The Trifecta teams of Membership, IFAPAC, and Grassroots have identified their Q1 2024 Hard Hat Winners. Congratulations to Lee Owen and Rith Nou dual recipients for Membership, Mark Miller for Grassroots, and Tom Henry for IFAPAC. These leaders have gone above and beyond in the first three months of this year to move the needle in their respective areas. We are #NAIFAproud of the work they do every day in their communities, for their clients, and our association!

Out of the work that NAIFA has done through its Limited & Extended Care Planning Center spearheaded by Carroll Golden, best-selling author of three books on funding a dignified life and caregiving, as well as the organizer of NAIFA's Legislative Working Group that focuses on state and federal issues that will affect producers, we are proud to announce that we're continuing to expand our work in the Medicare space by partnering with Medicarians Vegas 2024. 

Medicarians is the home of senior health, wealth, and AgeTech. Set for April 8th - 10th, 2024, at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, this event is a must-attend for those looking to navigate the future of the industry with confidence. This will be the only place to network and learn from more than 2,500 participants across this sector. NAIFA and Medicarians are partnering together to bring NAIFA's legislative risk knowledge to attendees and ensure that producers are aware of upcoming changes in the proposed final rule. 

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.