Speaker Bios

Main Platform Speakers & Moderators

Mike Schlappi (sounds like happy) grew up in Orem, Utah, and is the second of seven children. Mike grew up hunting, fishing, snow-mobiling, and playing any sport he could. By the age of 14, Mike was the Student Body President of his school, had received his Eagle Scout, and was headed toward a promising future in athletics. At this time, Mike's life was forever changed by a tragic accident.

Mike went on to become the Student Body President of Mountain View High School, serve an LDS mission in Southern California, and attend BYU on a leadership scholarship. He earned an undergraduate degree in finance from BYU and a Masters Degree in Business Administration and Healthcare from Arizona State University.
Mike is the Founder and former Director of Attitude Therapy at Intermountain Health Care in Salt Lake City, Utah. Attitude Therapy is a program that provides motivational speaking for businesses and organizations. He is a member of the National Speakers Association. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees that managed the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. Recently, Mike was honored by the State of Utah as one of its Top 50 athletes of the century.
Mike is a four-time Olympic Medalist in wheelchair basketball. He earned Gold Medals from Seoul, South Korea in 1988 and Barcelona, Spain in 1992, and Bronze medals from Atlanta, Georgia in 1996 and Sydney, Australia in 2000. Mike is the only wheelchair basketball player in the U.S.A. to be a member of the past four Olympic teams. Mike was honored by his peers as a member of the all-world wheelchair basketball team.
Besides basketball, some of Mike's other favorite activities are bungee jumping in his wheelchair, being a judge at the Miss Utah Pageant, and spending time with his children.
In his book, Bulletproof Principles for Striking Gold, Mike tells his unique and dynamic life story mixed with a profound yet simple philosophy for life. His life story is featured in a national award-winning video. It's title, If You Can't Stand Up, Stand Out, exemplifies Mike's attitude and life.

James J. Tyrpak, CLU, ChFC, AEP, MSFS, is president of the Society of Financial Service Professionals (FSP) for 2007 – 2008. 

President of Desmon, Kohnstamm & Tyrpak, Inc., a wealth preservation and business continuity firm in Buffalo, NY, Jim has served FSP as Northeast Regional Liaison Chair, as a past member of the National Board, on the Society’s Home Office Task Force, Chair of the Audit Committee, Continuing Education Requirements Task Force, as co-chairman of the Technology Task Force, chairman of the Chapter Support Task Force, as Chair of the Membership Committee and on the Foundation for FSP Board.
Mr. Tyrpak’s involvement in his profession and spirit of giving back extend beyond his service to the Society.  He has been a member of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) since 1991, qualifying for the Top of the Table twice and Court of the Table once.  He is an LUTC Instructor and a past president of the Buffalo Association of Insurance & Financial Service Advisors, from which he received the prestigious Stanley C. Collins Award.  He is also a member of the American Association of Life Underwriters.

Active in his community, Mr. Tyrpak is a past program chair for the Western New York Planned Giving Consortium and has served on the Finance Committee and Speakers’ Bureau for Leave-A-Legacy of Western New York.  He is the immediate past president of the Financial Planning Counselors of Western New York, past president of the Buffalo Rotary Club Foundation, and past vice-president of the Rotary Club of Buffalo.  He also chaired the corporate sponsor campaign for the annual auction at St. Gregory the Great Church.

A graduate of The State University of New York at Buffalo, Mr. Tyrpak received his CLU in 1984, ChFC in 1985, MSFS in 1989 and AEP in 2001.

Rod Hansen, CFP, CLU, ChFC, AEP, is regional vice president for Pacific Life’s South Florida Regional Office located in Boca Raton , FL. Prior to being with Pacific Life he served as National Sales Director in Princeton , NJ and as Brokerage Director of MetLife Brokerage’s Florida/Caribbean office. Mr. Hansen was also Brokerage Director of Prudential Select’s Florida operation and Brokerage Director in Atlanta , GA as well as being with Prudential’s Group Operation in the Northeast.
He is a past president of the Palm Beach Chapter and served on the national Chapter Liaison team. He is a member of the Association for Advanced Life Underwriting, Estate Planning Council, Financial Planning Association, and National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors.
Mr. Hansen is active in alumni activities for Stetson University, having served on the University Board of Trustees. He also served as National Alumni President and is currently on the Business School Board of Trustees and Alumni Association Board. He is active in his church as well as his community. Mr. Hansen earned his undergraduate degree from Stetson University in DeLand , FL and his M.B.A. from Florida State University in Tallahassee , FL. He earned his CFP in 1976, his CLU in 1981, and his ChFC in 1983.

