Speaker Biographies 
Laurie Adams, CFP, CLU, LUTCF
Sunday Educational Workshop
Laurie Adams is a Certified Financial Planning professional with COUNTRY Financial in Peoria, Illinois. For 26 years she has helped clients meet their insurance and investment goals and regularly places in the top ten of COUNTRY’s agency force. Laurie also teaches professional education courses for St. Ambrose University and most recently conducted a seminar in conjunction with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago for Money Smart Week Peoria. Courses Laurie has created and taught include Managing Retirement Risks, Income Planning Opportunities and Obstacles, Annuities From A-Z, The ABCs of College Savings Plans, Social Insecurity, Making Sense of Medicare and A Long-term Look at Long Term Care. An active volunteer, Laurie serves as vice-chair for the Greater Illinois Arthritis Foundation, secretary of the Estate Planning Council and a member of the Lutheran Hillside Village endowment committee. Laurie serves as NAIFA-Peoria’s national committee person and has just been elected secretary-treasurer of NAIFA-Illinois. As a result, in 2010, she will become the first female president of that organization. Additionally, Laurie currently chairs the NAIFA-National communications committee.
David Appel
Monday General Session
David Appel is a 12-year MDRT member with 6 Court of the Table qualifications. David is the current chair of MDRT’s 2008 New Member Task Force Committee. He has volunteered on 17 of the Round Table’s committees and task forces. In the industry, David served as the 2005/2006 President of NAIFA Boston and serves on the NAIFA Massachusetts state board. He currently serves on the Board of the Boston Estate Planning Council. He is one of a few Licensed Insurance Advisor’s in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. David was one of the first agents portrayed in 2004 in the annual “Four Under Forty” section of NAIFA’s Advisor Today. Active in his community, David is an executive officer and national commissioner for the New England Region Anti- Defamation League, and on the Board of Governors for CJP.
Peter Browne, LUTCF
NAIFA Treasurer
Sunday General Session
Peter Browne is a principal of Price, Raffel & Browne of New York and Los Angeles. He entered the life insurance business with Union Central as an agent in 1962. He is a past NAIFA trustee and has served NAIFA in many capacities including vice chairman of federal L&L, state L&L, and IFPIC. Peter has served as president of the NYC/NYS NAIFA, and the New York City GAMA. He is a past national trustee of GAMA International, and a past trustee of LUTC. He is currently a trustee of The American College. Peter’s industry awards include the Julian S. Myrick Award, the Spencer L. McCarty Award and the New York City Past President’s Leadership Award. Peter is currently in his 23rd consecutive year as a member of the MDRT Top of the Table.
Brion Collins, CLU, ChFC, CFP
Sunday Educational Workshop
Tuesday Four Under 40 Presentation
Brion Collins is managing partner of Integrated Financial Solutions, LLC in Delafield, Wisconsin. In June 2008, Brion was recognized as one of NAIFA’s Advisor Today’s Four under Forty. Brion has been an MDRT qualifier annually since 2000 with three Court of the Table and five Top of the Table qualifications. He has been recognized as Mass Mutual’s Financial Planner of the Year for 2005-2008 and Strategic Wealth Management’s Associate of the Year 2000-2008. Brion has published articles in Life Insurance Selling, Business Journal and Broker World. He has been featured in MDRT News, MD News, Advisor Today, Business Week and Small Business Times. He is a member of NAIFA-Southeast Wisconsin.
Thomas D. Currey, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF
NAIFA Secretary
Tuesday General Session
Tom Currey is the owner of TDC Financial Services in Mansfield, Texas. His 29-year career in the financial-services industry provides him with a wide range of experience in selling, training and recruiting. Tom served as president of NAIFA-Great Southwest, receiving the Career Achievement Award in 1995, and as president and national committeeman of NAIFA-Texas. In 2002, he received the Texas Leaders Round Table Outstanding Achievement Award. He served as an original member and chairman of the NAIFA Leadership Development Task Force, as a member of the NAIFA Transformation Task Force and as chair of the NAIFA Committee on Associations. As NAIFA trustee, he served as liaison to the Association Executives Council and APIC. Tom is a member of the Dallas and Fort Worth Estate Planning Councils, the Society of Financial Service Professionals (SFSP), the Golden Key Society and AHIA. He is an IFAPAC Diplomat and a PIC contact.
