The Financial Planning Association today elected three new members to its Board of Directors. Each new board member will serve a three-year term beginning January 1, 2013.

The newly elected FPA board members will apply their experience and expertise to help guide FPA's strategic  vision  to achieve the organization's goal of advancing the financial planning profession. The new board members are:

·         Stuart H. Armstrong II, CFP, CLU, ChFC, ADPASM, CLTC, of Milton, Mass., is a financial planner at Centinel Financial Group, a firm that provides comprehensive financial planning services to individuals, families, and business owners. Armstrong is currently chair of the FPA Diversity Committee, a national workgroup focused on developing strategies to raise awareness and promote inclusiveness of diverse communities in the financial planning profession. He is a member of FPA of Massachusetts and volunteers with many local non-profit organizations. Armstrong holds a bachelor's degree from Allegheny College.

·         Marguerita "Rita" Cheng, CFP, CRPC, of Bethesda, Md., is a financial planner at Ameriprise Financial. She currently serves as president of FPA of the National Capital Area, and is the 2012 chair of the FPA Diversity Committee Scholarship Subcommittee. Cheng is a CFP Board Ambassador focused on helping educate the public, policy makers and media about the benefits of competent, ethical financial planning. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Science degree from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park.

·         Shannon J. Pike, CFP, of Houston, Texas, is founder and principal of Integra Wealth Advisors, a fee-only wealth management firm that provides financial life planning and investment management services. Pike was a member of the board of directors with FPA of Houston for six years, having served two terms as their president and chair during that time. He also serves on several national FPA task forces including the Leadership Advisory Council, Practitioner Advisory Council and the Heart of Financial Planning Task Force. As a three-year member of the FPA Chapter Leadership Advisory Council, a volunteer group of former chapter presidents who foster chapter leadership, Pike presided as chair in 2011. Pike holds a bachelors degree from the University of Illinois, and a banking degree from the American Institute of Banking.

The 2013 Board comprises 15 total members, which includes the three newly elected members and FPA Executive Director/CEO Lauren M. Schadle, CAE.