Presenters

  Bret Afdahl
  Director, South Dakota Division of Banking

Bret Afdahl was appointed Director of the South Dakota Division of Banking in May of 2011 after serving as Counsel to the Division since October of 2006. Prior to joining the Division Bret worked on the legal staff at the Department of Revenue and Regulation on a variety of tax and compliance issues.  Bret is a graduate of Northern State University with a degree in political science and business, a graduate of the University of South Dakota School of Law, and holds a certification as a Fiduciary and Investment Risk Specialist (CFIRS) from the CANNON Financial Institute.    
 

Bruce Betters
CEO and Chief Investment Officer, Marshall Street Capital

Bruce is responsible for Marshall Street Capital’s investment strategy, which spans broad, diversified asset categories with a focus on positioning the portfolio for profitable long-term growth and value enhancement.  He is also responsible for the administration of Claridges Trust Company, a Tennessee based private trust company, and oversees family support services provided by Marshall Street Capital in areas including tax and estate planning, philanthropy, reporting and others. Bruce is also a member of the Claridges Trust Company Board.

Bruce previously served as Chief Financial Officer for Marshall Street Capital and Everett Smith Group, the corporate holding company predecessor to the family office, from 2012-2016. He has been a leader at ESG and its subsidiaries since 2001, serving in a variety of roles, including vice president of corporate development, head of strategic planning and interim CEO at several of the operating companies in the family portfolio.

Betters graduated with honors from Western Michigan University Haworth School of Business with degrees in accounting and general business. He is also a licensed certified public accountant (CPA).

John Duncan
Partner, Kozusko Harris Duncan

John Duncan, a partner in Kozusko Harris Duncan, Chicago, concentrates on the representation of family offices, private multi-family private trust companies, investment funds and similar family entities, and multi-family offices, private banks, and wealth advisors committed to serving private clients.  A current major focus is on helping single family and multi-family private trust companies pursue their highest calling—building strong families—by supporting the development of strong and caring beneficiaries.

Over the past 27 years, John has worked with more than 155 ultra-wealthy families (and their advisors) on family strategic structures and family governance.  He has helped form over 100 trust companies, including close to half of the regulated Private Trust Companies in the United States and an equal number of commercial wealth management-focused trust companies and trust departments.

John has devoted a significant portion of his professional life to drafting and consulting on legislation to facilitate the development of trust law and the single and multi-family private trust company industry, beginning with a model trust company act for CSBS that has been adopted by nearly half the states.  He was principal author of New Hampshire’s 2007-2008 trust law revisions, in large measure subsequently adopted by Nevada and Tennessee, propelling all three states into top five trust law states rankings.  John served as principal draftsman of new and innovative Delaware private trust company legislation and informally advised the draftspersons of the new Florida private trust company act.  John has also contributed to other federal financial institution and trust laws and regulations including for Illinois, South Dakota, Wyoming, Texas, Delaware and North Carolina. 

John publishes regularly in professional journals including, with Anita Sarafa, in the Spring, 2011 ACTEC Journal “Achieve the Promise-and Limit the Risks-of Multi-Participant [Directed] Trusts”, and in Trusts and Estates Magazine, most recently “The Private Family Trust Company-the most customized financial institution ever devised”, February 2017, and the inaugural issue of The International Family Offices Journal, “The private trust company comes back on shore – in the United States”, September 2016.  He presents in major forums including at every Family Office Exchange Private Trust Company Conference/Workshop since the first one in 1992.

Before forming his own firm in 2000, John headed the banking and investment practice of the international law firm Jones Day.  In 2012, Private Asset Management named John to its “Power 25” list of prominent players in wealth management and family offices who “excel in thought leadership and levels of influence in their respective fields.”  John is a member of the Collaboration for Flourishing Families (Past Chairman, Strategic Planning Committee) and STEP, and a graduate of Yale University (B.A. cum laude 1971) and The University of Chicago Law School (J.D. 1974; Visiting Committee, 2015-17).