John A. Davidson, LUTCF, FSS
NAIFA Immediate Past President
Wednesday General Session
John Davidson was first elected to the NAIFA Board of Trustees in 2001 and is currently serving as NAIFA immediate past president. John began his insurance career in 1981 and is a Qualifying and Life member of MDRT (Court of the Table) having qualified for Round Table every year that he has been in the business. He is also a Bronze Knight of the MDRT Foundation, IFAPAC emissary, APIC federal house coordinator, charter member of AHIA, and a member of AALU and The Society of Financial Services Professionals. He is a past president of NAIFA-San Fernando Valley and NAIFA-California. As NAIFA trustee, John served on the Transformation Task Force, Member Benefits Education Subcommittee, Leadership Development Program and the Convention Planning Committee. He also served as trustee liaison to AHIA and the National Membership Committee. The implementation of NAIFA 21 was a primary focus of John’s presidency. John was also responsible for coordinating the two largest Day on the Hill events in NAIFA history, leading over 1,000 NAIFA members to Capitol Hill in 2005 and 1,200 in 2007.
Michael E. Dunn
Tuesday General Session
Michael Dunn is president of Michael E. Dunn & Associates, Inc. (MED&A), a public affairs consulting firm based in Arlington, Virginia. Established in 1976, MED&A specializes in developing the political effectiveness of corporations as well as trade and professional associations. Having worked with more than 350 corporate and association clients, MED&A has earned a national reputation for excellence in developing political action committees, grassroots lobbying programs and political training and education programs at the federal and state levels. Prior to founding his own firm, Michael was director of government relations services with the Public Affairs Council, a national professional organization for business public affairs executives. He also served as legislative assistant for two former U.S. representatives -- Congressman and Senator David Pryor of Arkansas and Congressman G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery of Mississippi. Before moving to Washington, Michael served as instructor of political science at the University of Arkansas at Monticello.
Gary S. Dworkin, CLU, RHU
Sunday Educational Workshop
Gary Dworkin is the founder (1976), president, and owner (along with his partner and wife of 36 years, Lin) of Dworkin Associates, Inc. (DAI), based in Rochester, New Hampshire. He considers his early involvement in NAILBA and service as part of the first elected board of directors, among his greatest professional accomplishments. In 2003, he was reappointed to the NAILBA board. Gary has also been a longstanding member of the Risk Appraisal Forum and LIFE, Inc., as well as a charter member of LifeMark Partners, Inc. He was also a board member of LifeMark Securities Corp. Gary is currently licensed with the NASD as Series 6, 63 and 26. During his career, he has served in all local and state chairs of NAIFA, including his term as president of the state association. Further, he served on the New Hampshire board of the Society of Financial Services Professionals (formerly known as the CLU Society). He has been listed in Who's Who in America since 1991.
Thomas E. Fowler, CLU, LUTCF
Sunday Educational Workshop
Tom Fowler is president of the Fowler Financial Group and has over 30 years experience assisting owners of closely held corporations in business and estate planning. He is past president of the Seattle Society of Financial Services Professionals, as well as past president of NAIFA-Washington. He is a past trustee of NAIFA as well as a member of the East King County Estate Planners Association. He is a Qualifying and Life Member of the MDRT where he currently serves as planning and deferred giving chairman for the MDRT Foundation. He serves as chairman of the Overlake Hospital Foundation, and sits on the Overlake Hospital Board of Trustees. He is a Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow. He has served on National Committees for NAIFA, the American Society, AALU and MDRT, plus numerous local and national charities. Tom has authored numerous articles regarding business and estate planning issues, is a frequent speaker throughout the country and was the host of a weekly radio show sponsored by the Society of Financial Professionals entitled “You and Your Finances.”
