Who We Are
About Our College
Over 50 years ago, the College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company introduced the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification, which is now the world’s most recognized and respected financial planning credential.* Years later, as an early adopter of online education, the College combines cutting-edge, flexible learning with a rich history in financial education to meet the needs of today’s financial services professionals. From graduate programs to professional designations to exam prep, our dedication to excellence, innovation, and student-centric learning underscores everything we do.
In July 2018, Kaplan acquired the College for Financial Planning®, bringing together two respected leaders in financial services education. Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, the College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company remains an independent institution owned by Kaplan.
The 2023 - 2024 Fact Book
Our fact book contains important and frequently requested information about the College’s programs, students, faculty, staff, and operations.
Meet our Board of Directors
Karen Spero founded Spero Financial Planning in 1972. The firm name changed to Spero-Smith Investment Advisers in 1993. Karen became a Certified Financial Planner in 1978 receiving her certification from the College For Financial Planning. Her Ohio-based firm offered personal financial planning and portfolio management services to individuals and small business owners and their families. There was significant emphasis on retirement and succession planning for the firm’s small business owner base.
Karen earned her B.S. in Business from Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio. In later years, she served on the Lake Erie College Board of Trustees and remains an Emeritus member of the Board. She served on civic and economic development boards, including the Ohio Department of Economic Development Financing Agency Board for 7 years, and was President of the Cleveland Area Development Finance Corporation. She served on the national Board of the Institute of Certified Financial Planners, the Editorial Review Board for the “Journal of Financial Planning, and was named to the National Advisory Board for Charles Schwab Institutional (1995-97). She received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Northeast Ohio Financial Planning Association (FPA) in 2009. Karen semi-retired when she and her husband, Keith, moved to Vail, Colorado in 2001. She remained on the Board of Spero-Smith until 2016 when she and her husband returned to Cleveland, Ohio. She has been on the College For Financial Planning Board of Directors since 2007.
Shelly is the TIAA Institute Senior Director of Research & Strategic Program Initiatives. As a financial planning thought leader, she supports TIAA’s objective to engage customers with advice that helps them meet their financial needs to and through retirement. Her focus is to proactively deliver forward-looking content through different platforms.
With nearly three decades in financial services, Shelly is a nationally known financial planner and speaker who brings awareness and strategic solutions to narrow race and gender gaps in retirement savings. Within the firm, she launched Black Indigenous Women of Color Financial Advisors/Planners of TIAA. She is a member of several other organizations—including ones for Black and female employees—that create leaders, influence culture and promote financial equity.
Mass media outlets frequently quote Shelly’s commentary, including Bloomberg, CNBC, USA Today, Black Enterprise, CNN, Yahoo, and several podcasts and financial websites. Often, she speaks at events designed for female audiences such as the Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER) and the 2022 Women’s Network Conference, which is run by the N.C. chapter of the American Council on Education (ACE). In addition, Shelly has presented at a financial literacy webinar organized by George Washington University that was attended by national researchers, policy makers and reporters.
Shelly is a longstanding member of the Association of African American Financial Advisors, serves on the CFP Board Appeals Commission and is an Arbitrator for FINRA. Previously, Shelly led a team of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM Professionals who build financial plans for clients and provide support for TIAA Wealth Management Advisors. Also, Shelly is the former CFP Board Chair of both the Disciplinary and Ethics Commission and the Commission on Sanctions Fitness.
Shelly holds a master’s in taxation from Northeastern University, a certificate in Financial Planning from NYU, and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. Additionally, she maintains her Certified Financial Planner TM Chartered Financial Consultant, Retirement Management Advisor®, and the North Carolina State Health and Life Insurance, and Series 7, 24, 63, and 65 licensing.
Dirk joined the College for Financial Planning in 2001 as Controller and served as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing before becoming President of the College. As a seasoned financial and operational leader, Dirk has an extensive knowledge of all aspects of the College and industry as well as being academically credentialed including the CFP® certification launched by the College in 1972.
In addition to his CPA and CFP® certifications, Dirk earned a BS in Business Administration from Columbia College (Columbia, MO) and an MS in finance and accounting from Regis University (Denver, CO).
Prior to joining the College, Dirk had 10 years in operations, finance, and accounting management. Dirk was operations manager for retail stores from 1991 through 1995. In this business development position, he was responsible for the growth and operations of multimillion dollar sales for retail operations in four states. Dirk subsequently became accounting manager for regulatory accounting and budgeting in the broadband industry in 1995 and became finance director for business development before joining the College in 2001.