Educational and Professional Showcase Session Speakers

Jay Adkisson, JD, earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1988, and was a member of the Oklahoma Law Review. He has been admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Oklahoma (1989), Texas (1993) and California (2007), the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th, 10th, and 11th Circuits, and numerous federal district courts nationwide.
Jay is a founding partner of Riser Adkisson LLP, with his offices in Southern California and in Dallas, and which firm primarily provides business, tax and estate planning services in certain states and on both coasts. Mr. Adkisson continues to accept some litigation matters, particularly in the area of creditor-debtor law, judgment collections, and related fields.
Nationally known as a leading critic of abusive asset protection and offshore strategies, Mr. Adkisson is the author, along with Mr. Chris Riser, of Asset Protection: Concepts and Strategies (McGraw-Hill, 2004), which is the all-time bestselling book on the topic of asset protection. He has been quoted on a wide array of legal and financial planning topics by such publications as Forbes, BusinessWeek, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, and National Public Radio.
Mr. Adkisson regularly speaks to professional groups and associations about the ethics and morality of asset protection planning, and the need for such planning to be fully disclosed and legal. He has presented to the American Bar Association, many state and county bar associations, the University of Miami's Heckerling Institute, the Southern California Tax & Estate Planning Forum and other prestigious groups. He is the only asset protection planner to have lectured to both the U.S. Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service about how to defeat certain asset protection strategies.

Attorney Robert G. Alexander, JD, LLM, AEP, EPLS, is the president and majority shareholder in the law firm of Alexander and Klemmer, S.C., located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  He entered private practice in 1978 and concentrates his practice in the areas of estate planning and advising family businesses, including federal estate and gift taxation, trust and estate administration, fiduciary income taxation, life insurance planning, retirement planning, charitable planning, business organization, and succession planning.  

Attorney Alexander is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin - Madison (B.A. English, 1971), the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School (JD, 1976), and DePaul University (LLM taxation, 1984).  He is admitted to practice before all courts in the State of Wisconsin, the U. S. Federal Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Tax Court.  He is a member of the American Bar Association sections on Real Property, Probate and Trust Law and Taxation; the State Bar of Wisconsin; the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils; the Milwaukee and Waukesha Estate Planning Councils; the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys; the National Committee on Planned Giving; the Planned Giving Council of Eastern Wisconsin; and the Society of Financial Service Professionals.  Attorney Alexander serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils (NAEPC) and the Milwaukee Estate Planning Council.  He has earned designations as a Board Certified Estate Planning Law Specialist (EPLS) as accredited by the American Bar Association and as an Accredited Estate Planner (AEP) by the NAEPC.   He is currently publishing editor of the NAEPC’s academic journal, The NAEPC Journal of Estate and Tax Planning.  Attorney Alexander serves on the NAEPC committee administering the Accredited Estate Planner designation and is on the Board of Directors of the Estate Planning Law Specialists Board, Inc.  Currently he is chairperson of the NAEPC value and publications committees, and is on the Steering Committee of the Synergy Summit, a leading national estate, tax and financial services think tank, where he also serves as an officer.  Attorney Alexander is a nationally known speaker who lectures and teaches extensively for both public and private organizations including attorney and CPA continuing education, major insurance companies, brokerage firms, banks, trust companies, charitable organizations and various local colleges. 

Beth Ashmore is co-owner of Ashmore & Associates Insurance Agency, L.L.C. along with her husband, Wilburn. They have owned their own insurance agency since 1979. The agency deals primarily in all aspects of Business Insurance, Financial Planning, and Property and Casualty. Ms. Ashmore is an Honoree in International Who's Who of Professional and Business Women. She is a frequent speaker on insurance-related issues and at CE classes with LU, HU, civic groups, and on radio. She is currently NAHU President, serving as chair of the executive committee and the National board of trustees.  Ms. Ashmore is listed in the Heritage Registry of Who’s Who.

Dennis M. Axman, CLU, ChFC, AEP, CFP, is a native Kentuckian who attended Bellarmine College in Louisville.  He joined The Prudential Insurance Company of America as a representative in Louisville in 1970 and was later promoted to sales manager, assistant to the vice president, and general manager in Kentucky. He later transferred to Macon, Georgia, as manager.  In November 1991, he transferred to the Gulf Atlantic Agency as manager of its Orange Park Detached Office. In 1994, he elected to return to personal production and upon returning qualified for the Presidents Citation in just five months.
Mr. Axman earned sixteen Prudential Presidents’ Citations, 3 Circle of Life Awards, one Court of the Table and is a Qualifying & Life member with 12 years of membership in MDRT. In 1998, he qualified for and was accepted into the Prudential Leaders Council. He obtained his Accreditation in Estate Planning (AEP) in February 2000 from the National Association of Estate Planning Council and he earned his Certified Financial Planner Designation (CFP), in March 2000.  Mr. Axman retired from Prudential in July 2006, and became an Associate Producer/Financial Planner with Laino & Associates also in Jacksonville Florida. In July 2007, he became a Life Product Wholesaler for The Prudential Insurance Company of America
Long active in local, state and national Association of Life Underwriters activities,
Mr. Axman is a member of the Association for Advanced Life Underwriting. He earned his Chartered Life Underwriter designation (CLU) in 1989 and his Chartered Financial Consultant designation (ChFC) in 1996.  He has been a member of the Financial Planning Association since 1983.  He earned his Pension Specialist designation from Prudential in 1991 and has been a member of the Northeast Florida Estate Planning Council for the past 13 years. He is also a member of the Jacksonville Society of Financial Service Professionals, and a member of the Northeast Florida Planned Giving Council.  He has held many positions volunteering for the Million Dollar Round Table.

