News Release
G. Joseph Votava, Jr., CFP® Elected 2015 Chair-Elect
“Between the launch of the latest phrase of the Public Awareness Campaign and the Women’s Initiative (WIN) to increase the ranks of female CFP® professionals, CFP Board has taken on some exciting initiatives to foster the growth and advancement of our profession,” said Votava. “I am honored to help lead CFP Board as we continue to work to strengthen our organization and the CFP® certification.”
Votava is currently the CEO of Seneca Financial Advisors LLC. With offices in Rochester, New York, and Washington, DC, Seneca provides comprehensive personal financial planning services to individuals and families throughout the country.
Until February 2010, he was a partner serving corporate executives and closely held businesses at Nixon Peabody LLP, a law firm with local, national, and international clients. During his tenure, Votava was the founding president of the law firm’s subsidiary, Nixon Peabody Financial Advisors LLC. Prior to joining Nixon Peabody in 1985, he served as a certified public accountant specializing in taxation at Coopers & Lybrand, an international accounting and consulting firm.
The Board of Directors elected Votava at its July 8-11 meeting. He will begin his duties as Chair-elect on January 1, 2015, when Rich Rojeck, CFP® begins his term as 2015 Chair.
"Joe has already made a significant impact on the financial planning profession through his efforts to raise awareness of the profession and advocate on behalf of it," said current Board of Directors Chair Ray Ferrara, CFP®. “He will harness his extensive leadership experience to sustain CFP Board’s mission of benefitting the public by upholding the CFP® certification as the recognized standard of excellence in personal financial planning.”
Throughout his career, Votava has contributed to the growth and development of financial planning as a profession in the U.S. and around the world. He formerly held chairman positions on Financial Planning Association’s National Board of Directors, and the National Endowment for Financial Education’s Board of Trustees, as well as FPA’s International Advisory Council and CFP Board’s Pubic Policy Council. He was an honorary director of the Japan Academic Society for Financial Planning from 2000 to 2002 and also participated in an international commission to promote the growth and development of financial planning in South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Votava’s testimony before Congress in 1999 was relied upon by lawmakers when they made changes expanding tax deductions for 401(k) and IRA savings accounts commonly known today as “catch-up” contributions.
Votava has a J.D. from University Dayton School of Law, and a B.B.A. from Siena College.
ABOUT CFP BOARD
The mission of Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. is to benefit the public by granting the CFP® certification and upholding it as the recognized standard of excellence for personal financial planning. The Board of Directors, in furthering CFP Board's mission, acts on behalf of the public, CFP® professionals and other stakeholders. CFP Board owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and the federally registered CFP (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements. CFP Board currently authorizes more than 70,000 individuals to use these marks in the U.S.
CONTACT: Dan Drummond, Director of External Communications P: 202-379-2252 M: 202-243-8621 E: ddrummond@cfpboard.org Twitter: @cfpboardmedia