FSI Team
Dale E. Brown, CAE
President & CEO
Dale brings more than 23 years of association management experience to FSI. For IAFP, one of FPA’s predecessor organizations, he led the government relations program and the broker-dealer program, which grew to more than 130 member firms. Dale also led the successful fight in the mid-1990s against the IRS’s attempts to force broker-dealers to reclassify independent contractor representatives as statutory employees. In both IAFP and FPA, Dale played a critical role in the senior management team and brings broad leadership experience to FSI in his role as President & CEO.
David T. Bellaire, Esq.
Executive Vice President & General Counsel
David has more than 20 years of broker-dealer compliance, legal, and operations experience. Most recently, he was vice president of operations and general counsel at Securities Service Network, Inc. He also previously was compliance manager and special investigations attorney with InterSecurities, Inc., assistant director of compliance at Commonwealth Financial Network, Inc. and assistant to the executive director at the Institute of Certified Financial Planners (ICFP). David received a B.S. in business management from Providence College and a JD from the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law. He is admitted to the state bar of Massachusetts and Tennessee.
Chris Paulitz
Senior Vice President, Membership & Marketing
Chris is a veteran of Capitol Hill, spending more than a decade in presidential and congressional campaigns, working as a spokesman and strategic advisor for both U.S. House and Senate leadership offices, the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee and the Bush administration. After directing the communications department for U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Chris ended his public service as Senior Advisor to former U.S. Senator George V. Voinovich of Ohio. For the last two years before joining FSI, he served as Senior Vice President of Communications, Marketing and Public Affairs for the Insured Retirement Institute. Chris earned a bachelor’s degree in communication and journalism from The Ohio State University.
Kevin Whitehead
Vice President, Corporate Relations
Kevin Whitehead has more than 18 years of experience working with and for independent broker-dealers and financial advisors. Most recently, he served as the Director of National Accounts for Enterprise Fund Distributors, Inc., an AXA Financial company. He also served Enterprise as Director of College Planning and Director of Marketing.
Kevin received a B.S. in Business Administration from Tennessee Technological University in 1987. He entered the financial services industry in 1991 as a financial advisor and obtained the CFP® designation in 1993.
Robert E. Lewis, Jr.
Vice President, Legislative Affairs
Robert joins FSI with over 10 years of Washington, D.C., experience and will be directing our Tax and Retirement section. He spent four years working on Capitol Hill for Senator Zell Miller (D-GA) on the Senate, Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. After Senator Miller's retirement, Robert joined Financial Executives International as Manager of Government Affairs, focusing on Pension and Retirement issues. He left to attend Catholic Law School and was a Law Clerk for U.S. House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) while in law school. Most recently, Robert was Manager of Federal Affairs for Community Financial Services Association of America.
Robert is a 2001 graduate of Morehouse College with a B.A. in Political Science and 2010 graduate of The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law.
Kathryn Anderson
Director of Corporate Relations
Kathryn has over 12 years’ experience developing strategic relationships with independent broker-dealers and independent financial advisors through her prior roles on the National Accounts and Sales teams at Wells Real Estate Funds. Previously, she was a Senior Relationship Banker and Licensed Financial Specialist with Wachovia Bank, where she worked with consumers and businesses to proactively capture full client relationships that included deposits, lending, treasury services, and investments. Kathryn earned a B.S. in Accounting from North Georgia College and State University.
Ryan C. Cooperman
Director, Federal Legislative Affairs
Ryan Cooperman brings more than 10 years of experience in governmental affairs to FSI. Most recently Ryan served as government affairs manager with The Financial Services Roundtable where he worked with the Housing Policy Council for over 4 years. Prior to this experience, he was a congressional aide in the Office of Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and as a legal clerk for the U.S. Department of Justice at the Office of the United States Attorney in Tampa, Florida.
A Florida native, Ryan is a graduate from the University of South Florida where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. He received a postgraduate degree in International Politics from the University of Glasgow in Glasgow, Scotland. Additionally, he received his professional lobbying certificate from The American League of Lobbyists in Washington, D.C.
Jeannine Rhoden
Director of Marketing
Jeannine is an Emmy award-winning communications professional with more than 10 years of experience in the marketing, public relations and broadcast media field. Prior to FSI, she worked as global marketing manager for Promethean World, marketing manager for Chick-fil-A, Inc., and as a public relations and media relations manager for The DeMoss Group (DGI). DGI is the largest faith-based public relations firm in the United States and serves prestigious clients, such as Reverend Billy Graham, Reverend Franklin Graham and Bishop T.D. Jakes. During her tenure in the sports communications industry, Jeannine worked as a marketing director and producer for such networks as The PGA Tour, FOX Sports Net, CBS Sports and ESPN.