M. Michael Babikian, JD, LLM, is vice-president strategic marketing, Transamerica Insurance and Investment Group (TIIG), in Los Angeles, California, which encompasses advanced marketing, premium financing, and field education.  In this capacity, he is responsible for the development and implementation of marketing programs. Mr. Babikian is a frequent speaker for professional groups in the areas of estate and business planning, retirement planning, charitable giving, and the use and taxation of life insurance. He was formerly with the the Personal Financial Planning Department of KPMG where he consulted with high-net worth clients and their tax and legal counsel on complex financial, tax and estate planning issues. 
Mr. Babikian is currently an adjunct assistant professor of Law at Glendale University College of Law where he is a member of the Board of Directors. He was a member of the Board of Trustees for the Glendale Bar Association and served as the chairman of the Board of Directors for the Glendale Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service. He was also the Committee Chair for the Continuing Legal Education Committee of the Armenian Bar Association and a member of the American Bar Association’s Tax Committee for Exempt Organizations.
Mr. Babikian completed his undergraduate studies at the University of California at Irvine and went on to receive a law degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. He was awarded a master of laws in taxation at the University of San Diego and a master of business administration from the University of Southern California.

Ben G. Baldwin, Jr., MSFS, MSM, CLU, ChFC, CFP, AEP, is president and owner of Baldwin Financial Systems, LLC., Arlington Heights, IL., a registered investment advisory firm specializing in financial education and consulting for corporate and individual clients.  He served on the Society of FSP National Board of Directors 2001-2004 and as the first chairperson of its Financial Planning professional interest section.  He was a co-recipient of the Society’s Kenneth Black Jr. Leadership Award in 2006.

A registered representative of AXA Advisors, LLC and an agent of AXA Equitable, he is the author of numerous articles on financial planning, and has conducted scores of educational sessions for  broker/dealer groups and industry associations. Mr. Baldwin is the author of The Complete Book of Insurance (Irwin Professional Publishing 1996), The New Life Insurance Investment Advisor (Probus 1988, McGraw-Hill 1994; Second Edition 2002), and The Lawyer’s Guide to Insurance (American Bar Association, Senior Lawyers Division 1999).

He is the first recipient of the prestigious Loren Dunton Award, presented by the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA), in recognition of his significant contributions as an agent, author, leader, educator and financial planner to the financial service profession and the public.  In 2004, he was one of ten individuals chosen to receive recognition as a Distinguished Accredited Estate Planner from the National Association of Estate Planners.

A graduate of the University of Rochester, he earned MSFS and MSM degrees from The American College in Bryn Mawr, Pa.  In addition, he is a Chartered Life Underwriter, Chartered Financial Consultant and a Certified Financial Planner. 

Ben G. Baldwin III, CFP, ChFC, is founder and president of Responsive Financial Group, Inc. (RFG), an SEC-registered investment advisory firm based in Rolling Meadows, IL.  RFG provides investment & wealth management advice and services to families and business owners who choose to define their legacy.  He is also a director of Baldwin Financial Systems, LLC, an Illinois-registered investment advisory firm. 

Mr. Baldwin entered the financial services industry by joining his father's practice in 1989 after seven years service as a naval aviator, just as his father joined his grandfather after seven years as a Navy pilot 25 years earlier.  After eight years with his father, he began a journey of independence, first with an insurance brokerage agency in Chicago, AW Ormiston & Co. (1997), then by founding The Financial Concepts Company (TFCC, 1999)—his first investment advisory firm—with a partner.   

After successfully growing TFCC through the tech collapse, Mr. Baldwin founded RFG (on April Fools Day) in 2003. RFG rolled up the advisory services of TFCC and bought out the same of an unrelated investment advisory firm, Responsive Financial Services, Inc. He recently dropped his registered representative registration.  While he retains his Illinois Life Insurance license it is for advisory purposes only, as his firm is dedicated to providing investment and wealth management advice and services. 

He is also a consultant to TIAA-Cref® Life Insurance for the structure, development, implementation and training of “Intelligent Life,” a true no commission variable universal life insurance policy developed for use by “fee only” investment advisors, family offices, trust departments, and other fiduciaries.
 
Jordana Balsam has been involved in life settlements for more than five years and has held her life and health license in the State of New York since 2004. She helped pioneer the company’s entry into the life settlement marketplace and completed some of the industry’s first transactions.  Prior to founding Balsam Settlement Management, LLC, she served as a business development executive for DoubleClick Inc. and was instrumental in developing the financial services sector of the company. Previous to this, Ms. Balsam held various positions as director of international sales & marketing, director of business development, and sales for technology companies. A member of the Life Insurance Settlement Association, she is nationally recognized as an expert in this field, and has spoken across the country to various prestigious financial and insurance groups. She has authored many articles on the topic of life settlements. Ms. Balsam holds a bachelor of arts degree from Stern College in New York.

Mickey Batsell, CLU, FLMI, CSA, CASL, MBA, is an experienced financial service professional specializing in long-term care and related issues including Medicare, Medicaid, home healthcare, nursing homecare, wealth transfer, and the selection of long-term care facilities. In the top one hundred LTC producers in the country since 2001, he currently serves as vice president, Sales with Individual Commercial Brokerage.
A member of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, and the Society of Certified Senior Advisors, Mr. Batsell most recently served as liaison officer for five Texas FSP Chapters and as the 2005 President of Texas Leaders Round Table (TLRT).  He is a member of the Alliance of Financial Management Professionals’ Board of Directors. He has also been a member of the Task Force 20, the nominating committee for AHIA, and a frequent presenter of Society educational programs.

