LEADERSHIP

Bryon Holz, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF, CASL, LACP, President of Bryon Holz & Associates, an Investment Advisor Representative, Registered Principal of SagePoint Financial -Building Brighter Tomorrow Since 1983. www.BryonHolz.com

Bryon and his team of associates in Tampa Bay, Florida have been building brighter tomorrows for their clients since 1983, specializing in asset protection, income planning and wealth conservation strategies.  Their firm's approach to financial services is based on the principle that the customer’s needs should always come first.

A business graduate and Presidential Scholar of the University of Tampa and graduate of the Professional Management Institute in Insurance Marketing Management at Purdue University, Bryon has complimented his industry education with numerous designations, certifications and credentials.

Holz has served in leadership on various professional boards including as state and local president, two-time national trustee, and current National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) President.  He was additionally feted with both his local and state association’s distinguished service awards, and honored to be both a graduate and two-time moderator of NAIFA’s prestigious Leadership in Life Institute (LILI).

A life, qualifying and Top of the Table member of the Million Dollar Round Table, Bryon is a long-time supporter of the MDRT Foundation, and has served on numerous MDRT and MDRT Foundation committees.  A regular industry columnist and speaker, he was thrilled to be a featured presenter at three MDRT Annual Meetings.

Holz believes in serving his community, and actively supports numerous civic and charitable causes including Instruments of Change, Epilepsy Services Foundation, Scouting, and the Nativity Food Bank among many others.

An avid traveler, photographer, and social media user, Bryon’s passions include his faith, family, profession, and especially music. Bryon Holz ROCKS! He supports diversity, equity and inclusion in his profession and is a supporting member of Women in Financial Services.

Tom Cothron, LUTCF, FSCP, entered the business in 1979 and joined NAIFA in 1981. In 1986, he was appointed as an Agency Manager for Southern Farm Bureau and manages a multi-line agency in Ocala, FL. He has been named Agency Manager of the Year several times and has also been chosen to receive Florida Farm Bureau’s Team Player Award on multiple occasions.

Cothron served as a NAIFA local chapter President in Ocala, FL in 1995 and 2002, as NAIFA-Florida president in 2008-2009, and served on NAIFA’s national board of Trustees from 2011-2015. In 2007 he was asked to serve on the “NAIFA In The 21^st Century” (NAIFA 21) strategic planning task force and after rotating off the national board in 2015 was asked to serve as a member of the “NAIFA 2020” strategic planning group. He was the 2011 recipient of NAIFA-Florida’s highest award as Advisor of the Year being named as the recipient of the “C.G. Snead/J.F. Bryan, III Memorial Award for Outstanding Service”. He has served as a LUTCF moderator and is a graduate of NAIFA’s Leadership In Life Institute.

Cothron serves as a NAIFA Key Contact for several state and federal lawmakers from Florida and his favorite activities include travel with his wife of 30 years, Susie, and any time spent with their 4 children and 6 grandchildren.

Douglas Massey, LUTCF, CLU, ChFC, CRES, FSS, is a registered representative with OFG Financial Services, Inc., where he has been since 1992. His practice specialties include retirement planning and life insurance. His company’s focus is on near-retirees and retirees. It also does a significant amount of business in the non-profit and 403(b) market.

A NAIFA member since 1987, Massey has served as Chari of the IFAPAC Committee, was on the NAIFA-TX board of directors from 2008-2014, and was president of NAIFA-TX from 2012-2013.

He has attended every NAIFA Congressional Conference since the meeting’s inception and has attended every NAIFA-TX Legislative Day since 1991. He is one of the key contacts for Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz and Rep. Michael Conaway.

Massey is an IFAPAC Defender (monthly contributor), as well as a contributor at several events each year. Over the years, he has recruited and sponsored many NAIFA members and has encouraged past members. He has moderated LUTCF and FSS classes and is a Leadership in Life Institute (LILI) graduate.

