NAIFA Members Serve Main Street

Carol Rappaport, CLU^®, ChFC^®, CLTC, is a financial advisor at Northwestern Mutual and a loyal NAIFA member since 1983.

Carol began working in the clothing sales business at an early age. She enjoyed providing a customized service for her clients and helping them select items based on their style preferences. Her clients and friends recognized her talents and recommended that she consider outside sales opportunities, and more specifically, financial services. Initially, Carol thought, “I am more of a creative type of person, not a math person. Will I be able to do this well?” However, she remained open-minded and decided to give it a shot. After all, she had experience listening to clients and making recommendations and customizations based on their best interests.

Thomas Yannetti is a Financial Services Professional at thinkWealth, LLC, and a new NAIFA member.

A 2020 graduate of Ramapo College in New Jersey, Yannetti earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance and Accounting. When Thomas received the discouraging news that classes were transitioning online due to COVID-19, Yannetti saw this minor setback as an opportunity. While finishing up his coursework online, Thomas decided to transition from part-time to full-time to jumpstart his career in financial services.

Joseph Cammayo, our newest NAIFA member, is an independent financial advisor at Calton & Associates, Inc., and a Registered Investment Advisor (IAR) with Grantvest Financial.

Joseph has 25 years of experience ranging from various Senior Level positions in some of the most prestigious firms in the industry. He was previously a Senior Director of Branch Operations at Oppenheimer, an Operations Manager at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, and an Admin Manager for Bank of America Investments. He has extensive knowledge of Risk Management, Compliance, and Operations.

Bryan Smith is a financial services representative at Capstone Financial, LLC, and a new NAIFA member. After spending just a few minutes with Bryan, you’ll quickly find that he is in this business to serve.

Marc Sigmon is the CEO of Marc Sigmon Insurance Agency and a new NAIFA member.

After retiring from 20 years of military service, Sigmon decided to enter the civilian sector. During this transition, he spent time self-reflecting and considering what career opportunities would be a good fit for him. In 2016, after attending a job fair where an insurance company spoke about Medicare, Sigmon entered the financial services industry. He was highly attracted to the idea of running his own company and said, “Setting my own schedule paired with helping people brought together many of my traits.”

Grace Staten, recently named the Women in Financial Services (WIFS) 2020 Woman of the Year, is the Vice President of Marketing for Coastal Wealth, and a loyal NAIFA member since 2013.

Staten says, “I was first introduced to the financial services business as an undergraduate by a volunteer at my college. She was a part-time career counselor who worked professionally as a financial advisor. Knowing that I wanted to major in business, she steered me toward finance and allowed me to be an assistant in her financial services office.”

Kristen Eskew is a Business Development Executive for OneDigital, a speaker and a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion enthusiast. She is also a new NAIFA member.

In 2008, Eskew graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Media Studies. Upon graduating, she worked as a teller at multiple banks until her position was dissolved due to a merger. At the time, one of her friends was working for Consolidated Planning and connected her with an open position. Though she had experience in banking and worked in the financial aid department in college, Eskew says, “I kind of fell into it…I wasn’t running towards this business; I was in the process of trying to find my passion and purpose.”

Jose Rodriguez is the founder of Optimized Financial Brokerage Solutions and Insurance Services and a loyal NAIFA member since 2016.

Rodriguez was born in the United States and raised in Mexico. In 1979, when Rodriguez was eight years old, his father became ill. Upon recommendation, the family decided to take an extended vacation and moved to Mexico. Rodriguez says, “I am the first generation Mexican-American. When we moved to Mexico, I was bullied because I didn’t speak Spanish.” Years passed, and at the age of 17, Rodriguez decided to leave Mexico. He came to the United States, worked in fast-food restaurants, and went back to school to learn computer processing.

Abby Fletcher is the Regional Vice President of E4 Insurance Services and a new NAIFA member.

Within moments of speaking to Abby, her genuine passion for people and finances is incontestable. Her charisma and joy for serving those who come into her path, whether client or advisor, is contagious!

Luis Lopez is a Development Manager at New York Life Insurance Company and a new NAIFA member.

Lopez first entered the financial services industry in 2015. He began his career as an agent in San Antonio, and two short years later, he was invited to become one of New York Life’s development managers in the Corpus Christi area. Lopez held a NAIFA membership for a short time while he was in San Antonio, and he recently rejoined with colleagues from his Corpus Christi office. He says, “I am in a role of coaching and advising other advisors, and I wanted to help connect others to our professional association. [When my colleagues from the Corpus Christi office] wanted to kick things off with NAIFA, I decided to rejoin. I’ve seen a lot of great momentum with NAIFA rallying around growing membership, the mission, passion, and purpose.”