Ken Gallacher, CLF, LUTCF
Sunday Educational Workshop
As an agent for American National Insurance Company since 1975, Ken Gallacher has built a very successful insurance agency. In 1987, he added recruiting, training and managing agents to his duties, to build the leading agency for American National in manpower, premium and profit. Ken has earned membership in the MDRT, the top 5% of all life insurance agents in the world and as a manager has been the recipient of the prestigious National Management award for 18 years. Ken has made his company’s prestigious President’s Club for 25 years. He has earned his company’s Chieftain Club, Summit Club, VIP Award and General Agent of Distinction multiple times. As regional director for American National, Ken is the supervisor for eight multiple line general agents and 148 agents and has earned awards on the Gold, Silver, and Bronze levels. Ken sits on the board of directors of GAMA International and he is also the executive vice president to Chuck Norris for the United Fighting Arts Federation.
LaDonna Gatlin
Monday Spouse/Guest Breakfast
LaDonna Gatlin literally grew up on stage singing with her brothers—the legendary Gatlin Brothers. In the early 1970s the Gatlins took their family harmony to Nashville. But a detour appeared on the road to stardom—LaDonna got married. At this defining moment, she realized that success for her could be measured in a different way. So she took a giant leap of faith, chose to follow her heart, and “sing a different song” apart from her brothers.
She has spent her entire career empowering people to “sing their own song” as well…to live life from the inside out…through their words, their deeds and their actions. She’s shared her message everywhere—from corporate powerhouses to the prison cells of death row.
LaDonna truly speaks from the heart with stories that are the stuff of life. LaDonna is an active member of the National Speakers Association, and has earned its highest professional designation, the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP). In July of 2005, LaDonna was one of five inductees into the Speakers Hall of Fame, a lifetime award for speaking excellence and professionalism. She’s recorded four solo CDs and is a contributing author to the best-selling book series Chicken Soup for the Soul.
Mark Hanna
Monday General Session
Mark Hanna is a 19-year MDRT member with three Court of the Table and eight Top of the Table qualifications. He served as Chair of Top of the Table in 2007 and has been involved in numerous Annual Meetings and committees. He is a MDRT Foundation Excalibur Knight and, in 2007, became inaugural Legacy Fund donor to the MDRT Foundation. He is chairman and chief executive officer of Hanna Global Solutions, specializing in global employee benefits and human capital management. Mark’s industry involvement includes serving as former president of both the Golden Gate Chapter of the Society of Financial Service Professionals (SFSP) and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA), San Francisco. He is also a former National Board member of the SFSP, a former state board member of NAIFA in California, and has been certified as a global professional in human resources.
John J. Healy, CAE
NAIFA Chief Executive Officer
Monday General Session
John J. Healy is CEO of NAIFA. John has more than two decades of experience leading organizations through periods of strategic change while taking them to new heights of influence and success. Prior to joining NAIFA, John was president of the American Machine Tool Distributors’ Association based in Rockville, Maryland. He was also CEO of the National Pallet & Container Association in Arlington, Virginia, and executive vice president and CEO of the Grain Elevator & Processing Society in Minneapolis, Minnesota. John’s notable contributions to the business sector include his service as CEO of the 360Solutions Group, a logistics and supply chain firm serving Fortune 1000 corporate clients and their associations as they address the increasing complexities of global supply chains. He also served as vice president of business development for Germany-based IFCO Systems N.V., a global logistics, distribution and supply chain solutions provider. In addition to being a Certified Association Executive, John has been recognized by his peers in association leadership for his active participation in the American Society of Association Executives and the Center for Association Leadership.
Charles Legalos, PhD
Sunday Educational Workshop
Dr. Charles Legalos is an international expert on building business by referral. Charles is the originator of the critical contacts approach to leveraged networking—a technique that increases qualified referrals and reduces business development time and costs by 50% to 80%. In 1978, Charles joined the international think-tank, Arthur D. Little, Inc. as a senior organization development consultant. He went on to found successful businesses in the United States, France and England. He has a doctorate in organizational behavior, is a contributing author to the Wall Street Journal #1 Best Seller, Masters of Success, and has authored articles on business development in both domestic and foreign professional journals. Charles is listed in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the World.
