Honoring the 2023 Huebner Gold Medal Recipients
In 1975, as The American College of Financial Services approached its 50th anniversary, the Board of Trustees decided to honor those whose role in the development of the institution was of special significance. The Huebner Gold Medal, named for The College's founder, Solomon S. Huebner, is The College’s most prestigious honor and is awarded to people who, through support and dedication to The College and its programs, have moved the institution forward in its mission.
The College awards the Huebner Gold Medal each year at its annual President’s Dinner. The 2023 President’s Dinner was held this past November at the Barnes Foundation, located in the heart of Philadelphia’s beautiful museum district.
Margaret I. Bradshaw, CLU® (posthumously)
This year, we celebrated two recipients. First, we remembered and paid tribute to the late Margaret I. Bradshaw, CLU®. Margaret was a trailblazer, a successful businesswoman, an exemplary advocate of ethics in the insurance industry, and so much more. In 1931, she became the first woman in the United States to earn the Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®) designation. At that time, in the early days of The College, few agents recognized the CLU® —and fewer understood the value of applied knowledge in the insurance industry, or the significance of the designation. Over a relationship with The College that spanned seven decades until her passing at the age of 106 in 2011, Margaret often credited the CLU® for professionalizing the industry and elevating its practitioners in the eyes of the public.
Margaret broke down barriers and paved the way for other women to succeed in the insurance industry. At The College, she was known for the Margaret Bradshaw Lecture Series and generous investment in the Center for Ethics in Financial Services. She was a tireless advocate for ethics and professionalism. She believed that financial services professionals have a responsibility to put the needs of their clients first and she always led by example. She saw the potential of The College to make a difference in the industry—and the world.
Phillip C. Richards, CLU®, RHU®
We also recognized Philip C. Richards, CLU®, RHU®. Phil is the Executive Chairman and Founder of the North Star Resource Group and a member of The College’s Alumni Hall of Fame. Among his many contributions, he has helped drive The College’s growth as an alumnus, a board member, and a champion of our shared mission. In honor of his own mentor and a prior recipient of the Solomon S. Huebner Gold Medal, Phil helped create the annual endowed Maurice “Maury” L. Stewart Lectureship program. He also supported the One Person and Invest in the Future capital campaigns.
Phil embodies The College’s belief in the value of lifelong learning. North Star represents a fully integrated array of financial services and products for individuals and businesses of all sizes and has over 140,000 clients with offices in 22 states with client assets under administration exceeding $10 billion. In addition, he is an adjunct professor emeritus for the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota and former adjunct professor at Central University of Finance and Economics in Beijing.
The American College of Financial Services Welcomes New Officers and Members to Board of Trustees
KING OF PRUSSIA, PA – February 28, 2024 – The American College of Financial Services has named the new chair and vice chair of its Board of Trustees in addition to recently electing four new members. Salene Hitchcock-Gear, JD, president of Prudential Individual Life Insurance, assumes the title of Board chair after serving as vice chair since 2022. Brandon Carter, CLU®, ChFC®, CFP®, president of USAA Life Insurance Company, will serve as the new vice chair. Additionally, the Board welcomes Lisa Davis, MSM, Kristin Ferguson, Brad Montgomery, CLU®, ChFC®, CPCU®, FLMI®, HIA, CASL, and Matt Spriggs as its newest elected Trustee members. These appointments reflect The College’s commitment to recruiting top-tier talents to bolster its mission of educating and empowering financial services professionals.
“I am beyond pleased to congratulate Salene and Brandon on their new roles and welcome more distinguished industry leaders onto the Board,” says George Nichols III, CAP®, president and CEO at The American College of Financial Services. “The College takes great pride in maintaining a high standard of excellence when it comes to financial services education. We are confident that the collective expertise provided by Lisa, Kristin, Brad, and Matt will advance both The College and the collective financial services field into the future.”