Lauren is a Principal and Managing Director at Robertson Stephens in the Denver and Vail Valley area. She has over 35 years of experience in personal financial planning, divorce planning, finance and real estate. Prior to joining Robertson Stephens, she was a wealth manager and financial planner at All Season Financial Advisors.
Before moving to Colorado in the early ‘90s, Lauren spent 12 years in the financial industry in New York. She was an investment banker with Morgan Stanley & Co., a financial analyst with J.W. O’Connor & Co., and Vice President of Finance for Silverstein Properties, a Forbes 400 commercial real estate developer in New York City, where she was responsible for arranging over $1 billion in financing.
Lauren is also a Certified Financial Planner®️. She earned her undergraduate degree from the Woodrow Wilson School for Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and her MBA from Harvard Business School. She was a member of the Board of Directors for the American Alpine Club, serving as the Chair of the Piolet Society from 2015 – 2021.
Lauren and her wife Mimi live in the Vail Valley and are the parents of a fur child, Nibbles, and one human child, Kate Wilcox, who is a Fellow in Cardiology in Salt Lake City, Utah. Lauren’s passions outside of personal financial planning include backcountry skiing, mountain biking and reading.
James Williams founded J.F. Williams Co., Inc. in 1995 to help people manage their money to tend to their life. His prior experience includes an extensive career in personal and estate tax planning and compliance management with a national accounting firm; as well as providing income tax, property and excise tax compliance management and special finance planning for a variety of businesses.
He also has developed specialized expertise in managing retirement planning and other life transitions by participating in the Sudden Money Institute and similar professional networks.
Jim holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from University of Southern Colorado, and a master’s degree in accounting with emphasis in taxation from Colorado State University. He is a retired CPA and CFP Board Emeritus™. He is a member of the FPA, NAPFA, the Personal Financial Planning Division of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the Rocky Mountain Estate Planning Council. He also has served on the Discipline and Ethics Commission of the Certified Financial Planner™ Board of Standards.
College Leadership
Dirk joined the College for Financial Planning in 2001 as Controller and served as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing before becoming President of the College. As a seasoned financial and operational leader, Dirk has an extensive knowledge of all aspects of the College and industry as well as being academically credentialed including the CFP® certification launched by the College in 1972.
In addition to his CPA and CFP® certifications, Dirk earned a BS in Business Administration from Columbia College (Columbia, MO) and an MS in finance and accounting from Regis University (Denver, CO).
Prior to joining the College, Dirk had 10 years in operations, finance, and accounting management. Dirk was operations manager for retail stores from 1991 through 1995. In this business development position, he was responsible for the growth and operations of multimillion dollar sales for retail operations in four states. Dirk subsequently became accounting manager for regulatory accounting and budgeting in the broadband industry in 1995 and became finance director for business development before joining the College in 2001.
Dr. Amy Rell is the Provost of the College for Financial Planning, where her role includes stewardship for the College’s academic programs, creation and implementation of the academic priorities for the College, and assuring the quality of the educational offerings. Amy has served in a variety of academic roles at UCLA, San Jose State University and the Colorado Community College System, in positions ranging from faculty to department chair to Dean. Prior to joining the College, Amy served as founding Dean for the Office of Global Education at Regis University.
Amy has an extensive background in higher education administration, which has made her a sought-after speaker at conferences and symposiums. Her research and writing on topics such as internationalization, cultural diversity, dual language programming, and globalization of curricula have been published in numerous journals and texts. In service to the profession, Amy has served as an executive board member for the Colorado Department of Higher Education’s Study Colorado, the Hispanic Chamber Education Foundation, the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities International Education Board, and the Phi Beta Kappa and UCLA Alumni Association Scholarship Committees.
Inducted into Phi Beta Kapa, Amy was subsequently awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship, and the Association of International Education Administrators’ Presidential Fellowship. Amy completed the Harvard University Women in Leadership certificate program as well as the Duke University Senior International Officer Academy. Amy earned both her Ph.D. and her Master of Arts in in Second Language Acquisition and Applied Linguistics from UCLA, and her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Literature from Tulane University.