Active in his profession, community, and church, Mr. Batsell is a regular guest on radio talk shows on matters relating to financial services.  He is a passionate advocate of asset preservation in the long-term care arena and speaks on a wide range of senior issues through monthly seminars, civic and church group functions, and published articles.

Mr. Batsell is a retired USAFR Lt. Colonel who served in the USAF Special Operations.  He is an active member of the Warrior Foundation, which provides scholarships to children of fallen Special Operations soldiers from all branches.  In the fall, he officiates at Texas high school football games.

Richard Bell, CLU, ChFC, CFP, MSFS, is the owner of Bell Financial, a two-person insurance and financial planning firm located in Calabasas, CA.  He works with closely held corporations and their owners in all aspects of employee benefits and personal financial planning. 

A graduate of Northwestern University, Mr. Bell also has an M.S. in Financial Services from The American College.  Professional credentials include CLU, ChFC, CFP, RHU and REBC. He served as national president of the Society of Financial Service Professionals in 2003-2004 and as chairman of the Foundation for Financial Service Professionals in 2004-2005.  In 2007 he became the third recipient of the SFSP Kenneth Black, Jr. Leadership Award.

Mr. Bell was instrumental in founding the Foundation’s “Financial Education Partners” program wherein members of the SFSP provide pro bono financial counseling services for those in need.  In 2007 the FEP project was presented their “Making a Difference” award by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. 

Professional memberships include AHIA, NAIFA, NAHU, MDRT and SFSP.  He is a 32-year member of the Million Dollar Round Table and has addressed their annual meeting.  His articles have been published in California Broker, Life Insurance Selling and National Underwriter.

Andre Blaze is the director of marketing and institutional training for Succession Capital Alliance, an affiliate of CMS.  He joined the team in 2002 and brings his experience in premium financing as well as his 26 years in the financial industry to enhance the national promotion of traditional premium financing using the CMS program.  CMS is the largest and longest running traditional premium financing program in the life insurance industry. Mr. Blaze has authored several articles on a wide range of financial topics and is a valuable resource in regard to the understanding of life insurance premium financing, its suitability, and case design.

Thomas M. Brinker, Jr., CPA/PFS, ChFC, CFE, AEP, LLM, is professor of accounting at Arcadia University (formerly Beaver College) in Glenside, Pennsylvania. He also serves as coordinator for the accounting program in the Department of Business/Health Administration and Economics. He is a graduate of Saint Joseph’s University, where he graduated cum laude. He also holds masters degrees in taxation (M.S.T.) and accounting (M.S.A.) from Widener University, a Juris Doctorate in International Law from Columbia Pacific University, and an LL.M. in International Taxation from Regent University School of Law, where he received the distinction of “Outstanding Graduate” in his class. Mr. Brinker is also a member of the American and Pennsylvania Institutes of Certified Public Accountants, the International Bar Association, and the Caribbean Bar Association. In addition to presenting nationally and internationally on various tax topics, he has published dozens of articles in numerous journals, including The Journal of International Taxation, The Tax Adviser, The CPA Journal, The Journal of Practical Estate Planning, and The Journal of Financial Services Professionals.
In addition, Mr. Brinker is an adjunct professor of taxation in the graduate and professional programs of both The American College and Philadelphia University. Prior to receiving his appointment at Arcadia University, Mr. Brinker served as an adjunct professor of accounting and taxation throughout the Philadelphia area. He has taught in the undergraduate and graduate programs of Saint Joseph’s University, West Chester University, and Widener University. He has received awards for teaching excellence, including the Lindback Foundation Award for Distinguished Teaching, and lectures primarily in the financial accounting and individual tax areas. Prior to co-founding his CPA firm, Mr. Brinker was a member of both the audit and tax departments of Coopers & Lybrand and Arthur Young & Company. He is currently a tax consultant at a suburban Philadelphia CPA firm. His practice concentrates in tax planning and compliance for individuals and businesses.

Keith Burck, CFP, CLU, ChFC, is vice president investment consultant at Alerus Securities Corporation in Fargo, North Dakota.  His 20 years of experience includes substantial time spent in financial services.

As Alerus Financial continues to grow and evolve beyond the realm of banking-related products and services, Mr. Burck’s expertise with stocks, bonds, and professional money management enhances their abilities as a single-source financial resource center for people with a wide variety of financial needs.  He also serves as an insurance specialist for Alerus Financial.

Following graduation from University of North Dakota in 1977, Mr. Burck joined Western State Life Insurance at the company’s home office in Fargo where he served as assistant vice president, director of agencies.  He joined the investment firm of E.F. Hutton in 1986 until joining Alerus in 1994.  Mr. Burck earned the CLU and ChFC professional designations from the American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania and was awarded the Certified Financial Planner license through the College for Financial Planning in Denver.  He has served on the Board of Directors of the Society of Financial Service Professionals, a national organization of credentialed professionals, as well as numerous local organizations.