As the new chairperson, Hitchcock-Gear is enthusiastic about the opportunity to work alongside the Board’s new members and share their insights with The College. “By providing a quality education today, we are ensuring a more robust financial services field tomorrow — it’s a critical dynamic that I and each of our new appointees fully appreciates,” says Hitchcock-Gear. “It’s a privilege to be able to collaborate with financial services professionals who value the importance of a meaningful education.”
Salene Hitchcock-Gear, JD, is president of Prudential Individual Life Insurance, leading the unit offering competitive solutions to meet the needs of consumers via a diverse portfolio of life insurance products. An industry veteran with more than 30 years of experience, Hitchcock-Gear joined Prudential in 2017 as chief operating officer of Prudential Advisors, the company’s national sales organization with more than 3,000 financial professionals, advisors and fee-based financial planners who offer clients a broad range of financial solutions. She was appointed president of both businesses in 2018. Previously, Hitchcock-Gear served as president and CEO of Ameritas Investment Corp. and president and CEO of Acacia Life Insurance Company. She is the executive sponsor for the Women Empowered employee affinity group at Prudential, serves on the Board of Trustees of The College, and sits on the Life Insurance Committee of the American Council of Life Insurers.
Hitchcock-Gear is an alumna of the University of Michigan and New York University School of Law, holds FINRA Series 7 and 24 securities licenses, and is a member of the New York State Bar Association. She is also a board member of the University of Michigan Alumni Association.
Brandon Carter, CLU®, ChFC®, CFP®, is president of USAA Life Insurance Company and multiple subsidiaries. He has responsibility for the strategy and operations for product management and distribution, actuary, underwriting, servicing, and claims across the life, health and annuity portfolio and is leading the digital transformation of the business while preserving USAA’s legendary service. The USAA family of companies provides insurance, banking and investment and retirement solutions to more than 13 million current and former members of the U.S. military and their families.
Carter is a graduate of Texas A&M University and joined USAA in 1997. In his 26 years with the company, he has held multiple executive leadership positions focused on sales, marketing, service, operational efficiency, and transformation. He serves on the Board of Trustees of The College and is an active board member for Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), a non-profit organization providing comfort, care and resources to families grieving the death of a military loved one. Previously, he served as Chair of LL Global, the parent company of LIMRA and LOMA and was a member of the Board of Directors for the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI).
Lisa Davis, MSM, is managing principal of Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company’s Philadelphia-based agency, 1847Financial. She has held the role since 2020 and has led the way in developing the firm’s advisers, leaders, and overall team practice. Davis has been with the firm for more than a decade and served as its director of practice development and managing director prior to assuming her current title. Throughout her time with 1847Financial, Davis has facilitated considerable gains in the firm’s footprint through expansions to Delaware, New Jersey, and Florida in addition to overseeing more than 100 financial advisers.
Before joining 1847Financial, Davis directed business development with DVFG Advisors, LLC. She is a graduate of Cornell University and an alumnus of The College, having earned a master’s degree in science of management and leadership.
Kristin Ferguson is a senior vice president at Securian Financial Group. She has worked with the St. Paul, Minnesota-based firm for more than 20 years and currently directs Individual Solutions, a division that includes the company’s individual life insurance and individual annuities business lines. Ferguson’s responsibilities within the subset encompass everything from supervising product development and risk management to sales and distribution. She first joined Securian Financial as a college intern in 2001 before being onboarded as a full-time employee in 2002. In that time, she has overseen an array of varied actuarial responsibilities — including the development of sophisticated hedging programs and the enhancement of the company’s asset liability management process — and held several leadership roles.
Ferguson holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and economics from Iowa State University and is a fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA), a CFA charter holder, and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries (MAAA).
Brad Montgomery, CLU®, ChFC®, CPCU®, RICP®, FLMI®, HIA, CASL, is Senior Vice President – Agency for State Farm. He has accrued more than 30 years of experience working for the national insurance provider, having first joined the company in 1991 as a leader in Life & Health operations. He later served as a State Farm Agent in the St. Louis area, eventually moving into Agency Field Leadership and serving in a number of executive roles. Prior to his current role leading Agency Operations and Corporate & Business Development for State Farm, Brad served as Vice President in Life, Health & Investment Planning Services.
