
Memberships and Affiliations: He is a National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) Registered Financial Advisor, and is a member of both the Garrett Planning Network (GPN) and the Financial Planning Association (FPA).
Outside the Office: Mr. Hutchins serves as Trustee of Trust Funds for the City of Lebanon, Past-trustee City of Lebanon's Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center Fiscal Impact Fund, Chairman Lebanon Board of Assessors, Past-Chairman Lebanon Board of Zoning and Adjustment, Past member Board of Directors for the Lebanon Opera House, Past board member Stepping Stones/Next-Step (local mental health agency), Treasurer Emeritus Upper Valley Youth Services, Treasurer Lebanon Rotary Club, and is a past-Trustee for his church.
Jay is also the father of five grown children and husband to Jeanette, who serves as School Nurse for the White River School and Coordinator of Health Services for the Hartford School District. With children currently scattered across the country from New Hampshire to Chicago to Dallas and Salt Lake City, Jay and Jeanette hardly find time for their golfing, skiing, hiking, and boating between flights to visit the kids and grandchildren.
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Joseph M. Gordon, AIFA®, CIMA®, CFP®, APM-ASPPA
Managing Partner Gordon Asset Management, LLC. With 30+ years in retirement plan consulting and investment management, Joe has extensive experience and credentialing to help solve complex client issues, having been both an RIA and TPA owner dating back to 1983 and 1984, respectively. He recently has published numerous white papers on proper plan design for professional service firms when contemplating combo 401(k)-cash balance plan arrangements. A frequent speaker before professional and civic groups he serves on the Leadership Council of the National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA), an ASPPA sub-group, and is an active member of the FPA, ASPPA and IMCA.
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Karen Matingou, AIFA President Atessa Benefits
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Kathleen M. McBride, AIFA, Founder FiduciaryPath LLC.
Kathleen M. McBride, AIFA®, is founder of FiduciaryPath, LLC, an independent consulting firm that provides education, consulting and assessment of investment fiduciary practices. FiduciaryPath serves the investment stewards of retirement plans, endowments and foundations, investment advisors and investment managers. FiduciaryPath identifies a firm’s investment or procedural risks, and assesses the firm’s fiduciary practices, enabling the firm to improve risk management through conformance to practices that comprise an established fiduciary standard of excellence. FiduciaryPath conducts assessments for CEFEX certification of a firm’s conformance to the fiduciary standard.
McBride is a founder of The Committee for the Fiduciary Standard, and The Institute for the Fiduciary Standard, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing research, education and advocacy on the fiduciary standard’s impact on investors, the capital markets and society.
After beginning her career on Wall Street as a broker, bond trader and later an investment advisor, McBride ran financial new-media startups and developed interactive financial content with major financial and media companies. Prior to founding FiduciaryPath, McBride was a Director at the Institute for Private Investors, Wealth Editor in Chief at AdvisorOne.com, Editor in Chief at Wealth Manager and Senior Editor at Investment Advisor.
McBride is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst ™ with the Center for Fiduciary Studies. She holds BA degree from New York University and has completed the Investment Strategies and Portfolio Management program at The Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania.
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Keith Alden Loveland, JD, AIFA, CIDA
EDUCATION
BA, Philosophy & Pre-Law, University of Minnesota, Duluth
Juris Doctor, William Mitchell College of Law
SELECTED INDUSTRY SERVICE & MISCELLANEOUS
• Certificate in Securities Regulation, Harvard University Law School, Program of Instruction for Lawyers, 1983.
• New York Stock Exchange Series 7 Item Writing Committee, 1983 to 2001.
• Member, Financial Planning Association, 1983 to present.
• Subject Matter Expert, Series 65/66 revisions, North American Securities Administrators’ Association (NASAA) 1990 to present.
• Securities Arbitrator for NYSE, NASD, CBOE, NFA and AAA, 1990 to present.
• Member, SIFMA Compliance and Legal Division.
• American Bar Association, Business Law Section, Committee on Federal Regulation of Securities, and Committee on State Regulation of Securities.
• Adjunct Professor, William Mitchell College of Law, 1978 – 1987.
• Member, Financial Services Auditor Group, The Institute of Internal Auditors.
• Member, Investment Management Council, Center for Fiduciary Studies.
• Member, National Society of Compliance Professionals, 1987 to present.
• Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst ®, Katz Graduate School, University of Pittsburgh, 2001, Valedictorian.
• Certified Investments and Derivatives Auditor ®, Investment Training and Consulting Institute, 2003.
• Board of Directors, Financial Planning Association, 2011 - 2013
• Clean CRD U-4.
SELECTED SECURITIES INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE
Keith Loveland Consulting; 1978 to present
• Compliance, fiduciary and regulatory audits and consulting for Investment Advisers and Broker-Dealers.
• Firm element surveys and educational seminars, including CFP® Ethics Continuing Education.
• Consulting as to Investment Adviser formation and related issues.
• Preparation of Written Supervisory Procedures, Compliance Manuals & Codes of Ethics for broker-dealers and investment advisers.
• Litigation and arbitration consulting & expert witness services.
• Enforcement defense.
• Chief Operating Officer / Chief Compliance Officer; Larson Allen Private Financial Advisors, 2000 – 2001; an SEC Registered Investment Adviser
• Executive Vice-President & Chief Compliance Officer; Washington Square Securities, Inc., 1999 – 2000; a Registered Investment Adviser & Broker-Dealer.
• Chief Compliance Officer – Chief Legal Officer; Offerman & Company / Marquette Investment Services, 1992 – 1994 and 1997 – 1999; a Registered Investment Adviser & Broker-Dealer.
• Chairman of the Investment Committee; IRI Asset Management; 1987 – 1989; a Mutual Fund Sponsor & Registered Investment Adviser.
• Chairman of the Board; Capital Management Associates, 1982 – 1987; a Registered Investment Adviser & Broker-Dealer.
LICENSES
Mr. Loveland has taken and passed the following securities industry licensing examinations:
Series 3, 4-12-84, Commodity Futures Representative
Series 4, 10-27-83, Registered Options Principal
Series 5, 1-19-84, Debt Securities Registered Options Principal
Series 7, 10-15-83, General Securities Representative
Series 8, 1-18-84, General Securities Sales Supervisor
Series 15, 1-20-84, Foreign Currency Registered Options Principal
Series 24, 10-20-83, General Securities Principal
Series 27, 11-19-83, Financial and Operations Principal
Series 53, 11-9-84, Municipal Securities Sales Supervisor
Series 63, 10-19-83, Uniform Securities Agent State Law Examination
Series 65, 4-2-92, Uniform Investment Advisor Law Examination
Series 66, 4-22-97, Uniform Combined State Law Examination
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Ken Mathis
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Hardy Reed, Inc.
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Analyst/Advisor
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Tupelo, MS
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Ken L. Mathis, AIFA
Ken L. Mathis, AIFA® serves as COO and CCO of Hardy Reed, LLC. He is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst™ (AIFA®). Ken has over thirty years of experience in working with retirement plans and investment stewards. He provides consulting and fiduciary guidance to investment stewards that identify and solve fiduciary issues in the management of retirement plans.