Michelle Allgauer, CAE, CMM, CMP
Director of Member Engagement
Michelle brings more than 20 years of association management experience specializing in events and education to FSI. She has spent her career working for various associations responsible for overall strategy and choreography of various size events. Michelle is credentialed in the meetings industry as Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) and Global Certification in Meeting Management (CMM). She also holds the Business of Meetings Certification (BOM) and is Certified Association Executive (CAE). Michelle is an active member of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and is currently serving as the Knowledge Advisory Council Chair. She is the Past President of the Potomac Chapter of MPI (PMPI), having served the chapter in a number of leadership roles and is a past recipient of the President's Award. Michelle received her Bachelors of Science with a minor in Business from Ithaca College, NY.
Christopher B. Hayes, Esq.
State Regulatory Affairs Counsel
Chris joins FSI with a wealth of experience in the securities regulatory environment. Prior to joining FSI, Chris worked in complex civil litigation in Los Angeles. He also gained experience working with independent broker dealers while serving in the insider trading group of the Office of Fraud Detection and Market Intelligence (OFDMI) at the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). During law school, Chris served in the enforcement divisions of both the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission and the California Department of Corporations. He also worked on the Senate Banking Committee during the drafting of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform & Consumer Protection Act. Prior to law school, Chris worked in operations on the trading floor at State Street Corporation in Boston, Massachusetts.
Chris received his B.A. in Political Science & Legal Studies from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 2005 and his J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law in 2010. He is admitted to the state bar of California as well as the Central, Northern, Eastern and Southern Districts of California and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeal.
Justin Nazari
Securities Regulatory Affairs Counsel
Justin comes to FSI with a strong background in securities law and experience on Capitol Hill. Justin received a J.D. in May of 2012 from The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law where he earned the Securities Law Program Certificate and was Vice-Chancellor of the Securities Law Moot Court team. While in law school, he served as a legal intern at the Federal Reserve, the SEC and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
In addition, in the summer of 2011 he interned with the legal department of SecondMarket Inc., a New York based broker-dealer. Justin focuses his work at FSI on federal securities regulation, and is responsible for monitoring and responding to initiatives originating from the SEC and FINRA. He earned a B.A. in economics from the Catholic University of America in Washigton, DC.
Adrian Williford
Manager of Legislative Affairs
Adrian brings trial advocacy and Capitol Hill experience to FSI. Prior to joining FSI, Adrian was a congressional aide in the Office of Congressman Steve Pearce (R-NM) where she handled a policy portfolio including judiciary, tax, trade, and labor issues. During law school, Adrian interned with the Fifth Judicial District Attorney’s Office where she gained advocacy and trial experience.
Adrian received her B.B.A. in Economics and International Business from New Mexico State University in 2007 and her J.D. from Valparaiso University School of Law in 2011. She is admitted to the District of Columbia bar in addition to the state bar of Indiana.
Matt Ruffner
Administrative Assistant for Advocacy
Matt comes to FSI with a broad range of experience in the government and non-profit areas. Prior to joining FSI, he worked at the Postal Regulatory Commission. He has also worked at the National Institutes of Health, and as a direct mail fundraiser for a variety of non-profit associations and organizations.
Matt earned a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Michigan.
Stanley Bao
Database & Operations Manager
Stanley brings more than five years of experience in information system research and database management to FSI. Prior to joining FSI, Stanley was the system architect and database administrator for Americans United for Life, a public policy organization in Washington, DC. He has also worked as a database manager at Indiana University, and interned as an assessment and research analyst for teaching and learning technologies at Purdue University.
Stanley earned a master’s degree in information science from Indiana University at Bloomington. He was also awarded the merit scholarship.
Allison Kuehner
Communications Manager
Allison joins FSI with a broad range of experience in the communications field. Prior to joining FSI, Allison worked at the Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) as a Communications & Marketing Specialist. She has also worked as a Weekend Reporter at Lakeshore Public Radio in northwestern Indiana and was the News Director at WVUR-FM from 2008-2010.
Allison graduated with honors from Valparaiso University with a B.A. in Journalism and Political Science in 2010.
Cristy Zuazua
Web Strategy Manager
Cristy comes to FSI with a decade of web content management and strategy experience. Prior to joining FSI, she worked at the National Association for Convenience Stores as a Web Content Manger and at Steptoe & Johnson LLP as a Web Content Coordinator.
Cristy earned a B.A. in business administration from American University in Washington, DC.