Douglas A. Mishkin
Sunday Educational Workshop
Douglas Mishkin, a third-generation insurance professional, is president and CEO of Algren Associates, Inc., an independent life and health insurance general brokerage agency located in New York City. Founded in 1960 by Sid Dickerman, Algren Associates offers products and services to independent brokers and advisors in the areas of life insurance, long-term care insurance and annuities with an emphasis on impaired risk. Douglas chose a different career path from his father and grandfather who built one of the nation's largest multi-line and benefit firms. He started his career as an agent with MassMutual and The Guardian. In 1993, he moved to independent brokerage by joining a BGA in Manhattan as their brokerage manager. He was offered the opportunity to join Algren Associates in 1997 and, in 2001 was named president of the agency. The title of CEO was added in 2006 when Algren's founding partner retired. Prior to joining the NAILBA Board of Directors, he was chairman of NAILBA's Membership Committee. His other insurance affiliations include: Sub Centers and LifeMark Partners. He is a graduate of Franklin and Marshall College where he earned a bachelor's degree in business management.
Van Mueller, LUTCF
Sunday Educational Workshop
Van Mueller is a Registered Representative with the Wisconsin Agency of New England Financial Services. Van is a 35-year industry veteran. He is an active member of MDRT having qualified for Court of the Table in 1990 and Top of the Table for the last 18 years. Van has served as an LUTC moderator in the past and is looking forward to doing so again. He also served as a past-president of the NAIFA-Milwaukee. Van was awarded the Milwaukee NAIFA Distinguished Service Award for 2003. He has also qualified for the National Sales Achievement Award, the National Quality Award, the Health Insurance Quality Award and the National Association of Health Underwriters Leading Producers Round Table. Van is a member of AHIA and the National Association of Health Underwriters. He is also a member of the Society of Financial Service Professionals, an Emissary Contributor to IFAPAC and a diamond Knight of the MDRT Foundation.
Thomas R. Petersen, RHU
Sunday Educational Workshop
Thomas Petersen attended California State University at Northridge, earned an MBA in International Business at Pepperdine University in 1985 and then joined Petersen International Underwriters in 1986. As vice president and chief information officer, Thomas’ duties involve product development, industry liaison, legal counsel liaison and national association representation. Thomas is a registered health underwriter, a licensed investigator, a life fellow of the American College of Forensic Examiners and an emergency medical technician. The Principals of Petersen International Underwriters are involved in the insurance industry as active members and officers of local, state and national insurance associations. Authors of trade magazine articles, monthly newsletters, speaking engagements, including appearances before the Million Dollar Round Table and the Top of The Table. Development of study classes and courses including some for Michigan State, Purdue, Florida State, Tulane, Norte Dame, USC, Butler and Indiana State. They have served as instructors for the Life Underwriters Training Council, the Disability Insurance Training Council and parts of the CLU and CPCU curricula.
Robert B. Plybon, CLU, ChFC
Wednesday General Session
Bob Plybon is Chairman of The American College Board of Trustees. Bob began his career in the life insurance industry representing Home Life Insurance Company in 1972. In the years since, Bob has become a Life and Qualifying Member of the Million Dollar Round Table with 18 years qualifying for Top of the Table. Bob is a Diamond Knight of the MDRT Foundation. He is a Past President of MDRT, of the Association for Advanced Life Underwriting (AALU), of the North Carolina Association of Life Underwriters, Greensboro Association of Life Underwriters and the Greensboro Society of Financial Services Professionals. He is a Past Chairman of the Board, Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education (LIFE). And, in 2003, Bob was the recipient of the John Newton Russell Memorial Award.