Prior to his time with State Farm, Montgomery earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration specializing in finance from the University of Missouri. He is also a graduate of the Harvard Business School’s General Management Program.
Matthew Spriggs joined Truist Insurance Holdings in 2021 as CIO and oversees all aspects of technology, cybersecurity, and innovation for the enterprise and its subsidiaries including AmRisc, BenefitMall, CRC, Crump, Kensington Vanguard, McGriff, and Starwind. Matthew is a results-driven technology executive with over twenty years of leadership experience in software engineering, infrastructure operations, digital transformation, consumer banking, and insurance brokerage.
Prior to his appointment as the CIO for Truist Insurance Holdings, Matthew served as the Truist Financial Corporation CIO for Consumer and Small Business Banking along with many other roles. His teams were responsible for the JD Power award winning U Mobile application and the successful integration of hundreds of systems enabling Branch, ATM, Contact Center, Deposit, Lending, Mortgage, Credit Cards, and Debit Cards related to the merger between BB&T and SunTrust. Matthew earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Memphis and an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
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ABOUT THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF FINANCIAL SERVICES
Founded in 1927, The American College of Financial Services is the nation’s largest nonprofit educational institution devoted to financial services professionals. Holding the highest level of academic accreditation, The College has educated over 200,000 professionals across the United States through certificate, designation, and graduate degree programs. Its portfolio of applied knowledge also includes just-in-time learning and consumer financial education programs. The College’s faculty represents some of the foremost thought leaders in the financial services industry. Visit TheAmericanCollege.edu and connect with us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Discover all the ways you can expand your opportunities with us.
Contact:
Sarah Tremallo
908-967-0381 / stremallo@jconnelly.com
Lindsey Allumbaugh
678-643-1310 / lindsey.allumbaugh@theamericancollege.edu
New Members to Join the 2024 Alumni Council
Michaela Scott, MSFS, CLU®, ChFC®, RICP® will be stepping into the role of Alumni Council President at The American College of Financial Services in 2024, taking the baton from Scott Winslow, MSFS, ChFC®, CLU®, RICP®, CCFC. Thanks to Winslow’s stellar leadership over the past few years, the Alumni Council is stronger than ever and has established a foundation for continued year-over-year success. The College believes there is no one better than Scott to continue that momentum.
New Members to the Council
Joining the new president, along with the rest of the Council, will be four new members.
Heather Welsh, CFP®, AEP®, MSFS is a vice president and the wealth planning department leader at Sequoia Financial Group, where she determines strategic direction for the planning solutions created for clients and oversees the management and career development of Sequoia’s wealth planning team. Throughout her career, Heather has been motivated by a single ambition: to make wealth planning accessible, relevant, and personalized to each individual and family she serves. She is also passionate about supporting the next generation of professionals, serving as a mentor, women’s initiative advocate, and past “Ask the Expert '' panelist through the CFP Board and by volunteering in the classroom through Junior Achievement. Her impact has been broadly recognized, as she has received the Greater Akron Chamber’s 30 for the Future award, and she was the recipient of the Women Working in Wealth Award by The American College in 2022.
Jason Austell MSFS, CFP®, CHFC®, CLU®, CASL®, RICP®, AEP®, CAP®, CHSNC®, CPFA® has over 20 years of experience working with clients in both the personal and professional markets. In addition to his many designations, Jason completed his master’s in financial services (MSFS) at The American College of Financial Services in 2017. He is a past President of NAIFA NC and has been a member since he began his career. He is also a member of the Charlotte Estate Planning Council, Society for Financial Service Professionals, and the Rotary Club of Gastonia.
