Gifted at giving: Advisers honored at Community Leadership Awards

More than half a dozen financial advisers who have shown remarkable charitable leadership and personal commitment were honored Thursday night at the sixth annual Community Leadership Awards. The awards in five categories were presented by the Invest in Others Charitable Foundation and InvestmentNews at the Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. Charles Best, who established the online school contribution site DonorsChoose.org, served as the keynote speaker. The Invest in Others Charitable Foundation will make a $20,000 donation to the charity of each category winner. In addition, a donation of $5,000 will go to the charities of each of the other 10 finalists. William M. Hull of The Capital Group LLC in Overland Park, Kan., was named Volunteer of the Year for founding the Heartstrings Community Foundation. The foundation helps people with developmental disabilities find employment. The finalists were James E. Pearman, Jr. of Partners in Financial Planning LLC in Salem, Va., for Mountain Valley Charitable Foundation, along with David L. Blaydes of Retirement Planners International Inc. in Naperville, Ill., for the Wellness House. Erica Coogan and Kathryn Garrison of Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC in Seattle, won the Volunteer Team Award for their support of the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County, specifically with the InfluenceHer Program that helps middle and high school-aged girls boost their self-esteem. The finalists were Roger P. Theis of Merrill Lynch in Oak Brook, Ill., for Children's Home + Aid and Nathan J. Bachrach and Edward J. Finke of the Financial Network Group Ltd. in Cincinnati, for Honor Flight Tri-State. David Plyler of Gleneagles Group LLC in Atlanta received the Mentoring Excellence Award for his work with Atlanta Youth Academy. Mr. Plyler created a leadership development program for eighth graders at the inner-city Christian school. The finalists were Chad Tischer of DiMeo Schneider & Associates LLC in Chicago, for Midtown Educational Foundation and Roger Carlson of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC in Chicago, for Working in the Schools. The Community Service Award was given to Karen C. Altfest of Altfest Personal Wealth Management in New York for helping to create and volunteer with the Yorkville Common Pantry. The charity, founded in 1980, now provides 25,000 people a year with hot meals, nutrition education and other services. The finalists were Matthew J. Barbis of Creative Wealth Management LLC in Islandia, N.Y., for the Rose Brucia Educational Foundation and David Steadly of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC in New York for the Hyde Leadership Charter School. Scott Sweat of Alpha Omega Group Wealth Management Inc. in Alexandria, Va., won the Global Community Impact Award for his service with David's Hope International, which helps support a poor rural community in Kenya. The finalists were Carl F. Bailey Jr. of Bailey & Beatty Financial Services LLC in Danbury, Conn., for Connecticut Quest for Peace and Mark Wise of Northwestern Mutual Investment Services LLC in Indianapolis, for Timmy Global Health. A special report on the CLA honorees, who were selected from more than 250 nominations, will appear in the Oct. 8 issue of InvestmentNews.