Wright State to host acclaimed financial services professionals at regional conference

LaVaughn Henry, vice president and senior regional officer of the Cincinnati Branch of the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank, will give the LIFT2 Symposium’s lunch keynote address.

Financial services professionals can learn about crucial industry topics from a lineup of nationally recognized speakers that includes leadership from the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank, the Certified Financial Planning Board of Standards (CFP) and BlackRock during the Raj Soin College of Business’ annual LIFT² (Leading Innovation in Finance Today and Tomorrow) Symposium.

Organized by Wright State’s Department of Finance and Financial Services, the symposium takes place Friday, March 18, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Wright State University Nutter Center.

LIFT² is a conference for all financial services professionals, from those in banking and insurance, to the accounting, investing and financial planning industries. Last year’s symposium was attended by more than 150 professionals from across the region.

LaVaughn Henry, vice president and senior regional officer of the Cincinnati Branch of the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank, will give the symposium’s lunch keynote address. Succession planning expert David Grau Sr., J.D., will provide the opening keynote address.

The annual event will address the needs of the next generation of financial services professionals and focus on multiple contemporary issues, such as: Social Security and Medicare, diversity in the financial services industry, clients’ diminished capacity and the expanding use and complexity of exchange traded funds (ETFs).

The Department of Finance and Financial Services, which has one of the oldest CFP board-registered programs in the country, designed the conference to appeal to financial services professionals from across the region who are in client-facing positions and students looking to break into the industry.

“This event highlights the role our faculty, students and alumni play in transforming our financial services industry. I have long known what a great job we do in the Department of Finance and Financial Services. And through the LIFT symposia, the world knows,” said Wright State President David R. Hopkins.

“LIFT² Symposium is our commitment to bringing cutting-edge and timely financial topics to the business community as well as creating opportunities to connect the financial services professionals with our students and faculty,” said Joanne Li, dean of the Raj Soin College of Business.

Attendees will also learn about firm succession planning, pending federal legislation that will have a profound impact on financial services professionals and clients alike and how adult learning theory can be applied to serving diverse client populations.

David Grau Sr., an attorney and succession planning expert, will provide the symposium’s opening keynote address.

“Our goal is to make sure that the discussions are current, cutting-edge and pertinent for the client-facing individual in an increasingly important industry,” said Marlena Akhbari, associate professor and chair of the Department of Finance and Financial Services. “We have the assistance of an excellent board of advisors this year and as a result and outstanding program in terms of the quality of our speakers, the size of the event and the reach we are developing. ”

“Dr. Henry will impart invaluable global insight based upon his seven years of experience as a senior Federal Reserve official,” said Bill Wood, senior lecturer and coordinator of the financial services degree program. “His role in gathering and analyzing current economic information about the growth and the stability of our economy, and his knowledge of monetary policy, provides him with timely information about what the Fed looks at, why they look at it and how they use that information.”

Also highlighting the speaker lineup are Grant Einhorn of BlackRock and Eleanor Blayney from the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards.

“A speaker from the CFP Board of Directors, you don’t get any bigger than that. And BlackRock Investments, they’re the largest investors on the planet,” Wood said.

Register for the LIFT² Symposium at business.wright.edu/finance-and-financial-services/lift.

Early registration ends March 1. Standard registration closes March 10.

As many as six continuing education credits are available for this conference.

Speaker lineup

LaVaughn Henry, Ph.D., is an accomplished senior executive with over 20 years of diverse experience in the fields of business and macroeconomics, consulting/advisory services, interest rate risk and market risk modeling and government affairs. Henry is known as a strong leader with an exceptional history of delivering results based on entrepreneurial insight, analytical rigor and knowledge of the financial policy environment. He is recognized as an exceptional communicator with a keen ability to relay complex economic concepts to a broad set of both lay and professional audiences.

David Grau Sr., J.D., is the author of “Succession Planning for Financial Advisors: Building an Enduring Business,” published by Wiley & Sons. Grau has also written over 85 nationally published articles, white papers and manuals on continuity issues, income perpetuation strategies, mergers and acquisitions, succession planning, tax strategies and internal ownership tracks. Grau was named one of the most influential people in the profession in an industry survey of financial advisors by Financial Planning magazine and is a nationally recognized expert on succession planning in the financial services industry. Grau is also one of the nation’s leading speakers and instructors on equity management and succession planning issues, practice value and valuation and long-range strategic exit plans, having delivered over 750 presentations and workshops. He has spoken at many national securities conferences, including the FPA National Conference, the Financial Services Institute, the Practice Management Institute, IMCA, NAPFA, the Investment Advisor Wealth Summit and Financial Advisor Symposium. His topic will be Succession Planning.