Mary Quist-Newins, CFP, ChFC, CLU
Sunday Educational Workshop
Mary Quist-Newins holds the State Farm Chair in Women & Financial Services at The American College. In this role, she works to increase The College’s understanding of women’s financially related expectations, attitudes, and actions. Prior to joining The College, Mary was a senior financial consultant and regional management associate with Thrivent Financial. In this role, she was responsible for a client base of more than 2,400 member households, with over $75 million in assets under management. She also served as a field consultant on company-wide projects, including a highly successful advisory process rollout, the development of a fee-based financial planning platform and group practice management, as well as recruiting and retaining women. While at Thrivent, Mary was named to the MDRT for five consecutive years and qualified as a senior financial consultant (performing in the top 5% of producers). Mary’s industry background also includes positions as a region vice president with the ING Advisors Network and director of field and distribution channel marketing at American Express. At both ING and American Express, she counseled field leaders and financial associates in representative recruiting, client acquisition and retention, and operational best practices.
Dave Racer
Sunday Educational Workshop
Author, essayist, public speaker and broadcast personality, Dave Racer boasts experience in the healthcare sector going back to his days as editor of “The Reece Report,” a newsletter for physicians, in which he observed and analyzed the twists and turns of the U.S. healthcare policy. Later, Dave served as a life agent and held a securities license with New York Life’s Bloomington, Minnesota sales office. Dave is the co-author of two books dealing with the U.S. healthcare system: Your Health Matter: What You Need to Know About U.S. Health Care and FACTS: Not Fiction, What Really Ails the U.S. Health Care System. Dave is also the president and CEO of Alethos Press LLC, a publisher of nonfiction works in the areas of healthcare, American history and government policy.
Nick Ray, CLU, RHU, ChFC, MBC
Sunday Educational Workshop
Nick Ray is a senior trainer and program developer for Critical Contacts, Inc.He has been in the financial services industry since 1968, first in brokerage then as an individual producer. A Northwestern Mutual Financial Network representative since 1976, Nick is licensed for both insurance and securities. He also specialized in employee benefits, and managed, in effect, two successful practices. Active in financial industry associations, Nick has served as president of his local NAIFA and CLU chapters, and as a board member of the CAHU PAC organization. He is a graduate of CoachU and B/Coach and is a member of both the International Coach Federation and Professional Coaches and Mentors Association. He has written several workbooks for financial services professionals and is regularly published in financial services magazines. Nick holds a degree in Business Studies from UCLA. He is also a 30-plus-year member of MDRT and a Life Member of the Leading Producers Round Table.
Mike Rayburn
Wednesday General Session
Mike Rayburn is both a world-class guitarist and a stand-up comedian. He is also an authority on personal development and human potential. Mike’s critically acclaimed presentation is an odyssey of masterful guitar, clean, universally appealing comedy, and musical combinations God never intended. Mike is a regular headliner at Carnegie Hall, receiving standing ovations at every performance. His entertainment style has been described as “Victor Borge with a guitar (and too much coffee),” and he draws his material from many musical styles we all know and love. Mike has been featured in USA Today, Newsweek, Billboard, Gig and American Entertainment magazines and has released five CDs, including his new live recording, “Mike Rayburn at Carnegie Hall.” Mike also co-authored the book Humor Me… America’s Funniest Humorists on the Power of Laughter.
Phillip C. Richards, CFP, CLU, RHU
Saturday First Timers Orientation
Phil Richards is the chairman of the board and CEO of the affiliated companies that operate under the name North Star Resource Group. North Star has been the leading outlet for its largest supplier, Minnesota Life, for the last 17 years and has been ranked one of the two largest organizations of its kind in the world by GAMA International. A winner of numerous industry awards, Phil is the 2005 Inductee into the GAMA International Hall of Fame and is one of only two firm leaders in the world to have received the International Management Award from GAMA International each and every year (34 years) since the inception of that award. In 2007, Phil was named recipient of the 66th annual John Newton Russell Memorial Award. His first book, 25 Secrets for Sustainable Success, was published in March 2007. Phil is an adjunct professor emeritus of insurance for the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota and at Central University of Finance and Economics in China. He is twice a past chairman of Securian’s National Advisory Board and is past president of GAMA International (2002-2003). He serves on the LIFE Foundation and is its chair elect.