Ken previously founded and was President of Ken Mathis & Associates, a Financial Services Industry specific consulting firm working with organizations to maximize their business potential. Prior to this, he was COO, Founder and Managing Partner of an institutional asset management firm. Ken joined a major regional financial services firm in 1999 as Director of Investment Management Consulting before becoming Director of Institutional Asset Management at the firm. In 1988, Ken was a Director of an asset management firm for eleven years. He previously served as Director of Investment Management Consulting at a major regional financial services firm which was part of one of the nation’s largest firms. Ken began his career with Merrill Lynch in 1981 focused on investment management consulting.
Ken received his Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst™ (AIFA®) designation from the fi360, a nationally recognized training organization for fiduciaries in conjunction with The University of Pittsburgh Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business. The AIFA Designation signifies the ability to perform fiduciary assessments measuring how well investment fiduciaries are fulfilling their duties to a defined standard of care. Fi360 is a first full-time training and research facility for fiduciaries for fiduciary standards of care and investment best practices designed for trustees and investment professionals. AIFA’s have acquired a thorough knowledge of fiduciary responsibility and can be an invaluable resource to investment fiduciaries and individual investors alike.
Ken received a B.B.A. from the Fogelman College of Business and Economics at the University of Memphis and has completed the Pension and Investment Management Program at Wharton, University of Pennsylvania.
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Ken Parkinson, Director Retirement Services, Hardy Reed Capital Advisors
Ken Parkinson is Director of Retirement Plan Services for Hardy Reed Capital Advisors, LLC. A native of Georgia, Ken is a graduate of Berry College in Rome, Georgia, with a double major in economics and psychology. Ken is an Investment Advisory Representative (IAR) and holds the Professional Plan Consultant™ (PPC™), and Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst® (AIFA®) designations.
Prior to joining Hardy Reed Capital Advisors, LLC, Ken was a 14 year veteran with one of the countries largest retirement planning firms. Specializing in group plan design, employee education and holistic financial planning, Ken has served corporations, healthcare, governmental, and university employers in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Georgia.
The Retirement Plan Services Division completes retirement plan assessments for organizational conformity with the Global Standards of Fiduciary Excellence as established by the Center for Fiduciary Studies. This assessment can help Plan Fiduciaries enhance their compliance with the Department of Labor, ERISA, and Pension Protection Act of 2006 rules of fiduciary conduct. Additionally, we can help manage plan operation and due diligence processes on an ongoing basis or on a special project basis.
Ken serves on the board of Lafayette-Oxford Foundation for Tomorrow (LOFT), a community affiliate of the CREATE Foundation, and Oxford Endowment for Public Education. Ken is also outgoing Stewardship Chair and Finance committee member of Oxford-University United Methodist Church. A clean water advocate, Ken is a trained volunteer for Living Waters for the World whose Oxford team recently installed a community water purification system in Yucatan region of Mexico.
Ken and his wife, Laura, a native of Fulton, reside in Oxford with their daughter and son. He enjoys reading, building projects, tennis and time in the outdoors.
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Kevin W. Pinkley, AIFA®, CDFA™, CIMA®, Wealth Management Group
www.mywealthmanagementgroup.com
Kevin began his financial services career in 1999 at PaineWebber. In 2004 he resigned when MP Wealth Management Group LLC (Wealth Management Group) was formed, an independent advisory practice affiliated with LPL Financial, the largest independent broker dealer in the country (as reported in Financial Planning magazine, June 1996-2009, based on total revenues).
Kevin helps retirement plans, endowments, foundations, trust and high net worth individuals who want to verify that their assets are being invested and monitored prudently. He serves as an independent resource that provides investment advisory service.
Kevin has earned the Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst™, (AIFA®) professional designation from Fiduciary 360 and certifies him to conduct investment fiduciary assessments. Kevin is also the holder of the Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA™) credentials; a specialized educational program in professional financial divorce planning.
Kevin holds the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®) designation, administered by Investment Management Consultants Association and taught in conjunction with The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
In 1991 Kevin graduated from Sam Houston State University with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration.
Kevin and his wife Elizabeth have been married for fifteen (15) years and they have two (2) children.
He is a member of Investment Management Consultants Association, Inc. (IMCA), The Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts and The Collaborative Law Institute of Texas.
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Larry E. Crocker, AIFA, CRPS, AAMS, PRP, PPC
Larry E. Crocker is the CEO of Fiduciary Consulting Group, Inc., an independent fiduciary governance, compliance and prudent practice consulting firm. The firm is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and serves advisors, retirement plan sponsors, fiduciaries and institutional clients all across the eastern half of the United States.
Mr. Crocker holds the Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst™ designation from the Center for Fiduciary Studies at the University of Pittsburgh, Katz Graduate School of Business. He also holds the Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist™ and the Accredited Asset Management Specialist™ designations from the College for Financial Planning; the PLANSPONSOR Retirement Professional™ designation from the PLANSPONSOR Institute, the education arm of PLANSPONSOR, the nation’s leading resource for pension and benefits related news and information; and the Professional Plan Consultant™ designation accredited by Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh.
Mr. Crocker has over 20 years experience in the financial services industry. In the late 1990’s he began an in depth study of retirement plan governance and compliance. In 2004 he made the decision to transition from advisor to consultant and focus his efforts on the development and implementation of systems and methods that identify and solve procedural prudence problems in the management of retirement plans. Mr. Crocker and his team work with advisors, service providers, retirement plan sponsors, fiduciaries and institutional clients on a fee-for-service or retainer basis.
One of Mr. Crocker’s passions is the education of industry professionals that sell and service retirement plans as well as the individuals with the responsibility for management of those plans. He has hosted multiple workshops and training sessions and spoken at multiple venues on the topics of retirement plan governance, compliance, the changing regulatory environment, fiduciary roles and responsibilities, prudent practices, and the new 403(b) regulations.
Mr. Crocker is one of a small number of professionals that will accept an appointment as an Independent Fiduciary under ERISA to professionally and prudently manage a retirement plan.
Mr. Crocker is a member of the American Society for Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA).
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Laura Bartlett
Bartlett Consulting Group
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Laura Moskwa
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Laura S. Moskwa Consulting
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Analyst
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Yes
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Auburn, CA
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Laura S. Moskwa, CPC, QPA, Principal, Laura S. Moskwa Consulting
Laura S. Moskwa is the Principal of Laura S. Moskwa Consulting, providing services to retirement plan providers focusing on business development efforts primarily focusing on TPA service and product solutions.
With over 25 years in the pension industry Laura has accumulated a broad range of experience. Most recently she worked for Transamerica Retirement Services as Vice President and Director of TPA Services. Laura was hired to develop and grow the TPA Channel which included building a presence for the company in the Channel and Industry as a committed partner, a TPA Services Department and Program, as well as product and services specifically designed for TPAs. Laura also has eighteen years of experience as a TPA which encompassed many roles as well as ownership and a couple of years of experience at a Broker Dealer/RIA Firm as Director of Retirement Services.