Julie A. Pinkerton, CLU®, ChFC®, LUTCF® is the CEO of Evozen, LLC. Evozen’s ClientFirstTM is the only national, fully diverse digital community that creates the right environment for people to connect in order to provide top service to their clients and solve their most challenging problems. Additionally, the ClientFirstTM community unites independent Rainmakers in insurance, investments, law, and tax as Centers of Influence. Julie is also a contributing writer for U.S. News & World Report, focusing on financial topics and she is in the midst of authoring a book, "BLINK, Because Life Isn't Neat & Clean."
Sahar Pouyanrad, EMBA, CTFA, AEP®, CEP, ChSNC® is an executive director and the West Regional Trust Team leader for the Trusts and Estates Team for J.P. Morgan Private Bank. In this capacity, she is responsible for oversight and administration of trust accounts and related services for the firm’s fiduciary clients across the West Region, with a primary focus on ultra-high-net-worth families. As the Head of New Business, Sahar is also responsible for partnering with legal, compliance, and risk to drive new business, manage risk by overseeing review of potential trust and estate opportunities, and work with senior leadership to set new business parameters relating to trusts and estates. Sahar is also an award-winning member of the Toastmasters International and a frequent speaker on trust and estate subject matters.
Mission
The Alumni Council’s mission at The College is to:
• Identify new ways to promote student success and engagement.
• Create a supportive community that values inclusivity and collaboration.
• Help students meet their full potential and exceed their own expectations.
The College is sincerely grateful for the contributions of all its returning members and is excited to welcome its new ones to the ongoing effort to embody the Council’s mission in support of helping The College embody its own.
Career Pathways in Financial Services for Military Members in Transition
Choosing the right post-service career can be a complex process for veterans, active-duty military looking ahead, and their family members, each of whom face unique challenges.
Yet, with the right mix of knowledge, support, and sponsorship, there are many fantastic career paths available to those in the military community, including in financial services.
To help veterans, their families, and other military personnel find their way, The American College of Financial Services and its Center for Military and Veterans Affairs has created a unique guide.
In this guide, we cover:
- The challenges former service members may face as they transition to the civilian workforce
- The financial services industry and why it may be a great fit for veterans and their families
- What a lifelong financial services career may look like
- The resources available to help veterans with their transition to financial services
Honoring Our Most Loyal Supporters
The American College of Financial Services is committed to delivering the highest quality education to the professionals entrusted with the public’s financial well-being. The yearly President’s Dinner serves to highlight what’s new and exciting at The College while recognizing the significant contributions of some of The College’s most generous supporters who help make it all possible. In addition, The College welcomed former president Larry Barton and took a moment to thank four board members in attendance whose terms will conclude at the end of the year.
Awards Presentation
Each year, the President’s Dinner includes a series of award presentations to recognize the contributions of several alums who have inspired us with their passion and commitment to helping The College achieve its mission.
Congratulations to this year’s recipients:
Huebner Gold Medal:
- Phillip C. Richards, CLU®, RHU®
- Margaret I. Bradshaw, CLU® (posthumously)
In 1975, as The College approached its 50th anniversary, the Board of Trustees decided to honor those whose role in the development of the institution was of special significance. The Huebner Gold Medal, named for The College's founder, Solomon S. Huebner, is awarded to people who, through support and dedication to The College and its programs, have moved the institution forward in its mission.
Phil Richards is the Executive Chairman and Founder of the affiliated companies that comprise North Star Resource Group. North Star represents a fully integrated array of financial services and products for individuals and businesses of all sizes and has over 140,000 clients, with offices in 22 states and client assets under administration exceeding $10 billion. He is a 45-year arbitrator for the Better Business Bureau, is a past chairman of the Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota Board of Directors. He served on the Arizona Quality Council Board of Directors and on The American College of Financial Services’ Board of Trustees in Philadelphia for nine years. He was inducted into The College’s Hall of Fame in 2016.
The late Margaret Bradshaw was just the fourth woman in the United States to earn a Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®) designation from The American College of Financial Services, just four years after The College was founded. She was the first woman agent ever in Rhode Island. She went on to teach insurance classes at Brown University, to classes frequently comprised entirely of men. When she began in the insurance field, she noticed that few agents had any appreciation for the CLU®, let alone the designation itself. She said, “The American College [was] instrumental in making insurance a profession.”
