Eric Bottolfsen, MBA, is a Vice President at GoldBook Financial and a financial planner with a passion for protecting the medical professionals and small business owners who make up Main Street USA.

Getting Started

Bottolfsen knew from an early age that he wanted a career in financial services. When he played Monopoly as a kid, he insisted on being the banker. In high school, he loved his finance classes and read old issues of the Wall Street Journal in his free time.

Scott Blake, MBA, is dedicated to protecting young professionals, small business owners, and families through holistic financial planning and political advocacy.

Learning From the Best

After earning his MBA from Capital University, Blake transitioned from politics to financial services. He founded Blake Wealth Partners with Northwestern Mutual in 2016 and, since then, has learned from some of the top producers in the country. One of Blake’s first mentors was Bob Roach, CLU, ChFC, a 54-year veteran of Northwestern Mutual and the recipient of NAIFA’s inaugural Terry Headley Lifetime Defender Award. Roach introduced Blake to NAIFA, where he met another mentor who helped shape his career—NAIFA-Columbus Past President Patrick Cannon. In 2020, Blake joined the NAIFA-Columbus Board of Directors at his suggestion. Now, Blake is taking the lead as NAIFA-Columbus President and continuing in his role as the chapter’s Vice President of Advocacy.

Brett L. Moore, CFP®, grew up in the insurance and financial services business. His father, long-time NAIFA member William C. Moore, CFP®, founded W.C. Moore Financial Services, LLC, and Moore remembers spending hours at his dad’s office, stuffing financial papers into plastic sheets and helping out any way he could.  

Matthew C. Daley, MBA, FSCP, LACP, LUTCF, grew up in the life insurance world, but his journey to the top wasn’t easy. He relied on grit, determination, and the support of those around him to overcome addiction and build a thriving insurance agency from the ground up.

Dennis Cuccinelli, LACP, an Independent Advisor associated with Certified Financial Services from Paramus, NJ, has received NAIFA's inaugural Annual Membership Hard Hat Award. He was presented the award by current NAIFA President Lawrence Holzberg, LUTCF, LACP, and incoming 2023 President Bryon Holz, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF, CASL, LACP, November 14 in Washington, D.C., at NAIFA’s Belong awards celebration that was part of the National Leadership Conference.

NAIFA President Lawrence Holzberg, LACP, LUTCF, is pleased to announce that Adam Sachs, CFP®, CLU®, ChFC®, CLTC, AIF®, a Financial Advisor with Centinel Financial Group, LLC, in Needham, MA, is the recipient of the inaugural 2023 NAIFA President’s Citation.

Holzberg presented the citation to Sachs on November 14 at NAIFA’s Belong awards celebration at the Omni Shoreham in Washington, D.C. in front of over 300 NAIFA members.

We're proud to announce Roger Sims, CLU, LUTCF, has received NAIFA's 2022 Q3 Membership Hard Hat Award.

Christopher Gandy, LACP, Founder of Midwest Legacy Group in Lisle, IL, and the top-ranked producer for OneAmerica, has been recognized as the NAIFA Diversity Champion for 2022.

Gandy, a loyal NAIFA member since 2003, serves on NAIFA’s Board of Trustees, is a Past President of NAIFA-Chicagoland, and is a Co-Chair of NAIFA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Council. He was also a member of the NAIFA 2025 Strategic Planning Committee, which developed the NAIFA 2025 strategic plan with a goal of increasing DEI in the association and industry. After four years as a student-athlete at the University of Illinois and playing several seasons of professional basketball for the Chicago Bulls and the San Antonio Spurs as well as in L’Hermaine, France, Gandy entered the insurance and financial services profession in 1999.

Jeff Chernoff, M.S., LUTCF, LACP, Vice President of Insurance and Trust in Tampa, FL, is the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) Young Advisor Team Leader of the Year for 2022.

Chernoff is the President-Elect of NAIFA-FL and has been a loyal NAIFA member since 2011. He is a graduate of NAIFA’s Leadership in Life Institute (LILI) and has remained active in the program, serving as a moderator of classes in Florida. He is a Past President of NAIFA-Tampa Bay and received that chapter’s Dick Cimino Distinguished Service Award in 2018 for his strong support of the chapter’s membership endeavors and public service projects.

Advisor Today is pleased to announce the winners of its 2022 4 Under 40 awards: Scott Blake, MBA, of Blake Wealth Partners (Northwestern Mutual) in Columbus, OH, loyal member since 2018; Eric Bottolfsen, MBA, of GoldBook Financial (MassMutual) in Scottsdale, AZ, loyal member since 2017; Matthew Daley, MBA, FSCP, LACP, LUTCF, of the Daley Agency (American National) in Miller Place, NY, loyal member since 2018; and Brett Moore, CFP, of RBM Wealth Management Group (LPL Financial) in Newnan, GA, loyal member since 2015.