Laura has been a member of the American Society of Pension Professional and Actuaries (ASPPA) for over 20 years. She currently sits on the Board of Directors and is Chair of the Marketing Committee. Laura has also served on the Executive Committee as Vice President, the Education and Examination Committee, the Conferences Committee and numerous taskforces. She has also spoken at industry conferences and lead exam study sessions.
Laura received a Bachelors Degree in Economics and Finance from Douglas College, Rutgers University. She earned the Certified Pension Consultant (CPC) and the Qualified Pension Administrator (QPA) designations from ASPPA. Laura also holds Series 7 and 63 Security Licenses.
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Lynn Weirich
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Business Financial Group, LLC
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Analyst/Advisor
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San Antonio, TX
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Lynn Weirch, AIFA®, RHU, CLU, ChFC, President, Business Financial Group
Lynn Weirich is a Shareholder, Co-Founder and President of Business Financial Group, LLC (BFG). BFG, founded in 1998, provides wealth management services to individuals and employee benefit services, corporate retirement plans, and business risk management to small and medium size companies across 22 states. With more than two dozen employees, the firm serves roughly 3,700 companies and individuals through its headquarters in San Antonio, Texas.
In 1983, Ms. Weirich entered the field as an analyst hired to create and manage some of the industry’s first insurance modeling software for individual PC workstations. She quickly moved into financial services and business management strategies. After 15 years with a major insurance firm, Ms. Weirich, along with her colleague, Kim J. Moore, established BFG with the vision to create a truly special place where they could make a positive financial impact with business owners and their companies. Ms. Weirich and Mr. Moore wanted to offer a holistic approach to financial consulting.
Since that time, they have systematically built a multi-service consulting firm which offers “concierge” style client relations. Ms. Weirich is currently the chief fiduciary for BFG’s retirement plan division. Most recently BFG partnered with members of the Turner Family, which owns TETCO Inc., to add a subsidiary, BFG Risk and Benefits Management Inc. that offers commercial property and casualty insurance and risk management consulting to clients. That subsidiary is led by the newest Shareholder, Todd Wright, ARM.
Ms. Weirich has been repeatedly recognized as a member of the Million Dollar Round Table, achieving Court of the Table in 2007 and 2010 and Top of the Table in 2009. Other honors include the National Association of Women Business Owners-San Antonio (NAWBO-San Antonio) Chapter’s Entrepreneurial Spirit Award in 2001 and the San Antonio Business Journal’s 2007 Women’s Leadership Award for Mentoring Leadership.
Ms. Weirich studied Business Administration at Mississippi University for Women. She and her husband, Bill, have four children.
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Lynne McAuley
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Fiduciary Plan Governance
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Analyst/Advisor
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Huntington Beach, CA
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Lynne McAuley, AIFA
Lynne McAuley relocated to the West Coast a year and a half ago after living in New England for over twenty years. During 2007, she has been involved in business development for Southern California with Roland|Criss Fiduciary Services, a firm located in Arlington, Texas, that specializes in fiduciary audits, co-fiduciary advisory services and CEFEX certifications. Since May 2008, she has been working with 401(k) Advisors Group and is currently branching out on her own.
From 1990 to 2004, Ms. McAuley served as an auditor for the United States Department of Labor’s (U.S. DOL) Employee Benefits and Security Administration (EBSA) in the Boston Regional Office. Ms. McAuley investigated over 200 qualified retirement plans and welfare plans. Over the course of her tenure with the Department of Labor, Ms. McAuley audited the conduct of plan sponsors and other fiduciaries relative to the prudence of their investment selection and monitoring process, assessed the practices of employee benefit service providers, and evaluated if plan sponsors and other fiduciaries complied with the reporting and disclosure provisions of ERISA and other related Federal laws. This resulted in over $328,700,000 in plan assets protected, recovered or benefits restored.
Prior to this role, she served in the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Labor, both in Boston, MA and Washington, D.C. All told, she spent over 25 years of service with the U.S. DOL and almost 20 years as auditor.
Ms. McAuley is a CPA, an Accredited Investment FiduciaryAnalyst (AIFA®), and Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS). She has a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from Kentucky State University and a Bachelors of Art from Drew University.
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Managing Partner, First Landing Financial LLC.
Mike is an industry veteran with more than 29 years of experience. His career began with CIGNA Individual Financial Services in 1984, and, while there, he obtained the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation. In 1991, Mike was given the opportunity to become a Trust Officer with Central Fidelity Bank, and while there chose to develop his concentration in the area of Qualified Retirement Plans. In 1998, Mike became affiliated with Paine Webber’s office in Virginia Beach, and in 2004, completed the requirements to obtain the designation of a Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist (CRPS) in an effort to continue his focus on this segment of the industry. In 2004, Mike was asked to join the ranks of Merrill Lynch’s office in Virginia Beach, along with his partner, and son, Matthew, and in 2009 he completed the requirements to become an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF). In 2009, Mike, along with 2 of his partners, formed First Landing Financial, LLC, in order to deepen and expand the level of services they sought to make available to the marketplace. In 2013, Mike met all of the requirements needed to become an Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst (AIFA). Mike is a graduate of St. Leo University with a degree in Business Management. He is an investment advisor representative and has passed the FINRA Series 6, 7, 22, 24, 63 and 66 exams. Mike is a member of The Noblemen of Va. Beach and Team Hoyt Va. Beach. He resides in Virginia Beach with his wife of 39 years. They have two grown children and two grandchildren.
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Mario Giganti
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Cornerstone Capital Advisors, Inc.
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Analyst/Advisor
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Uniontown, OH
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Mario Giganti, CPA, CFP, AIFA, Principal, Cornerstone Capital Advisors
Mario Giganti is an investment expert in procedural prudence, fiduciary standards and best practices that define a prudent investment process. He works with individual clients to integrate the concepts of the financial planning process into their daily lives and also provides investment advisory services to trustees and fiduciaries of qualified plans and endowments. Mario is also involved in creating and teaching investment fiduciary practices to trustees and fiduciaries throughout the country at the Center for Fiduciary Studies in Pittsburgh. Mario serves on Cornerstone Capital Advisors’ Investment Committee.
Mario has a diverse background, having worked for both large and small businesses in the accounting, brokerage and financial planning industries. He has written articles on investment fiduciary responsibility, with his comments appearing in Investment News and the Akron Beacon Journal, among others. He has also published articles that can be found on the 401(k)helpcenter website, a valuable resource to the retirement plan community.
He is heavily involved in different community activities with his alma mater, Walsh University where he earned a BA in Accounting in 1994. He earned his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and his ACCREDITED INVESTMENT FIDUCIARY AUDITOR™ designation in 2003. Mario is a member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA).
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Mark D. Mensack, AIFA, Chief Ethics Officer, Mark D. Mensack, LLC.
www.PrudentChampion.com
Mark D. Mensack, LLC. is an independent fiduciary consulting practice. Mark has been investing since 1984 and began his professional financial services career in 1995. Prior to 1995, he was a Commissioned Officer in the US Army where he served in the United States and South Korea. While he spent most of this time as a helicopter pilot, his final assignment was an instructor of Philosophy and Ethics at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York.