Peter Sheahan
Sunday General Session
Peter Sheahan is an author, consultant, award-winning entrepreneur and globally recognized expert in workforce trends and generational change. He began his career in a large international accounting firm. Soon after, he realized that accounting was not what he wanted to do and left the firm to work in a pub cleaning toilets. Within 18 months, Peter was general manager of a multi-million dollar hotel managing over 30 staff members. He then started his own business in an attempt to tap into the potential of tomorrow’s business leaders. In three years, he built a multi-million dollar consulting practice attracting many top companies. With his youthful energy, Peter especially has a talent for relating to the most influential consumer and employee group in the world today, Generation Y — the upwardly mobile generation born between 1978 and 1994. Peter is a unique and inspiring speaker whose ideas and experiences are changing the face of the business world.
Rhonda Sher
Sunday Educational Workshop
Rhonda Sher is a sought-after keynote speaker, workshop leader, author of the Two Minute Networker and creator of several Two Minute Networker audio and video programs. She is a nationally recognized expert in the insurance and financial world on the topic of business networking. She specializes in training and consulting with insurance and financial professionals as well as small business owners, teaching them how to build a referral-based business. Rhonda is the ultimate expert at generating leads, following up and creating visibility through networking. A partial list of Rhonda’s clients include: New York Life, AIG, State Farm, Genworth Financial, Blue Shield and Colonial Supplemental Insurance. Audiences love her energetic, humorous and interactive speaking style as well as the fact that they leave her presentations with dozens of hands-on tips and techniques from which they can immediately profit.
Jeffrey J. Taggart, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF
NAIFA President
Sunday & Wednesday General Sessions
Jeff Taggart continues a family tradition of serving his clients and NAIFA as a third generation NAIFA member. He has been in the insurance business for 28 years. Jeff has served as NAIFA trustee liaison to the National Membership Committee, the Associations Committee, the Leadership in Life Institute (LILI) and MIP Task Forces. He has chaired the Membership Committee twice and has served on the Community Service, Financial Institutions, NAIFA 2000 and Transformation Committees and Task Forces. Jeff has been president of NAIFA-Wyoming and was named Agent of the Year in 1996. As state membership chair, he earned the National Platinum Award twice. He was elected NAIFA secretary in September 2005 at the 116th Annual Convention and has been honored to serve as NAIFA’s president for 2007-2008.
Jeff Thredgold
Tuesday General Session
Tuesday Educational Session
Jeff Thredgold is president of Thredgold Economic Associates, an economic consulting and professional speaking company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. He is the only economist in the world to have earned the CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) designation, the highest earned designation in professional speaking. He has spoken more than 1,000 times during the past 20 years, traveling more than one million miles in the process. Jeff is the publisher of Tea Leaf, a weekly economic and financial update and a frequent contributor in the nation’s business press. His latest book, econAmerica: Why the American Economy is Alive and Well… And What That Means to Your Wallet, was published by Wiley & Sons in July 2007. In econAmerica, Thredgold explains in detail the four key factors, or Silver Bullets, that will drive the American economy for years to come.
Cdr. Scott Waddle USN (Retired)
Monday General Session
Tuesday LILI 7 Alulmnit Seminar
Scott Waddle, a native of Austin, Texas, graduated from the United States Naval Academy in May 1981 earning a B.S. in chemistry. Following graduation he was commissioned an ensign and embarked on a 20-year career in the submarine force, serving aboard the Atlantic Fleet Trident Ballistic Missile boats Alabama and Kentucky and the Pacific Fleet fast attacks San Francisco and Greeneville. In June 1998, after earning an M.S. from the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., he was hand picked from a highly competitive field of 250 officers to command the USS Greeneville, an improved Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine. On the fateful day of February 9, 2001, after two years in command, Scott Waddle’s life was forever changed when he gave the order to perform an emergency surface maneuver that inadvertently caused the 9,000-ton submarine to collide with the Ehime Maru, a 500-ton Japanese fishing vessel, killing nine people on board. Against the advice of his attorney and the Navy’s direction, he took responsibility for the accident. In October 2001 he was honorably discharged from the Navy and retired from active duty as a commander. Scott, an author and inspirational speaker, resides in Raleigh, North Carolina with his wife Jill and daughter Ashley.
