Campaign Gratitude Asks What We Can Do For Our Veterans
![](/sites/default/files/inline-images/presidentsblog_campaigngratitude_1600x600.jpg)
“What The American College of Financial Services does is very important. It’s (helping) people that bring a very attractive set of experiences, expertise, values, leadership capabilities – just total backgrounds very well suited to employment in the financial world.” - General David Petraeus (Ret.) 2018 Soldier-Citizen Award Recipient
As General Petraeus highlighted, veterans have a unique set of experiences, expertise, values, and leadership traits that make them a great fit for a transition into a rewarding second career in financial services. Yet, far too often, they return home from active service without the educational and career support they need.
The American College Penn Mutual Center for Veterans Affairs does its part to aide these heroes’ transition to the civilian workforce by educating and empowering them through scholarship and applied knowledge.
These veterans receive knowledge in financial services, leadership, and philanthropic planning – an education that can help jumpstart a valuable, and valued, career in the profession.
Since 2012, The College has awarded over 500 scholarships to veterans and their spouses across 46 states, two territories, five countries, and three continents. Moving forward, The College intends to award 200 scholarships each year.
It’s important to measure our impact in raw numbers, but the most important measure of our mission to benefit society is the stories of gratitude and success extended by our scholarship recipients to the donors who supported their education. We’ve received 100s of letters expressing thanks for the financial support and the applied knowledge that has given them a leg up in their second career of service.
This year, the COVID-19 pandemic has required us to think differently about fundraising for this worthy cause. Campaign Gratitude helps humanize this mission – so you can hear how a gift and the education it offers has impacted real veterans, their spouses, their families, and their communities.
Below, you can hear Wayne Mai’s story, a 20-year U.S. Marine with a mission to bring financial education to our nation’s children. It’s a powerful illustration of the hope, passion, and purpose that a donation to Campaign Gratitude provides.
As my mother once told me, “Only what you do for others will last.” The service of our men and women in uniform will always be a part of our nation’s story. Now, I ask all of you, what will you do for them?
Learn more about Campaign Gratitude, and know that we award a full scholarship to heroes like Wayne with every $5,000 gift.
After We Vote...What Comes Next?
![](/sites/default/files/inline-images/presidentsblog_postelection_1600x600.jpg)
As former Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once said, “The most important office, and the one which all of us can and should fill, is that of private citizen.” Wise words from a Kentucky native like myself.
Once we count the votes, what comes next? The American College of Financial Services remains focused on how governance affects wealth building, small business planning, Social Security claiming, and more.
Our expert faculty is on the pulse of market thinking – both how it’s priced into the pre-election environment, as well as how it may react to President Donald Trump’s re-election or a change in power to a Joe Biden administration. Faculty continues to assess the potential of additional fiscal stimulus, a CARES Act 2.0, and how it could impact many of the areas noted above. There’s also issues like how the next President may maintain or alter 401(k) vehicles, or how executive and legislative control may affect retirement planning. We already have a November 12 webcast on the calendar to discuss the possible effects on Social Security, Medicare, and other vital support programs. Make sure to join Adjunct Professor of Advanced Planning Steve Parrish, JD, RICP®, CLU®, ChFC®, RHU®, AEP®, American Retirement Association researcher Jack Towarnicky, MBA, JD, LLM, CEBS, and Sandy McCarthy, President of Retirement Services at OneAmerica, for this engaging discussion. CFP® and College CE are available.
The 14 ½ Conference of African American Financial Professionals (CAAFP) was an overwhelming success, shattering all records for the annual event. We're excited to announce that the largest conference of Black financial services professionals is back with more timely, relevant knowledge, including the first CAAFP breakout session, sponsored by Nationwide, on Thursday, November 19. It will feature insights on the Election from Donna Brazile, veteran Democratic political strategist, as well as Ramesh Srinivasan, Professor at UCLA's Department of Information Studies, and Director of UC Digital Cultures Lab, discussing artificial intelligence, proxy discrimination, and the Election. Sign up now.
When the dust settles, we are the educational partner with answers to your most important question: “What does this mean for my clients?”
Across 16 Presidents, The College has delivered the applied knowledge professionals need to grow their business, and their clients need to support their families and build out their retirements.
We stand ready to do that again – not just with our professional designation programs, but through webcasts, white papers, blogs, infographics; anyway we can convey the knowledge you need, when you need it.
