Committees
CEPC 2022-2023 Committees Listing
Annual Outing Committee – Meets 2-3 times (April, June, and October)
- Outing is scheduled in August - Please note our next Outing is scheduled for August 23, 2021 at Ravinia Green Country Club in Riverwoods, IL
- Committee members assist with various tasks including:
- Soliciting sponsorships
- Soliciting items for both the give-away bag and the prize table
- Purchasing gifts for the prize table
- Running golf and tennis events
- Volunteering for the registration desk
- Other outing tasks
- Commit to attend the CEPC Annual Outing
Afton Gauron, Co-Chair
Hamilton Thies & Lorch LLP
Tel: (312) 650-8668
Email: gauron@htl-law.com
Jim Fritz, Co-Chair and Board Liaison
Cambreidge Partners & Associates
Tel: (847) 776-1976
Email: jfritz@cambridge-partners.com
Ricki Harris, Immediate Past Chair
Diversity Committee – Meets quarterly
- Mission: The CEPC Diversity Committee is focused on improving all forms of diversity, including, but not limited to, race, religion, ethnicity, gender, LGBTQIA+, and disability with the following focus:
- Encouraging law students and other students in industry feeder universities to enter the estate planning field
- Recruiting and retaining members that increase the diversity of the council
- Student Outreach - Panel of CEPC members at local universities for a discussion on the estate planning profession (targeting attorneys, accountants and wealth management professionals)
- Need members to volunteer to participate on the panels at universities and law schools
- Need members to coordinate these panel discussions (possibly over Zoom)
- Emerging Leader Program – Estate planning professionals with less than 2 years of experience. Opportunity to participate in CEPC and receive mentorship to participate in the future of CEPC
- Need seasoned CEPC members willing to act as a mentor
- Need CEPC members to review applications and select the next class of Emerging Leaders
- Greet ELs and Student Members in attendance at CEPC Luncheons or other events
- Collaborating with other CEPC committees
- Volunteer to serve on other committees and view the actions of the committee through the lens of diversity and inclusion; report back to Diversity Committee
- Annual Networking Breakfast
- Help with the annual networking breakfast (Membership and Networking Committees as well)
- Develop the next generation of professionals
- Looking to develop NextGen Membership and Programming to include all Emerging Leaders, Emerging Members, and Associate Members (Diversity & Membership Committees)
Don Gottesman, Co-Chair
The Chicago Community Trust
Tel: (312) 616-6141
Email: dgottesman@cct.org
Deb Daly, Co-Chair
Heritage Auctions
Tel: (312) 260-7233
Email: deborahd@ha.com
Karin Prangley & Raquel Porter, Board Liaison
Membership Committee – Expected 3-5 meetings/conference calls per year
- Goals:
- Expanding and retaining membership
- Working together with other committees, especially the Welcome, Networking, and Diversity Committees
- Developing targeted strategies for soliciting new members
- Determining and utilizing related professional organizations in the estate planning field and other sources for qualified new members in a cost-efficient manner
- Developing methods to solicit existing members for qualified new members from their organization
- Developing methods to solicit qualified new members from outside organizations
- Assisting individuals seeking membership who do not have a sponsor in finding one
Paige Goepfert, Chair
Andersen
Tel: (312) 283-5547
Email: paige.goepfert@andersen.com
Networking Committee – Meets 2-3 times per year
- Goal:
- The Networking Committee of the CEPC was established to foster interaction among the CEPC members across the various disciplines. Accordingly, the objective of the Networking Committee is to develop and plan certain events (e.g., 3 or 4 per year) that CEPC members will find valuable and that give CEPC members the opportunity to interact with each other across disciplines for professional purposes. Additionally, the Networking Committee sponsors and manages Fourth Friday – Informal Virtual Networking.
