President’s Message – April 2015

Greetings to All,

As 2015 (and the beginning of my term as FPA of MN President) approached, I will admit that I had no idea what to expect for the year ahead. Three months in, I can honestly say I’ve had more fun and had a greater sense of fulfillment than I could have imagined. In just this short amount of time, the work that has been accomplished by our fantastic Board members, our dedicated committee members and other volunteers, and of course, by our wonderful Executive Director, Bonnie Stanley, and her team has been remarkable. A few successes so far for the year:

  • 2nd Annual Advocacy Day – A huge thanks to Scott Nelson, Keith Loveland, and the rest of the Professional Issues committee in putting together a wonderful Advocacy Day at the State Capitol. Held on February 24th, more than 20 members of FPA of Minnesota participated in the event, hearing a presentation from representatives of the Minnesota Department of Commerce and connecting with State Representatives and Senators to offer the financial expertise of FPA of MN members in their work going forward.
  • 9th Annual Career Day – A big thanks to Sara Kantor and the rest of Career Development committee for their efforts in hosting yet another fantastic Career Day event on February 27th which was attended by over 30 students and career changers as well as a great group of employers.
  • Member Socials – A heartfelt thanks to Kathie Bortnem and the New Member committee as well as Mark Brice and NexGen committee in organizing wonderful member socials (for New Members and the NexGen committee, respectively.) The events were very well attended and provided a great opportunity for FPA members to connect, share ideas, etc.
  • Pro Bono/Financial Education Efforts – A big thanks to San Asato and Lisa Stitzel and the Pro Bono and Financial Education committees for their work in educating FPA members on Pro Bono work, participating in the STEM Expo attended by hundreds of sixth grade students, and more.
  • Chapter Guide program – Thanks much to Brad Barinsky and the rest of the New Member committee (as well as those that have agreed to serve as Chapter Guides) for their efforts in leading this program which is intended to connect new members to the programs and benefits available to them and help them truly feel a part of the FPA of MN community.

What is very exciting to me is, though the first three months have been remarkable in terms of what has been accomplished, our Board and Committees continue to refine and develop our programs and initiatives to add as much value as possible for our members. I highly encourage you to keep an eye on the FPA of MN calendar and the events noted in the monthly newsletter for each of these opportunities as they are announced. Exciting times for FPA of Minnesota; I feel very grateful to be a part of it!

As always, feel free to let me or any of our Board members know of any questions, comments, or concerns that you have. We strive to “ask-listen-respond.”

Steve Gilbertson, CFP®
Best,
Gilbertson-Sig

Steve Gilbertson, CFP®
612-750-5237
Accredited Investors, Inc.
steve@accredited.com


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