Washington, D.C. makes law, then you’re responsible for putting strategies into place that help your clients achieve their financial goals. We’re that intermediary that synthesizes the laws, rules, regulations, and policy proposals into actionable information. It’s a great illustration of our belief that knowledge should always be at the intersection of academic and applied – rooted in theory and explained in practice.
Happy Election Day Month
The Microcosm of Our Mission
![](/sites/default/files/inline-images/presidentsblog_georgeoneday_banner2_1600x600_0.jpg)
Strategically, this meant a shift away from a correspondence model to an embrace of innovation complete with a new learning management system and a new Personal Pathway™ learning model that puts the student in charge of how, when, and where they learn. COVID-19 will only accelerate the transition from in-person to online education in the future, and it’s a trend The College is out in front of thanks to our investment in the student experience.
This also required us to re-think who we consider our potential student. Typically, our student has been a traditional financial professional, generally a white male. Now, through The American College State Farm® Center for Women in Financial Services and The American College Penn Mutual Center for Veterans Affairs, The College is educating and empowering the profession’s female agents, advisors, and future leaders, as well as our nation’s heroes starting a second career of service.
We are also aiming to increase industry diversity through our African American Scholarship Program and HBCU Student Scholarships, and will continue to promote leadership education and recruiting and retention efforts for Black professionals and other underrepresented groups through The College’s new Center for Economic Empowerment and Equality.
We also continue to see growth outside of financial services with an increasing number of nonprofit executives and fundraisers earning their Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® designation. So, as you can read, our students are more diverse – by race, gender, age, and job function.
This sea change is strategic. The College is a financial knowledge institution, not a financial services institution. This opens avenues to spread knowledge to anyone and everyone who wants and needs it.
Case in point, on November 19, I’ll participate in three events: OneAmerica’s® Leading Tomorrow Speaker Series, the first Conference of African American Financial Professionals Breakout Session, and a program with The National Capital Gift Planning Council (NCGPC).
I’m honored to be part of a speaker series that includes experts on generational planning, Alzheimer’s, and IRA distribution strategies. OneAmerica® and its Chief Executive Officer Scott Davison are also passionate believers in The College, and Scott currently serves as the Chairman of our Board of Trustees. I will speak to members of the OneAmerica® distribution network about racial and economic equality for Black America and the diversity and inclusion initiatives at the forefront of The Center of Economic Empowerment and Equality’s Four Steps Forward plan.
We successfully held a virtual version of The Conference of African American Financial Professionals this past August, and in an effort to continue the fellowship and learning beyond the event, we’re holding the first breakout session with accomplished leaders in politics and artificial intelligence. I’m proud to help introduce Donna Brazile, veteran Democratic political strategist and Fox News contributor, and Ramesh Srinivasan, Professor at UCLA’s Department of Information Studies and Director of UC Digital Cultures Lab. It should be a fantastic post-mortem of the Election and a look at how AI is influencing financial services.
Finally, I’ll speak to the NCGPC about how to harness philanthropy’s power for tangible impact. I’m currently going through our CAP® program myself because I understand the immense value this knowledge can have on my community and The College’s efforts in this space.
Talk about a day that extenuates The College’s transformative path – conversations with agents and advisors, the Black financial professional community, and today’s nonprofit leaders. I’ll continue to spread the word of our work to benefit society, and help amplify The College’s noble cause to all it helps empower.
Conversation with The President: How’s The College Transformed the Student Experience?
![](/sites/default/files/inline-images/201202_presidentsblog_4questions_blog1_banner_1600x600.jpg)
To end 2020, I sat down to answer four pressing questions summing up The College’s 2020. I touched on technological advances, a renewed focus on transformative e-learning, and the potential outcomes The College can foster in economic empowerment and equality.
First, I discussed the strategic sea change in The College’s delivery of applied knowledge. The two cornerstones of that strategy are Brightspace, The College’s new learning management system, and Personal Pathway™, its new learning model now available through the Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) designation and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) education programs, as well as several courses in the Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®) program.
Instead of outlining features and benefits – visit the program pages above to view the highlights – I looked into the future to help the financial advisor, life insurance agent, nonprofit fundraiser, or executive leader understand what this shift in thinking and execution will mean for them.
Listen to the short interview below, and make sure to subscribe to this blog to remain on the pulse of new College initiatives.
Conversation with The President: What's the Lasting COVID Effect on Knowledge Delivery?
