FSP INSTITUTE

Brian Balduzzi works as a Private Client Services Attorney at Faegre Drinker in its Philadelphia, New York, and Princeton offices, advising clients on tax-efficient strategies, business succession opportunities, and legacy and charitable planning. Balduzzi is also an adjunct professor in tax, estate planning, finance, accounting, and business law. In 2019, he was selected for the American Bar Association (ABA) Real Property and Trust and Estate (RPTE) Fellowship, serving on the DEI Committee, Vice Chair of the Non-Tax Financial Planning Committee, and Co-Chair of the IRA Distributions Committee. Since 2021, he has served as Chair of the ABA Young Lawyers Division RPTE Committee. Balduzzi serves on the Publication Committees for NAEPC, Associate Editor for the ABA TYL, Editorial Board for the FPA Next Generation Planner, and on the Professional Development Education Committee for NAPFA. In 2022, he was honored with the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) Young Leaders Fellowship

Kathleen joined Sandberg Phoenix in 2024 as Counsel in the Business practice group. She specializes in estate, business and executive benefits planning, and estate and executive compensation planning with life insurance.
Formerly, she was a member of the Advanced Markets Group of MetLife, where she provided training and advanced underwriting support for the top producers of MetLife and its subsidiaries. Prior to joining GenAmerica Financial (a MetLife company) in 1996, she was in private practice.
Kathleen is a nationally recognized speaker and author.
She currently serves as National President of the Society of Financial Service Professionals and serves on the Board of Directors of St. Louis Children’s Hospital Legacy Advisors. She is a member of The Business Insurance & Estate Planning Committee of the Association of Advanced Life Underwriting (AALU)

Kathleen is a former adjunct professor in the LLM program at Washington University’s School of Law. She was formerly on the Board of Directors of the St. Louis Chapter of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) and was selected as a Registered Player Financial Advisor for the National Football League Players Association.
She has presented at AALU and the Top of the Table Meeting for the Million Dollar Roundtable, and she is an annual presenter at the Vistage Executive Summit.

Ashley L. Case is a dedicated estate planning attorney who approaches the typically somber topics of death and taxes with a unique blend of expertise and humor. Specializing in estate planning, tax, probate, and trust administration, Ashley focuses on empowering her clients through education and clarity. Her ability to demystify legal complexities and make documents accessible has earned her a reputation for easing the concerns of clients, whether they are navigating family dynamics, wealth preservation, or succession planning issues.

Beyond her legal practice, Ashley is an accomplished writer and speaker in her field. She has authored a book on estate planning and regularly contributes articles to Forbes.com, sharing her insights on tax and estate planning strategies. Ashley also contributes to legal education through presentations at various legal associations and universities, including the State Bar of Arizona and Boston University School of Law.

Ashley's professional achievements, including certifications as a Board-Certified Specialist in Estate and Trust Law and an Accredited Estate Planner® by the NAEPC, underscore her expertise and commitment to her field. She is actively involved in her community and serves on several boards, including the Maricopa County Bar Association and Ballet Arizona.

In her personal life, Ashley balances her professional achievements with a passion for adventure, often pursuing activities like mountain hiking and extreme sports. Her dedication to both her career and personal interests reflects her philosophy of living life to its fullest, a lesson she continues to learn from her clients and experiences.

Kelly Finnell is one of the nation's premier ESOP consultants and one of the most sought-after speakers on this subject. He has spoken at more than 300 conferences and meetings throughout the U.S. and London and Sydney. He has published 14 articles on the use of ESOPs in ownership succession planning and is the author of one of the most highly-acclaimed books on the subject, The ESOP Coach: Using ESOPs in Ownership Succession Planning. Kelly is the president of Memphis-based Executive Financial Services, Inc. Kelly graduated magna cum laude from the University of Memphis and from its law school.

Tom Hegna is an author, speaker, and economist. He has been an incredibly popular industry speaker for many years and is considered by many to be THE Retirement Income Expert! As a former Senior Executive Officer at New York Life, retired Lieutenant Colonel, and economist, Tom has delivered over 5,000 seminars, helping Baby Boomers and seniors retire the “optimal” way.

He has condensed a large chunk of his considerable knowledge into five of his books: (1) Paychecks and Playchecks: Retirement Solutions for Life, which is in the top 1% of any book ever sold, (2) Retirement Income Masters: Secrets of the Pros that compiles the very best practices from the top retirement experts in the country. (3) Paycheques and Playcheques, Retirement Solutions for Canadians, And most recently, (4) Don’t Worry, Retire Happy! Seven Steps to Retirement Security, which is based on his popular Public Television Special that has played in over 80 million homes in the US and Canada, and most recently, (5) Don’t Worry, Retire Happy! Seven Steps to Retirement Security for Canadians.

Tom specializes in creating simple and powerful retirement solutions based on math and science – not opinions. He has the unique ability to pump up a crowd, make people laugh, and solve complex financial problems using easy-to-understand words, ideas and stories.

John N. Migliaccio is president of Maturity Mark Services Co. and former president of the American Institute of Financial Gerontology. He served seven years as Assistant Vice President and Director of Research and Gerontology at the MetLife Mature Market Institute (MMI), MetLife’s Center of Excellence on the 50+ consumer markets, where he supervised over 70 major national and international studies on generational demographics and educational support to MetLife agencies and financial professionals.