Rob Galloway
Partner, Baker Hostetler LLP

Rob Galloway is a national Team Lender for Baker Hostetler’s Private Wealth Group.  In this role, Rob provides counsel to the firm’s wealthiest and most prominent fiduciary and family clients.  He works closely with family offices, private trust companies, bank trustees, and privately held companies to bring creative solutions to complicated tax and fiduciary issues.  Rob understand that lasting client relationships are built on trust, collaboration, and a sensitive approach to family and business issues.
 

Hartley Goldstone
Research Fellow, Wise Counsel Research

In 2010, Hartley Goldstone launched the Beneficiary and Trustee Positive Story Project to collect stories told by beneficiaries and trustees who – with compassion and wisdom – have successfully navigated challenges in the midst of complexity. Two years later, he published TrustWorthy – New Angles on Trusts from Beneficiaries and Trustees (Trustscape 2012), a collection of 25 such real-life stories. In 2013, the Positive Story Project became the theme of his online column for the journal Trusts & Estates.

Most recently, Hartley co-authored Family Trusts: A Guide for Beneficiaries, Trustees, Trust Protectors, and Trust Creators (Wiley 2016), which is a practical guide to passing on wealth in ways that enrich the lives of all who are involved.
Hartley takes pleasure in his association with Wise Counsel Research, a charitable think-tank producing award-winning educational resources.
 

Greg Gonzales
Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions

Greg Gonzales is the 18th commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions, who began serving in this role in 2005, and was reappointed by Governor Bill Haslam. He has served in the department since 1986. In this position, Gonzales serves as Tennessee’s chief regulatory officer of all state-chartered depository and licensed non-depository financial institutions.  Additionally, he has served as assistant commissioner and general counsel for the department. Gonzales is a past Chairman of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS), which is the professional organization of state banking commissioners in the United States.

Commissioner Gonzales, for a number of years, served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Money Transmitter Regulators Association (MTRA), an organization of a majority of the states that regulate funds transfer companies. He served on the U.S. Treasury’s Bank Secrecy Act Advisory Group. Commissioner Gonzales currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Financial Literacy Commission. Gonzales also currently serves on a national task force studying how new technologies are affecting the U.S. payment systems.

Ryan M. Harding
President, Garden Trust Company

Ryan M. Harding is the President of Garden Trust Company and Managing Director of the IFO Group, LLC, in Detroit, Michigan.

Previously, Ryan was a partner in the Private Client Practice Group of McDermott Will & Emery LLP, where his practice focused on the formation and operation of family offices and private trust companies, particularly with respect to governance and succession planning for family and closely held businesses.  He also represented clients on complex estate administration and sophisticated tax and wealth transfer planning, as well as contested tax and probate matters.  

Ryan is a frequent author and speaker on the creation and operation of private trust companies, trust administration and investments, family businesses and succession planning, and professional responsibility and ethics in estate planning.

Ryan graduated from the University Of Notre Dame with a B.A. in Government and a B.B.A. in Accountancy.  He then received his law degree from the University of Michigan.  He is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.

Barbara Hoeft
Managing Partner, Willow Street Group

Barbara has spent nearly 25 years in the family office and trust and estate profession and established Willow Street Financial Services LLC in 2005. Prior to founding Willow Street, Barbara managed a single-family office, working closely with the family’s advisory team to develop and implement complex wealth transfer strategies. Barbara earned her B.A. from the University of Virginia. Fluent in French, she continued her education in Paris obtaining a Diplôme from L’Université de Paris-Sorbonne and a Certificat from the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de Paris. Barbara is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and has the Trust & Estate Practitioner (TEP) designation.
 

James Houghton
Board Chairman, Market Street Trust Company

James was elected as Chairman of Market Street’s Board of Directors in April 2009 and has served as a member of Market Street’s Board since October 1995. James also serves as an ex-officio member of all of Market Street’s committees.

James is also a Director of Rollo Capital Management, a Boston-based investment firm focused on both public and private investments in the advance material sector where he advises and invests in early-stage companies. Previously James was a General Partner of Megunticook Management, an early stage venture capital fund investing in media, communications, and technology companies.

Prior to Megunticook, James worked for Corning Incorporated as a business manager in the Advanced Display and Telecom Products Divisions and began his career in corporate finance with JP Morgan in New York and London. James has served on a number of non-profit boards focused on education and kids-at-risk, including most recently Shady Hill School, St. Paul's School, and Citizens for Juvenile Justice. He is currently a Trustee of the Corning Museum of Glass, a Director of The Triangle Fund in Corning, NY and an Overseer of the Epiphany School in Boston, MA. James received his B.A. from Harvard College.

