Past Speakers

None of our Radio Show Guests are affiliates of nor do they endorse The Financial Guys or NEXT Financial Inc.

Radio Show Guest September 6, 2008
Jack Dzierwa, Portfolio Manager – US Global Resources

Global Strategist and co-portfolio manager of the Global MegaTrends fund (MEGAX)

Recent Travels:

• Russia, Poland, United Arab Emirates (Dubai), India, Canada, South Africa, Qatar

Bio:

Jack Dzierwa joined U.S. Global Investors as a global strategist in September 2007. As portfolio manager, Dzierwa will evaluate international opportunities for the fund. He will perform analysis of individual companies and macro themes in developed and emerging markets.

Dzierwa was formerly a director in the emerging markets research department at ING Financial Markets in London. He also spent eight years at Salomon Brothers, both as a Canadian bank analyst in Toronto and in following Polish equities in London. In addition, Dzierwa has worked at the Bank of Nova Scotia, at Procter & Gamble in Germany and as a consultant at beverage maker FEMSA in Mexico.

Dzierwa earned an M.B.A. at the University of Chicago after completing his undergraduate studies at the London School of Economics. He holds securities registrations in the United States, Great Britain and Canada.

Radio Show Guest August 23, 2008
Kathy Konst - Bio

Kathy currently chairs the influential Erie County Legislature Finance Management Committee, which oversees all County expenditures, hirings, and contracts.  She was instrumental in leading the Country out of a fiscal crisis by co-sponsoring reform legislation to effectuate dramatic government reform.

Kathy was president of Marketing Concepts of Buffalo, which advised large national companies in advertising, marketing, and public relations for over 15 years.

Presently, Kathy is the CEO of the Lancaster Area Chamber of Commerce.

Erie County Legislature: First elected in 2005 and again in 2007; served as Chair of Finance Management Committee, and vice chair of Economic Development Committee.  Appointed to Erie County Audit Committee Appointed as the Legislature’s Open Meeting Advisor
 

Radio Show Guest August 16, 2008
Chris Collins, Erie County Executive
 
The residents of Erie County elected Chris Collis as the seventh Erie County Executive on November 6, 2007.  A businessman with 35 years of private sector experience, Collins ran against the political establishment of both parties and won with 64 percent of the vote.

As County Executive, Collins is focused on his Three Rs – reforming Erie County government, rebuilding the local economy, and ultimately, reducing taxes.  Collins is committed to running Erie County like a business, making it more effective, efficient and responsive to hardworking taxpayers.  Collins’ campaign centered on bringing Six Sigma to Erie County government using state grant dollars.  A proven business method to improve production and eliminate waste, Six Sigma is a bottom up approach designed to empower employees.  Soon after being elected, Collins taped a Six Sigma director and its implementation is the center of his administration.

For the last eight years, Collins has managed and is the sole investor of Cobblestone Enterprises LLC, a merchant bank that is focused on investing in local manufacturing companies. Over the years, Cobblestone Enterprises has invested in management buyouts and purchases of financially distressed companies that have sustainable market niches. Since 1998, Cobblestone has invested in over 20 acquisitions that currently operate as ten separate platform companies. These companies currently have over 600 employees, including 500 in Western New York, with annual sales in excess of $80 million.

Before creating Cobblestone, Collins founded Niagara Falls based industrial gear manufacturer Nuttall Gear Corporation in 1983, purchasing the assets of the Westinghouse Gear Division.  The County Executive began his professional career with Westinghouse Electric in 1972.  

Collins has been active in the community, particularly with the Boy Scouts. He was chairman of the 2001 and 2005 National Jamboree Committee for the Greater Niagara Frontier Council Boy Scouts of America, and is serving as chairman for the 2010 Jamboree.  The County Executive also served as chairman for the 2007 World Jamboree.  Since 1999, Collins’ has volunteered his time as a mentor at the State University of New York at Buffalo (UB) Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership.

Collins received a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from NC State University in 1972 and an MBA from the University of Alabama in 1975.

The County Executive is married and has three children and two grandchildren. He and his wife, Mary, live in Clarence, New York.

Radio Show Guest July 26, 2008
Carl Paladino, Attorney, Real Estate Developer, CEO Ellicott Development Company

PRESENT EMPLOYMENT

Attorney at Law from 1972 to Present 

• Paladino, Cavan & Quinlivan, Attorneys at Law, a general practice with concentration in Real Estate Development, Civil Litigation, Estate, Business and Corporate Law.
• Admitted to practice in State of New York, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Federal District Court for Western District of New York and Supreme Court of the United States.

Ellicott Development Company

• Ellicott Development Company a division of 10 Ellicott Square Court Corporation is a multi-faceted, fully integrated Property Management, Leasing and Development Firm.  Ellicott Development Company has the “in-house” capacity to provide legal, administrative, financial, management, accounting, site selection, site assemblage, design, drafting, construction, leasing, maintenance, janitorial and security services.
• The firm focuses on acquiring, redeveloping, managing and leasing office, residential, hospitality and retail projects in Downtown Buffalo and Upstate New York and Western Pennsylvania since 1973. Affiliated companies own and manage multiple offices, retail and residential properties in addition to  Hampton Inn Hotel in West Seneca and Williamsville, a Wingate Hotel in Ellicottville and the Days Inn in Cheektowaga
• The firm and its affiliates, are responsible for the management of over 1.5M square feet of office and residential space in Downtown Buffalo and over 2M additional square feet of retail, hotel and office space throughout Upstate New York and Western Pennsylvania.
• Ellicott Development Company employs over 300 experienced individuals with various development functions.  It’s in-house maintenance-janitorial team maintains the physical aspects of the properties and also the grounds keeping and landscaping of the properties and construction management and crews build and/or renovate properties at competitive costs.
• Ellicott Development Company was incorporated in 1972 by its CEO, Carl P. Paladino to manage and lease the “Ellicott Square Building” in the heart of Downtown Buffalo.

