Guest Speakers
Jalina Kerr
Managing Director, Head of Advisor Experience, Charles Schwab
Jalina Kerr is the head of Advisor Experience & Platform Solutions for Schwab Advisor Services. Her organization provides technology, operational and wealth management solutions to more than 15,000 registered investment advisors (RIAs) who trust Schwab with the safekeeping of over $5 trillion in client assets. Kerr and her team are responsible for curating and delivering solutions that meet the dynamic needs of the fastest growing segment of the financial services industry – RIAs. Kerr has worked with independent advisors for three decades. She embraces harmonizing the power of people and technology to complement trusted relationships, which is what continues to differentiate the RIA industry and their commitment to the fiduciary standard.
Kevin Gordon
Head of Macro Research and Strategy, Schwab Center for Financial Research, Charles Schwab
Kevin serves as Head of Macro Research and Strategy at Charles Schwab, where he oversees macroeconomic research and works closely with the company’s asset class strategists, researchers, and trading team to generate insights on the economy and markets for clients. His commentary on the U.S. economy and investor sentiment is regularly featured across major financial media outlets of CNBC, Yahoo Finance, and Bloomberg TV.
Sherri Trombley
Director, Charles Schwab
Sherri serves as a Director within the Business Consulting & Education team at Schwab Advisor Services, where she leads Schwab’s university and talent-development partnerships across the country. She partners with independent RIAs to strengthen their teams and connect the next generation of financial planner with meaningful career opportunities.
Jim Dickson
CEO, Elevation Point
Jim Dickson serves as the Founding Partner & CEO of Elevation Point, an RIA growth partner built to support advisors who want to go independent and build a lasting firm. He focuses on helping RIAs scale their businesses through strategic investment, operational support, and partnership. With more than 40 years in the financial services industry, Jim has been a key voice in advancing advisor independence and firm ownership. Before founding Elevation Point, he launched Sanctuary Wealth and spent two decades in senior leadership at Merrill Lynch.
Gina Martin Adams
Chief Market Strategist, HB Wealth
Gina Martin Adams, CFA, CMT, is the Chief Market Strategist for HB Wealth with more than 25 years of experience in market analysis, thematic research, and translating economic trends into practical investment guidance. Before joining HB Wealth, she served as Chief Equity Strategist and Global Head of Equity Strategy at Bloomberg Intelligence and previously held senior roles at Wells Fargo Securities, Wachovia Bank, and Evergreen Asset Management. Gina serves on the Board of Directors for the CMT Association and on the Business Advisory Council for the University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business.
Alejandro Lopez Lira
Assistant Professor of Finance, University of Florida
Alejandro Lopez Lira is an Assistant Professor of Finance at the University of Florida. His research has earned national recognition, including awards from the Jacobs Levy Center and Invesco, while he frequently participates in speaking events focused on AI and financial markets.
Alejandro is the author of Generative AI and ChatGPT in Financial Forecasting, a book that explores the practical use of large language models in market analysis and investment research. He teaches courses in financial modeling and quantitative research at UF. Before joining the faculty, he completed his Ph.D. in Finance at the Wharton School.
Charlie Fitzgerald, III
Co-Founder & Financial Advisor, Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo, LLC
Charlie Fitzgerald, CFP® is a principal and financial advisor at Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo. He played a key role in helping launch the University of Florida’s Wealth Management program in partnership with faculty and industry leaders. Charlie has served on the Board of Directors for the CFP Board’s Center for Financial Planning and is a recipient of the Financial Planning Association’s Heart of Financial Planning Distinguished Service Award. He remains actively engaged in advancing financial planning education and supporting students pursuing careers in the profession.
Marc Milic
Partner & Senior Wealth Advisor, DCLA
Marc Milic, CFP®, RICP® is a partner and senior wealth advisor at Douglas C. Lane & Associates, where he provides comprehensive financial planning and investment guidance. He has served on the eMoney Advisor Advisory Board, advising on strategic direction for wealth-management technology and industry best practices. Marc is actively engaged in advancing professional standards and regularly supports the development of students and emerging professionals in the financial planning field.
Aaron Bert
President, Certified Financial Group
Aaron Bert, CFP®, AIF®, CAP® is President of Certified Financial Group. He has served as President of the Financial Planning Association of Central Florida and as a member of its Board of Directors. Aaron also serves on the Planned Giving Advisory Council for The Catholic Foundation of Central Florida. He regularly engages with the University of Florida’s Wealth Management program through firm site visits and on-campus speaking with students.
P. J. Gardner
P.J. Gardner, CFA®, CFP®, CIMA® is a Principal and Co-Founder of AGW Capital Advisors, where he leads the firm’s investment committee and strategy. He serves on the board of CFA Tampa Bay and is a graduate of the University of Florida, where he earned both his undergraduate degree in Finance and his MBA. P.J. is also active in the community, serving on the boards of the Conn Memorial Foundation and the Florida United Methodist Foundation. He is frequently quoted as an investment expert in The Wall Street Journal.
Erika Wasserman
CEO & Founder, Your Financial Therapist
Erika Wasserman, CFT® is CEO and founder of Your Financial Therapist, a firm she launched in 2019 focused on financial therapy and financial well-being. She holds a graduate certificate in Financial Therapy from Kansas State University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Florida. Erika is the author of Conversations with Your Financial Therapist and has been featured in national media including CNBC, Yahoo Finance, and CBS Miami. She also develops financial communication tools and regularly speaks with students and professionals on the intersection of money, behavior, and well-being.
Kasey Kobs
Senior Manager, Student Engagement, CFP Board
Kasey Kobs manages student engagement and workforce initiatives at CFP Board, supporting programs that connect students and early-career professionals to CFP® education, experiential learning, and certification pathways. Her work includes developing national student programs, coordinating university partnerships, and supporting outreach efforts that advance the CFP Board’s mission within higher education and the financial planning profession.
Reeya Patel
Reeya Patel is an Analyst at AGW Capital Advisors and a graduate of the University of Florida’s Wealth Management program. She previously served as a Teaching Assistant, supporting coursework and mentoring students within the program. Reeya remains actively engaged in the wealth management community and is committed to supporting the development of students and emerging professionals pursuing careers in financial planning and advisory services.
Kevin Caldwell
Kevin Caldwell, CFP® is a Principal and Financial Planner at Golden Road Advisors in Tampa. A proud University of Florida alumnus, Kevin helped launch UF’s wealth management studies program and remains engaged as a guest lecturer. Outside of work, he is deeply involved in the Tampa Bay community, including long-standing leadership with The First Tee of Tampa Bay and service with organizations such as the Gasparilla Music Foundation and the Tampa Bay History Center.