Peter R. Wheeler, CLU, ChFC, CFP, CIMC
Sunday Educational Workshop
Pete Wheeler is president and CEO of Wheeler/Frost Associates, Inc. and founder and managing director of Family Office Network, LLC. He has over 40 years of experience in the financial services industry. Serving the needs of the owners of successful privately held corporations, Pete has a particular expertise in employee stock options and grants and is the author of Stock Options + Grants: The Executive’s Guide to Equity Compensation and An Executive’s Guide: Incentive and Nonqualified Stock Options. Family Office Network, which Pete founded in 2000, enables independent advisors to offer comprehensive wealth management services to their clients through an Internet based information-sharing environment. Pete is recognized for his advanced knowledge in insurance, estate, business and pension planning, and has been featured on numerous television and radio programs and in many financial publications. He was selected as one of the top 250 financial advisors in the nation by Worth magazine and was the cover story for Financial Advisor magazine’s February 2003 issue. He has been listed as one of the “Top Wealth Managers” every year by Bloomberg’s Wealth Manager Magazine.
Cliff F. Wilson, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF
NAIFA President Elect
Sunday, Monday & Wednesday General Sessions
Cliff Wilson, a 35-year industry veteran, is president of Southeast Agency located in Chandler, Arizona. First elected to the NAIFA Board of Trustees in 2002, Cliff has served as trustee liaison to the Positioning/Communication Committee, Government Relations Committee, Associations Committee, and Membership Committee. In addition to serving on many NAIFA committees and task forces, Cliff has served as chair of the Membership Committee and Associations Committee. He is a past president of NAIFA Arizona, past trustee of LUTC, past board member of The American College, LILI graduate and IFAPAC emissary. He was inducted into the NAIFA-Arizona Hall of Fame in 2000. Cliff was elected NAIFA secretary in 2006 at the 117th Convention in San Francisco.
Rod Zeeb, JD, CWC
Sunday Educational Workshop
Rod Zeeb is an attorney and cofounder, CEO and president of The Heritage Institute, as well as co-author of Beating the Midas Curse. The Heritage Institute provides consulting, training and tools to individuals and families—and their professional advisors—who want to pass both their values and their valuables on to future generations. Rod’s law practice encompassed business, financial, estate and retirement planning, estate administration and probate, real estate, and related tax issues. He earned a reputation for being able to explain and illustrate complex planning strategies and concepts in understandable and entertaining ways, so his clients could understand and implement them. Rod is sought after as a speaker on The Heritage Process™ and other legacy planning topics. He has been recognized by The Esperti Peterson Institute for Global Wealth Strategies Planning as an Advanced Wealth-Strategist Planner. He is a member of the Oregon State Bar, National Committee on Planned Giving, and Northwest Planned Giving Roundtable.
Gene Zimmerlink
Sunday Educational Workshop
Gene Zimmerlink is the Assistant Vice President of Underwriting in the Life New Business Unit of MetLife’s Individual Business Operations and Services Division. Since assuming leadership of the Independent Distribution Group (IDG) Life Underwriting Unit in Hartford in July 2005, he has been central in the creation of a new service model for IDG, including new underwriting standards that have brought MetLife to the forefront of life insurance underwriting. Before his current role, Gene was a manager in MetLife’s independent underwriting operation in Bridgewater, New Jersey. Prior to joining MetLife, Gene held positions with both direct brokerage and reinsurance companies, including Phoenix Home Life, Swiss Re, and Gen Re. Gene earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from the University of Virginia, and he is active in many insurance industry organizations, including the Association of Home Office Underwriters (AHOU) and the Metropolitan Underwriting Discussion (MUD) Group.
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