Brock Jolly is a Financial Advisor with Veritas Financial, LLC, and the founder of The College Funding Coach^®. He started his career in 2000 on a mission to help as many families as possible with their financial success. Inopportunely, his career launch coincided with the dot-com bubble burst. Rest assured, it was not entirely his fault. Over the years, Brock’s practice has evolved, but he always remembers those lessons he learned early on in his career.

In 2002, Brock created The College Funding Coach^®, which teaches parents strategies for saving and paying for college without jeopardizing their own retirement savings through a unique workshop entitled, “Little-Known Secrets of Paying for College.” What started as a small adult education class in the Washington, D.C. suburbs has spread to a national platform that teaches several hundred workshops each year to audiences of up to a few thousand parents, all of whom are desperate for this critically important and valuable information.

In 2014, Brock partnered with Gerald Radican to form Veritas Financial. “We merged two very different practices to help a broader set of clients with a deeper set of solutions,” Brock explains. He excitedly adds, “Veritas Financial allows us to build something that is much bigger than the sum of our practices and allows our clients to truly benefit from the synergies of partnership.”

A sought-after financial advisor and student of the industry, Brock has deep knowledge and resources in all aspects of financial planning. He graduated from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2000. Brock is a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP^®), and holds many other industry designations, including Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC^®), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU^®), Certified Family Business Specialist (CFBS^®) and Retirement Income Certified Professional^® (RICP^®).

Brock has been featured in numerous media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, PBS, Fox News, The Motley Fool, Federal News Radio’s “Blueprint for Wealth,” and Real Estate Radio Washington, where Brock provides the “Word on Wealth.” He has been quoted in industry publications such as Investment News, The National Underwriter, Insurance Newsnet, Think Advisor and Life Insurance Selling.

Brock has been recognized as a top performer within the industry. He is a perennial qualifier for the Million Dollar Round Table’s “Top of the Table,” as well as MassMutual’s “Leaders Club,” “Blue Chip Council,” and “Top of the Council” honors. In 2011, he was named the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) Young Advisor Team Leader of the Year. From 2012 to 2014, he served as the chairman of NAIFA’s Investment Committee, where he worked closely with NAIFA leadership to manage the association’s reserve account. In 2014, he was elected by his peers to serve as a National Trustee for NAIFA—the youngest trustee ever elected. In 2015, Brock was awarded the Legacy Award by the Washington, D.C. Helping Hands Society in recognition for his longstanding service to the organization, the financial services industry, the highest standards of professional conduct, and unselfish community service. He currently serves as the National Treasurer for NAIFA.

In his spare time, Brock enjoys traveling, distance running, SCUBA diving and playing ice hockey. He lives in Arlington, Virginia with his wife, Lauren, their children Bryson and Olivia, and their adopted Goldendoodle, Wally.

Lawrence Holzberg, LACP, LUTFC, has a knack for stewarding development and growth wherever he goes. Prior to joining Fortis Lux, he served as Managing Director and Director of Sales and Strategic Initiatives for Wealth Advisory Group. Holzberg was focused on the talent acquisition and leadership development. The Life Brokerage Division grew by 20% under his leadership and he was able to aid advisors to double their business in three years' time. Before that, he was able to aid the growth of the broker distribution channel by 15% year after year at Rampart America. It is clear that Holzberg is dedicated to his work such that growth is exponential. To meet the increasing demand for financial advice and services, Holzberg has been committed to providing expertise and personal attention to help advisors succeed. He will focus on expanding the availability of services that Fortis Lux offers throughout the Long Island region.

Throughout his over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, Holzberg has developed a regional and national reputation for his leadership and a proven track record of developing and managing high-performance teams.

Holzberg received his Bachelor of Business Administration, from Long Island University. Since then he has received certifications for Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow and Life and Annuity Certified Professional both issued by NAIFA.

As NAIFA’s Chief Executive Officer, Kevin Mayeux, CAE, oversees the headquarters and national staff and manages relationships with life, health and financial service companies, other industry organizations, legislators, and regulators. Mayeux supports NAIFA’s Board of Trustees and committees and coordinates efforts with NAIFA’s 90 state and local chapters. As CEO, he led an effort to modernize NAIFA’s operations through the development and implementation of a bold new strategic plan, NAIFA 20/20.