David Mannaioni, CFP®, MPASSM is the Dean of Financial Planning and a professor at the College for Financial Planning. In the Dean role he oversees the faculty team responsible for the CFP® education courses, professional designations, and Master’s degree courses the College offers.
Professor Mannaioni joined the College in 2014 developing the LUTCF curriculum. Upon completion of his Master’s degree in 2016, he directed or contributed to the revision of several designation courses, CFP education courses, and Master’s courses. He has taught several courses including the Financial Planning Process and Insurance course in the CFP® education program and CFP® Board’s Code of Ethics continuing education course. His 2019 paper, Financial designations: Can they be Gateways to Financial Planning Education?, was accepted for presentation at the 2019 annual meeting of the Academy of Financial Services.
Utilizing his 30+ years of experience in the financial services industry, David also maintains a financial planning practice where he works with his clients in all areas of financial planning. In addition to his certifications, David holds life and health insurance licenses in several states, as well as the Series 6, Series 7, Series 24, and Series 63 registrations with FINRA. You can contact David at david.mannaioni@cffp.edu.
Dr. Aman Sunder is a professor, dean of the graduate school, and researcher at the College for Financial Planning. His role at the College includes administrative leadership of the graduate school that includes MS degrees in finance and financial planning. He leads the research initiatives at the College and serves on its Institutional Review Board and several other committees.
Aman has published research on sustainable and responsible investing (SRI), women in financial planning, the effectiveness of using advisers during the Great Recession, and time-use of retirees. His ongoing research includes topics such as diversity issues in financial planning, work-life balance and burnout among women in financial planning, the effectiveness of HECM on retirees, the performance of students in financial planning education programs, and measurement of the impact of financial certifications and designations on students’ careers.
Aman earned a doctorate in financial planning from the University of Georgia. He also has a master’s in business management (finance and marketing), and an undergraduate degree in production engineering from India. Aman brings more than 10 years of international work experience related to business partnerships, sales, marketing, and business development related to engineering and infrastructure.
Dr. Jeffrey Barnette currently serves as the Dean of Faculty and Academic Resources at the College for Financial Planning. In this role he seeks to provide academic leadership to faculty and staff, maintain a high quality, inclusive learning experience for all students, encourage excellence in teaching and learning, promote the development of faculty and staff, and manage the smooth execution and provision of academic resources in concert with Kaplan’s Shared Services teams.
Prior to joining the College he spent a decade in higher education serving in numerous administrative roles with his most recent being the Vice President for Academic Affairs/Academic Dean at an independent liberal arts university. In that role he served as Chief Academic Officer of the University and provided strategic direction and leadership for Academic Affairs, specifically in the areas of professional development, programming, growth, collaboration, and partnerships. He also supervised curricula, standards, and quality of instruction and helped keep the curriculum in conformity with accrediting policies, State Department of Education requirements, and current practices in higher education. He also served as the accreditation liaison with the institution’s regional accreditor, and frequently served as a site evaluator for peer institutions in off-site and on-site reaffirmation reviews. Prior to his appointment as VPAA he served as the Associate Academic Dean where he oversaw all aspects of online learning, professional development, and the teaching and learning center.
He has both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Education from the University of Southern Indiana and a Doctorate in Instructional Systems Technology and Learning Sciences from Indiana University.
Dani Langworthy joined the College in 2020, first serving as Academic Affairs Coordinator, then as Dean of Faculty and Academic Resources, before taking on the role of VP of Student Affairs in 2023. Her BA and MA in Anthropology are from the University of Colorado, Denver, with an emphasis on international development and conservation.
Ms. Langworthy loves everything about working with students, and previously served at the Community College of Denver as assistant professor of anthropology and sociology, chair for the Anthropology, Sociology and Women’s Studies department, faculty advisor of the Anthropology Club, co-chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Council, member of Faculty Council, Assessment Committee, Colorado State Curriculum Committee, and Writing Across the Curriculum Committee, and contributor to development of a First Year Experience program. Her presentations include the Conference of Latin American Geographers, the Online Learning Consortium, and the Association for Continuing Higher Education.
Ms. Langworthy is passionate about education as a vehicle for enhancing and enriching the lives of students of all backgrounds and is grateful for the opportunity to continue to explore ways in which student experiences can be enhanced to fulfill their professional and personal goals as they move through their academic journeys.
