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2015 Elite Advisor Finalists

NOTE: Star icon indicates the nominee won the 2015 Top Advisor Award.

Kathryn Cawley 

Financial Advisor

The Voyager Group, Ltd.

Joliet, Ill.

 

Kathryn Cawley has 27 years of experience in the financial service business. She was with Long Grove Trading Co. 1995-2000, and with Lincoln Investment Planning since 2000. She is co-chair of the Independent Advisor Council with Lincoln. She had been a member of the Field Advisory Council for Northern Life and then ReliaStar Life. Cawley is a past NTSA board member and secretary. She and her husband have established an endowment fund with the goal of giving back to children in need in their local community; they have involved key clients to serve on an advisory board in the development and promotion of this community effort. She serves on the board of directors for the Community Foundation of Will County, Ill. and will be the new chair of the grants committee.


Louis A. Deppas 

Registered Representative

The Legend Group

Lakewood, N.Y.


Louis A. Deppas is in his 27th year as a registered representative with The Legend Group, a  national Financial Planning company. He manages a local office in the Jamestown, N.Y., area of seven investment professionals. Lou has significant experience and exposure in all areas of financial planning. In addition to holding the CRC designation, he administers plans in the 403(b), 457, 401(k), and Section 125 areas, and has significant experience in all of them. Before his career with the Legend Group, he was an educator in the Jamestown City School District for 22 years, leaving in 2000 to pursue his full-time career in financial planning. 


Jody Detillier 

Financial Advisor
Detillier Financial Advisors, LLC

New Orleans, La.


Jody Detillier began his career as a financial advisor with his father’s firm in 1992. He went on to earn the LUTCF, ChFC and CLTC designations. He also is one of the first 19 individuals to have earned the NTSA designation of CSTSA, now known as TGPC. Over his 23-year career, he has taken the lead in the firm to transform it from a transaction-oriented business model to a financial advisor firm that can help clients with every aspect of a comprehensive retirement plan.


Daniel Dovan

Regional Manager

The Legend Group

Rochester, N.Y.


Daniel Dovan has been in the investment business since 1987 and has been serving clients as a registered representative since 1989; he has been a Registered Principal with Legend Equities Corporation since that year. He is the Regional Manager in the Rochester office. He is committed to serving clients and to providing retirement planning advice. He says that he has the opportunity to work in the best industry with the greatest people and enjoy every minute of it.


William Haigh

Financial Advisor

EFS Advisors

Fairmont, Minn.

 

Bill Haigh and his wife, Nancy, have been with EFS Advisors since 2002. After earning degrees in Political Science and History at Iowa State University, he taught high school social studies and coached before serving as the Iowa Majority Leader’s staff person for education and tax issues. While working for the state, he earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration in 1990. He started his own business before being asked to return to state government as the legislative liaison and public information officer for the State information Technology Department under Gov. Tom Vilsack. Bill and Nancy assisted Iowa State Education Association members in over half of the school districts in Iowa. In July 2010, Bill and Nancy moved to Fairmont, where they now assist Education Minnesota members and their families in southwest Minnesota and northern Iowa.


Thomas Hall

Financial Advisor, Tax-Sheltered Planning

GWN Securities, Inc.

Fayetteville, N.C.


Thomas Hall began his work as an advisor by teaching insurance courses at a local community college. He sat for the Series 1 exam and went on to attain the CLU/ChFC designations, enabling him to “preach” in the classroom to students and to “practice” in the private arena with clients. He found supervising insurance pre-licensing and insurance continuing education and the CLU/ChFC exam preparation courses very rewarding. In the 1990s his client base and AUM became such that he became a full-time financial advisor, became associated with NTSAA and established his independent status. This year he qualified for the MDRT. 


Russel Sands

Regional Coordinator and CRC

The Legend Group

Bohemia, N.Y.

 

Russel Sands has served in his current capacities since 1982. He specializes in retirement planning for K-12 public school employees and provides continual advice on simple and complex financial issues as they arise during clients’ various life phases. He considers himself to be “your partner in financial planning.” His specialty is his ability to communicate the complexities of financial planning in easy-to-understand concepts and helping clients complete their financial plans and meet their goals. He also helps Legend to continue to grow and maintain a positive presence in the 403(b) market of Long Island, N.Y. 


Todd D. Stout

Regional Vice President

The Legend Group

Independence, Ohio

 

Todd D. Stout has been with The Legend Group/Legend Equities Corporation since Feb. 1, 2003, after spending more than 18 years at another firm. His primary responsibilities as a Legend Group Regional Vice President is recruiting new financial advisors, assisting current financial advisors, new employer groups, maintaining current employer group relationships, conducting legislative initiatives and the growth of sales channels by growing The Legend Group's market share throughout the Midwest. 


Lyle Uyeda 

Financial Advisor, Vice President

Chinen & Arinaga Financial Group

Mililani, Hawaii


After earning a Bachelor's degree in finance, Lyle Uyeda learned how to manage and run a business at Ben Franklin Inc. After that, he began his tenure at Chinen & Arinaga Financial Group, which now spans 20 years, and transitioned from handling business financials to working with people on their personal finances and planning their retirements. 


Richard Williams 

President and CEO
Williams & Company Financial Services

Grandville, Mich.

 

Williams & Company is a leader retirement planning and investing in the governmental and non-profit area, where he leads the firm’s strategic direction. Under his leadership, the company has grown from a small local firm founded in 1999 in the Grand Rapids, Mich., area to one with a nationwide presence. He has played a critical role in the development of education programs for school employees to better understand pension and retirement planning. Through education seminars and the proprietary software, his programs have helped thousands of people understand the need and importance of financial planning. Mr. Williams brings more than 30 years of experience in insurance and financial services, and holds the Certified Retirement Counselor designation.