Regional Ambassadors

Jay A. Andrew
Drost, Gilbert, Andrew & Apicella, LLC
Palatine, IL

Stephen Briggs
Morton, Reed, Counts & Briggs, LLC
St. Joseph, MO

Caden Butler
Norton, Wasserman, Jones & Kelly, LLC
Salina, KS

J. Mike Deege
Wilson, Deege, Dollar, Despotovich & Riemenschneider
Attorneys and Counselors at Law
West Des Moines, IA

James Ferraro
Argent Trust Company
Shreveport, LA

Courtney Fletcher
Carnahan, Evans, Cantwell & Brown, P.C.
Springfield, MO

Dana Frohling
Frohling Law Office
Britton, SD

Thomas D. Herrod
New York Life Insurance Company
Joplin, MO

Eric Ireland
The Commerce Trust Company
Wichita, KS

Jeffrey D. Keiser
Bank of America Private Wealth Management
St. Louis, MO

Catherine E. Moore

Kirkland Woods & Martinsen LLP

Springfield, MO

Andy Morrison
KU Endowment Association
Lawrence, KS

Michael Romero

Argent
Oklahoma City, OK

Todd Snyder

Bank of America Private Bank

St. Louis, MO

Brooke Tarvin
Bank of America Private Bank
Kansas City, MO

Nick R. Taylor
Fitzgerald, Schorr, Barmettler & Brennan, P.C., L.L.O.
Omaha, NE

Fred Winter
Heritage Trust Company of NM
Taos, NM

WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO

Each year, attorneys, financial planners, and charitable giving professionals throughout the Midwest volunteer their time and talents to serve as Ambassadors to the Kansas City Estate Planning Symposium. KCEPS Ambassadors promote the Symposium’s various programs in their communities throughout the year and serve as a resource for information regarding KCEPS and its mission. Ambassadors are required to attend the Annual Conference as part of their duties, in order to interact with conference attendees, answer questions, and network. They are invited, but not required, to attend KCEPS Board Meetings, which offers the opportunity to get the latest information on planning for KCEPS programs and Annual Conference.

WHY CONSIDER BEING AN AMBASSADOR?

Being an Ambassador is a great way to get to know your local professional community through outreach and networking, and all Ambassadors are given tools and support throughout the year by the KCEPS Ambassador Subcommittee. And each year, the larger KCEPS organizing community gathers to celebrate our Ambassadors through the KCEPS Ambassadors Dinner, held on the Wednesday night before the Annual Conference begins.

Serving as a Regional Ambassador for KCEPS has been eye-opening to see just how much effort goes in to putting on the Annual Conference, as well as the Fundamentals and Intermediate programs. Everyone on the Board has a vested interest in making each event the best that it can be. As a Regional Ambassador, by definition, I am not local to the greater Kansas City area. However, being involved with KCEPS allows me to network with other estate and tax planning professionals – some of whom I have had the opportunity to work with on projects directly, and others to whom I have been able to provide referrals to my clients when appropriate.

– Jason D. Simmons, 2018-21 Ambassador

HOW DO I VOLUNTEER TO BE AN AMBASSADOR?

If you are interested in volunteering as a KCEPS Ambassador, you can do so by simply contacting the Ambassadors Subcommittee Chair Joe Growney at jgrowney@lathropgage.com. We would love to hear from you!