FPA of Michigan Summer Symposium
Meet our Speakers
Andrew Opdyke, CFA
Senior Economist
Andrew is a Senior Economist and a member of the First Trust Economics Team that Bloomberg has ranked as one of the top forecasters of the U.S. economy over the past several years.
At First Trust, Andrew is responsible for analyzing economic indicators, writing economic commentaries and producing articles on the First Trust Economics Blog. Andrew regularly presents economic commentary to financial professionals, CFA Societies, and Financial Planning Association (FPA) chapters across the United States. Andrew also provides research and analysis to Chief Economist Brian Wesbury, Chief Market Strategist Bob Carey, and First Trust CEO Jim Bowen. Cogent’s 2017 Survey of Advisors rated First Trust’s thought leadership material as number one for most read and most shared by financial professionals with colleagues or clients.*
Andrew received an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a BA in Business and Economics from Hope College. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Chicago.
*Cogent Reports conducted an online survey of a representative cross section of 1,078 financial professionals in April through June 2017. Survey participants were required to have an active book of business of at least $5 million and offer investment advice or planning services to individual investors on a fee or transactional basis.
Jacki Roessler, CDFA®
Center for Financial Planning
Jacqueline (Jacki) Roessler, CDFA®, Branch Associate for Raymond James Financial Services, has been a practicing Divorce Planner since 1992 and is viewed by her peers as a leader in Divorce Financial Planning field.
Jacki’s work with divorcing clients has been featured in Kiplingers’ Personal Finance, Fortune Magazine, Bloomberg’s Wealth Manager, Money magazine, and InvestmentNews. She writes for The Center’s “Money Centered” blog and has published many articles on the financial aspect of divorce.
A Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® (CDFA®) professional in the qualified domestic relations order (QDRO) and pension arena, Jacki has traveled the country, teaching lawyers, judges, and financial professionals the intricacies of QDROs and pension valuations in divorce cases and other financial topics. Jacki has also developed software applications that help with preparing QDROs and provide financial tools for divorce settlements.
Jacki is a member of The Center’s Charitable Committee and is an active volunteer within her community. An enthusiastic vegan, Jacki loves spending time with her two kids, Ava and Kevyn, her close friends and family, traveling, and exploring outdoor and indoor adventures. For more about Jacki, click here.
Alisa Peskin-Shepherd, JD
Transitions Legal
An approved Michigan mediator and Collaborative Divorce professional, Alisa Peskin-Shepherd has more than 30 years of experience practicing law in the state of Michigan, in Oakland County, Wayne County and Macomb County. She is specially trained as a family law expert, divorce lawyer and custody mediator as well as a collaborative divorce lawyer.
Alisa also has experience in school and employment law, and acts as a guardian-ad-litem, protecting the interests of children within the legal system.
Alisa has completed special training in domestic violence through the State Bar of Michigan Open Justice Commission.
She has led workshops for Wayne State University and the Michigan Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers on topics related to divorce, counseling and mediation.
And, she is a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, serving on its Equity and Inclusion Committee, as well as a member of the Oakland County Bar Association, the Women’s Bar Association, and the Michigan Bar Association.
Alisa’s memberships also include the Collaborative Practice Institute of Michigan and the Michigan Interprofessional Association on Marriage, Divorce and Family. She was a Board Member for the Women’s Divorce Resource Center from 2015-2018, and served as Board President for One Earth Writing from 2016-2020. For more about Alisa, click here.
Adam Blumberg, CFP®
Co-Founder - Interaxis
Co-Founder and Lead Curriculum Developer - Certified Digital Asset Advisor.
Adam has been in Financial Services for over 12 years, starting with an insurance Broker/dealer, and moving to his own RIA, started with his partner, Ron. He is also the co-founder of Interaxis, a company dedicated to educating financial professionals about Digital Assets, Cryptocurrency, Blockchain, and other alternative assets. The YouTube channel they created has over 2,000 subscribers, and they have produced video lessons for several of the top Digital Asset exchanges. Adam and Ron created the Certified Digital Asset Advisor program and designation, and PlannerDAO - a community for the Financial Services industry.