Washington, D.C., Jan. 29, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Foundation for Financial Planning (FFP), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to pro bono financial planning for people in crisis or need, today announced that it has appointed three new members to its Board of Trustees: Eric Clarke, Chief Executive Officer of Orion Advisor Solutions; Jeff Concepcion, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Stratos Wealth Partners; and Marty Kurtz, Founder and Senior Financial Planner of The Planning Center.
“We’re thrilled by the caliber of professionals we’re welcoming to the Foundation for Financial Planning board in 2020, our 25th anniversary year,” said board chair Scott Kahan, CFP®. “As we enter the next decade, FFP is hyper-focused on fostering innovation and collaboration to bring pro bono financial planning to more Americans, and this group will be instrumental in helping us do that."
“Eric, Jeff, and Marty have decades of experience in the financial advice field, and each of them has a keen understanding of why pro bono service is so important to this profession,” added Jon Dauphiné, FFP’s Chief Executive Officer. “This year we will be testing new models for bringing free financial planning and advice to more people in need, and we look forward to working with our board as we set out to reach more pro bono clients than ever before.”
Orion CEO Eric Clarke has a particularly strong sense of how innovation and technology can bolster financial planning services. Clarke leads Orion’s work to help advisory professionals operationalize their vision for success by delivering cutting-edge financial technology and investment management solutions through the organization’s four subsidiaries: Orion Advisor Tech, Orion Portfolio Solutions, CLS Investments, and Constellation Trust Company. As an industry-recognized thought leader and advocate for advisory professionals, Eric has received industry awards, including ThinkAdvisor’s IA25 in 2012 and 2019, and InvestmentNews’ Icon & Innovators Award in 2019.
"It's an honor to join the Board of Trustees," Clarke said. "One of the most rewarding things about the digital revolution in financial services is a growing ability to bring our services as planners to more people. I look forward to working with some of the most insightful people in our industry to transform the lives of those in need."
Jeff Concepcion is Founder and CEO of Stratos Wealth Partners, which has a network of over 270 experienced financial planning practitioners across 87 offices nationwide. Prior to starting Stratos Wealth Partners, Concepcion spent 22 years in senior management positions with Lincoln Financial Network, including as the Executive Director for the Eastern Region and serving on the company’s Executive Committee. He has served on a number of nonprofit boards, believing that giving back to one’s community is a true sign of success.
“I am particularly excited to support the Foundation for Financial Planning’s pro bono mission as a trustee,” explained Concepcion. A first-generation Latino-American, Concepcion notes the inspiration he got from his upbringing. “My dad arrived here with next to nothing and had to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. My parents taught me the importance of persistence, learning, and focusing on the things you need versus what you want,” said Concepcion. “I believe in the American dream but recognize that reaching financial independence is much harder for some than others, especially when faced with unexpected circumstances with nowhere to turn for help. That’s where quality financial advice and planning can make a significant impact.”
Founder of The Planning Center, which has six offices nationwide, Marty Kurtz, CFP®, has been practicing financial planning for over thirty years. “I founded my firm in 1998 out of a desire to provide a safe environment for clients to talk about money,” Kurtz explained. “I am inspired by FFP’s mission to help those who many of us don’t reach in our daily practices. I believe everyone – no matter their circumstances – can benefit from the magic of a third-party discussion about life and money.”
Kurtz is also a dedicated member of the Financial Planning Association® (FPA®), having served on FPA’s board from 2009-2012 and as its president in 2011. In 2017, FPA® honored him with the Heart of Financial Planning Award, which recognizes individuals who demonstrate commitment and passion in doing extraordinary work to give back to the financial planning community.
Each of the trustees will serve FFP for a three-year term.
About the Foundation for Financial Planning
The Foundation for Financial Planning is a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) charitable organization, solely devoted to supporting the delivery of pro bono financial planning to at-risk populations, including active military members and wounded veterans, people with cancer and other serious medical diagnoses, seniors and family caregivers, low-income individuals and their families, domestic violence survivors and many more. Dedicated to powering pro bono financial planning, FFP has provided more than $7 million in grants to national and community-based pro bono programs; worked with partners to activate more than 20,000 financial planners to volunteer their time and talents; and acted as a leader and catalyst to embed a rich tradition of pro bono service across the financial planning profession. Visit FoundationForFinancialPlanning.org to learn more.