Mark has earned a Bachelor’s from the University of Scranton and a Master’s from the University of Pennsylvania, both in Philosophy. He also holds the Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst designation (AIFA®) through the Center for Fiduciary Studies.
In his consulting practice Mark provides fiduciary education and assessments that enable plan sponsors to ensure that they are compliant with fiduciary best practices, as well as the new fee disclosure rules 404(a)(5) & 408(b)(2). Mark also serves as an analyst for the Centre of Fiduciary Excellence (CEFEX). CEFEX Certifications are the Gold Standard of fiduciary excellence. He has also been certified as a “Fee Disclosure Expert” by Dalbar, and has been retained by multiple law firms as a 401k hidden fee subject matter expert.
Given his Philosophy background, Mark focuses on the ethical imperative of fiduciary responsibility to educate plan sponsors and other fiduciaries on their fiduciary duties. He writes the “401k Ethicist” column for the Journal of Compensation & Benefits and you can find his articles published on sites such as AdvisorOne, the Retirement Plan Management Institute and RIABiz.com. Mark has been widely quoted by organizations such Reuters, Dow Jones, Bloomberg, and the Philadelphia Business Journal, and he speaks to national and state organizations on fiduciary and professional ethics issues, including the American Institute of CPAs, the Center for Fiduciary Studies, the Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs, the New Jersey Society of CPAs, the Institute of Internal Auditors and the Pennsylvania State Society of HR Management (SHRM).
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Mark McCoy
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Retirement Fund Management
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Analyst
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Atlanta, GA
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Mark McCoy, Founder & President, Retirement Fund Management
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Martin A. Smith, RPS, AIFA, President Wealthcare Financial Group, Inc.
e-mail: msmith@wcfingroup.com
www.wcfingroup.com
Martin earned his Bachelor Degree in Communications from Howard University in 1992. He began his career in the financial services industry in 1993, as a Registered Representative of PFS Investments, Inc. In 1999, Martin joined A.G. Edwards & Sons as a Financial Consultant and was later promoted to the position of Assistant Branch Manager.
Wealthcare Financial Group as a Registered Investment Advisor to serve the investment advisory and wealth services needs of non-profit and Faith-based organizations, individuals and families, businesses and foundations. Martin is committed to providing each client with values-based advice and custom-tailored service. Thus, the need for prudent advice and high quality service is also the basis for his business philosophy; "How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver!" Proverbs 16:16
Martin and his family attend Cornerstone Church, a non-denominational Christian fellowship in Bowie, Maryland. He is a graduate student at Regent University's School of Divinity, currently working toward the completion of a Masters in Divinity, (M.Div) with a concentration Practical Theology and Biblical Studies. He has successfully completed the Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®) and Accredited Fiduciary Analyst (AIFA®) designations, as administered by the Fiduciary360 (www.fi360.com). In addition, Martin has earned the Retirement Plan Specialist (RPS®) certificate from the Executive Education Department of The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
In his spare time, he takes pleasure in sharing his thoughts on matters pertaining to the economy and the markets, as well as giving sound Biblical advice to serve as an encouragement for the readers of his online publication, The Faith and Finance Journal. Martin is a self-taught musician, and enjoys playing the 6-String Bass Guitar, including a 4-String Piccolo Bass. With much patience he is currently learning how to play the Soprano Saxophone.
As an alumni member of Howard University's championship Tae Kwon Do team, he won 2nd Place in 1992 and 3rd Place in 1993, while competing in the Maryland State Open Tae Kwon Do Tournament. As a Martial Artists, he also enjoys the sport of Boxing. Martin resides in Bowie, Maryland with his wife, Walida. Together, they have seven children.
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Mary Kotzman, AIFA
Mary has over 14 years in the financial planning and services field, the last 8 years specifically in the qualified plan marketplace (Defined Benefit/Contribution plans, 457f, 403b, ESOP, etc.). She offers specialized consulting and fiduciary guidance to stewards and consultants all across the country addressing plan design, implementation/transition services, and investment protocols with a primary focus on fiduciary governance and ERISA compliance. Mary and her team of professionals provide customized financial planning services to both corporate and high net worth clientele. Mary is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst® and holds General Securities Licenses 7, 66, is a Registered Principal, and holds a California Insurance License # 0E66397. Mary is currently the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 Spring Chair for the Western Pension & Benefits Conference, Los Angeles Chapter and remains actively involved in the pension industry.
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Michael A. Pinkley, AIFA, AWMA, Wealth Management Group
www.mywealthmanagementgroup.com
Michael began his financial services career with Rotan Mosle/PaineWebber and later with UBS, which acquired PaineWebber in 2000. He was with PaineWebber/UBS for over sixteen (16) years when he resigned in 2004 and founded MP Wealth Management Group LLC (Wealth Management Group) as an independent advisory practice affiliated with LPL Financial, the largest independent broker dealer in the country (as reported in Financial Planning magazine, June 1996-2009, based on total revenues).
Michael has earned the Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst™ (AIFA®) professional designation from Fiduciary 360 and certifies him to conduct investment fiduciary assessments. He also completed the Personal Financial Planning Program at the University of Houston. Michael completed the ACCREDITED WEALTH MANAGEMENT ADVISOR SM or AWMA® Professional Designation Program from the College for Financial Planning located in Denver, CO.
Degrees: Bachelor of Science in Technology, University of Houston and Associate of Arts, University of Houston - Downtown.
Michael has been married to his wife Frances for forty three (43) years and they have three (3) grown children and four (4) grandchildren.
Michael served this great country for over thirty (30) years in the United States Navy and United States Naval Reserve retiring in 1997.
He is a member of Investment Management Consultants Association, Inc. (IMCA) and a member of the Financial Services Institute.
Michael is a Life Member, University of Houston Alumni Association and a Life Member, U.S. Naval Institute.
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Michael J. Hensley, CFP®, ChFC®, CRPS®, AIFA® , Owner, Managing Member Guardian Capital Advisors
As a North Carolina native, Mike received a Political Science degree from North Carolina State University. While in school, Mike enlisted in the North Carolina Army National Guard and served until his honorable discharge in 1996. He later entered the financial services industry where his desire for independence and transparency with his clients led him to establish Guardian Capital Advisors, LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor. In addition to being the managing member, Mike is an Investment Advisor Representative at GCA and a Registered Representative of Triad Advisors. He is Securities licensed and is registered to conduct fee-based planning as well as transaction-based investing. Mike has clients in six states and holds life and health insurance and long-term care licenses. He coordinates the firm’s efforts on corporate retirement planning.
Mike received his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification from the Certified Financial Planner, Board of Standards, Inc. and the Chartered Financial Consultant designation from the American College. He also earned the Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst® designation at the Center for Fiduciary Studies and the Chartered Retirement Plan Specialist from the College for Financial Planning. Mike is a member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) and the Financial Services Institute (FSI).