Richard Johnson
Partner, Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP

Richard Johnson is a tax partner with the law firm Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP. For nearly 30 years, large family-owned and closely held businesses, high net worth individuals, family offices, and tax-exempt organizations have relied on Richard for practical tax, business, and estate and trust planning solutions. Richard formed the first private trust company under Tennessee law and has been responsible for forming or served as local counsel for more than half of Tennessee's private trust companies. He drafted new legislation updating Tennessee’s private trust company law, which greatly expanded the definition of a private trust company.

Richard was one of only two attorneys in Tennessee to receive to receive a top ranking (Band 1) in the 2017 edition of the Chambers High Net Worth guide. He is a member of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and serves on the Family Office Exchange's Thought Leaders Council. Richard has been recognized since 2001 by Best Lawyers in America for his experience in Tax Law and Trusts & Estates. Best Lawyers named him Nashville's Lawyer of the Year in Tax Law in 2017 and 2015, and in 2012 the publication honored Richard as Nashville Lawyer of the Year in Trusts and Estates. Richard has served as Chairman of the Tax Sections of both the Tennessee Bar Association Tax and the Nashville Bar Association. Additionally, he is a fellow of the Nashville Bar Foundation, and he is recognized as a "Mid-South Super Lawyer."

Richard earned his J.D., with honors, from the University Of Tennessee College Of Law in 1986 and his LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Florida in 1987. He earned a B.A., cum laude, in Accounting from the University of Mississippi in 1983. Richard is a Fellow in the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel and the former chairman of the tax section of the Tennessee Bar Association.

Richard Joyner
President, Tolleson Wealth Management

Richard Joyner is President of Tolleson Wealth Management. He oversees key strategic, marketing and policy determinations for the company and its lines of business. Richard also serves on the Board of Directors, Executive Committee and Investment Committee. He works with multi-generational families to address the complex issues of successful wealth transfer. His expertise encompasses such diverse areas as complex income and estate tax planning; family dynamics and education; and investment management. He facilitates numerous family meetings for clients each year, and speaks regularly to families that want to overcome the old adage of “shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves” in three generations.
 

Melissa A. Kirkby
Vice President, The Bill Kitt Trust Company, LLC

Melissa serves as vice president, trust officer and compliance officer of The Bill Kitt Trust Company, LLC, a private family trust company established in January 2016. Melissa was an integral part of forming the trust company, establishing the policies and procedures that laid the groundwork for the company’s operations today and going forward. Her primary responsibilities now include the management of day-to-day operations of the company, the administration of all family trusts, and the oversight of audit and compliance standards established by the board of directors of the company.
 
Prior to joining Bill Kitt, Melissa was a senior vice president and market trust director for U.S. Trust/Bank of America where she managed a team of trust officers In Nashville, Chicago, and North Carolina. Prior to that time, she spent eleven years as a trust advisor with SunTrust Bank.
 
Melissa is a graduate of the American Bankers Association National and Graduate Trusts Schools and held the designation of Certified Trust and Financial Advisor.

Kim Kusilek
Chief Operating Officer, HRK Group, Inc.

Kim T. Kusilek is COO of HRK Group, Inc. (HRK) and HRK Trust Company (HTC), entities created by members of the Andersen Window Family.  She is also a Managing Partner of the Family’s investment partnerships.  HRK provides integrated financial services to fourth through sixth generation family members.  Kim’s primary responsibilities are to organize and execute the Financial Services for each family member, which includes tax planning and compliance, financial reporting, investment accounting and measurement, and insurance.  In addition, she acts as an advocate and trusted advisor for all her clients in their pursuit of financial prosperity.

Before Kim joined HRK in 1996 she was Tax Manager at Andersen Corporation.  Kim graduated from college in 1984 with a B.A.
 