April Caudill, JD, CLU, ChFC, is a director of advanced marketing for Prudential Financial in Plymouth, Minnesota.  Her responsibilities include field sales support and oversight of the updating and new development of advanced market reference materials.
Prior to joining Prudential, Ms. Caudill was the managing editor of Tax Facts at the National Underwriter Company, where she worked for 19 years.  Her primary areas of specialty included qualified plans, ERISA, distribution planning and the taxation of investments. She is an associate editor and pension planning columnist for the Journal of Financial Service Professionals and the 2002 first place winner of the Kenneth Black Jr. Journal Author Award presented by the Foundation for Financial Service Professionals.  Ms. Caudill is a contributor to Retirement Income Redesigned by Harold Evensky & Deena Katz (Bloomberg, 2006) and co-author of The Mutual Fund Handbook (National Underwriter Co., 2001).  She is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati and the Salmon P. Chase College of Law.

Philip Chuba, CLU, FALU, FLMI, ACS, is the vice president of life underwriting for Prudential and works in the Minneapolis National Service Office. His primary responsibilities are risk assessment on life insurance applications and the training and development of the underwriting staff. Mr. Chuba joined Prudential in 1990 and his entire career has been dedicated to underwriting.  He has had a long history of working on large amount cases, foreign resident and travel risks and has the signature authority of $30,000,000 for Prudential Life Insurance policies.

Mr. Chuba has a Bachelor’s degree from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota with a major in marketing and a minor in organizational psychology.  He holds the designations of CLU, FALU, FLMI and ACS and he is a Registered Principal.  Mr. Chuba served on the Education Committee for the Academy of Life Underwriting and is a frequent speaker at industry events.  He lives in Elk River, Minnesota with his wife and four children.  He enjoys all sports and is a hockey and soccer coach.

Michael L. Coben is senior vice president, account services, for Coventry, the leader in secondary market for life insurance and the company that pioneered the life settlement industry. With more than 22 years of experience in building successful sales teams, Mr. Coben leads the company’s sales initiatives as the secondary market for life insurance continues to expand. He is also a respected national educator and speaker on the secondary market for life insurance. Mr. Coben is instrumental in developing national strategic alliances and increasing broker/dealer distribution for the company as well as overseeing Coventry’s twenty account services teams.

Prior to joining Coventry, Mr. Coben was regional director for Jackson National Life’s Mid-Atlantic Region where he was responsible for the distribution and sales management of life, annuity, and variable products. Before joining Jackson National Life, he was a leading life wholesaler nationally for Manulife Financial’s Mid-Atlantic Regional office where he also served as the associate general manager. A graduate of Dickinson College, Mr. Coben holds his Series 6, 26, and 63 licenses.

Margaret May Damen, CFP, CLU, ChFC, CDFA, empowers women to create their public and private wealth legacy unique to their passion and purpose to make a difference in the world. She began her focus on women’s financial issues in 1990 with the publication of her book, Money$ense for Women. Today, her renowned workshop series, “The Life You Live is the Legacy You Leave,” transcends traditional estate planning and empowers women to resolve existing psychological or emotional barriers that inhibit meaningful individual and family philanthropic giving. Ms. Damen retired as a senior financial advisor and managing principal with American Express Financial Advisors after a successful 18-year career. Her career in finance began in the mid 70s when she was a vice-president for development and fundraising for Boston University. She received her Bachelor and Masters degrees from Boston University. She was an instructor in investment and money management at Florida Atlantic University’s continuing education department and is past president of the Treasure Coast Planned Giving Council. Ms. Damen is a member of the Stuart/Martin County Estate Planning Council, the Institute of Certified Financial Planners, Advisors in Philanthropy and Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties Estate Planning Core Group.
Ms. Damen is listed in “Who’s Who in Finance in America” and is a recipient of the Brandeis Women of the Year award and the Executive Women of the Palm Beach’s Leadership Award.  She is an accomplished trainer and public speaker. Her financial expertise, her experience in estate planning, philanthropic giving, and her ability to speak from the heart allows her to bring a unique and inspirational message to her clients and audiences. Her latest book, Purposeful Giving: Boom-Generation Women’s Destiny, will be published by John Wiley & Sons in spring 2009.

Terri Getman, JD, CLU, ChFC, AEP, is vice president, advanced marketing at Prudential Financial. She leads a team of advanced marketing specialists that helps producers and advisors develop life insurance solutions for estate, business, and executive benefit plans. Ms. Getman earned her undergraduate degree from the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia and a Juris Doctor degree (JD) from Drake Law School, Des Moines, Iowa and is a member of the Iowa Bar.

Ms. Getman’s background encompasses both field and home office assignments. In her 23 years experience as a marketing professional in financial services, she has developed a unique ability to tie sales applications to advanced marketing concepts. She is a popular industry speaker and trainer on advanced marketing subjects and is a frequent contributor to industry publications. Ms. Getman is an active leader in the Society of Financial Service Professionals (SFSP), having been a member of the organization's national board. She has distinguished herself as co-founder of a financial planning firm, which was rated one of the most respected by Money magazine. In addition, Ms. Getman has been listed in "Who's Who of American Women," "Who's Who Among Young American Professionals," and "Who's Who in the Midwest."