- Each Networking Committee member should be willing to:
- Commit to attend all Networking events, as many Fourth Friday – Informal Virtual Networking sessions as possible, and one CEPC extracurricular event each year
Alexandra Kern, Co-Chair
Heritage Auctions
Tel: (312) 260-7233
Email: alexandrak@ha.com
Carl Hibben, Co-Chair
BMO Wealth Management
Tel: (312) 461-3756
Email: carl.hibben@bmo.com
Kristin Carlson Vogen, Immediate Past Chair
The Chicago Community Trust
Tel: (312) 565-2599
Email: kvogen@cct.org
Tony Oommen, Board Liaison
Public Outreach Committee – Meets at least 3 times per year
- Goal:
- The Committee furthers the Council's goal of public outreach by providing written materials and presenting educational programs to the public on practical trust and estate topics
- The Committee updates, as needed, the presentation outline, marketing materials, and CEPC website FAQs page
- Presentations are made at various venues throughout the year (public libraries and community organizations). This year we would like to reach out to companies in Chicago and present to their employees
- Members of the Committee (optional) present at the various venues using the presentation outline. We have two individuals co-present at each meeting
Tony Smith, Co-Chair
Comerica Wealth Management
Tel: (248) 371-7224
Email: atsmith@comerica.com
Ethel Kaplan, Co-Chair
860 N. Lake Shore Drive-#19M
Chicago, IL 60611
Tel: (312) 961-6855
ethelkaplan2@gmail.com
Ray Prather, Board Liaison
Christine Quigley, Board Liaison
Gretchen Spreitzer, Immediate Past Chair
Sponsorship Committee – Meets twice a year (May/June and October/November) and committee members may be required to also participate in 2-3 conference calls, as needed
- Goal:
- Solicit sponsorships
- Committee members assist with various tasks, including:
- Reviewing and recommending sponsorship levels
- Soliciting sponsorships
Lisa Micka, Chair
Altair Advisers
Tel: (312) 481-6107
Email: lmicka@altairadvisers.com
Communications Committee (fomerly Technology & Social Media) – Meets quarterly
Comprised of two primary components:
- Social Media:
- Goal: Review and improve use and function of the existing CEPC LinkedIn Group
- Ascertain best use and appeal of Group to members using LinkedIn Company Page and Group Forum to improve promotion of CEPC, its members, programs and events
- Website:
- Goal: Review and oversight of the existing CEPC Website
- Develop changes to the Website (within the hosting constraints) for use in promoting CEPC, its members, programs, and events for board review
John Schumacher, Co-Chair
True Financial POV, LLC
Tel: (312) 933-2148
Email: jcs@tfpov.com
Lizzie Amundsen
Gurr Johns
Tel: (312) 888-0904
Email: eamundsen@gurrjohns.com
Natalie Perry, Board Liaison
Welcoming Committee – Meets 1-3 times per year
- Goal:
- Get new members integrated into CEPC activities. This committee serves to foster active membership as well as retain and attract new members.
- We are seeking committee members who will take an active and regular role in the following activities:
- Phone calls to welcome new members to membership and answering any questions
- Host the New Member table at CEPC lunches
- Serve as point of contact for new members
- Committee members to plan and host one event designed to build networks and integrate with current members beyond lunch meetings
- Commit to attend one of the CEPC extracurricular events each year as well and host the new member table at two (2) monthly luncheon programs
Tadd Lindsay, Co-Chair
MPI
Tel: (312) 214-2299
Email: tlindsay@mpival.com
Molly Gron, Co-Chair
Hindman Auctions & Appraisals
Tel: (312) 334-4235
Email: mollygron@hindmanauctions.com
Rebecca Juhant, Board Liaison
Workshop Committee – Meets 2-3 times per year with entire Workshop Committee
- Goal:
- Schedule educational programming in addition to the CEPC monthly luncheons and provide webinars on hot topics and new developments relevant to membership
- Two Committee accomplishes its goals through two Subcommittees, which meet separately as needed, including by telephone conference calls. Committee members can select which Subcommittee to join, or they can join both:
- Workshop and Roundtables Subcommittee:
- Assist in planning four (4) to six (6) workshops per fiscal year
- Assist in planning two (2) or more Roundtable sessions per fiscal year
- Brainstorm topics and speakers for Board approval
- Responsible for working with speakers and sponsors to coordinate program logistics, deadlines, and marketing
- Attend one program to welcome guests and introduce speaker(s)
- Fundamentals Course Subcommittee:
- Assist in planning the 5-part educational Fundamentals Course
- Brainstorm topics and speakers for Board approval
- Responsible for working with speakers and sponsors to coordinate program logistics and marketing
- Attend one Fundamentals Course program to welcome guests, assist with logistics, and introduce speaker(s)
- Workshop and Roundtables Subcommittee:
Lorri Otis, Co-Chair
Otis Law Offices
Tel: (312) 427-0076
Email: otislawoffices@gmail.com
Ilana Bley, Workshops Subcommittee Co-Chair:
Gould & Ratner LLP
Tel: (312) 899-1601
Email: ibley@gouldratner.com
Steven Kriz, Immediate Past Chair
Levenfeld Pearlstein
Tel: (312) 476-7520
Email: skriz@lplegal.com
Erica Lord, Board Liaison