  Jeffrey R. Lauterbach
  Independent Advisor and Consultant

Jeffrey R. Lauterbach is an independent advisor and consultant focusing on human capital and wealth planning.  He serves in multiple fiduciary capacities with several families, acting as a trusted advisor on almost all aspects of the families’ lives.  He chairs committees responsible for investments, human capital development and technical planning.  He is the former Chairman, President and CEO of the Capital Trust Company of Delaware, a company he founded in 1999. Under Mr. Lauterbach’s leadership the company employed a client centered, collaborative strategy to grow to over $6 billion of assets in six years.  His developed expertise in family governance and dynamics, the use of Delaware trusts, trust planning strategies and the wealth advisory disciplines make him an effective counselor to families of wealth.  

Previously, Mr. Lauterbach served as Chairman, President and CEO of American Guaranty & Trust Company, and as Chairman of The American Gift Fund, both of Wilmington, Delaware. He has also served as Chief Marketing Officer of Financial Service Corporation, Atlanta, Georgia, and as Managing Director Corporate Services of The International Association for Financial Planning, Atlanta. During his career, he has created several non-financial service businesses.

Mr. Lauterbach has written numerous magazine articles and has co-authored two books about financial services marketing. An excerpt from Revolution in Financial Services, BNA, 1987, was selected in 2004 as one of the 16 most influential articles during the first 25 years of The Journal of Financial Planning.  He completed his undergraduate degree at Hamilton College, Clinton, New York.  He is a graduate of Emory Law School.  He holds a PhD in Jungian and Archetypal Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. He formerly held Series 7, 24 and 27 securities licenses. He served as Chairman and member of the Audit Committee and member of the Investment Committee of National Philanthropic Trust.  He is a member of the governing board of Collaboration for Family Flourishing and serves on the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of Financial Planning and the Editorial Advisory Panel of Family Foundation Advisor. He is past Chairman of the Philadelphia Tri-State Area Financial Planning Association and past Chairman of the Alliance Forum.  Previously, he has served as a director and member of the Executive Committee of The Forum for Investor Advice, an organization dedicated to educating the public about the value of working with professional advisors, as a member of the FPA Government Relations Committee, a member of the FPA Professional Issues Committee, a member of the FPA Task Force on Best Practices for the CFP Board Standards of Conduct and as co-chair of the SunGard CEO Affinity Group.

Pamela Lucina
Executive Director – Advice, Planning and Fiduciary Services, BNY Mellon Wealth Management

Pamela Lucina is executive director of BNY Mellon Wealth Management’s Advice, Planning and Fiduciary Services. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing Global Wealth Advisory, the National Practice Areas for business owners and family law, and Fiduciary Services. Pamela has over 20 years of experience providing comprehensive wealth planning advice and governance to individuals and families. Most recently she was with JPMorgan, where her key responsibilities included providing wealth and estate planning services to the firm’s largest and most complex clients, and advising families on next generation education and philanthropic matters.  

Prior to JPMorgan, Pamela spent 10 years in private practice, both as a tax consultant with Arthur Andersen and in the trust and estates department of Mayer Brown in Chicago. She is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), is well published, and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and events.  Pamela has a Bachelor’s degree from Marquette University, and a Juris Doctor degree from DePaul University.

  Sarah Bush Nuckolls
  Chairwoman, Bush Family Senate, Bush Brothers & Company

Sarah Bush Nuckolls is a 4th Generation Bush Family member and is the daughter of former Bush Brothers President and CEO, Condon S. Bush.  She currently holds the position of Bush Family Senate Chair after serving several years as a Senate Member.  Sarah graduated from West Texas State University with a B.A in Education and taught Special Education for 26 years. She is also a graduate of the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University’s Governing the Family Business and Leading Family Enterprises courses. She retired in 2014 to focus on her responsibilities with Bush Brothers and to spend more time with her own family.  Sarah lives in Lubbock, Texas with her husband of 29 years.  They have three children and two grandchildren. Sarah enjoys spending time volunteering at her church and works as an advisor to the Chi Omega Chapter at Texas Tech University.
 

Miles Padgett
Partner, Kozusko Harris Duncan

Miles is a partner in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office.  Miles focuses on tax, business and regulatory planning for family offices and their family member clients, tax planning for managers of private equity and other investment funds, and on the chartering and management of private and retail trust companies for highly successful, strategic families and domestic and international financial institutions.  Miles routinely writes and speaks on the topics of family governance, wealth management, and structuring and regulatory matters.