Ernest J. Guerriero, CLU, ChFC, CEBS, CPCU, CPC, CMS, is the director, qualified plan marketing, for National Life Group. He is responsible for the development and implementation of sales and marketing strategies for retirement and wealth management products and services for National Life Group’s distribution channels. Mr. Guerriero provides technical expertise and sales assistance in the implementation and retention of retirement and distribution products and services both in the qualified and non-qualified areas.
Prior to joining National Life Group, Mr. Guerriero was the assistant vice president of retirement plan marketing for the MONY Group. He was responsible for developing and conducting training sessions for field distribution personnel, explaining technical aspects of qualified plans as well as marketing and sales techniques, assisting sales personnel on sales calls, tracking, analyzing and effectively responding to legislative and competitive issues, creating and producing marketing materials and developing marketing strategies for existing clients and prospects. He was also responsible for MONY’s Qualified for Success program, which is geared toward MONY and its affiliates’ top producers, to assist their successes in the qualified plans area.
Prior to joining MONY, Mr. Guerriero was the pension specialist for the Northeast marketing division of the CUNA Mutual Group where he was responsible for the development and implementation of divisional strategy for pension and executive benefit products and services for credit unions and their sponsor groups. 
Mr. Guerriero has also been involved in the independent insurance agency system as a group sales manager. He was responsible for the implementation and sales of voluntary deduction employee benefit programs in the property and casualty, life and health and asset accumulation areas.  He has also been involved in the individual sales and service of life, health and property and casualty products and was responsible for the profit and loss of a branch office of an independent insurance agency.
Mr. Guerriero is a past Board Member of PIA and is a speaker and continuing education instructor with PIA of NY, NJ, and CT.  He has also taught insurance and professional designation classes at the College of Saint Rose and Ulster County Community College.

Daniel L. Hughes, CLU, ChFC, CFP, CMFC, is vice president, agency distribution field support at Prudential Financial. Mr. Hughes entered the financial services field in 1991 following a 23-career with the U.S. Marine Corps as an enlisted member, officer, and pilot. Joining Home Life Insurance Company as a representative in 1991, he rapidly advanced into sales management and was the district manager/supervising principal for Phoenix Home Life Insurance Company/W.S. Griffith Securities, Inc. in Kansas City, Missouri.

Mr. Hughes joined Prudential in 1997 as part of the financial planning field implementation team serving as a senior field consultant, later as territorial director of financial planning, and then as a national vice president of financial planning. He is currently responsible for the nationwide implementation of the Prudential’s practice building programs in support of agency distribution system to include mentoring programs for senior field associates. Mr. Hughes holds professional designations as a CLU, ChFC, CFP, and CMFC, and professional licenses in life/health as well as his series 7, 8, 9, 63, 65 and 24. He is a registered and supervisory principal for Pruco Securities with the FINRA. His professional education includes a Masters in Business Administration in Finance. He is a member of the Society of Financial Service Professionals and the Financial Planning Association.

Hugh A. Johnson serves as the chairman of Johnson Illington Advisors, LLC. In this position, he manages $712 million in equity, fixed income, and cash investments for individual and institutional clients and serves as a consultant to $879 million in institutional assets.  In order to manage these assets effectively, Mr. Johnson formulates a broader outlook for the stock and bond markets by combining his knowledge of financial markets and economic history with an understanding of how market cycles work.  He has originated indicators that define the status of Federal Reserve policy and identify those sectors of the stock and bond markets that investors should focus on and when they should do so.

Mr. Johnson’s work has appeared in the New York Times, USA Today, BusinessWeek, and other leading newspapers and periodicals around the world. He has been a regular guest on CNBC, and was a special guest on Wall Street Week with Louis Ruykeyser.  He has also appeared on NBC Nightly News, ABC World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, and Nightly Business Report.  He serves as an economic advisor to the Chairman of the New York State Assembly Committee on Ways and Means and is director of New York Business Development Corporation. 

Stan Miller, JD, is the senior shareholder of Miller & Schrader, P.A., a national estate planning law firm based in Little Rock, Arkansas.  He is a founder and principal of WealthCounsel, LLC, a leading provider of education and document drafting software to attorneys nationwide.  He is also a founder and principal of WealthCounsel Advisors Forum, LLC, a national membership organization created for the purpose of improving the quality of interdisciplinary planning between attorneys, financial advisors, and CPAs.

Mr. Miller advises clients with respect to a wide range of issues relating to wills and trusts, estate planning, trust administration, corporate and partnership matters, charitable giving, private foundations, supporting organizations, life insurance, and taxation.  In addition, Mr. Miller counsels clients on matters relating to family owned businesses, including exit and succession planning, governance and control, and the significance of these issues to family relationships.

Jonathan Mintz, JD, is the executive director of The Advisors Forum LLC. He is responsible for oversight of all marketing tools, coaching, and training provided by the 450-plus member interdisciplinary organization (including accountants, attorneys, financial planners, insurance advisors, and trust officers) that provides a proven system for all wealth planning professionals to provide more comprehensive planning services for their clients while working together more productively and profitably. He is a frequent author and speaker on all areas of wealth planning, including effective collaboration among estate and financial planning professionals and the application of life insurance in wealth planning.  Mr. Mintz also serves as the director of education and technical legal support for WealthCounsel, LLC; executive director and senior editor, The Academy of Multi-disciplinary Practice, Inc.; and director of technical legal support, National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys.