President's Award: Mary M. Wright, CAP®
Conferred by The College’s President and CEO, this award recognizes the leadership and generosity of benefactors and volunteers.
Mary Wright attended Yankton College in Yankton, South Dakota, where she met and married Charles R. Wright, known to many at The College and elsewhere as Chuck. Together, they were leading donors to the American College Center for Women in Financial Services and helped to establish the State Farm Women’s Chair. Mary’s years of service through philanthropy led her to complete her Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® (CAP®) designation so she could explore more ways of helping others engage in philanthropic work as well. Mary was honored to work with The College in not only funding, but in creating the scope and direction for the work that became the Wright Fellowship in the Center for Women in Financial Services.
Alumni Hall of Fame: Paul E. Vignone, CLU®, ChFC®, JD, LLM
The American College of Financial Services Alumni Hall of Fame was established in 2005 to recognize graduates of The College's designation, certification, and degree programs who have made extraordinary contributions in time, treasure, effort, and energy to the institution, their community, and the financial services industry as a whole.
Paul Vignone is an estate and business planning consultant for The Gaber Group. He spent much of his career with Penn Mutual as a managing partner and then an executive consultant. Throughout his distinguished career, he earned many of Penn Mutual’s employee awards – including its most prestigious, the National Chairman’s Award. In addition, the General Agents’ and Managers’ Association has consistently recognized his contributions to the industry, including honoring him with its coveted First-in-Class Award and 13 Master Agency Awards.
Second Century Society: J. Scott Davison, ChFC®, CLU®
The Second Century Society recognizes The College's most generous benefactors who have made lifetime gifts achieving $1 million or more in philanthropic impact.
Scott Davison is the Chairman, President, and CEO of OneAmerica. He leads the nationwide network of companies and affiliates, which offer a wide variety of products including retirement, individual life insurance, annuities, asset-based long-term care solutions, and employee benefits. He was appointed president in 2013, CEO in 2014, and chairman of the board in 2017. Scott is a past chairman at Indiana University Health, the American Council of Life Insurers, and The American College of Financial Services. He currently serves on the board of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership and Ascend Indiana, and as a co-chair of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming.
NextGen Financial Services Professional Award
The NextGen Financial Services Professional Award honors young professionals under the age of 40 who made a significant impact in the financial services industry and have shown outstanding performance and leadership in their careers, with a desire to give back to the community. This year’s winners were:
- Michael Acosta, CFP®, CSLP, ChFC®
- Kay Blunck, CFP®, ChFC®, CAP®, AEP®, CRPC®
- Akeiva Ellis, MSFP, CPA/PFS, CFP®, ChSNC®
- Hannah Kantsroom, CAP®, MSW
- Padric Scott, AEP®, CFP®, CAP®, ChFC®, CLU®, WMCP®, CCFC
Venue
Located in the heart of Philadelphia’s beautiful museum district, the Barnes Foundation promotes the appreciation of the fine arts and horticulture. And like at The American College of Financial Services, education is at the heart of everything they do.
The Barnes’s core belief that art has a meaningful role to play in the service of improving society relates to The College’s belief that a more highly trained financial services profession, coupled with a more educated population, benefits society in a very real way by elevating the conversations being had around financial literacy and security.
Plus, as they are at The College, diversity and inclusion are integral to the Barnes Foundation’s excellence and success and play a necessary role in all their activities.
The President
President and Chief Executive Officer of The College George Nichols III, CAP® hosted the President’s Dinner and shared remarks throughout the evening. George recently celebrated five years at The College, a milestone that invited reflection on the transformative past half-decade at the institution. In his closing comments, he noted that it is not lost on him that he is the first Black president at The College, and that only in America could he go from being a poor Black boy in Kentucky to sharing his five-year anniversary with so many esteemed guests at the President’s Dinner. It was a fitting end to a wonderful night.