In addition to being a lawyer, Miles spent over 5 years as an investment consultant focusing on asset allocation and manager search and selection.

Miles earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, with distinction, from Cornell University and a Juris Doctor degree from Vanderbilt University, where he was a member of the Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law.

Nancy J. Daigle Renaud
Director of Trust Supervision, New Hampshire Banking Department

Nancy Daigle Renaud is the Director of Trust Supervision for the New Hampshire Banking Department.  Nancy has over 24 years of regulatory experience with the department, initially commencing as an examiner of banks and credit unions and later focusing principally on trust companies.  During her career, Nancy obtained several certifications including: Certified Senior Trust Examiner, Certified Examiner-in-Charge, and Certified Public Supervisor.  She has also served as a CSBS Risk Identification Team Member.   Nancy received a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Management Advisory Services from Southern New Hampshire University. 

Anita Sarafa
Wealth Advisor, Managing Director, J.P. Morgan Private Bank

Anita Sarafa advises clients across the Midwest region on their comprehensive estate planning needs and goals including how to tax-efficiently hold, manage and transfer their wealth to family or charity. She also is a resource on family governance issues, next generation education and family meetings. Anita is an attorney, admitted to practice in Illinois and is a member of the American and Chicago Bar Associations.

Anita speaks and writes nationally on topics related to sophisticated estate planning techniques, multi-state estate planning, charitable giving and tax planning and has been featured in The New York Times, Dow Jones, Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, The Chicago Tribune, CLTV and other local and national media. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan Private Bank in 2000, Anita was a partner with the Chicago-based law firm of Winston & Strawn, where she practiced law for 11 years as a member of both the Trust and Estates and Corporate departments.

Anita earned her B.A. in Political Science from the University of Michigan and her J. D. from Boston University School of Law.

Carleen Schreder
Partner/Owner, Levin Schreder & Carey, Ltd.

Carleen focuses her practice on estate tax and income tax planning, working with both U.S. and international clients. She works extensively with families on multiple strategies for wealth transfer while minimizing taxes. She is experienced in the formation and operation of private trust companies to administer trusts for a client’s family and is an officer of two such companies. She advises on charitable planning, including private foundations, charitable trusts, and donor advised funds.

Carleen has also handled tax controversies, including estate tax and income tax audits and litigation. Carleen works with many clients, particularly in the real estate area, to structure loans, investments, and sales or exchanges in order to maximize the deductibility of available losses, and defer income taxation as appropriate. She represents family owned businesses and helps them with succession planning, governance, and implementation of techniques to minimize gift and estate tax on transferring interests to the next generation.

Carleen is recognized as a Leading Lawyer in Tax Law as well as Trust, Will, and Estate Planning Law by the Illinois Leading Lawyers Network. In addition to her legal work, Carleen has been recognized by her peers for her community achievements. She was a recipient of the Chicago Bar Foundation’s Maurice Weigle Award as an Outstanding Young Lawyer in Chicago. She has been recognized by Illinois Super Lawyer® in Estate Planning and Probate. Carleen is active in several social service and support organizations which has included leadership positions with the Chicago Foundation for Women, Chicago Legal Advocacy for Incarcerated Mothers, and Chicago Abused Women Coalition.
 

  John Seckman
  President, Shoebox Private Trust Company

John currently serves as President of Shoebox Private Trust Company based in Knoxville, Tennessee.  Prior to coming to Shoebox, John was President and C.O.O. of Diversified Trust, a Tennessee chartered public trust company with over $5 billion in assets under management and four offices across the Southeast.  During his fifteen year tenure at Diversified he established and managed the Atlanta office, led the development of family office services, created and managed two hard asset investment partnerships and led the conversion of the firm’s custody, operational and reporting systems.  Prior to that John served as an Investment Director of the Delta Air Lines pension fund, where he had direct responsibility for the fund’s $1.4 billion real estate and timberland portfolio.  As a Director for the $10 billion fund, John was also involved in overall asset allocation strategies, manager selection and reporting.