Tracy Oishi, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF, began his career in 1971 with the Aetna Life and Casualty. He started as an agent, then moved into a supervisory role hiring and training new agents. While with the Aetna he relocated to St. Louis to be an advanced life specialist covering four states. Over the last ten years he has been with American Express Financial Advisors (Ameriprise), and Thrivent Financial in the capacity of an RVP wholesaling insurance products to their advisors and representatives while covering multiple states. He has been a national manager of life sales for Thrivent for their insurance wholesalers. Mr. Oishi is currently working as an independent consultant with several agents and advisors in several states to help them identify opportunities in their client bases. Mr. Oishi has participated in several Society video teleconferences.

John A. Oliver, CLU, ChFC, is vice president, field development, for Transamerica Occidental Life Insurance Company and Transamerica Insurance & Investment Group.  Mr. Oliver’s primary responsibility is to identify, develop, and support marketing strategies, as well as support the company’s regional vice president network in their sales efforts.  A popular lecturer, Mr. Oliver has created and presented more than 300 continuing education seminars to life insurance agents, attorneys, and certified public accountants.  His articles on advanced planning with life insurance products have appeared in National Underwriter, Investment Advisor and the Journal of Financial Service Professionals.  Mr. Oliver graduated from San Diego State University, magna cum laude, with a Bachelor of Science degree in business management. He also completed a master of business administration degree program with an emphasis in finance.

John L. Olsen, CLU, ChFC, AEP, is an estate and financial planner who has been practicing in St. Louis County, Missouri for over 30 years.  In addition to serving his personal clients, Mr. Olsen consults with investment, legal, and accounting professionals on insurance, annuity, and estate and financial planning cases and provides expert witness testimony in these areas. A significant part of Mr. Olsen’s practice consists of consulting with advisors on estate and financial planning software.  He serves on the Board of Directors of the St. Louis chapter of NAIFA and the St. Louis Estate Planning Council, is a former Board member of the St. Louis Chapter of the Society of FSP, and serves on the Continuing Legal Education Advisory Board of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys. He is co-author of The Annuity Advisor (National Underwriter Co., 2005) and has written numerous articles and presentations on annuities, insurance, and planning software. He is a sought-after speaker, having presented to the S. CA Tax & Estate Planning Forum, the national conventions of Society of FSP and FPA, to various Estate Planning Councils, Society of FSP and NAIFA chapters, and other industry groups.

Nancy M. Rice, Esq., CELA, focuses her practice in the areas of wills, trusts, and estates, financial planning for persons with disabilities, and persons in need of home health, assisted living, and nursing home care. She is the managing shareholder of her four-attorney firm, with offices in Haddonfield, and Ocean City, New Jersey.  Ms. Rice graduated in 1983 from Chestnut Hill College (summa cum laude) and earned her JD degree from the Villanova University School of Law in 1986. Since 1997, she has been certified as an Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation. Ms. Rice is admitted to practice law in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

She is a past president of the Estate and Financial Planning Council of Southern New Jersey, a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the American Bar Association, the New Jersey State Bar Association (Elder Law Section), the Pennsylvania Bar Association, and the Camden County Bar Association (serving on the Committee of the Elderly). Ms. Rice is a frequent lecturer for the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE), and has made presentations to the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Professional Education Systems, Inc. (PESI), the Alzheimer’s Association, the Estate and Financial Planning Council, the New Jersey Disability Law Project, local insurance and financial planning professionals, and local seniors’ and caregivers’ support groups.

James A. Soressi, Esq., AEP, MSFS, was with Guardian Life Insurance Co. from 1986 to 2008. He began employment with Guardian on the staff of the Estate, Business and Financial Planning Services Department in October 1986. In 1989, to gain experience in private practice, he joined the firm of Munley, Meade, Burns & Nielsen, P.C., in Great Neck, NY, where he was responsible for the management of the firm’s estates and trusts practice. In addition to the administration of estates, he drafted simple and complex estate planning documents such as wills, revocable trusts, irrevocable life Insurance trusts, dynasty (GSTT) trusts, GRATs, buy-sell agreements, etc., while considering the minimization of income, estate, gift and generation skipping transfer taxes. He was also a member of the adjunct faculty at Adelphi University where he taught the wills, trusts and estates segments of its paralegal program. 

Mr. Soressi returned to Guardian in 1992 and later that year was appointed director of Estate Planning. He was appointed assistant vice president in 1996 and became the advocate for the Guardian Elite in 1999. His primary responsibility was to elite members, but as senior attorney within the department, he provided support to the field on buy-sell, executive benefit and estate planning, individual casework, prepared publications and marketing materials distributed to the field force, and conducts seminars and conferences. In 2001, he assumed responsibility for Advanced Planning’s Case Development Department and played an integral role in Shadow Advisorssm.