Prior to becoming NAIFA’s CEO, Mayeux served as the Executive Vice President, Chief Officer for North American Operations, and General Counsel for the Institute of Internal Auditors Global Headquarters in Orlando, Fla. In this role, Kevin supervised the core membership services offered to all 75,000 IIA members in North America in 158 chapters throughout the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean islands. Kevin further served as General Counsel, guiding the IIA’s intellectual property protection, affiliation agreements and legal interests around the world. He is a Certified Association Executive and holds a Certificate in Risk Management Assurance.

Mayeux has served as an association management professional for more than 25 years, including serving as the executive director of a statewide trade association in Tallahassee and CEO of an international individual membership society in Indianapolis. He also practiced law in Central Florida. He has held leadership positions on both the state and national level within the association management community, including being named Indiana’s association executive of the year, serving as president of the Indiana Society of Association Executives, and serving on the board of directors for the Florida Society of Association Executives. Mayeux received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and took Masters in Political Science and Public Administration courses concurrent with his Juris Doctorate at the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he served as Student Body President. Kevin continues to serve his alma mater as a member of its national alumni board.

Mark Acre, President of OneSource, started his company in 2007.  Mark is licensed in Property and Casualty, Life and Health insurance.  Mark grew up in Poplar Bluff, MO and moved to Springfield where he attended Missouri State University and received his Bachelor of Arts.  Mark serves on the Board of Directors for NAIFA, helps with the MDA, Special Olympics, and the Care to Learn program.  Mark is passionate about making OneSource the elite agency to work for and to obtain insurance through in our industry.

Dennis Cuccinelli, LACP began his with New England Financial (NEF) where he was a conference qualifier for numerous years as a producer, Business Specialist, Brokerage Manager, and DI Specialist. He participated on three producer/home office joint committees. Currently, he is a self-employed employee benefits consultant. He has managed the employee benefits division of general agencies associated with New England Financial and PennMutual.

He is the author of a whitepaper that helps employers consider non-traditional approaches to providing health insurance to their employees which includes methods the employer, employer, and brokers can use to drive down the cost of health insurance.  

Cuccinelli uses his knowledge and experience working within the employee benefits industry to help consumers, insurance producers, and employers better understand the health insurance products they utilize for themselves, sell to their clients, and offer their employees.

He is the former Chairperson of the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance Commissioner’s Producer Advisory Board.

Cuccinelli is a member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial (NAIFA) Board of Trustees. His primary responsibility is heading up new membership recruitment for NAIFA.

Cuccinelli is a past-president of NAIFA-NJ. He has served on NAIFA’s Government Relations Committee, APIC Committee, and IFAPAC Committee.  

He was a member of the 20/20 Task Force Working Group 1 and chairperson of Working Group B during NAIFA’s QME process.

He has promoted increased responsibility amongst insurance producers in New Jersey via changes in the New Jersey Insurance Regulations and is the catalyst of a bill that became law in 2011. He has testified before the New Jersey Assembly Banking and Insurance Committee in support of stronger producer compliance regulations.

He has testified on behalf of NAIFA members and their clients before the NJ Bureau of Securities multiple times.

Cuccinelli received the Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education’s realLIFEstories Award which was published in Newsweek Magazine. He is the recipient of the Central Jersey Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors’ Life Underwriter of the Year award and the New Jersey Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors Underwriter of the Year Award.

He is a recipient of New England Financials' Edward E. Phillips Outstanding Citizenship Award and a similar award from MetLife.

Cuccinelli is an avid SCUBA diver and has coached pee-wee to high school football.

Christopher L. Gandy is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Midwest Legacy Group (OneAmerica) in Lisle, IL. He has served as President of NAIFA’s Chicagoland chapter and has been a NAIFA member since 2003. He entered the insurance and financial services industry in 1999 after playing professional basketball for the Chicago Bulls and the San Antonio Spurs as well as in L’Hermaine, France.