Ashley Moran is currently the Registrar for the College for Financial Planning. Ashley holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and American Literature from the University of South Florida and a Master of Arts in Education with a concentration in Higher Education from the University of Arizona.
She has worked in both public and private colleges and universities, but prefers working with adult learners throughout their learning journey. After a handful of relocations from her home state of Florida, Ashley landed in Colorado and is working to innovate the higher education industry by offering educational options to students that more closely align with their needs.
Ashley presented at the 2020 American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE) Conference on Microcredentials and Stackable Education, served as a 2021 National and Regional session evaluator for the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), and is currently a member of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) workgroup on alternative credentials. Her focus for professional development and continuous improvement in higher education is to make college a better experience for students.
Our Academic Departments & Faculty
David Mannaioni, CFP®, MPASSM is the Dean of Financial Planning and a professor at the College for Financial Planning. In the Dean role he oversees the faculty team responsible for the CFP® education courses, professional designations, and Master’s degree courses the College offers.
Professor Mannaioni joined the College in 2014 developing the LUTCF curriculum. Upon completion of his Master’s degree in 2016, he directed or contributed to the revision of several designation courses, CFP education courses, and Master’s courses. He has taught several courses including the Financial Planning Process and Insurance course in the CFP® education program and CFP® Board’s Code of Ethics continuing education course. His 2019 paper, Financial designations: Can they be Gateways to Financial Planning Education?, was accepted for presentation at the 2019 annual meeting of the Academy of Financial Services.
Utilizing his 30+ years of experience in the financial services industry, David also maintains a financial planning practice where he works with his clients in all areas of financial planning. In addition to his certifications, David holds life and health insurance licenses in several states, as well as the Series 6, Series 7, Series 24, and Series 63 registrations with FINRA. You can contact David at david.mannaioni@cffp.edu
Dr. Aman Sunder is a professor, dean of the graduate school, and researcher at the College for Financial Planning. His role at the College includes administrative leadership of the graduate school that includes MS degrees in finance and financial planning. He leads the research initiatives at the College and serves on its Institutional Review Board and several other committees.
Aman has published research on sustainable and responsible investing (SRI), women in financial planning, the effectiveness of using advisers during the Great Recession, and time-use of retirees. His ongoing research includes topics such as diversity issues in financial planning, work-life balance and burnout among women in financial planning, the effectiveness of HECM on retirees, the performance of students in financial planning education programs, and measurement of the impact of financial certifications and designations on students’ careers.
Aman earned a doctorate in financial planning from the University of Georgia. He also has a master’s in business management (finance and marketing), and an undergraduate degree in production engineering from India. Aman brings more than 10 years of international work experience related to business partnerships, sales, marketing, and business development related to engineering and infrastructure.
Dr. Jeffrey Barnette currently serves as the Dean of Faculty and Academic Resources at the College for Financial Planning. In this role he seeks to provide academic leadership to faculty and staff, maintain a high quality, inclusive learning experience for all students, encourage excellence in teaching and learning, promote the development of faculty and staff, and manage the smooth execution and provision of academic resources in concert with Kaplan’s Shared Services teams.
Prior to joining the College he spent a decade in higher education serving in numerous administrative roles with his most recent being the Vice President for Academic Affairs/Academic Dean at an independent liberal arts university. In that role he served as Chief Academic Officer of the University and provided strategic direction and leadership for Academic Affairs, specifically in the areas of professional development, programming, growth, collaboration, and partnerships. He also supervised curricula, standards, and quality of instruction and helped keep the curriculum in conformity with accrediting policies, State Department of Education requirements, and current practices in higher education. He also served as the accreditation liaison with the institution’s regional accreditor, and frequently served as a site evaluator for peer institutions in off-site and on-site reaffirmation reviews. Prior to his appointment as VPAA he served as the Associate Academic Dean where he oversaw all aspects of online learning, professional development, and the teaching and learning center.
He has both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Education from the University of Southern Indiana and a Doctorate in Instructional Systems Technology and Learning Sciences from Indiana University.
Department of Financial Literacy
The Department of Financial Literacy emphasizes early career programs that introduce students to the basics of financial planning and open up doors to the next stage in their financial services education. Programs include the Financial Paraplanning Qualified Practitioner (FPQP®), Accredited Account Management Specialist (AAMS®), and Wealth Management Specialist (WMSSM). Additionally, the department is building foundational precollege education in financial literacy.
