On day one of its national conference in San Antonio, FPA Experience 2012, the Financial Planning Association announced that Janet Stanzak was selected as 2013 FPA president-elect at the association's board meeting in Texas on Friday.
As announced by current FPA President Paul Auslander in his introductory remarks on Saturday—"Janet's just the best," he said—Stanzak's selection was a change from previous FPA practice, in which a president-elect was named early in the year prior to when she would take on the presidency; Stanzak (left) will thus succeed FPA's 2013 President Michael Branham.
When asked in an interview Saturday about the skills she would bring to FPA leadership, Stanzak noted that she had led the association's strategic planning committee for two years, during which time she worked "hand-in-hand" with Lauren Schadle, the incoming FPA CEO. As staff liaison, Schadle was responsible for implementing the committee's recommendations.
Stanzak said she had also particularly engaged with FPA's chapters and chapter leaders. "They know me as a resource and a collaborative leader," she said. The chapter connection is important, she said, since new FPA members tend to come through the chapters, along with growth from those new to the profession. On the issue of retaining members, she noted that at the FPA, members who are CFPs have a higher rate of retention, suggesting that CFPs were more likely to see the benefit of membership.