Gandy serves on NAIFA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force and is a member of the NAIFA 2025 Strategic Planning Committee. He is a highly sought after speaker for industry events and has been a speaker at NAIFA’s Performance+Purpose annual conference and published in Advisors Magazine, GQ, Advisor Today and InsuranceNewsNet among other publications.

Gandy is also an active volunteer in the community. He serves on the Board of the Chicago Concussion Coalition, which strives to make amateur sports safer for children, and on the Board of Directors of the Urban League. He is part of the United Way’s Young Community Leaders and volunteers for the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization.

Brian J. Haney, CLTC, CFS, CIS, CFBS, LACP, CAE, Founder and CEO of the Haney Company in Silver Spring, MD, has been a loyal NAIFA member since 2013.

Haney is a member of NAIFA-Greater Washington, D.C., and has served on the chapter’s Board for more than seven years. He has been the NAIFA-GWDC Young Advisor Team (YAT) Chair and a Past President of the chapter. He has chaired several other NAIFA-GWDC committees and served on the Board of NAIFA-MD. He is a 2015 graduate of NAIFA’s Leadership in Life Institute (LILI) and has served as a LILI Moderator. 

Haney served on the national YAT Committee and is a member of NAIFA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council. He was NAIFA’s first Life and Annuity Certified Professional (LACP) Chair and served as a subject-matter expert, developing exam questions and criteria for the certification. He is a highly regarded speaker and has presented at NAIFA’s annual conference, has been a featured guest on NAIFA Live, and participates as a presenter in NAIFA’s Advisor Ambassador program. 

Haney’s many awards and acknowledgments include: West Financial Group New Agent of the Year, MassMutual Life Insurance Company Rising Leader, MassMutual Life Insurance Company Leaders Qualifier, 2017 NAIFA’s Advisor Today Four Under 40 recipient, 2018 NAIFA National Diversity Champion, NAIFA Quality Award recipient each year since 2013, MDRT Qualifier since 2009, MDRT Court of the Table Qualifier since 2014, MDRT Top of the Table Qualifier since 2015, 2019 Washington Business Journal 40 Under 40 winner, and 2021 YAT Leader of the Year.

Carina Hatfield, LUTCF, CLCS, LACP, Owner of Weigner Insurance & Financial Services Inc. in Pottstown, PA, has been a loyal NAIFA member since 2005.

She has more than 15 years in the insurance and financial services industry and is a Past President of the NAIFA-Pennsylvania chapter, where she also served on the state Board of Directors. She served on the NAIFA-Pennsylvania Strategic Planning Committee, chaired the state Young Advisors Team and Membership Committee, and was the President of the NAIFA-Tri-County local chapter from 2009 to 2011.

Hatfield served on NAIFA’s national Young Advisors Team Committee and is the YAT liaison to the Leadership in Life Institute (LILI) Subcommittee. She was NAIFA's 2020 national YAT Leader of the Year. She is a LILI graduate and has been a class moderator. She organized a return of the LILI program to Pennsylvania after an absence of several years. She also serves as a NAIFA Ambassador, providing guidance to the next generation of insurance and financial advisors and encouraging them to become NAIFA members.

Aprilyn Chavez Geissler, LACP hails from New Mexico and graduated from University of New Mexico with a bachelor’s degree in finance. She currently serves as a NAIFA National Trustee and has worked in many aspects of the insurance and financial services industry including multiline, employee benefits, fixed insurance, and financial services.  She is MDRT, Court of Table, and First Executive Vice President for Gateway Insurance and Financial Services along with running her own practice.  She is the recipient of 2019 NAIFA National Diversity Champion Award.  She was recognized by Investment News as 2020 Top Women to Watch in the country.  Because of her story overcoming adversity, Insurance News termed Aprilyn “the Phoenix of Albuquerque”.  She enjoys spending time giving back and helping others overcome their challenges and plan their financial future.  As a result of following her passion, she was named the top three insurance agents in her community.  She has a 11-year-old daughter Kambria that Aprilyn hopes to inspire to be her best self.