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Michael K. Smith, AIFA, President Plexus Financial Services
Mike is the President of Plexus Financial Services, LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor firm and Broker/Dealer that specializes exclusively in corporate retirement plan strategies and advisory services. With over 90 plans and $900 million in assets under advisement, 100% of the firm’s revenues are derived from the defined contribution, defined benefit and non-qualified plan markets.
Mike’s professional career in Financial Services originated in 1985, as a licensed agent with New York Life Insurance Company, and as a Registered Representative of New York Life Securities Corporation. He has worked with well over 600 corporate retirement plans during his 26 year career, from start up plans to multi-billion dollar plans in the Fortune 100, as a Registered Investment Advisor, Management Consultant and Record keeper/Administrator for a Big 4 consulting firm and Fortune 100 service bureau.
Mike currently serves as President and Executive Committee Chairman, and was formerly the Treasurer and Finance Committee Chairman for the McHenry County College(Crystal Lake, Illinois) Foundation’s multi-million dollar endowment fund.
He holds an MBA from the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University in Chicago, and a BA in Management from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. He is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF), an Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst (AIFA), an Accredited Retirement Plan Consultant (ARPC) and a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). In addition, he holds securities industry licenses as a Registered Representative, Principal and Registered Investment Advisor (Series 7, 24, 66).
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Michael M. Kane, CFC, AIFA
* Finalist for PLANSPONSOR Magazine’s National Retirement Plan Advisor Team of the Year for 2010
*Nominated for PLANSPONSOR Magazine’s Advisor of the Year Award for 2008-2012
*Recognized by PlanAdviser Magazine as one of the Most Successful Retirement Plan Advisory Firms for 2008
* 300 Most Influential Advisors in Defined Contribution in 2009 by 401K WIRE
*Cefex Analyst
For more than 25 years in both executive and senior planning positions, Mike has provided effective financial strategies for plan sponsors in qualified, non-qualified retirement and employee benefit programs. Today, Mike focuses his efforts as an independent Retirement Plan Consultant to Plan Sponsors. As an Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst (AIFA) he is certified to conduct Fiduciary Assessments on Investment Stewards, Managers and Advisors and serves as one of only 25 Analysts, worldwide, for CEFEX, The Centre for Fiduciary Excellence and as a Certified Behavioral Finance Analyst (CBFA), he conducts Behavioral Audits with practical behavioral finance solutions on how to improve plan health (90-10-90)
Passionately committed to fiduciary education, Mike has spoken before many groups including the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) where he presented "Emerging Focus on Fiduciary Liability in Today's Climate". Mike also periodically holds CPE workshops on prudent fiduciary practices that comprise a “Global Standard of Fiduciary Excellence for Investment Stewards”. Mike’s most recent seminar was on new Department of Labor Fee Disclosure rules. Mike has served as a Panelist on the Second Annual Future of Asset Allocation Funds Conference sponsored by PLANSPONSOR Magazine, on Business Development Strategies at the Plan Adviser Magazine 2009 Conference, the 2009 National Retirement Partners Conference on Benchmarking Retirement Plans and RFP’s, the 2010 Center for Due Diligence Conference on Fiduciary topics and the SE Employee Benefits Fly In on DOL Regulation 408(b)-2 Fee Disclosure at Georgia Tech. In 2011, he spoke at the Plan Adviser Magazine National Conference on the Next Generation of Target Date Funds. Mike has been published in The Journal of Compensation and Benefits, Society of Human Resource Management, and Gwinnett Magazine. His article, Tips on IPS: Refining your 401(k) IPS and Other Fiduciary Tips appeared in the Employee Benefit News. His article Most Common Non-Conformities and Opportunities for Improvement in 401(k) Plans Found in Fiduciary Assessments was published in the Spring 2011 issue of the Journal of Pension Benefits. He has been quoted in Institutional Investor’s Fund Action on Plan Sponsor investment and fiduciary issues, in Financial Times Ignites on Target Date Fund/Managed Account issues and service provider issue, in Plan Adviser Magazine on Plan Sponsor and Participant education requirements following the 2008 market meltdown and Forbes Magazine recognized his work in saving Plan Sponsors excess fees in their retirement plans in the article, Fixing Your 401(k). http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/1130/investing-retirement-plans-employment-fix-your-401k.html. Mike has his own Internet Radio Broadcast: The Atlanta Georgia Local Business Leaders Show: http://www.bmbc.tv/shows.php?n=159.
Before entering the profession, Mike served as a Naval Officer. Mike holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Mount Saint Mary’s University. He performed his graduate work at George Washington University School of Business. Mike is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst (AIFA). AIFA’s have completed a rigorous specialized program on investment fiduciary standards of care at the Center for Fiduciary Studies, in association with the University of Pittsburgh Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business. AIFA’s have acquired a thorough knowledge of fiduciary responsibility and can be an invaluable resource to investment fiduciaries and individual investors alike.>p>
Mike serves as the Managing Director of Plan Sponsor Consultants, which is a member of the most prestigious independent retirement plan network in the US: National Retirement Partners. Mike’s Firm was previously known as Michael M. Kane & Associates. Plan Sponsor Consultants provides fiduciary expertise for corporate retirement programs. Prior to joining NRP, Mike served as the Director of Executive and Employee Benefits Strategies for New England Financial, a MetLife Company, and as Managing Partner.
Previously, Mike served as a member of the Board of Directors of The Buckhead Coalition for 12 years. For 17 years, Mike served on the Board of the Atlanta Community Food Bank and was the Chair during the only Capital Campaign to build the new Food Bank. Mike is member of the Center for Fiduciary Studies (FI360) and the Centre for Fiduciary Excellence.
Mike resides in Roswell, Georgia. His daughter, Addie, is Vice President of Administration and Technology for Plan Sponsor Consultants. He enjoys playing ALTA, T2 and USTA tennis.
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Paul McEwan
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Rea & Associates, Inc.
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Analyst
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New Philadelphia, OH
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Paul W. McEwan, CPA, MT, AIFA Rea & Associates,Inc
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Peter J. Roland
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Canon Capital Investment Advisory
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Analyst/Advisor
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Souderton, PA
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Peter J. Roland, AIFA, Managing Partner, Canon Capital Investment Advisory Services
TBD
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President, Kling Partners Inc.
Twenty plus years of investment consulting to financial institutions, multi and single family offices, individuals and foundations.
Carolyn E. Kling, AIFA® has earned the Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst™ (AIFA®) professional designation, awarded by the Center for Fiduciary Studies, which is associated with the University of Pittsburgh, and certifies Carolyn to conduct investment fiduciary assessments.
Carolyn E. Kling is dedicated to the stewardship of families, family offices and private foundations. Carolyn provides an institutional approach to client relationships through the leverage, strength and services of leading global wealth management firms and trusted advisors, as well as an objective due diligence bridge to align client’s objectives with customized solutions.
