Miller Starts CFP Board Chair Leadership

The adviser head will oversee initiatives that include a push to bring more women into financial planning and the intelligent integration of AI.

The CFP Board announced Tuesday that Liz Miller has started her role as chair of the board of directors, as of January 1.

Miller, founder and president of Summit Place Financial Advisors LLC, will be leading the body that has certified more than 100,000 financial planners across the U.S. She was elected to the post in 2023 by CFP’s board of directors and served as board chair-elect in 2024.

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The position oversees the CFP Board of Standards, which focuses on advancing financial planning and expanding the profession, and the CFP Board Center for Financial Planning, which focuses on developing and administering certification. The CFP split into two nonprofit bodies in January 2023.

Liz Miller

“Last year, we surpassed 100,000 CFP certificants, and we are moving forward from a position of strength in 2025,” Miller said in a statement. “We are making strides to continue growing the financial planning workforce by supporting both the next generation and career changers.”

Miller also highlighted the profession’s “appeal to women,” noting she has spent her entire career in the financial planning industry.

Before founding Summit Place Financial, she was a principal owner of investment management services firm Trevor Stewart Burton & Jacobsen Inc. She also served on the CFA Institute’s wealth management task force and led the first private wealth management committee at the CFA Society of New York.

The CFP Board, under Miller, will continue to work toward increasing women’s representation in financial planning, including the launch of a national initiative, according to the announcement. Work will include research, resource development, thought leadership and partnership development for women.

“Liz is a visionary leader with exceptional experience, passion and commitment,” CFP Board CEO Kevin Keller said in a statement. “Her leadership will help guide us through a rapidly evolving technological landscape, while her commitment to supporting CFP certificants and promoting diversity will help build a more inclusive profession.”

During Miller’s tenure, the CFP Board also plans to work with artificial intelligence experts on the technology’s use in financial planning.

In December, the CFP announced a record year for its certification exam, with 10,437 candidates testing in 2024, the highest annual total to date. Among those who tested, 6,763 candidates passed,  11% more than in 2023.

Miller earned her certified financial planner certification in 2008 and also holds the chartered financial analyst designation.

Retirement Plan Advisors Announces Staff Promotions

Rob Mangano, Tamme Ford, Alex Gault and Sarah McKinzie get elevated roles at the $7 billion plan advisory focused on the public sector.

Retirement Plan Advisors LLC, a firm specializing in retirement planning and investment solutions for public sector employees and their employers, has announced the promotion of four team members: Rob Mangano, Tamme Ford, Alex Gault and Sarah McKinzie.

The move comes about one year after the Chicago-based firm named a new CEO and president. RPA, founded in 2000, currently has more than 550 plan sponsor clients and more than $7 billion in assets under advisement.

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Mangano, previously director of client relations, has been promoted to vice president of plan consulting. He will concentrate on client retention and enhancing retirement outcomes for plan participants through consultative plan design. Since joining RPA in 2019, Mangano has worked on onboarding new clients, managing vendor relationships and conducting plan reviews. In his reviews, he examines participant utilization, investment due diligence and participant education.

Promoted to director of plan consulting, Ford has more than 15 years of experience managing group retirement plans, including 401(a), 401(k), 457(b) and 403(b) plans. She will focus on consultative relationship management, building rapport with plan contacts, financial advisers and both internal and external support teams. Ford previously held the position of relationship manager.

Gault has been promoted from investment analyst to senior investment analyst, responsible for managing RPA’s plan investment menus, conducting investment manager due diligence and preparing performance reports. He will also contribute to asset allocation modeling, portfolio construction and adviser engagement, strengthening RPA’s ability to provide data-driven investment strategies for its clients.

McKinzie has been promoted to senior group plan operations specialist, formerly serving in the role of group plan operations specialist. She will continue to be a resource for educating, enrolling and supporting public sector group retirement plan participants.

RPA’s previous round of promotions was announced in February 2024. Josh Schwartz was announced as CEO, Ken Mergen was named president, and Brett Pendleton was made vice president of group plan operations.

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