Evelyn Gellar is a Managing Director with Forest Hills Financial Group (FHFG) who has flourished in many professional roles throughout her many years in financial services. A forward-thinking business development leader, Evelyn takes pride in her ability to build and nurture relationships as she helps associates be the best they can be through coaching and training. Throughout her career, Evelyn has been devoted to advocating for diversity and inclusion and to giving a voice to the needs of women, thus advancing a more equitable future for all.

An experienced agent in the financial services industry served as an early mentor for Evelyn, and when he introduced her to the career, she was off and running. Evelyn began her professional journey with MetLife, determined to gain industry knowledge and education to best serve her clients and confidently lead a team of advisors. During her eleven-year tenure with MetLife as a Sales Manager and Agency Sales Director, followed by seven years with Penn Mutual as a Sr. Vice President of Market Development, and AVP of Strategic Partnerships, Evelyn consistently translated the vision of her role into results.

She has qualified for Leaders conference both as an agent and Manager, and as a top 10 office was a Chairman’s Qualifier. Continued Development is at the core of her success through the industry designations. She currently holds the Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA), Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP), Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow (LUTCF), Financial Services Certified Professional (FSCP) and Certification in Long Term Care (CLTC). Her FINRA registrations include Series 6, 63, 7, 24 and 53. Evelyn graduated from Fordham University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. Now with FHFG, Evelyn is committed to cultivating the talents and skills of the firm’s newest associates while motivating more experienced associates to reach and exceed their professional goals.

Evelyn’s strong sense of professionalism and community keep her actively involved. Evelyn currently serves as National Board Trustee of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Services (NAIFA) and served as the first Latina President for the National Association of Women in Insurance & Financial Services (WIFS).

In her spare time, Evelyn enjoys playing golf, cruising and working on her personal development. Evelyn currently resides in West Islip, NY with her husband Steven. They have two adult children, Lindsey and Mark currently studying Law and Engineering.

Win Havir, CPCU, CLF, LUTCF, FSS, AIC, LACP, is the executive vice president of business development for Educators Insurance Resources Services, Inc. She represents The Horace Mann Companies. Her area of focus is coordinating school district and state insurance benefits for teachers and staff, while helping them prepare for a successful and rewarding retirement.  Her practice specialties include auto, fire, life insurance, retirement and student loan solutions. She is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.

Havir is also a member of NAIFA’s Diversity and Inclusion Task Force. She has also served as director, trustee and IFAPAC chair for NAIFA-Saint Paul.  As an agency field executive for State Farm, she encouraged participation in NAIFA at the local, state and national levels and invited NAIFA to present at District Meetings.

Havir has assisted in recruiting multiple new members and has helped the Membership Committee on numerous occasions by making phone calls or visiting prospective members.

Havir is a LILI graduate and moderator, a YAT mentor, and a NAIFA Quality Award recipient. She is also the current president, a past president and charter member of the Greater Twin Cities Chapter of WIFS. She has been involved with the Girl Scouts and was a member of Job’s Daughter Bethel 120. She was recognized with the Ambassador of the Year Award by the Whittier Area Chamber of Commerce.

Havir lives in Stillwater, Minnesota, with her husband, Gary, also an active NAIFA member. Havir’s hobbies include running and traveling the world.

Danny O'Connell, CEO and founder of Next Level Insurance, started his company to address the future trends of health care, integrating technology and practical solutions to lower costs. Danny has been in the financial services industry since 2001 and has specialized in employee benefits since 2006. Danny became the 3rd Texan ever to be honored by NAIFA in 2014 with their Advisor Today 4 under 40 national award. Danny has over 30 published articles on health care reform and was a frequent contributor for Fox News Radio on the Affordable Care Act. He is frequently asked to speak all over the United States and internationally on various insurance topics.