Carolyn collaborates with trust and estate planning attorneys, tax strategists and family business advisors to integrate tailored investment solutions for individuals, families and private foundations. Carolyn’s experience includes investment consulting and comprehensive wealth management and trust services with Atlantic Trust Private Wealth Management, an integrated comprehensive Private Wealth Management Trust Company and subsidiary of London and Atlanta based AMVESCAP. Previously, Carolyn was a founder and managing partner of Investment Consulting Group, LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor and investment consulting firm; as well as a founding partner and member of Mount Yale Partners, LLC, a hedge fund of funds investment management firm.
Carolyn brings her extended investment consulting experience with financial institutions as an executive with Portfolio Management Consultants, Transamerica Asset Management, Putnam Investments and Continental Insurance Corporation Asset Management (CICAM).
Carolyn has a BA degree in foreign languages and business administration from Las Universidad De Las Americas in Mexico City and remains an active member with the following industry associations: Institute for Private Investors (IPI), Family Office Exchange (FOX), Family Firm Institute (FFI), Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA), Financial Planning Association (FPA), and actively sits on the Grants, Finance, Education and Membership Committees for the San Diego Women’s Foundation (SDWF) as well as a member of the Board of Directors for the Del Mar Foundation. Carolyn is a Registered Investment Advisor, holds a California Real Estate license and resides in Del Mar, California.
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Randy Redd
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National Pension Professionals
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Analyst/Advisor
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Mesa, AZ
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Randy Redd, AIFA, Owner National Pension Professionals
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Richard A. Perry, ChFC, QPA, QPFC, AIFA(R)
Retirement Resource Group, LLC
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Rick Hill
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Hardy Reed, Inc.
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Analyst/Advisor
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Tupelo, MS
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Richard L. Hill, AIFA
Richard L. Hill, AIFA® has over twenty years of experience in the financial services industry. He provides consulting and fiduciary guidance to investment stewards that identify and solve fiduciary issues in the management of retirement plans.
Rick began his career in 1991 at a major regional financial services firm which was part of one of the nation’s largest financial firms. He joined Hardy Reed in 2006.
Rick received his Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst™ (AIFA®) designation from the fi360, a nationally recognized training organization for fiduciaries in conjunction with The University of Pittsburgh Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business. The AIFA Designation signifies the ability to perform fiduciary assessments measuring how well investment fiduciaries are fulfilling their duties to a defined standard of care. Fi360 is a first full-time training and research facility for fiduciaries for fiduciary standards of care and investment best practices designed for trustees and investment professionals. AIFA’s have acquired a thorough knowledge of fiduciary responsibility and can be an invaluable resource to investment fiduciaries and individual investors alike.
A graduate of Mississippi State University, Rick earned dual degrees in engineering technology and business management.
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Richard N. Carpenter, CPC, CEBS - President & Founder, USVI Pensions and Consulting
Richard is the founder of the Technical Answer Group, Inc (TAGdata.com), now owned by Wolters Kluwer Law and Business. In the 10 years he operated TAG, he developed over 2,000 customer relationships with accounting firms, law firms, insurance companies, mutual fund companies and more than 1,500 third party administration (TPA) firms.
Prior to founding TAGdata.com, Richard was formerly the Senior Manager in charge of the Florida employee benefits consulting practice for Deloitte & Touche.
He has an MBA with an emphasis in Finance from the University of South Florida. He earned the Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) from the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists (ISCEBS) and Certified Pension Consultant (CPC) from the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA).
Richard was an instructor for the CEBS program and is a frequent national speaker on the design and administration of 401(k), 403(b) and other qualified deferred compensation arrangements. He has also spoken on pending legislation affecting the qualified retirement plan industry as well as preparing small to medium size businesses for acquisition.
Richard entered the pension business in 1978. Richard drafted a white paper describing the opportunities available with the pending legislation of section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. When section 401(k) was added as part of the Revenue Act of 1978, the firm was in a strategic position to be one of the first in the 401(k) marketplace. He installed his first 401(k) plan in November of 1981, two weeks after the issuance of the first proposed 401(k) regulations. His clients have included Price Waterhouse, Office Depot and Alamo Rent A Car.
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Robert J. Coopman, Attorney, AIFA
Rob has been a practicing Attorney in Georgia since 1994.
Rob co-founded Advisor Financial Services, LLP in Woodstock, Georgia in 1998. In 2003, Rob closed his private practice to work full-time as the General Counsel for the investment firm and served as an investment advisor. He was the firm’s Chief Compliance officer and wrote quarterly legal and investment article for “The Advisor” investment newsletter. Rob chaired a podcast dealing with 401k issues, served on the firm’s investment committee and conducted a monthly retirement planning workshop for the firm’s clients. The firm became a CEFEX Certified Investment Advisor in 2008. Advisor Financial grew to $270 million under management during Rob’s association with the firm.
Rob returned to private practice in September 2010 after retiring from Advisor Financial Services, LLP. Rob’s private law practice in Georgia specializes in estates, trusts and business law.
Rob holds a Bachelor of Art’s degree with co-majors in English and Business from Florida State University (1980), and a Juris Doctor from the University of Florida (1993). He is a member of the State Bar of Georgia (1994), the Fiduciary and Business Law Sections. Rob was awarded the Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst designation in 2007 and has various certifications from the Institute of Business and Finance – Certified Fund Specialist and Board Certified in Estate Planning.
Rob retired from the United States Marine Corps Reserves in 2000 as a Lieutenant Colonel. Rob loves military and civilian aviation and has flown the following aircraft: A-4 Skyhawk, F-18 Hornet, L-1011 Tri-Star, Boeing 757, 767, and 777. Rob’s thoughts on aviation and investment management have many similarities; primarily they involve managing risk in a professional manner. Rob serves on a few boards of music non-profit corporations and is the President of the Music Club of Hollywood Florida - its purpose is granting music scholarships to accomplished young musicians. Rob resides in Hollywood, Florida and Atlanta, Georgia.
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Robert J. Schumann, CFP®, EA, AIFA®
Robert J. Schumann is a founding partner of Cambridge Pension Advisors, LLC. He is a retired academic, teacher and minister. He holds three Master’s degrees: an MBA from The Ohio State University with a major in capital markets, an MA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a major in Hebrew & Semitic Studies and a minor in Linguistics and an MDIV from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. He can read in 11 languages.
Bob’s interest in retirement plans goes back to his own retirement from teaching and the public ministry in 1994. His participation in 403(b) and 401(k) plans allowed him to retire at the age of 42.
He is the Chief Advice Officer and a founding partner of Peoples Financial Advisor, LLC (dba PlanAndAct), an SEC registered internet advisor. He is also a founding partner of Cambridge Financial Advisors, LLC a state registered investment advisor with offices in Ohio and Colorado. He is a NAPFA-Registered Personal Financial Advisor, a Certified Financial Planner licensee, and an Enrolled Agent who can represent taxpayers before the IRS. He is an authorized advisor for the distribution of proprietary DFA no-load funds. The Paladin Registry of personal financial advisors has given him its highest rating of 5-stars. In 2009 Business Week listed him as one of the top 50 investment advisors in the nation as scored on a 100 point system.
