CFP Board Elects Three New Directors

CFP Board today announced that its Board of Directors elected three new members: Malik Lee, CFP®, Linda Leitz, CFP® and Elisse Walter. The Board of Directors is the policymaking and oversight body of CFP Board of Standards and CFP Board Center for Financial Planning and acts on behalf of CFP® professionals and the public to advance the profession.

“We are thrilled to welcome Malik, Linda and Elisse to the Board of Directors,” said CFP Board Chair-elect Matthew Boersen, CFP®, CFA®. “Each of these individuals brings a wealth of experience, deep commitment to the financial planning profession and a passion for upholding the high standards of ethics and professionalism. I eagerly anticipate collaborating with them to advance the public’s interests and uphold CFP® certification as the standard for competent and ethical financial planning.”

The Board’s Nominating Committee conducted a detailed gap analysis that identified two recruitment priorities to ensure that the Board has the diversity of experience, viewpoints and representation necessary for good governance: a client-facing CFP® practitioner and a member to represent the public’s interest. Using the descriptive profile as a guide, the Board elected the following new members:

 

• Malik Lee, CFP®, CAP®, APMA® is a financial planner with nearly two decades of experience. He is the Managing Principal and Founder of Felton & Peel Wealth Management, a full-service, comprehensive firm specializing in serving underrepresented clients with offices in Atlanta and New York. A recognized thought leader in financial planning, Malik has served as a CFP® exam question writer and as Chair of the Council of Examinations for CFP Board, Chairman of the Financial Planning Association of Georgia, Founding Member of Morehouse College’s Planned Giving Council and Member of the Association of African American Financial Advisors (AAAA).
  
  Malik earned his degree in Finance from Morehouse College and a Certificate in Financial Planning from Oglethorpe University. In addition, Malik is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® and an Accredited Portfolio Management Advisor℠.
• Linda Leitz, CFP® is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional
  in Colorado Springs and has been a financial professional since 1979.

   

  
  She helps individuals and small businesses achieve their long-term financial goals through Peace of Mind Financial Planning, Inc. Linda is an accomplished writer and speaker as well as a respected thought leader in the financial planning profession. She served as Chair of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors in 2013-2014 and has volunteered on many different CFP Board councils and commissions, most recently serving on the Standards Resource Commission.
  
  Before becoming a financial planner, Linda held key positions in banking, including management, credit administration and loan portfolio management. She began her career as a bank examiner. Linda earned a BBA in Business Administration from Principia College, an MBA from Southern Methodist University and a Ph.D. in Personal Financial Planning from Kansas State University.
• Elisse Walter served as Chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange
  Commission from 2012-2013.

   

  She was appointed as a Commissioner by President George W. Bush and began her tenure on July 9, 2008. Before her appointment as an SEC Commissioner, Elisse served as Senior Executive Vice President, Regulatory Policy & Programs at FINRA. She held the same position at NASD before its consolidation with NYSE Member Regulation in 2007.
  
  Elisse coordinated policy issues across FINRA and oversaw several departments, including Investment Company Regulation, Member Education and Training, Investor Education and Emerging Regulatory Issues. She also served on the Board of Directors of the FINRA Investor Education Foundation. Elisse graduated cum laude with a B.A. in mathematics from Yale University and earned her J.D. degree, also cum laude, from Harvard Law School.

On December 31, 2023, the terms of current Board Chair Dan Moisand, CFP®, Roberta Karmel and Alex Rozman will expire. On January 1, Matthew Boersen, CFP®, CFA®, will take the helm as Board Chair, and Liz Miller, CFP®, CFA®, will become Board Chair-elect.

“We extend our sincere gratitude to Dan, Roberta and Alex for their service on the Board of Directors,” said Boersen. “Their impactful contributions, leadership and dedication in representing CFP Board, CFP® professionals and the public are greatly appreciated.”

The new Board members’ three-year terms begin on January 1, 2024, and end on December 31, 2026. This year’s class will be the third Board class eligible to be re-elected by the Board for a second three-year term. With the three new members elected this month, the Board in 2024 will comprise 14 voting members (11 CFP® professionals and 3 non-CFP® professionals — all three of whom are public members). CFP Board CEO Kevin R. Keller, CAE, will continue as a nonvoting member, bringing the total number of Board members to 15.