At its FPA BE national conference in Boston — marking its 15th anniversary since the merger of the IAFP and ICFP — the leadership of the Financial Planning Association announced on Sunday additions to its board, a new president-elect and additions to its “Knowledge Circles” groupings of FPA members who dialogue on specific topics.
Current President-elect Pamela Sandy said the FPA Board chose on Friday a new president-elect for 2016 — Shannon Pike of Asset Management Advisors in Houston — and added to its board with terms beginning Jan. 1, 2016 for John (Dick) Power of Power Plans in Walpole, Massachusetts; Michael Shockley of RGT Capital Management in Irvine, California; and Todd Stanard of Lincoln Financial Advisors in Paramus, New Jersey.
The new Circles — whose members meet virtually or in person and are “designed to integrate” knowledge on specific topics for members, said CEO Lauren Schadle — cover Women in Finance, tax planning and Theory and Practice, a group designed to match academic researchers and practitioners. They join the existing Knowledge Circles — Business Success, Estate Planning, International/Cross-Border Planning, Investment Planning and Retirement Planning.
FPA Pesident Ed Gjertsen stressed that the Association, which has 24,636 members as of Sept. 1, is “compensation neutral — a compensation model can’t be used to indicate competence” — and lauded FPA’s new Media Query service, which links the press with FPA members with expertise in specific areas who agree to serve as sources for reporters. All are CFPs, Gjersten said, and all have gone through media training with FPA’s director of public relations, Ben Lewis.
Schadle pointed out that FPA has four “service lines,” including advocacy, practice management, professional development and community, which takes place on the more local level through FPA’s 93 chapters around the country and two state councils, in California and Florida, and through FPA’s 35 student chapters.