Cindy Riecke, MS, CFP®, CRPC®, ChFC®, CLU® is Professor and Department Chair of Financial Literacy at the College for Financial Planning. In her role Cindy oversees the course development, design, and delivery of the Financial Paraplanning Qualified Practitioner (FPQP®), Accredited Account Management Specialist (AAMS®), and Wealth Management Specialist (WMSSM) programs. She chairs the College’s Curriculum Committee and Graduate Faculty Council, is the Secretary of the Faculty Senate, and serves on the Assessment Committee and Committee for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.
Cindy began her career in financial planning education as a training manager for a leading provider of insurance and financial services throughout the Americas and served as Senior Director of Content Development for 14 years for Kaplan Professional before becoming part of the College’s academic team in 2018. She has more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry.
Cindy earned her Master of Science in Finance from Purdue University Global and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Louisiana State University. She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certificant and holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC®), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designations. She serves as Chair of the CFP Board Council on Education. Cindy is also an active member of the Financial Planning Association and other professional groups.
Department of Financial Planning Education
The Department of Financial Planning Education maintains our graduate-level CFP Board Certified and accredited Financial Planning Education program, preparing students with the knowledge needed to navigate complicated insurance, investments, tax, retirement, and estate planning, in addition to qualifying them to sit for the CFP Board Exam. Our Exam Prep Review test prep courses prepare students to sit for the CFP Board Exam. The Financial Planning Education Department also oversees the development of the core courses in the Master of Science in Personal Financial Planning degree program.
Gary O. Clement, CFP®, CRPS®, CRPC®, AFC®, MPAS®, is President of Clement Asset Management, LLC, a financial planning and investment management firm, and Department Chair of CFP Programs at the College for Financial Planning. Gary is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, a graduate of the Oglethorpe University Financial Planner Program, and holds a MSFS degree from the College for Financial Planning. Gary is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in financial planning at the University of Georgia.
Gary considers himself both a lifelong student and teacher of personal finance. He enjoys educating groups, large and small, about money, personal finance, and the myriad financial products, vehicles, and strategies available to them.
Over the past 20+ years, Gary has worked with various discount brokers, independent broker-dealers, and wirehouses. Today, Gary leads an independent registered investment advisory firm that focuses on comprehensive financial planning and investment management. He’s held FINRA Series 7, 63, 65, 3, 31, and 24 licenses and has been a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER since 2006. He’s also taught Fundamentals of Financial Planning, Risk Management, Investment Management, Tax Planning, Retirement Planning and Estate Planning courses for the Certified Financial Planning programs at Oglethorpe University, the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia, Kennesaw State University, and Kaplan/College for Financial Planning.
Mike A. Harris, MPASSM, CFP®, CRPC®, CRPS®, is the main retirement planning expert and an associate professor at the College for Financial Planning in Centennial, Colorado.
He has been involved with CFP® education essentially since 1989. He came to Kaplan in 2016. Prior to the merger of the College for Financial Planning and Kaplan Professional, Mike was Kaplan Professional’s subject matter expert for retirement planning and estate planning. In addition, Mike pastored a church in Colorado Springs, CO for 10 years and served 13 years as a Senior Relationship Manager for a major denominational pension board. Before entering the financial planning profession, he served in the Air Force for 7 years and was stationed in Oklahoma, California, Idaho, Upper Heyford, England, and New Mexico. Mike lives in Alto, Georgia with his charming wife. He and Sharri have been married for 40 years. They have two children and three living grandchildren.
Mike earned his master’s degree in Personal Financial Planning (Master Planner Advanced Studies) from the College for Financial Planning and his BS in Management from the United States Air Force Academy. He also holds a master of Divinity (M.Div.) from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. In addition to his MPASSM and CFP® certification, Mike holds the College’s CRPC®, CRPS®, AWMA®, APMA®, AAMS®, and CMFC® designations, as well as Series 7 and Series 66 licenses and a Group I life and health license. Mike is a long-term member of the Financial Planning Association.
Dr. Krupka CPA/PFS CGMA has an extensive background in financial services and financial services education. He holds a Doctorate degree in Business Administration from Georgia State University and a Master’s in Accounting from Binghamton University and Bachelor’s in Accounting from Rochester Institute of Technology. Dr. Krupka’s skillset and professional experience bring great value to our student body and college.