![](/sites/default/files/inline-images/201202_presidentsblog_4questions_blog4_banner_1600x600.jpg)
To end 2020, I sat down to answer four pressing questions summing up The College’s 2020. I touched on technological advances, a renewed focus on transformative e-learning, and the potential outcomes The College can foster in economic empowerment and equality.
While these strategic successes are important to celebrate, they’re even more rewarding in the midst of a once-in-a-generation pandemic. COVID obviously has immediate impacts on our public health, the fabric of our communities, and the way we live. Long-term, the impacts will cascade down to the ways we learn.
The College is prepared to meet the learning needs of those who desire to absorb knowledge and pass it on to their clients, colleagues, and communities. Here are my thoughts on what’s next for knowledge delivery and how The College aims to meet the needs of the 21st-century learner. Listen to the short interview below, and make sure to subscribe to this blog to remain on the pulse of new College initiatives.
Conversation with The President: Where's The College Expanding Its Educational Footprint?
![](/sites/default/files/inline-images/201202_presidentsblog_4questions_blog3_banner_1600x600.jpg)
The College’s mission is to deliver applied knowledge and education, to promote life-long learning, and to advocate for ethical standards for the benefit of society (emphasis mine as I transition to my perspectives on what’s next).
Benefiting society is a noble pursuit that’s more inclusive and welcoming. One way to empower people is through the transfer of applied knowledge across a variety of topics. The College is not content sitting in a stale silo – because the breadth of needed financial knowledge is evolving. It’s not just about product solutions, but also behavioral thought. It’s not just about pen and paper, but also leveraging new technology to improve experiences.
Here are my thoughts on a few areas where The College can leverage its expertise, its industry partnerships, and its learning delivery model to make a real difference in the years ahead.
Listen to the short interview below, and make sure to subscribe to my blog to remain on the pulse of new College initiatives.
Artificial Intelligence in Wealth Management: Perspectives from the C-Suite
![](/sites/default/files/inline-images/presidentsblog_aiinwealthmanagement_banner.jpg)
Properly aligned and applied AI can help wealth management firms adapt to changing client needs and face the competitive challenge posed by fintech companies. The American College of Financial Services is here to help with a robust resource center built to answer your pressing questions.
Visit this page to get instant access to an in-depth white paper, infographic advisor action plan, and an audio interview series with College thought leaders – hosted by fintech experts Joel Bruckenstein and Bill Winterberg.
You can listen below to my interview with Joel Bruckenstein, CEO of T3 Consulting Services.
Make Black History Month a Charge to Effect Real, Lasting Change
![](/sites/default/files/inline-images/presidentsblog_bhm_banner.jpg)
Aside from my attraction to history, the payoff from this framing comes in Woodson’s profound words at the time of Negro History Week’s launch in 1926, when he said, “If a race has no history, it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world.”
That history is full of hard truths – ugly, divisive ones that must be presented not from the prism of the oppressors, but by those who suffered from such oppression. It's only in the unvarnished realities of past transgressions that we can truly appreciate, and celebrate, the progress America has made.
Major inflection points – the Emancipation Proclamation, Brown vs. The Board of Education, Rosa Parks on the bus, Dr. King’s “Dream”, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 – are bronzed amidst the cathedral halls of America's history; though any guided tour is still far too short, and leaves you feeling that there’s so much work left to do.
That’s because there is.
Black History Month is a time to reflect, re-engage (or engage for the first time) with the Black community, and re-energize ourselves for the marathon ahead. Each year, as I listen and watch the stories, and remember my upbringing in the 1960s Segregated South, I measure my capacity to affect change, where my words or deeds could do the most good.
Following the death of George Floyd last May, I wrote these words that came from a place of pain – but also one of passion and purpose to achieve sustainable, generational change. It’s not lost on me that I’m a Black President and CEO of the nation’s oldest, most storied institution serving a predominantly white financial services industry. I understand that I have a unique platform to voice concerns and provide perspectives. Yet, those perspectives, and that platform, only carry power if operationalized to work with the industry, inspiring leaders with conviction, not condemnation.
I’m a Black man who grew up with very little, yet opportunities afforded me by white mentors and sponsors opened avenues to fulfill career aspirations and provide for my family. I’m forever thankful – but I’m not a prodigy; there are countless others eager for similar opportunities to make a difference and demonstrate their expertise.
