An advisor who is considered a "pioneer of the financial planning community" has been named the Financial Planning Association's 2009 P. Kemp Fain Jr. Award recipient.

Eileen M. Sharkey of the Sharkey, Howes & Javer financial planning and investment advisory firm in Denver won the annual award for outstanding contributions to the planning profession, according to the FPA.

Since opening her first financial planning practice in 1978, Sharkey has been active in the field's professional organizations, including the FPA's two predecessor organizations-the International Association for Financial Planning (IAFP) and the Institute of Certified Financial Planners (ICFP).

She founded IAFP's Rocky Mountain Chapter and was a board member, president and chairman of ICFP. Sharkey was also a director of the National Board of Governors of the CFP Board of Standards and has been chairman of the board of the College for Financial Planning since 2004. She also serves on the educational board of the Journal of Practical Estate Planning and sits on the American Association of Individual Investors' expert panel.

She will be honored at the FPA's annual conference in Anaheim, Calif., which will be held October 10 to 13.