Aaron Coates, CFP®, Mark Johannessen, CFP®, AIF®, and Catherine Seeber, CFP®, CeFT®, to receive the 2024 Heart of Financial Planning Award
DENVER (July 23, 2024) — The Financial Planning Association® (FPA®), the leading membership organization and trade association for Certified Financial Planner™ professionals, is proud to announce Aaron Coates, CFP®, Mark Johannessen, CFP®, AIF®, and Catherine Seeber, CFP®, CeFT®, as recipients of the Association’s 2024 Heart of Financial Planning Award.
The 2024 Heart of Financial Planning Award recognizes financial planning professionals, firms, and organizations that demonstrate remarkable commitment and passion for contributing to or giving back to the financial planning community and/or public. Awardees exemplify the spirit of financial planning and represent FPA’s goal to elevate the profession that transforms lives.
“The Heart of Financial Planning Award provides FPA and the profession with an opportunity to celebrate those who have had a profound impact on financial planning and society. For 19 years, we have been honored to bestow this Award on numerous professionals, thought leaders, and others who have dedicated their time and energy to elevating financial planning and those around them,” says 2024 FPA President Claudia Kane, CFP®. “Aaron, Mark, and Catherine have each had an important impact on our profession, and we look forward to honoring them at FPA Annual Conference 2024 in Columbus this September.”
Aaron Coates, CFP® (FPA of Greater Indiana): Founder of Relevant Financial Advisors, LLC, in Elkhart, Ind., Coates is one of the primary founders of FPA NexGen, which was launched nearly 20 years ago to provide new and aspiring financial planners with a supportive community. Coates recognized that the next generation of financial planners desired technical competence and development opportunities to become impactful leaders for their clients, firms, and the profession. Due to Coates’s dedication, FPA NexGen has flourished into a community of thousands of professionals who engage in an active community that fosters growth as people, planners, and leaders.
Mark Johannessen, CFP®, AIF® (FPA of the National Capital Area): Private Wealth Manager and Partner of Creative Planning in McLean, Va., Johannessen is among the most impactful leaders in the history of FPA and the profession. Over the past 30 years, Johannessen has served in many local and national leadership roles, including as FPA President in 2008. Over his many years of service, he has devoted considerable time and energy to building collaboration between organizations, being an advocate for greater diversity and inclusion, and championing pro bono financial planning. Among his many accomplishments, Johannessen initiated the design and implementation of FPA’s pro bono financial planning relief effort for victims’ families of the 9/11 tragedies.
Catherine Seeber, CFP®, CeFT® (FPA of the Philadelphia/Tri-State Area): Principal and Financial Advisor at CAPTRUST, in Lewes, Del., Seeber is a past member of the FPA Board of Directors and a passionate advocate for the Association and the financial planning profession. She is chair of CAPTRUST's AdviseHers Initiative, chair of CAPTRUST’s Financial Planning Focus Group (FPFG), and past instructor of the CAPSTONE course at the University of Delaware. Seeber is passionate about using her voice to elevate financial planning among lawmakers through federal and local legislative advocacy and in improving financial literacy and wellness among college students and in society.
Coates, Johannessen, and Seeber will be recognized at a special Honors Reception at FPA Annual Conference 2024 in Columbus, Ohio, Sept. 18-20, 2024.
###
About the Financial Planning Association
The Financial Planning Association® (FPA®) is the leading membership organization and trade association for Certified Financial Planner™ professionals and those engaged in the financial planning process. FPA is the CFP® professional’s partner in planning by helping them realize their vision of professional fulfillment through practice support, learning, advocacy, and networking. Learn more about FPA at financialplanningassociation.org and on Twitter at twitter.com/fpassociation.