Jonathan Sparling brings over 10 years of college financing and higher education experience. A former financial aid office administrator, Jonathan has counseled countless families on college planning, savings, and financing throughout his career.

Joanne Dashiell brings over 15 years of higher education experience and a passion for helping families and students make their college dreams an affordable reality. Joanne has helped tens of thousands of families prepare for college by developing education and outreach programs. Joanne has delivered presentations throughout the country as an industry expert and serves as a resource for secondary and post-secondary professionals.

Mr. Pon is a Certified Financial Planner, Certified Public Accountant, Personal Financial Specialist, and Accredited Estate Planner in Redwood Shores, CA.   

Mr. Pon has been practicing since 1986.  He provides the latest advanced tax and financial planning strategies to financial planners so they can be knowledgeable with their clients.

Mr. Pon received his BS in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley and MS in Taxation from Golden Gate University in San Francisco.

Mr. Pon is a long time member of the Financial Planning Association and speaks frequently to the San Francisco and Silicon Valley Chapters.

Marlena Lee is Dimensional’s Global Head of Investment Solutions. She leads a team dedicated to providing clients thought leadership, analysis, and education on a wide range of investment-related topics. In addition, she is a member of the Investment Research Committee.

Marlena previously served as Co-Head of Research, helping shape the firm’s global research agenda by working with clients to identify topics of interest and overseeing the creation of research papers.

Prior to joining Dimensional, Marlena worked as a teaching assistant for Nobel laureate Eugene Fama, a professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Marlena earned her PhD in finance and an MBA from the Chicago Booth School of Business. She also holds an MS in agricultural and resource economics and a BS in managerial economics from the University of California, Davis.

Thomas Drapala, RSSA is Director of Strategic Partnerships for Registered Social Security Analysts. RSSA is the leader in Social Security training and education for financial and insurance professionals. Tom has extensive Social Security knowledge including the most difficult cases to ensure agents and advisors receive top notch education, technology, marketing, and support through the RSSA Social Security Program. Tom has a Masters in Financial Management from LIU Post and lives on Long Island with his wife and two young children.

After starting his career at a wirehouse in 1995, Aaron found a proper home a year later at an independent RIA in his hometown of Elkhart, Indiana. Compass Wealth Advisors was a solo firm of Paul Reasoner, an experienced and capable CFP certificant. As Compass grew, so did Aaron, into a highly technical planner handling the most complex client situations. As Compass added advisors, Aaron was promoted to partner and CIO.

Following his CFP Certification in 2000, Paul encouraged Aaron to attend FPA Retreat 2003. Impassioned by meaningful connections with professional icons, yet discouraged by the lack of young attendees, Aaron approached Ben Coombs (who would become a mentor) about Ben’s plan to train pioneers to mentor younger planners. At 2004’s Retreat, Aaron persuaded Michael Kitces and two other planners to form a related group of younger planners that would become FPA NexGen, which Aaron led for the first few years. In 2006, attempting to recreate the feel and affordability of Retreat’s earliest years, Aaron chaired NexGen’s first conference. The significant growth and impact of NexGen are thanks to the long list of talented and tenacious leaders that followed and the unwavering support and investment of FPA.

Aaron left Compass in 2008, with a dream to create a planning centered firm, just as Elkhart’s economy gained national infamy for its economic disaster with unemployment going from two to 19 percent in six months. Bruised, but not quite broken, in 2009 Aaron accepted an offer to join a more traditional RIA, working remotely. An arduous experience resulted in Aaron reprioritizing his family over professional and financial goals, acquiring new competencies, and advocating for judicial reforms while supporting many who faced or were facing injustice.

Since 2015 Aaron has continued to serve his clients, many for more than two decades, in a boutique practice allowing flexibility to offer high-touch service at a moment’s notice, and to have meaningful conversations within two days when needed.

He lives in the Elkhart area with Kim, his beautiful wife of 26 years. They have four amazing children, with the youngest twins still at home, who thankfully waited a few weeks after that 2006 NexGen conference to be born. The family continues to actively serve and support RETA, a local pregnancy center that is nationally recognized for its growth, talented staff, and the comprehensive and growing services being offered to the community. Kim, a social worker, began as a case manager, then in 1999, Kim and Aaron served as live-in house parents in the teen maternity home, while Aaron studied for his CFP certification, worked full-time, and they welcomed their first child. Aaron currently serves as RETA’s Board Chair.

Aaron has received numerous professional awards and recognitions, has written articles, co-authored a book on retirement income planning, and presented to national and local chapters of planners all over the country on various topics. Aaron is grateful to have discovered his professional calling, humbled to have contributed to passing on the legacy of those pioneers, and thankful for the deep friendships that have resulted.

As Vice President of Retirement Strategies at Finance of America, Steve leads the education and training programs for financial professionals about the strategic use of home equity within a comprehensive financial plan.

Steve’s career in financial services spans over 37 years, where he’s served as an investment analyst, educator, and an independent wealth advisor since 1994. His  practice often incorporates home equity strategies to help safeguard and enhance retirement and legacy objectives for his clients.

Steve is recognized as a subject expert source and interviewed by media outlets including the TheStreet, MarketWatch, and many others. He is a frequent speaker at both national and regional professional conferences.

Michael Kitces isChief Financial Planning Nerd at Kitces.com, dedicated to advancing knowledge in financial planning and helping to make financial advisors better and more successful.

In addition, he is the Head of Planning Strategy at Buckingham Wealth Partners, the co-founder of the XY Planning Network, AdvicePay, New Planner Recruiting, fpPathfinder, and FA BeanCounters, the former Practitioner Editor of the Journal of Financial Planning, the host of the Financial Advisor Success podcast, and the publisher of the popular financial planning industry blog Nerd’s Eye View.

Michael was recognized with FPA’s “Heart of Financial Planning” awards for advancing the profession.

He’s the self-proclaimed “Geek” at CyberFin. Daniel loves to solve business challenges with technology. With 20 years’ experience in the tech space and the last 7 years providing cyber services to Financial Services organizations and their customers, Daniel knows the importance of cyber security protection. Daniel says he has the best job at the company, combining his passion for technology and education in his quest to eliminate cybercrimes and regulation fines in the SMB space.