John started his career in commercial real estate and has over a dozen years’ experience in the development, leasing and management of commercial properties in the Southeast.  He received a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the University of Mississippi, a law degree from the Nashville School of Law and a Master of Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  John is also a Chartered Financial Analyst.  John has served on numerous family business, foundation and non-profit boards.
 

Jeff Strese
Chief Talent and Learning Officer, Tolleson Wealth Management

Jeff Strese serves as Chief Talent and Learning Officer at Tolleson Wealth Management. He oversees all of human capital initiatives and learning systems. Jeff has a background in marriage and family counseling, university-level teaching and executive coaching. He works alongside client advisory teams and provides facilitation and coaching support with clients on family dynamics and governance to help with generational transition issues.

Domingo Such
Attorney/Partner, Perkins Coie LLP   

Domingo Such is based in the Chicago office, focusing his practice on excellence in the delivery of legal advice that is results oriented.  He serves as the Chair of the Family Office Services group, a multi-disciplinary practice representing operating companies, boards of directors, fiduciaries, beneficiaries, family offices including trust companies and quasi-family office arrangements.  Mr. Such has been cited in Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, Worth, Bloomberg and Crain’s Business Magazine, and is a frequent author with multiple published articles on tax planning matters.  

He lectures nationally on trust and business planning involving complex estates and trusts which are at times contested in court.  Mr. Such received his undergraduate and MBA from Washington University in St. Louis, and his law degree from the Loyola University of Chicago School of Law.  He also earned his Certificate in Family Business Advising from the Family Firm Institute.  He is listed in Who’s Who in America and Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers and is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), which reflects his experience, integrity and overall recognized professional excellence.
 

  Phillip Tinkler
  Chief Financial Officer, Chai Trust Company, LLC
  Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, Equity Group 
  Investments (EGI) 

Philip is CFO of Chai Trust Company, LLC (corporate trustee for the Zell family trusts).  He is also CFO and COO of EGI, which operates as the investment advisor for Chai Trust Company, LLC.  In these capacities, he oversees the financial services group, which houses the accounting, treasury, and tax functions, and he manages the company’s human resources, administration, and facilities function.  Philip works closely with the EGI investment team to structure transactions, assist in financial due diligence, and facilitate bank discussions. 

Since joining EGI, he has served in various leadership capacities for the organization and its affiliates. Among those roles was CFO of Danielson Holding Corporation, the predecessor of Covanta Holding Corporation, an international owner/operator of energy-from-waste and power generation facilities. Earlier in his career, Philip served as the CEO and CFO of First Capital Financial, LLC, and as the Managing General Partner of the First Capital real estate funds. He began his career at Ernst & Young.

Philip holds an MST from DePaul University and a BS from Northern Illinois University.
 

Matt Tobin
COO, Legal Counsel, and President of SDTC Services LLC, South Dakota Trust Company LLC

Matt Tobin is Chief Operating Officer and General Legal Counsel for South Dakota Trust Company LLC in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. His primary responsibilities include business management, legal, risk management, human resources, and public relations/legislation.

Mr. Tobin also serves as President of SDTC Services LLC, which is also located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. SDTC Services LLC provides consulting services to the non-depository trust company industry. As President, he is primarily responsible for managing the Company’s Private and Public Trust Company client relationships. Mr. Tobin serves as a board of director and committee member for several private and public trust companies, and has experience and specialized knowledge in the areas of trust company management, organization, compliance, and fiduciary standards.  Mr. Tobin also serves as the Director of the SDTC Foundation, and he is a Board of Director member for the South Dakota Trust Association.
 

Tony Wilson
Chairman, Shoebox Private Trust Company

During the course of his 30 year career with AT&T, Anthony (Tony) Wilson worked in most all areas of Network Design, Sales and Marketing.  Although retired, Tony has remained active in business as a member of Bush Brothers & Company’s Family Senate where he has served as Chairman, and frequently attends Family Business education courses and conferences where he also participates in panel discussions.
 
Tony’s education includes a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of Tennessee and he is a graduate of the Kellogg School of Management’s Governing the Family Business.

Marianne Young
President, Market Street Trust Company

Marianne Young has been with Market Street Trust since 1995, first as Vice President for Client Services where she was responsible for the management of client relationships for both individual and trust accounts, and then as President beginning in July 1999. In addition to working with the Board of Directors on strategic issues, Marianne works with individuals and family groups to facilitate financial and estate planning.