Grant Einhorn, vice president of BlackRock, serves on the iShares Due Diligence Team covering bank clients. The team educates investors on the ETF structure, portfolio applications and due diligence considerations. In addition, he works with ETF analysts to secure iShares placement in model portfolios, recommended lists and fiduciary platforms. Prior to his current role, Einhorn served on the BlackRock National Accounts team, managing strategic home office relationships, driving sales and emerging initiatives with private bank clients. His service with the firm dates back to 2008, joining as a business development associate covering the Greater Chicago territory for the Private Client Group. Einhorn received his B.A. in economics from the University of California, Davis, and is pursuing his M.B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley. He is a certified investment management analyst and FINRA Series 7, 63 and 65 licensed.

Eleanor Blayney, CFP, is the consumer advocate for the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, reaching out to consumers to help them understand how financial planning and CFP professionals can help improve their lives. The author of “Women’s Worth,” a book about how women can make the most of their financial lives, Blayney worked with individual clients for more than 20 years. As the only woman in a four-partner firm, Blayney drew upon her woman’s intuition, communication skills and facility for sustaining relationships to help build a wealth management firm that has served hundreds of clients in the Washington, D.C., area. Blayney helped spearhead the CFP Board’s Women’s Initiative to address the industry’s “feminine famine.” She holds a number of degrees and designations. She earned an M.A. in English literature from the University of Cambridge, U.K., and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. She is a certified financial planner professional. Her topic will be Developing Diversity in the Financial Services Industry.

Elizabeth Jetton, CFP, is the founder of Elizabeth Jetton Coaching and Consulting Services. She is an international speaker, consultant, coach and leader in the financial life planning profession. She has been in the financial services industry since 1981 and a financial planning professional since 1990. Former president of the Financial Planning Association’s National Board of Directors and listed as one of the Top 50 Women in Wealth in 2010, Jetton is passionate about helping individuals, planning professionals and firms thrive and prosper. Her focus is leading and participating in transformational conversations about things that matter. Her topic will be Applying Adult Learning Theory to the Practice of Financial Planning.

Ron A. Rhoades, CFP, J.D., serves as the program director for the Western Kentucky University Financial Planning Program, where he teaches courses in retirement planning, estate planning and investments. He is also an estate planning and tax attorney (member of the Florida Bar) and has his own investment advisory firm serving a small group of select clients. A frequent writer and speaker on all things fiduciary as applied to financial planners and investment advisers, Rhoades served as reporter for FPA’s Fiduciary Task Force and on its government relations committee. He has previously been named Fiduciary of the Year by The Committee for the Fiduciary Standard, one of the Top 25 Most Influential by Investment Advisor magazine and one of the Top 30 Most Influential in NAPFA’s 30-year history. Rhoades’ blog, ScholarFP.blogspot.com, is followed by thousands of financial advisors, and he frequently writes articles for various industry publications. He continues his advocacy on fiduciary issues through frequent visits to Washington, D.C., and he has assisted many organizations with their comment letters and advocacy efforts. His topic will be Reducing Your Reputational Risks in the New Fiduciary Era.

Sue Denny has been the public affairs specialist at the Social Security Administration in Cincinnati since early 2001. Every year she gives hundreds of speeches, presentations and training sessions about Social Security’s programs and benefits to a wide variety of audiences. She also staffs booths at conferences and community events. She serves as the Social Security liaison for professionals and media in the Cincinnati area and is a regular guest on WKRC’s “Simply Money,” a popular drive-time radio program, and WMKV’s “Medicare Moment.” Her passion is public affairs. Denny is a recipient of a Deputy Commissioner’s Team Award, a Deputy Commissioner’s Citation and a Regional Communicator Award. After receiving her M.P.A. in 1998, she was one of 300 outstanding graduate students selected for the Presidential Management Fellowship Program, the federal government’s two-year management training program. She joined the Social Security Administration in August 1998, completing details at several different offices in various positions before becoming the public affairs specialist. Her topic will be Social Security and Medicare Updates for Financial Professionals.

Patricia Faust is a gerontologist specializing in the issues of brain aging, brain health, brain fitness and dementia. Her commitment to the field of brain health and brain fitness is unwavering. She has a Master of Gerontological Studies from Miami University. Posit Science has certified Faust as a brain coach for the Brain Fitness Program and the Cortex with Insight Program. She became a certified brain health coach through Dr. Cynthia Green’s Total Brain Health programs. As the corporate wellness director for Dr. Paul Nussbaum’s Brain Health Center, Faust has educated professionals on the importance of integrating brain health into their total wellness program. Faust has written numerous articles for the Cincinnati Enquirer and for online resources. She has been a guest on local radio and television stations informing the public about the cutting-edge developments in the field of brain aging and brain health. Her topic will be Recognizing and Dealing with Diminished Capacity.