I believe sustainable, generational change in Black communities comes by identifying the root cause of pervasive wealth inequality and pinpointing the tangible, community-focused solutions needed to narrow the racial wealth gap. The American College Center for Economic Empowerment and Equality sees this gap as a matter of economic justice – where underserved communities have equal opportunities to prosper and live a fulfilling life as they define it.
The wealth disparity is real, and it’s significant. The Black community has faced institutional barriers to financial security and wealth for decades, leaving a massive gap between those benefiting from the current system, and those being left behind. I believe the right solutions integrate community needs with business goals (working with not around the financial services industry). Financial services, alongside nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and broader corporate America, must view the Black community as an investment, and focus on “doing well by doing good.” And that starts by humbly meeting Black America where it is – in a tenuous position on America’s financial food chain, understanding its concerns, embracing its communities, and coming together to develop the products and services needed to make change last.
With this construct, I believe the marathon will hit important mile-makers – those milestones that strengthen the successes standing alongside the necessary truths of past transgressions. During Black History Month, I'll again measure my capacity to affect change – but this year, I’ll do it in part through The College’s Center for Economic Empowerment and Equality. This Center – the only of its kind in financial services – aligns with The College’s mission and our vision for the future.
We can leverage our relationships with all financial services sectors, a growing number of community and private foundations, governmental contacts, and corporate executives to write a new chapter in the history books: Sustainable, Economic Change for Black America.
And we’ll do it together.
2020 President's Report: Shining Our Light in a Year of Darkness
![](/sites/default/files/inline-images/presblog_2020presreport_banner_0.jpg)
As I wrote in my President’s Report letter to The College community, “Over the last 11 months, we have all had moments of absolute exhaustion. We have not moved much, yet in many ways we have never moved more – wearing many hats of responsibility, even if we were wearing the same pants. In those times of fatigue, we have all sought refuge in peace whether that was in a good book, some soothing music, perhaps a roaring fire, or even the serenity of the stars. Spending some time with the sky is both astrological and spiritual – it is an open invitation to hold conversations with higher powers or marvel at the constellations that canopy our world. Stars cannot visibly shine without darkness – the darker the night, the brighter the sky. I believe this is symbolic of our journey through one of the darkest years in our nation’s history.”
The 2020 President’s Report also weaved a tale that celebrated our history, while continuing to make it. As a 93-year-old institution, The College has a rich story to share of the visionaries who helped shape The College today, and the bold vision we have for an even bigger, brighter future.
There are also several stories of significant expansion – whether it’s a greater focus on philanthropy through programming and scholarship, fresh faces helping The College enhance the student experience, or a new Center of Excellence to create sustainable, economic justice for underserved communities across America. The College will always align our work to a clear mission to deliver applied financial knowledge and education, but our reach must go beyond financial advisors to include public accountants, estate planning attorneys, for- and nonprofit executives, and consumers. Financial knowledge is an empowering tool that can have such an effervescent, halo effect when not restricted to one audience.
The College is about benefiting society – and this President’s Report is a good illustration of how we continue to re-imagine our path to success, even in the middle of a once-in-a-century pandemic. We want to engage on the conversations of the day, giving meaning to financial markets and the issues that matter.
Go here to experience our stories, watch a message from The College’s executive leadership, and download the full issue.
Why Economic Mobility in Underserved Communities is Good for Society and Business
![](/sites/default/files/inline-images/presblog_econmobilityunderservedcomms_banner.jpg)
The inspirational and operational takeaways filled a *second* book – the first was filled by Scott and Nick Tedesco, President and CEO of the National Center for Family Philanthropy, during our first fireside chat on March 17.
It’s an unfortunate fact that many underserved and underrepresented communities are still struggling to forge the relationships that open the access and opportunities to meaningful community and economic resources. Tony, Scott, and I discussed how economic mobility and wealth-building programs strengthen these communities by increasing economic growth and fostering a more diverse workforce.
The Inspiring Leaders in Philanthropy web series is emblematic of The College’s commitment to philanthropic education – working with financial advisors, gift and trust officers, community and private foundation leaders, and back office professionals on how to discuss philanthropic intent, determine the appropriate platforms to empower philanthropic giving, and develop robust philanthropic plans that are motivational and executable. The College’s Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® (CAP®) is our fastest growing professional designation program – engaging philanthropic professionals in a robust educational curriculum that delivers the strategies and skills needed to advise clients on charitable giving and guide charitable organizations in their fundraising efforts. You can watch my conversation with Tony and Scott below.