Before joining Market Street Trust, Marianne practiced law at Harris, Beach & Wilcox, where she focused on corporate and banking law. She received a B.A. Degree from Mount Holyoke College and a M.S. Ed. from the University of Rochester. She also holds a J.D. Degree from Cornell Law School where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. Marianne was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1992 and is a member of the New York State Bar Association, Trusts and Estates Law Section. She served on the Family Office Exchange Advisory Board for many years.

She is currently a Director of the Board of The Elmira Savings Bank where she serves on the Audit and Loan committees. Additionally, she serves as a Director of the Alternative School for Math and Science (a private middle school located in the Corning area). She is a past President of the Board of Trustees of the Rockwell Museum in Corning, New York and former director of the Finger Lakes Land Trust.
 

Family Office Exchange Staff

Sara Hamilton
Founder and CEO, Family Office Exchange

Sara Hamilton is the Founder and CEO of Family Office Exchange (FOX), the definitive source of information and best practices associated with the business of managing family wealth across generations. Sara launched FOX in 1989 and has since grown its network to over 490 globally-minded family enterprises and their advisors, based in over 20 countries.

Sara is the coauthor of Family Legacy and Leadership: Preserving True Family Wealth in Challenging Times. She also serves on the executive education faculty for the University Of Chicago Booth School of Business and teaches the course on private wealth management.

Sara was recently named one of the Top 50 Women in Wealth Management by PAM and was honored with this award for three years running by Wealth Manager. She serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Wealth Management and Trusts and Estates Magazine.

Ruth Easterling
Managing Director, Member Services, Family Office Exchange

Ruth Easterling is Managing Director, Member Services, for Family Office Exchange (FOX). In her role, she provides relationship management for family and advisor members by aligning FOX services with the unique needs of each member. Ruth also co-moderates the Private Family Trust Company Network and works with the team at FOX to develop programming and insights for the Network.

Prior to her current responsibilities, Ruth led all FOX member services activities, and oversaw the delivery of conferences, educational forums, webinars, website resources and member communications annually.

Before joining FOX, Ruth worked with the professional services firm Smith, Bucklin & Associates, which provides management and consulting services to more than 180 associations. She served as executive director to professional associations ranging in size from 300 to 4,000 members, re-engineering membership structures and planning processes to better enable organizations to maximize their potential through efficient governance structures and member participation. In addition, Ruth often consulted with international and national organizations on strategic planning and governance design.

Ruth holds a bachelor’s degree in Management and Leadership from Judson College.

Mariann Mihaildis
Managing Director, Councils, Family Office Exchange

Mariann Mihailidis oversees the FOX member councils, which are private networks of close peers working together to advance their professional development and to solve the unique challenges they face in their management of private wealth. She has extensive experience in the accounting and legal fields.

As a practicing tax and estate planning attorney, she develops strategies in wealth transfer issues, taxes, and corporate structures. Mariann has served as an executor and trustee, and her fiduciary responsibilities included administrative, legal, and accounting duties of various trusts and estates.

Prior to joining FOX in 1996, Mariann worked in one of America’s leading family offices as an accounting manager for the family’s investment partnerships and operating companies. She also spent more than six years in public accounting, including work as an auditor for Price Waterhouse.

Sandra Ditore
Regional Director, Membership Development, East, Family Office Exchange

Sandra Ditore is the Regional Director, Membership Development, East for Family Office Exchange (FOX). In her role, Sandra is responsible for identifying prospective family and advisor members, assessing their needs and priorities, and ensuring they have a deep understanding of the benefits of FOX membership. In addition to new member acquisitions, Sandra is responsible for identifying and securing sponsorship for FOX forums and educational workshops.

Sandra has more than 20 years of experience in sales and marketing. Before joining FOX in 2002, Sandra was a senior account manager for a Chicago-based healthcare communications firm, where she developed marketing strategies for global pharmaceutical brands. Prior to this, she held research and marketing positions at several Wall Street investment banking firms, including Drexel Burnham Lambert, Dean Witter Reynolds, and Dillon Read & Co.