The strong philanthropic commitments of five financial advisers and one firm were honored Wednesday night at the ninth annual Community Leadership Awards.
The awards were presented by the Invest in Others Charitable Foundation and
InvestmentNews at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York. More than 400 financial professionals and guests attended.
Voya Financial won the first-ever Corporate Philanthropy Award for its ongoing dedication to helping charities in the community and supporting employees' volunteer efforts. The firm will receive a $2,500 donation to a charity of its choice.
The four other finalists in this new category included Commonwealth Financial Network, LPL Financial, Natixis Global Asset Management and North Star Resource Group.
For the five individual awards, charitable donations of between $20,000 and $25,000 were awarded to advisers in five categories. The charities supported by 10 other individual finalists each won $5,000.
“Each of the individuals and firms we recognized go above and beyond each day to make an impact in their communities,” said Megan McAuley, executive director of the Invest in Others Charitable Foundation. "They are an inspiration to all of us!"
(More: Advisers and corporations pitch in for vital causes)
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Ted Schwab, of Steward Partners Global Advisory in Washington, D.C., won the Lifetime Achievement Award for creating a mentoring and college support program for low-income students. More than 500 high school and college students in Washington have been helped by Capital Partners for Education since its founding in 1992.
Other finalists in this category were Wayne Bisek, owner of Wayne Bisek Financial Services in Oregon, Wis., for Buckets for Hunger; and Bosworth Todd, chairman emeritus of Todd Asset Management in Louisville, Ky., for Wellspring.
Volunteer of the Year was Jeffrey Keefe, founding principal of Whole Wealth Management in Portsmouth, N.H., for spearheading the creation of a community ice skating rink that opened last winter after three years of fundraising and development. About 22,000 people have already taken a spin on the new rink.
Tom Tessier, a financial adviser with Weisman Tessier Lambert & Halloran in Nashua, N.H., was a finalist in this category for his work as co-founder of the Nashua chapter of Veterans Count. The other finalist was Greg Katulka, a senior financial adviser at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Gainesville, Ga., who is chairman of the board for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hall County.
The Community Service Award went to Rob Shick, senior vice president of Robert W. Baird & Co. in Portland, Ore., for helping to raise more than $500 million for the Oregon Health and Science University Knight Cancer Institute. He did so after a doctor there helped him survive a rare type of leukemia. The funds, which were matched by a wealthy family, will support research focused on early detection.
The two finalists in this category were Chad E. Greer, a wealth management adviser with Northwestern Mutual in Nashville, Tenn., for his work with the Sennet Society and the Tocqueville Society; and Frederick J. Gillis III, an adviser with Wells Fargo Advisors in Boston, who chaired the capital committee for the renovation of the West Roxbury YMCA.
GIFT OF LIFE
Bill Pickens, a senior vice president with Wells Fargo Advisors in Germantown, Tenn., won the Global Community Impact Award for creating a local chapter of Gift of Life, which provides life-saving heart surgery for children from impoverished nations — all for free. Working with LeBonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., Gift of Life Mid-South has saved the lives of 61 children.
Debra Brede, founder of D.K. Brede Investment Management Co. in Needham, Mass, was a finalist in this category, as co-founder of Agape International Inc., which supports orphans with AIDs in India. The other finalist was Richard A. Gagné, a wealth management adviser with Richard A. Gagné & Associates in Beaumont, Texas, for his work with the Mbabaali Memorial School for Orphans in Uganda.
The winner of the Catalyst Award was Rick Armiger, a vice president with Morgan Stanley Wealth Management in Baltimore, who co-founded the Ironheart Foundation to improve the lives of those suffering from heart disease. Today, cardiac patients from 48 states and 19 countries participate in more than 1,600 athletic events a year thanks to the foundation's support.
Finalists in the category were Stacy Francis, chief executive of Francis Financial in New York for founding Savvy Ladies, and Ron Carson, chief executive of Carson Wealth Management Group in Omaha, Neb., for co-founding The Dreamweaver Foundation with his wife, Jeanie.
More details about the winners of the Community Leadership Awards will be featured in the Oct. 26 issue of
InvestmentNews.