Dr. Krupka has published and presented research on a variety of topics regarding 529 Savings Plans, IRA Plans, Academic Dishonesty, Tax related issues, Ethics, estate planning, remote learning, Financial Statement Analysis, and Personal Financial Planning for College Students. Also, Dr. Krupka has been a textbook reviewer and article reviewer of numerous academic articles. He has served as Coordinator of both the IRS Adrian Project, and IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program.
His academic background includes Program Coordinator, Financial Planning and Accounting Programs, Graduate Faculty, AACSB Scholarly Academic at Florida State University, Associate Professor, AACSB Scholarly Academic, Savannah State University, Graduate Adjunct Professor, The Citadel, MBA Program, Associate Professor, AACSB Scholarly Academic, Lander University, and Graduate Faculty, AACSB Scholarly Academic, Texas A & M University Commerce. He has taught various graduate and undergraduate courses.
Department of Advisor Development
The Department of Advisor Development prepares students to provide the highest-quality financial planning services to clients through the mastery of client communication skills and drivers of financial decision making, via our CFP Board Certified Education program capstone, Accredited Behavioral Finance Professional (ABFPSM) program, Accredited Domestic Partnership Advisor (ADPA®), and client psychology and capstone courses in our Master of Science in Personal Financial Planning degree program. Additionally, the Department provides thought leadership programming on behavioral finance, real estate, and divorce, and develops innovative courses designed to keep advisors up-to-date on financial planning topics.
Dr. Sara Stolberg Berkowicz, Ph.D., CFP®, ABFP℠, CDFA®, CRPC℠, CRPS℠, CSRIC℠, is Chair of the Advisor Development department and an assistant professor at the College for Financial Planning, specializing in the areas of behavioral finance, retirement, divorce financial planning, and money psychology. In addition to teaching, research, and course development, Dr. Berkowicz chairs the College’s Research Committee and serves on several committees and councils. She was selected to be a peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission, a top accreditor of colleges and universities.
Dr. Berkowicz earned her PhD in personal financial planning from Kansas State University. Her doctoral dissertation “Does Gray Divorce Delay Retirement?” was nominated for the 2019 American Council on Consumer Interests dissertation award. She was selected for two honors societies, Phi Kappa Phi and Kappa Omicron Nu. She received her Master of Science in Financial Planning from the College for Financial Planning.
Dr. Berkowicz has been a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certificant for over 25 years. She holds licenses for securities, life and health insurance, annuities, and long-term care insurance. She is an IRS-registered tax preparer, a real estate broker, and a divorce and family mediator, and has earned the ABFP®, CDFA®, CRPC™, CRPS™, and CSRIC® designations. She maintains an independent private practice in financial planning and divorce financial consulting in the Chicago area.
Department of Advanced Programs and Designations
The Department of Advanced Programs and Designations oversees programs that provide students already in the financial services industry with deeper knowledge and greater expertise. These include the Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (AWMA®), Sports & Entertainment Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (SE-AWMA®), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC®), and Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist (CRPS®) programs. Additionally, the Department maintains courses in tax and estate planning for the Master of Science in Personal Financial Planning program and provides continuing education webinars and timely thought leadership programming on current tax and estate planning issues.
Dr. Alfonso Cobb is a Chair of the Advanced Designations and Program Department for the College of Financial Planning.
Dr. Cobb is a veteran of the financial services industry, retiring after 37 years and is a Certified Professional Business Coach (CPBC). During his tenure in the financial sector, he served as Vice President & Regional Sales Manager for Charles Schwab & Co., Vice President & National Sales Manager for Bank of Montreal/Harris Investor Services, Vice President & Branch Leader, and Vice President of Diversity, and Inclusion at Fidelity Investments.
Throughout his career, Dr. Cobb employed a versatile, goal-driven, analytical, hands-on approach to business leadership and team development through coaching, training, and continuous process optimization. In addition, his leadership style focuses on motivating and supporting individuals to help them achieve their full potential and attain professional growth.
In addition to his role as Department Chair, Dr. Cobb is an Assistant Professor of Wealth Management for the College for Financial Planning, an Adjunct Professor of Financial Planning for California Lutheran University, an Adjunct Professor of Management & Leadership for The American College of Financial Services, an Adjunct Professor of Business & Leadership MBA Studies for Southern New Hampshire University, and a Situational Leadership II (SLII®) Training for Trainers Certified Instructor for The Ken Blanchard Company.
