Conferences, Volunteering, and More

By Joni Alt, CFP^®, NAPFA Chair

Welcome to May! I am excited to share this newsletter with you!

I hope you were able to attend the Spring 2025 National Conference in Phoenix, Ariz. It was a wonderful time to meet up with old friends and colleagues and make new acquaintances. This is the best part of NAPFA—networking that builds strong, lifelong relationships. The conference highlighted powerful discussions on health planning, retirement, AI, psychology, client relationships, alternative lifestyles, and much more. If you weren’t able to attend, you can take advantage of the conference proceedings on demand in the NAPFA Learning Center.

Congratulations to our award recipients:

• NAPFA Inspiring Leader Award: Brooklyn Brock, CEPA, CFP^®, ChFC^®, CKA^®
• NAPFA New Professional Award: Elijah Essa, CFP^®
• NAPFA Special Achievement Award: Lakesha F. Williams, MBA

The Fall 2025 National Conference will be in Washington, D.C., Sept. 3–6. We will hear from our public policy consultant, Michael Watkins of Financial Markets Consultants LLC, about public policy issues that affect NAPFA and our advocacy partners. Please mark your calendars and join us for a very informative time.  

The NAPFA Board of Directors is in the midst of strategic planning for the association. We have been gathering information through interviews, focus groups, and a member survey. This will culminate in a planning retreat for the board in May. Thank you for taking time to give us your feedback.

This month’s edition covers a wide range of essential topics for advisors, from effective hiring practices and AI adoption to measuring market sentiment and building an engaging email list. Dive into our data-driven analysis comparing Roth versus traditional retirement contributions and read more about the SEC Marketing Rule. We also spotlight the leadership of a dedicated NAPFA volunteer.

Consider volunteering on a NAPFA committee, affinity group, and/or ad-hoc opportunity. Reach out to Spencer Bone (bones@napfa.org) at NAPFA headquarters and he can provide you with some suggestions. Volunteering has been one of the best experiences of my professional life. I’ve met so many wonderful colleagues and feel like I’ve made a difference. Thank you, NAPFA!