Our team of experts is committed to ongoing study and self-improvement. We have worked hard to earn industry designations in our chosen fields of study.

Click the diagram to the right to explore some of the designations that our team members hold.

Certified Trust and Financial Advisor (CTFA®)

Jen Muckley, CFP®, AEP®, CTFA®

Certified Trust and Financial Advisor is a professional designation offered by the American Bankers Association. This certification demonstrates expertise in the wealth and trust field and requires specialized training in taxes, investments, financial planning, trusts and estates.

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Benton S. Bragg, CFP®, CFA
Anthony Bykovsky, CFA
George W. Climer III, CFP®
Benjamin Mellman
Jen Muckley, CFP®, AEP®, CTFA®
Steve Scruggs, CFA

Wake Forest University’s Babcock Graduate School of Management is ranked among America’s top MBA schools by US News & World Report, Business Week, and The Princeton Review.

Designed to produce an integrated education experience, the program is more than simply a collection of courses. Admissions standards, sequencing of courses, timing of classes, enrichment activities and other aspects of the program mesh to create a unique perspective on management.

The program is rigorous and requires the commitment and support of a participant’s employer and family. Participants maintain their careers while attending class two evenings per week for six semesters. Weekly preparation and class attendance are essential. Given the practical character of the program, participants often have the opportunity to immediately apply concepts and techniques they have learned to benefit their organizations. In turn, the practical application of coursework deepens and enriches participants’ understanding, allowing them to truly integrate new knowledge.

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®)

Evan Anderson, CPA, CFP®
Lynn Araujo, CFP®
Benton S. Bragg, CFA, CFP®
John F. Bragg III, CFP®
Phillips M. Bragg, CFP®, AEP®
George W. Climer III, CFP®
Brittney Miller, CFP®
Jen Muckley, CFP®, AEP®, CTFA®
Meghan Oldis, CPA, CFP®
T. Ben Rose, CFA, CFP®, AIF®
Marc Scavo, CFP®, CRPC®

In order to be licensed to use the CFP® mark, an individual must meet the following qualifications, as specified by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.:

Examination: An individual must successfully complete the CFP Board’s comprehensive certification examination, which tests the individual’s knowledge on a multitude of key financial planning topics.

Experience: Depending on the level of degree work completed in a collegiate setting, an individual must acquire three to five years of financial planning-related experience prior to receiving the right to use the CFP® mark.

Ethics: An individual must voluntarily ascribe to the CFP Board’s code of ethics and additional requirements as mandated. This voluntary decision empowers the CFP Board to take action if a CFP® professional should violate the code of ethics. Such violations could lead to disciplinary action, including the permanent revocation of the right to use the CFP® mark.

Education: A CFP® professional must obtain 30 hours of continuing education every two years in the body of knowledge pertaining to financial planning areas such as estate planning, retirement planning, investment management, tax planning, employee benefits and insurance.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® (with plaque design) and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements. Learn more about CFP®

Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®)

Benton S. Bragg, CFP®, CFA
Anthony Bykovsky, CFA
Matt DeVries, CFA
T. Ben Rose, CFA, CFP®, AIF®
Steve Scruggs, CFA
Clint Townsend, CPA, CFA

The Chartered Financial Analyst program is a globally recognized standard for measuring the competence and integrity of financial analysts. Its curriculum develops and reinforces a fundamental knowledge of investment principles. Three levels of examination measure a candidate’s ability to apply these principles at a professional level. The CFA exam is administered annually in more than 70 nations worldwide.

CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are registered trademarks owned by CFA Institute.

Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

Evan Anderson, CPA, CFP®
Dawn M. Cannon, CPA
Meghan Oldis, CPA, CFP®
Clint Townsend, CPA, CFA

Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) are qualified accountants in the United States who have passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and have met additional state education and experience requirements for certification as a CPA. The uniform CPA Examination is the examination that individuals must pass in order to qualify for licensure a
s Certified Public Accountants in any of the 55 U.S. jurisdictions (the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands).

The Uniform CPA Examination is one of the “Three Es” – Education, Examination, and Experience. The Uniform CPA Examination consists of four sections:

Auditing and Attestation (AUD): This section covers knowledge of auditing procedures, generally accepted auditing standards and other standards related to attest engagements, and the skills needed to apply that knowledge.

Business Environment and Concepts (BEC): This section covers knowledge of general business environment and business concepts that candidates need to know in order to understand the underlying business reasons for and accounting implications of business transactions, and the skills needed to apply that knowledge.

Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR): This section covers knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles for business enterprises, not-for-profit organizations, and governmental entities, and the skills needed to apply that knowledge.

Regulation (REG): This section covers knowledge of federal taxation, ethics, professional and legal responsibilities, and business law, and the skills needed to apply that knowledge.

Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®)

T. Ben Rose, CFA, CFP®, AIF®

The AIF Designation Training and designation help mitigate liability by instructing in practices that cover pertinent legislation and best practices. The Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF) designation represents a thorough knowledge of and ability to apply the fiduciary Practices. AIF designees learn the Practices and the legal and best practice frame
work they are built upon. AIF designees have a reputation in the industry for the ability to implement a prudent process into their own investment practices as well as being able to assist others in implementing proper policies and procedures.

Accredited Estate Planner® (AEP®)

Phillips M. Bragg, CFP®, AEP®
Jen Muckley, CFP®, AEP®, CTFA®

The Accredited Estate Planner designation is a graduate-level specialization in estate planning, obtained in addition to already recognized professional credentials within the various disciplines of estate planning. It is awarded by the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils (NAEPC) to recognize estate planning professionals who meet stringent requirements of experience, knowledge, education, professional reputation, and character.

Financial Paraplanner Qualified Professional™ (FPQP™)

Crystal Draper, FPQP™
Heather Pitman, FPQP™
Adria Viscardi, FPQP™

The Financial Paraplanner Qualified Professional™ designation is issued by the College for Financial Planning to individuals who have demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of the financial planning process, the five disciplines of financial planning, and general financial planning concepts, terminology and product categories.

Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor® (CRPC®)

Marc Scavo, CFP®, CRPC®

The Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor® is a graduate-level designation program for experienced financial advisors who wish to offer more comprehensive retirement advice to individual clients. This program helps advisors define a “road map to retirement,” enabling them to focus on clients’ pre- and post-retirement needs, as well as issues related to asset management and estate planning.