He and his clients have been quoted in numerous printed and online publications including The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Smart Money, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, Money Magazine, MSN Money, the Columbus Dispatch and Columbus Business First. TV appearances include the WCMH Channel 4 News and the NBC Today Show. He is a contributor to Tips from the Top--Targeted Advice from America's Top Money Minds, edited by Edie Milligan and published by Alpha, 2003.
He and his wife, Jana, live with three of their four children and one granddaughter, in Buena Vista, CO. Advising individuals and organizations about retirement plans and investments is a perfect fit with his lifelong interest in helping people realize their potential.
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Robert R. Patterson, AIFA(R)
Global Fiduciary Consulting, L.C. Founder and Managing Partner of GFC, Bob brings 25 plus years of experience working with associations, families, endowment, foundations, public entities and international companies in a variety of rolls. Bob has direct experience in the process of developing investment/spending policies and integrating them with the financial planning process. Both as a professional advisor and as a board member, Bob has experience in vetting investment advisors, modeling asset allocation strategies and monitoring investment portfolios. Bob graduated from the Virginia Military Institute and received his MBA from IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland. He chaired a consulting team that advised UBS on their entry into the UK market. He has and continues to serve on a number of Boards and Board Committees in the US and Europe. He was a member of President Reagan's Caribbean Basin Initiative and the US Department of Commerce Advisory Team that advised the Russian Ministry of Pensions in Moscow. Bob is familiar with the ISO 9000 and ISO 19011: 2002 (auditing) quality control standards that have guided global manufacturers since the 1940's. He knew that a better process to make investment decisions could help these organizations in this critical area of operations. A few years ago, the Center for Fiduciary Studies (now part of fi360.com) at the University of Pittsburgh developed a set of quality control standards which they call the Global Fiduciary Standard of Excellence ("GFSE"). The GFSE itself is based on protocols similar to those found in ISO 19011:2002. Bob immediately saw the applicability of the GFSE became certified as an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®) by fi360. Furthermore, Bob received the support of both the Center for Fiduciary Studies and the Centre for Fiduciary Excellence ("CEFEX") in Toronto. CEFEX is the primary global certifier for those seeking a registered, public certification of conformance to the GFSE. From the beginning GFC sought to reflect the "gold standard" of the GFSE by establishing a highly qualified Advisory Board whose members represent a broad range of skills, experience and geography. The Advisory Board works closely with Bob in the design, implementation and monitoring of GFC's strategic vision.
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Roger Levy
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Cambridge Fiduciary Services LLC.
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Analyst/Advisor
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Scottsdale, AZ
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Roger Levy, AIFA, Managing Director Cambridge Investment Fiduciary Management Inc.
www.cambridgefiduciaryservices.com
Roger L. Levy AIFA® has been a member of Cambridge Financial Services Group from its inception and is now joint Managing Director of Cambridge Investment Fiduciary Management, Inc. which provides investment fiduciary consulting and assessment services to the retirement plan and investment community.
As a member of Cambridge Financial Services Group, Mr. Levy has over 20 years experience in guiding investment advisory clients with respect to their fiduciary obligations and how to build a due diligence record of their investment process. Having obtained the Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst™ designation from Fi360, he offers lead analyst services on behalf of those involved in the investment process who are seeking CEFEX registration.
Formally educated in England, Mr. Levy began practicing law in London as a Solicitor in 1970. He joined Taylor & Humbert, one of England's premiere and oldest law firms, where he became a partner. He emigrated to the United States in 1975 and joined Saul Ewing Remick & Saul, a leading Philadelphia law firm. Mr. Levy obtained a Master of Laws Degree from Temple Law School and became the first English solicitor to be admitted to the Pennsylvania bar.
Subsequently, Mr. Levy established his own practice specializing in international business before joining the Law Offices of Robert M. Gottschalk, in New York City, a firm specializing in international business and trade. Prior to joining Cambridge, he served as Counsel to Kleinberg Kaplan Wolff & Cohen PC in New York City.
Mr. Levy lives in Scottsdale, Arizona where he manages Cambridge’s Scottsdale office. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of the Trigeminal Neuralgia Association.
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Ross Fowler, AIFA, Managing Director, fi360 Australasia
Ross is Managing Director of fi360 (Australasia) Limited, with responsibility for the practical implementation of services in New Zealand and Australia, in conjunction with the Center for Fiduciary Studies (Pittsburgh).
This has involved establishing and teaching the AIF® course (provided in association with Massey University), the development of technical support to AIF® designees and consulting services to fiduciaries, including legal and accounting firms, financial adviser groups, investment committees and boards.
As Managing Director his primary focus is the ongoing development of both the AIF course material and fi360 services to ensure relevance in the NZ and Australian financial intermediary environments.
Ross graduated from Auckland University having studied Urban Valuation and completed post graduate studies at Lincoln College in Rural Valuation and Farm Management. Initial years in valuation practice were followed by 15 years of consulting on property development and investment with corporate clients. He then completed his Diploma in Business Studies (Personal Financial Planning) through Massey University.
Ross has assisted professionals, trustees, and investment advisers to keep pace with new standards and gain access to advanced investment solutions and decision making technology, thus enabling them to discharge their responsibilities and bring genuine value to their clients and beneficiaries.
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Scott Reed
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Hardy Reed, Inc.
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Analyst/Advisor
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Tupelo, MS
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Scott Reed, CIMA, AIFA, CEO Hardy Reed Capital Advisors, LLC.
Scott Reed is the CEO of Hardy Reed Capital Advisors, LLC.
Hardy Reed Capital Advisors is a firm dedicated to the development and implementation of a superior consulting process, free of the conflicts of interests common to the industry. He has been in the investment industry since 1985. Scott spent the first twenty one years of his career with Hilliard Lyons, spending the last five running their Mississippi operations. He began as a stock broker, but by the late 1980’s he and John C. Hardy, his business partner since 1987, began to develop a consulting practice. Over the next decade they developed their own proprietary process for money management. Opening Hardy Reed Registered Investment Advisory firm was the next step in an evolution that is designed to be client centered and completely objective.
Scott is a Certified Investment Management Consultant® and an Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst®. He is a graduate of the inaugural class of the Endowments and Foundations Certificate sponsored by the Investment Management Consultants Association® and held at the Wharton School of Business in 2006. He specializes in consulting with a select group of private clients, corporations, foundations and endowments on developing a customized and comprehensive investment process. He is a member of The National Council on Planned Giving, the Planned Giving Council of Northeast Mississippi, and the Investment Management Consultants Association. Scott has served on the advisory board for Investment Advisory Magazine’s Wealth Management Summit, the advisory board of the Mississippi Women’s Money Conference, and a 2003 graduate and class spokesperson to the board of the Securities Industry Institute.
In 1995, Scott began writing a financial column that is still in syndication today. He appears regularly as an analyst for local newspapers and television stations in North Mississippi. He also has been an instructor on financial issues at the University of Mississippi.