Mr. Soressi is a member of the New York City Estate Planning Council, the Association of Advanced Life Underwriters (AALU) and the American and New York State Bar Associations. He received his Accredited Estate Planner (AEP) designation in May, 2002 and his Master of Science of Financial Services (MSFS) this year, both from the American College.

Terence B. Stanaland, JD, ChFC, CPA, practices law in Greensboro, N.C., limiting his practice to estate and tax matters. He is a frequent author and lecturer and regularly consults with financial services companies on tax strategies. In 2001 he was named the speaker of the year for the North Carolina Association of CPAs.  Mr. Stanaland graduated from East Carolina University magna cum laude, and earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida School of Law. While in law school, he was a member of the Order of the Barristers and a successful competitor on the National Moot Court Team. Now an experienced attorney and certified public accountant, he earned his Chartered Financial Consultant designation in 1988.  He is a member of the North Carolina Association of CPAs and the Florida Institute of CPAs and a member of the Florida, North Carolina and Greensboro Bar Associations.  A frequent lecturer and author on financial and tax topics, he has served on the Boards of Directors of several organizations, including the Greensboro Association of Life Underwriters, Greensboro Bar Association, and the Greensboro Chapter of the Society of Financial Service Professionals. 

Andrew Torelli, CLU, ChFC, MSFS, is a principal in e3Financial, an employee benefit consulting and brokerage firm headquartered in Newport Beach, CA.  His 16-person firm specializes in the creative design, implementation, and ongoing management of employee and executive benefits. Founded in 1988, e3Financial has morphed from an employee benefit generalist to a very narrow market focus.  Clients are entrepreneurial service companies in two primary sectors: (1) financial service companies (i.e. asset managers, private equity firms, venture capitalists and investment banking firms; (2) real estate development service companies (i.e. developers, architects, engineers, and project managers). His professional memberships include NAIFA, NAHU, MDRT and SFSP.  He is a past president of the San Fernando Valley NAIFA Chapter.  Mr. Torelli is a 27-year member of the Million Dollar Round Table with numerous Top of the Table qualifications.  He addressed their annual meeting in 2007.

Sam G. Torolopoulos, CPA-ABV, ASA, is president of ATI Capital Group, Inc. and has been active in the field of financial consulting, executive compensation planning, and business valuation-related activities for over 23 years. Mr. Torolopoulos has earned the highest designation obtainable in his profession, accredited senior appraiser (ASA), as offered by the American Society of Appraisers, Business Valuation discipline.  As well, he has earned the designation of ABV, which is the highest business valuation designation offered by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.  His valuation experience has included numerous industries, including (but not limited to) computer hardware and software, ISPs, cable television, heavy and light manufacturing, telecommunications, wholesale distributions, oil and gas services, aerospace-related industries, citrus growers, automobile dealerships, insurance and fidelity bond underwriters, retail, construction and real estate developers, book retailers, asset/estate planning, partnerships, limited liability companies, and a wide range of service providers such as engineers, dental, and medical professional practices.

Diedre Wachbrit, Esq., is one of the nation’s leading estate planning attorneys and is certified by the California Board of Legal Specialization in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law. She focuses her practice on helping parents protect their families from taxes, incapacity, probate, and uncertainty.
A graduate of Stanford Law School where she was chair of the Stanford Journal of Law, Business & Finance, she is also a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of University of California, Irvine magna cum laude where she graduated first in her class of over 800 students.
Prior to opening her law practice, Ms. Wachbrit was a senior associate at the international consulting firm, McKinsey & Company, where she provided strategic business advice to some of the nation’s largest and best-known firms. Previously, she was an associate at Sullivan & Cromwell and at Kirkland & Ellis, both international law firms. Ms. Wachbrit is licensed to practice law in all California State Courts, the California Supreme Court, the United States Tax Court, and the United States Supreme Court.

Carl R. Waldman, Esq., is the principal of Carl R. Waldman, A Law Corporation,
located in Westlake Village, California. Mr. Waldman emphasizes tax planning and
estate planning for business owners and executives as well as charitable planning and trust and estate administration law. He is a member of the State Bar of California, American Bar Association Section of Taxation, Beverly Hills Bar Association and Los Angeles County Bar Association. Mr. Waldman is the author or co-author of several articles on estate planning issues. He was a guest lecturer for the estate planning for practitioners course at California State University at Northridge from 1985 through 1990 in addition to lecturing for the Western Pension Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, the University of San Diego School of Law, Los Angeles Campus, the California Society of CPAs, and a host of other organizations.

Richard M. Weber, MBA, CLU, is a 40-year veteran of the life insurance industry, having been a successful agent, an insurance company executive, and now a consultant to insurers and their agents on the topics of technology andethical selling.  Author of more than 200 articles encompassing products, sales practices, and the due diligence necessary to buy and sell insurance, his newest book is Revealing Life Insurance Secrets: How the Pros Pick, Design, and Evaluate Their Own Policies, published by Marketplace Books.  Mr. Weber has been a member of the Society of Financial Service Professionals since 1974 and has served on its national Board of Directors.  To view a series of webcasts on retirement planning for baby boomers, produced and featuring Mr. Weber, visit: http://www.financialpro.org/foundation/babyboomer_webcast.cfm