Michael Angell, MS, CFP®, EA, is an associate professor at the College for Financial Planning, where he serves primarily as the in-house income tax planning subject matter expert.
Michael began his financial services career in banking more than 20 years ago and eventually migrated into investment management and insurance planning. He has served clients in various capacities with independent, boutique-style firms and learned directly from seasoned CFP® practitioners in the field. Michael has also been an income tax professional for several years.
Michael obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics at Creighton University, and his Master of Science in Personal Financial Planning degree from the College for Financial Planning. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner and an Enrolled Agent authorized to practice before the IRS and is a proud member of the National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA) and the Financial Planning Association (FPA).
Dr. Ana Machuca, PhD, MAFM, MBA, CPA, CFE, CGMA, CITP, is a Professor at the College for Financial Planning, where she supports Advanced Programs and Designations.
Dr. Machuca has a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and Finance, a Master’s of Accounting and Financial Management (MAFM), a Master’s in Business Administration with concentration in Management (MBA), and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Business Administration with a specialization in Financial Management. She is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP), Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). Her research interests include taxes, ethics, money laundering, fraud, and auditing. She holds licenses for life insurance, annuities, and real estate sales.
During her career over the last 30 years, she has managed all the accounting and finance functions and supervised an accounting department of 30 employees. Her previous employment titles include: Director of Accounting, Controller, Comptroller and Fiscal Coordinator. She has been teaching accounting and finance residentially and online for over 25 years. Dr. Machuca maintains an independent private practice in accounting and financial planning in Florida.
Department of Financial Analysis
The Department of Financial Analysis cultivates advanced career programs and courses including the Accredited Portfolio Management Advisor (APMA®), Chartered SRI Counselor (CSRIC®), and Master of Science in Financial Analysis. The department also ensures graduate courses related to finance, investments, and portfolio management in our Master of Science in Personal Financial Planning degree program are of the highest caliber.
Thomas (Tom) Robinson is a globally recognized educator, author and advisor. He recently joined the College of Financial Planning as a full-time faculty member and Financial Analysis department chair. In the last few years he has served as President and Chief Investment Officer of Robinson Global Investment Management LLC, a registered investment advisory firm. He has also served for the last couple of years as an adjunct Professor of Practice – Finance at the College for Financial Planning and board member & audit committee chair for the Chartered Alternative Investment Association. He has over 35 years of experience in financial services and financial services education.
From 2015 to May 2020 he served as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AACSB International, the primary global accreditor and membership organization of business schools. Prior to joining AACSB, Robinson spent seven years at CFA Institute primarily as Managing Director of Education globally, providing vision and leadership for a 100+ member global team—which produced and delivered educational content and programs for candidates, members, other investment professionals, and universities globally. During this time, he has worked and lived in the U.S. and Asia and traveled globally for these roles more than 50% of the time.
Prior to joining CFA Institute, Robinson spent 14 years at the University of Miami serving as a tenured accounting faculty member and in several administrative roles including department chair, director of the Master of Professional Accounting Program and director of Personal Financial Planning programs. He founded the first CFP Board registered graduate program at an AACSB accredited business school in the mid-1990s. He taught graduate courses in financial statement analysis, personal financial planning, and valuation. Throughout his academic career, Robinson has won several teaching awards, has published regularly in academic and professional journals, and has authored or co-authored many books including:
- Asian Financial Statement Analysis: Detecting Financial Irregularities, Chin Hwee Tan and Thomas Robinson, Wiley and CFA Institute, 2014.
- The Strategic Value Investor: Practical Techniques of Leading Value Investors, Stephen Horan, Robert Johnson and Thomas Robinson, 2014, McGraw Hill.
- The New Wealth Management: The Financial Advisors Guide to Managing and Investing Client Assets. Harold Evensky, Stephen Horan and Thomas R. Robinson, 2011 Wiley and CFA Institute.
- International Financial Statement Analysis. Thomas R. Robinson, Hennie van Greuning, Elaine Henry and Michael Broihahn. Wiley/CFA Institute Investment Series, 2008 and subsequent editions. Required portion of CFA Program curriculum.
- Analysis of Equity Investments: Valuation. John Stowe, Thomas Robinson, Jerry Pinto, and Dennis McLeavy, CFA Institute, 2002. Reprinted in Wiley/CFA Institute Investment Series, 2005. Second Edition 2010. Required portion of CFA Program Curriculum.
