History of the East Bay Chapter

November 2011

Founding of the IAFP East Bay Chapter in 1970

The International Association for Financial Planning’s (IAFP) East Bay Chapter was founded in 1970 and Ken Nitzberg served as the first president. George Coughlin joined Equitec Financial Group’s Oakland office where Nitzberg was one of the firm’s principal. Coughlin began attending the monthly East Bay Chapter meetings which were held in the conference room at the MacArthur/Broadway Shopping Center in Oakland. According to Coughlin about thirty planners attended their afternoon gatherings—which were free of charge at the time.

Expansion and Organizational Growth in the 1990s

In the early 90’s, the chapter was holding breakfast meetings at the Concord Hilton hotel and typically attracted thirty to forty members. In the mid 90’s the group started meeting at the Scott’s Seafood restaurant in Walnut Creek. The East Bay Chapter hired a dedicated Executive Director, Brenda Herrington, to assist the chapter operations. This was a turning point as the merger between Brenda’s organizational skills and her use of technology allowed the members to hear about meetings regularly.

In 1996, the FPA East Bay earned its first Gold Chapter Awards.

Growing Attendance and New Meeting Venues

Attendance continued to increase and the meetings were moved to the Walnut Creek Marriott hotel from 1997 to 2000. From here our organization moved its meetings to Round Hill Country Club in Alamo. Round Hill had just completed a renovation and had the capacity to accommodate eighty to one hundred members for our breakfast meetings. Round Hill has been a terrific partner with the East Bay Chapter as they provide a lovely room, delicious food, and friendly service to our members.

Creation of the Financial Planning Association in 2000

On January 1, 2000, members of the Institute of Certified Financial Planners (ICFP®) and the International Association for Financial Planning (IAFP) took a step forward, combining forces to create the Financial Planning Association® (FPA®). FPA is the leadership and advocacy organization connecting those who provide, support and benefit from professional financial planning.

Launch of the Financial Planning Clinic Initiative

In 2008, the East Bay Chapter held its first, free “Financial Planning Clinic” in Downtown Oakland. Led by Frank Pare, the clinic received widespread praise and interest. Although only a small number of community members sought out advice, the FPA and its leaders felt their idea had come. In 2009, over 150 community members attended and the numbers have increased each year.

Past Presidents of the East Bay Chapter