He is an award winning researcher and has served multiple terms in leadership positions for professional associations including the American Society on Aging (ASA)and a founder and chair of the ASA Business Forum on Aging; the National Association of Senior Living Industries, 50+ Housing Council - National Association of Home Builders; Financial Elder Abuse Advisory Board of the National Adult Protective Services Association; Gerontological Society of America; and Retirement Risk Committee of the Society of Actuaries among others. He has held adjunct faculty positions at Fordham University–Fordham School of Professional and Continuing Studies, Fordham College of Liberal Studies, and graduate and undergraduate Gabelli School of Business;  DePaul University- Asset Based Community Development Institute;  Ramapo College of New Jersey- Anisfield School of Business; New York University, Marketing Management; College of New Rochelle-Graduate School of Arts & Sciences; New School for Social Research-Graduate School of Management and Urban Professions,  Gerontological and Health Services Administration; and, State University of New York, Westchester Community College. He is a long-term columnist on Financial Gerontology for the Journal of Financial Services Professionals.

Andrew Rinn leads a group of highly skilled and credentialed individuals. The teams specialize in providing a single source of contact for the comprehensive education, competitive product and concept needs of today’s financial professional. The team’s proficiency includes the full spectrum of business and executive benefits knowledge coupled with thought leading expertise in advanced estate and retirement planning. His own expertise includes wealth preservation, estate planning, business planning and executive benefits. He consults with insurance professionals and client’s tax advisors when appropriate to facilitate sales opportunities.

Andrew is a frequent speaker and has authored articles in Life Insurance Selling, Senior Market Advisor, National Underwriter, Finseca, and Journal of Financial Service Professionals. His speaking experience includes Forum 400, Clinic for Advanced Professionals, NAIA Performance and Purpose Forum, AALU National Meeting and LIMRA Advanced Sales Forum. He is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Financial Service Professionals.

Andrew obtained his B.S. from Midland University and received honors as an Academic and Athletic All-American. He was inducted into the NAIA Athletic Hall of Fame in May of 2007.

He obtained his Juris Doctorate (JD) from Drake University Law School in Des Moines, Iowa where he was a member of the Dean’s List. After passing the Iowa Bar exam, Andrew served as an Assistant County Attorney and Iowa Assistant Attorney General before beginning his career in Advanced Markets. He has also served as the Chapter President of the Des Moines Society of Financial Service Professionals and on the National Board for the Society of Financial Service Professionals.

Professional Designations & Licenses: JD, CFP®, CLU, ChFC, Series 6, 7, 26, 66 & 63.

Kacy Seitz Special needs parent and mom to Hudsyn, her daughter who has complex medical needs, Kacy Seitz is a Wealth Management Advisor in Kansas City. After six years in the financial services industry, she opened her practice with Northwestern Mutual in 2013 because she had difficulty finding good, sound advice from a variety of financial advisors who could help her develop a solid plan for her daughter. Her purpose in life is to awaken understanding and help others become empathetically aware of people with disabilities. She focuses on helping special needs families with proper financial planning throughout their lifetimes. Her book, “It Just Depends on How You Handle Things,” the story of their journey with Hudsyn is on Amazon.

Whether a family has substantial means or a few assets, it is critical to take time to develop and implement a special needs plan. There are unique circumstances along with many decisions to be made that can have a profound impact on a child’s quality of life while caregivers are living, and after they’re gone. A proper special needs plan can help avoid common mistakes and oversights that could jeopardize the lifetime support of a person with disabilities.

• Her boutique practice serves over 500 special needs families in 31 states.
• Kansas Governor appointed parent advocate for the Kansas Developmental Disabilities Council and the Advisory Commission for Children with Special Health Care Needs.
• Children’s Mercy Hospital Family Advisory Board member, Beacon Complex Care Clinic Patient & Family Advisory Board Chair, and a variety of other parent mentor positions held since 2014. She was named the hospital’s volunteer of the month for December 2020.
• Regular presenter and educator on special needs financial planning for: Kansas City Special Needs Ministry Network, Archdiocese of Kansas and Missouri, National Center on Deaf-Blindness & the Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired

Hale E. Sheppard is a Shareholder in the Tax Controversy Section of Chamberlain Hrdlicka in Atlanta.  Hale defends individuals and businesses during tax audits, appeals, and litigation.  He has participated in over 250 cases with the Tax Court and obtained dozens of positive Private Letter Rulings for clients.  Hale holds five college degrees.  At the University of Kansas, he earned a BS, with distinction, MA, with honors, and JD  He later received an LLM degree in international law, with highest distinction, from the University of Chile.  Finally, he obtained an LLM degree in tax from the University of Florida, where he was a graduate tax scholar.  During his studies, Hale served as a graduate editor of the Florida Tax Review and member of the Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy.  Hale has been recognized as a leader in tax litigation for many years by Chambers USA, Legal 500, and other respected organizations, and was inducted into the American College of Tax Counsel.  Hale ranks among the most active tax writers in the country, publishing more than 275 articles in top tax journals and law reviews, both in the United States and abroad.  He has held leadership positions in many professional organizations, including as editor of national publications and President of the Tax Section of the Georgia Bar.

In his 30+ year career in the tax law field, Linas Sudzius has become known as a go-to expert in the underwriting arena, serving clients nationwide and building a thriving consulting practice thanks to happy clients and glowing referrals.

Linas offers a unique and practical perspective on tax law and insurance sales, having served as Director of Advanced Sales for a Chicago-based insurance company and later, as its Chief Marketing Officer. Prior to founding AUC in 2001, he created, grew and sold an estate planning law practice in Franklin, Tennessee.

He is the author of What Most Life Insurance Agents Won’t Tell You, a detailed insider’s planning guide for consumers.