Scott is a graduate of Vanderbilt University. In 1992, he was chosen as a Rotary Ambassador to Australia and in 1997 he was honored as a “Top 40 Under 40” in the State of Mississippi by the Mississippi Business Journal. He is a life long resident of Tupelo, Mississippi, and an avid lover of sports. He and his wife, Annette, are active supporters of the community where Scott currently serves on the boards of the North Mississippi Medical Center, The United Methodist Foundation where he serves as vice-chairman of the investment committee, and The Yocona Area of the Boy Scouts of America where he serves as chairman of the budget committee. He is chairman of The Frank and Calla Bell Foundation as well as chairman of the BancorpSouth Arena Commission. He is a past president of the United Way of Northeast Mississippi and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of North Mississippi. Scott and Annette have two wonderfully active girls.
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Sharon A. Pivirotto, AIFA, Managing Partner Financial Service Standards
Sharon Pivirotto is the author of the 401k Service Solution Handbook for Retirement Plan Sponsors and Fiduciaries, and Founder and CEO of Financial Service Standards, the first independent firm to develop practical resources to help retirement advisors raise the standards and meet regulations with process. As creator of the turn-key service process, the 401k Service Solution™, Sharon has helped thousands of plan sponsors and retirement advisors throughout the U.S. more effectively and efficiently implement best practices in the management of corporate defined contribution plans. Sharon’s products and presentations on retirement plan management best practices have made her an in-demand and innovative authority in the retirement industry.
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Steff Chalk
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Fiduciary Consulting and Governance Group, Inc.
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Analyst/Advisor
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Dayton, OH
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Steff Chalk, AIFA, Managing Partner, Fiduciary Consulting Group
Mr. Chalk holds the Accredited Investment Fiduciary AuditorTM designation from the University of Pittsburgh, Katz Graduate School of Business, Center for Fiduciary Studies, and degrees from The American Institute of Banking, The Kentucky School of Banking and The National Trust School. He has been an active member of State Banking Associations - serving in a variety of positions - including chair of the Trust and Investment sub-committees. He has also served on the Communications Committee for the 401(k) / Profit Sharing Council of America. He currently serves as adjunct faculty to the Finance Department at Northern Kentucky University where he was awarded a professional development stipend for the establishment of The 401(k) Advisory Index. Mr. Chalk has also served on the faculty of the Midwest Trust School, as founding faculty for the Economics/Finance Camp of Northern Kentucky University and on the Social Security Choice.org Advisory Board.
Mr. Chalk obtained his Masters and Bachelor of Business Administration Degrees from Central Michigan University. Mr. Chalk also obtained an Associate of Applied Science Degree from Northern Kentucky University.
Mr. Chalk has over 23 years experience in the financial industry, specializing in Investment Management, Strategic Management, Marketing, Trust, On-line Systems, Investment Banking and Commercial Banking. He has also served as consultant to a global consultancy and Fortune 500 Companies.
He has conducted domestic original research on a variety of Investment and 401(k) Plan related topics. He has authored several articles concerning Investment Management and Retirement Services. He has been a speaker for State Public Employee Retirement Systems, Finance Officers Associations, Bar Associations, Human Resource Associations, the Securities Industry Association, Actuarial Associations and both national and regional 401(k) Symposiums.
Mr. Chalk has addressed business leaders and governmental and social policy makers in Africa, Asia and Europe and has appeared on business broadcasts and CNN.
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Steven F. Wertime, President/Owner, Wertime Financial Services, Inc.
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Stuart A. Ober, CFE, AIFA, President Securities Investigations, Inc.
President, Securities Investigations, Inc., a due diligence, consulting and investment research firm (founded in 1981).
Over thirty years experience as a securities professional and twenty years as an expert.
Consultant and expert in investor-broker arbitration and litigation, including suitability, compliance/supervisory failure, fiduciary responsibilities, broker conduct, asset allocation, due diligence, selling away, damage calculations, limited partnerships, investments, tax shelters and disclosure responsibilities.
Member (1986–1990) Financial Products Standards Board of the Institute for Certified Financial Planners — established industry standards in such areas as due diligence, investor suitability, real estate, oil and gas, mutual funds, insurance products and equipment leasing (Chairperson of Insurance Task Force).
Member (1988–2000) Board of Advisors for Personal Financial Planning, a bimonthly publication of Warren, Gorham & Lamont.
Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst™ — Center for Fiduciary Studies, Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh (2004);
Among First 50 People to Successfully Complete ISO-Based Training Class (2006);
Among First 9 People to Successfully Complete Investment Manager Certification
Training (2006).
Certified Fraud Examiner — Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (2005).
Registered Investment Advisor, President and Principal (1984–1997).
Arbitrator (Chairperson Qualified 2003) with the National Association of Securities Dealers Dispute Resolution Board of Arbitrators (Member since 2002).
Arbitrator with the New York Stock Exchange (since 2003).
Arbitrator with the National Futures Association (since 2003).
Arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association (in 1980’s).
Mediator (Certified 2004) with Woodstock Justice Court (since 2004) and Common Ground (since 2003).
Lecturer on the role and duties of an expert witness in arbitration and litigation, fiduciary standards of care, fiduciary responsibilities and selling away at Albany Law School (January 2005).
Lecturer on investment topics to financial professionals.
Author, Everybody’s Guide to Tax Shelters, as well as training manuals, articles and newsletters on all types of investments.
Expert Witness, clients have included the United States Department of the Treasury — Internal Revenue Service and the State of New Jersey.
Interviewed and quoted in national financial print media, radio, television and business publications including Forbes, Money, Financial Planning and Fortune and major newspapers including The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s and The New York Times.
Participant in the Open Compliance & Ethics Group (a not-for-profit) benchmarking study of governance, risk management, compliance and ethics programs (1 Q 2005)
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Wayne Titus
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AMDG Financial Advisory Services, LLC
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Analyst/Advisor
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Plymouth, MI
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Wayne B. Titus III, CPA, AIFA, President AMDG Financial Services
Mr. Titus owns a Registered Investment Advisor, AMDG Financial, which has been providing fee-only fiduciary advice to families, small businesses and plan sponsors since 2002. AMDG Financial is a CEFEX registered firm since 2007, one of the first 8 Registered Investment Advisors registered by CEFEX in the United States. Additionally, he owns a CPA practice and also has received the Personal Financial Specialist designation from the AICPA and the Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst™ designation from fi360.
Mr. Titus has a BA in Business Administration from Grove City College, PA and BS in Accounting from the University of South Florida. Currently he is a Masters candidate in Employee Benefits Law from John Marshall Law School in Chicago, IL. He has been an active member of Michigan Association of CPAs serving on the Financial Literacy Committee and was a contributing author to the MACPA's Financial Affairs at the End of Life, a resource for hospice patients and their families.
Mr. Titus has over 10 years experience in the financial industry, specializing in Wealth Management, including over 20 years in Public Accounting and tax preparation. Prior to starting his private practices, he worked as a senior manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers with their financial and information systems audit practices, where he also contributed to integrating the global audit approach of the merged firm with a team in London, England and also served as a systems audit consultant to Fortune 50 Companies.
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William J. Hastie Jr., Owner Hastie Financial Group
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* This Analyst is qualified to perform ASPPA Service Provider Certification assessments.
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