He also authored much of the CFA program curriculum in financial analysis and valuation. In 2019 he received the Outstanding Contribution to CFA Institute Education Programs Award, in honor of C. Stewart Sheppard. This award was established to honor a CFA charterholder in recognition of their outstanding contributions, through dedicated effort and inspiring leadership, in fostering the education of professional investors through advancement of the Body of Knowledge and development of programs, publications, or other learning tools to encourage continuing education in our profession.
Prior to joining the University of Miami, Robinson practiced public accounting and financial planning for almost a decade, primarily with Deloitte and Pritchett Dlusky & Saxe in Columbus, Ohio. Concurrently, during his professional and academic careers, he also served as a consultant and investment advisor to individuals, law firms, accounting firms, professional associations, and governmental agencies in the areas of wealth management, financial statement analysis, and valuation.
Robinson is a CFA charterholder, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) (Retired – Ohio), a Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®), a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) and is NACD Directorship Certified. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania, and a master’s and doctorate from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University.
Todd Feldman, PhD, CFA is an associate professor at the College of Financial Planning. Dr. Feldman teaches in both the Masters in Financial Analysis and Masters in Financial Planning programs.
Dr. Feldman joined the College in 2022. Dr. Feldman is the program coordinator for the CSRIC program. He has taught several courses including Investment Planning and Security Analysis.
Dr. Feldman has two working papers, one on the benefits of Bitcoin being added to a portfolio and the level of concentration in the US market indices.. You can contact Todd at todd.feldman@cffp.edu.
Dr. Barclay Roper is an assistant professor at the College for Financial Planning, specializing in financial analysis and investments. He teaches graduate courses in both the personal financial planning and financial analysis degrees, and is involved in developing and teaching designation courses. He has served as president of the Faculty Senate and as a member of the Research and Retention Committees.
Dr. Roper earned his DBA with an emphasis in financial management from California Southern University. His doctoral dissertation is titled “A Quantitative Study of Stock Market Price Trends Using Technical Analysis Through Moving Averages.” He received his Master of Science in Finance and certificates in financial analysis levels I and II from the College for Financial Planning. He also holds a certificate in personal financial planning from Utah State University.
Dr. Roper’s prior experience includes working as a financial advisor, a registered investment advisory firm manager, and an adjunct professor for the College for Financial Planning. His areas of research interest are equity asset valuation, technical and fundamental analysis, portfolio and risk management, cryptocurrency, and Python for financial analysts. Dr. Roper has spent time abroad and enjoys international humanitarian service.
Cindy Shnaider, MSF, is a professor and graduate coordinator at the College for Financial Planning, developing, overseeing, and teaching graduate courses in the Personal Financial Planning Degree program. She also serves as the primary liaison for the Graduate Program, ensuring communication and coordination with instructors, the registrar, the academic advisor, and the learning platform.
Cindy began teaching at the College for Financial Planning in 2013, initially in the Finance Degree Program and later in the Personal Financial Planning Degree Program. At the College, Cindy has developed several finance courses and ECON532 Economics for Financial Planning for the master’s degree program, while also previously being active in the revision and teaching of several of the College’s designation courses. Cindy developed a sports finance course and a fiscal management for leaders course as an adjunct professor for Columbia College, and continues to revise and teach those courses, as well.
Cindy believes students should learn critical thinking that will benefit them not only in a chosen career, but also in their personal lives. Education is achieved through empathetic and enthusiastic teaching, challenging students to better themselves while promoting continued learning after the class.
Cindy earned her Master of Science in Finance from the College for Financial Planning. She is first author on a research paper “Homeownership: Should Advisors Ignore the Elephant in the Room?” In addition, she is currently researching teamwork as a tool in professional education.
*In 1969, the International Association for Financial Planners (IAFP) and the College for Financial Planning were created to help meet the financial needs of Americans.
In 1985, the College entered an agreement to establish an independent, nonprofit certifying and standards-setting organization. Ownership of the CFP® marks and responsibility for continuing the CFP® certification program was transferred to the new organization, International Board of Standards and Practices for Certified Financial Planners, Inc. (IBCFP), now known as CFP Board. For more information, please visit https://www.cfp.net/about-cfp-board/history.