The Financial Planning Association on Tuesday announced that Tom Potts will be the organization's president-elect for 2009. Potts, 61, a finance professor and director of the financial services program at Baylor University, has served in various roles with the FPA since the early 1990s. These include chair of CFP Board of Governors in 1993 and, most recently, chair of the Global Advisory Council. He holds the certified financial planner designation, and about 15 years ago gave up being a practicing planner to focus on academia.
Potts will succeed Richard Salmen as president-elect. In turn, Salman will succeed Mark Johannessen as president.
In addition, the FPA on Tuesday said six new members were elected to its Board of Directors--Michael Branham, Diana DeCharles, Paula Hogan, David "Dusty" Huxford, Jr., Martin Kurtz, and Michael Smith.
Branham is a financial planner with Cornerstone Wealth Advisors, Inc. in Edina, Minn. Prior to Cornerstone Wealth Advisors, Branham was a financial planning associate with White Oaks Advisors in Minneapolis. Branham has been a CFP certificant since 2004. He has held leadership roles with FPA of Minnesota including director of career development. In addition, he served as president of NexGen, an FPA community of interest, and on the FPA Boston 2008 Task Force.
DeCharles is a registered principal of Pinnacle Asset Management Group, LLC in Shreveport, La. She has served in various leadership roles locally and nationally for FPA including chapter public relations director and chair of the national pro bono committee. DeCharles was instrumental in FPA's efforts to assist victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita securing free office for members to serve those displaced by the disasters.
In addition to FPA, DeCharles has served on the boards of the Caddo Council on Aging, Northwest Louisiana Goodwill and Quota International of Shreveport. A graduate of Louisiana State University, she was named a Rising Young Community Leader by the Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce and received the Athena Award presented by Women's Business Council of the Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce.
Hogan is owner of Hogan Financial Management, LLC, a firm providing comprehensive, fee-only financial planning and portfolio management services in Milwaukee, Wis. Prior to Hogan Financial Management, she oversaw financial planning in a local accounting firm. She received her Bachelor of Arts in economics from Princeton University and her masters degree from Harvard University. Hogan served on FPA's annual conference task force in 2003, was a national board member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors and served as president of the Wisconsin chapter of the American Association of Individual Investors.
Huxford was president of Financial Computer Support, Inc. (FCSI) of Oakland, Md. until it was recently acquired by Morningstar. Financial Computer Support designs, develops, supports and maintains practice management software for financial planners. Prior to FCSI, he was a structural engineer at Sverdrup Technologies in Tullahoma, Tenn. Huxford serves as chair of FPA's Corporate Resource Council and participated in FPA Business Solutions 2008 Task Force. Huxford is a graduate of Virginia Tech.
Kurtz is president of The Planning Center, Inc. in Moline, Ill. Prior to The Planning Center, he was a registered representative of Financial Services Corp. Kurtz served on the FPA of Quad Cities Board of Directors as well as chair of the Board of Professional Review for CFP Board. In addition, he served on FPA Retreat Task Forces in 2007 and 2008 and as a board member of Money Quotient. Kurtz has held various leadership positions within his local community, including charter president of Cedar Falls Optimist Club, board member of Mason City Optimist Club and the Ballet Quad Cities.
Smith is partner/vice president of RTD Financial Advisors, Inc. in Atlanta, Ga. Prior to RTD Financial Advisors, he was a principal and co-founder of Financial Vision Advisors. Smith has served in various leadership positions for the Association, including past president of the local FPA chapter, chair of the Professional Issues Committee, mentor at FPA Residency, member of the FPA Retreat Task Forces in 2002 and 2003, and an advisor on the Journal of Financial Planning Advisory Board. A graduate of Shorter College, he served on the Alumni Governing Board and Shorter College's Heritage Society.