 LAW SCHOOL:

• Syracuse University College of Law, Syracuse, New York
  • Degree - Juris Doctor 1971
• Law Student Senate Representative
• Co-Chairman - Police Observation, Assigned Council and Syracuse Court Project Programs
• Freshman and Junior Moot Court Competition

UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL:

• St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, New York
  • Degree - B.A. English 1968
• Member - President's Advisory Board
• General Chairman of the Fall Festival and Military Ball Weekends
• Co-Chairman - Student Activities Council
• Recipient of the Student Senate Award
• Listed in "Who's Who of American Colleges and Universities"

MILITARY SERVICE:

• Commissioned as a Reserve Officer, Air Defense Artillery Branch, United States Army in June, 1968 from St. Bonaventure University R.O.T.C. Program.  Served active duty at Fort Bliss, Texas.  Served active reserve duty, 1st BN, 98th DIV, (CST) Amherst, New York.  Retired Captain

*** Carl Paladino is not affilated with The Financial Guys nor with NEXT Financial Group Inc.***

Radio Show Guest Saturday July 19, 2008
Junior Achievement of WNY, Inc.

Company Profile

Junior Achievement Worldwide, founded in 1919, is the world’s largest organization dedicated to educating students in grades K-12 about entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs. JA programs reach approximately 8 million students in more than 100 countries annually.

Junior Achievement of Western New York, Inc. was established in 1958. This academic year (2007-08), approximately 500 volunteer role models will deliver JA curriculum to more than 13,000 students in 100 schools throughout the eight counties of Western New York.

This coming school year, Junior Achievement of WNY will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary!

Mission of Junior Achievement: Through partnerships with the business and education communities, Junior Achievement strives to educate and inspire young people to succeed in a global economy in order to improve the quality of their lives.

Biography – Lisa Scherer

Education

• The Ohio State University, Sport Management, M.A., 1989
• State University of New York College at Cortland, Recreation, B.S., 1986

Professional Experience

• Junior Achievement of WNY, Inc. -President
• SUNY Cortland – Cortland, NY- Assistant Professor, Sport Management Program
• Scherer Source – Buffalo, NY Owner & Consultant
• CRN, a division of CMP Media – New York, NY - Senior Marketing Manager
• Niagara Falls Redevelopment – Niagara Falls, NY - Vice President of Marketing
• Ingram Micro – Buffalo, NY Senior Manager Corporate Events
• Jim Kelly Enterprises / Kelly For Kids Foundation, Buffalo, NY -Vice President of Marketing – Jim Kelly Enterprises
• Interim Executive Director – Kelly For Kids Foundation

Career Accomplishments

• Advise, coordinate and supervise all SUNY Cortland sport management internships, ranging from 17 to 45 students per semester. Increased new placement locations by 50% each semester.
• Re-vamped and coordinated the CRN Computer Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony, including a VIP dinner for IT industry leaders, awards ceremony, and gala celebration, saving $150,000 in logistics expenses.
• Planned and directed the Gus Macker Basketball Tournament, the third largest basketball tournament in the United States, with 4,300 participants, a crowd of 50,000, and total raised revenue of $150,000, in Buffalo.
• Developed and implemented Jim Kelly’s StarGaze annual fundraiser, raising $1,000,000; also marketed and produced Jim Kelly’s television show, increasing revenues from $10,000 to $250,000 in two years.

Why Lisa believes in Junior Achievement

My position at Junior Achievement of WNY allows me to combine my love of education and event management into one position, “teaching kids how business works.” I am a product of Junior Achievement myself, having participated in JA’s company program while at Amherst High School, so I know first hand just how effective JA programs are.

Biography – Alycia Ivancie

• Alycia began working at Junior Achievement of WNY as an intern in the summer of 2001
• While completing her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies at Canisius College, Alycia was hired full time by JA in November 2001 as the Program Assistant
• Alycia returned to Canisius College, while working at JA, to achieve her Masters degree in Education (2005)
• Alycia currently serves as the Senior Program Manager at JA of WNY. This position:
  • Oversees all 600+ JA programs that are implemented each year throughout all 8 counties of WNY
  • Manages all of the 500+ participating volunteers and teachers
• Alycia was married in 2005 and had her first child (a daughter named Mackenzie) in 2007

Radio Show Guest June 14, 2008
The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)

The National Federation of Independent Business is the leading small business association representing small and independent businesses. A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization founded in 1943, NFIB represents the consensus views of its members in Washington and all 50 state capitals.

NFIB's mission is to promote and protect the right of our members to own, operate and grow their businesses. NFIB also gives its members a power in the marketplace. By pooling the purchasing power of its members, the National Federation of Independent Business gives members access to many business products and services at discounted costs. NFIB also provides timely information designed to help small businesses succeed.

Mike Elmendorf - NFIB/New York State Director

Mike Elmendorf was named New York state director of NFIB in January 2007. Prior to joining NFIB, Elmendorf spent 11 years in the administration of New York Gov. George E. Pataki. Elmendorf brings extensive experience in state government, having served as special assistant to the governor and director of Intergovernmental Affairs. In that role, he was a member of the governor's senior staff and served as the governor's advisor on state-federal, regional, state-to-state and international relations. He was responsible for a broad range of policy initiatives, and worked with officials from across New York on the local, state and federal levels.  A longtime community leader, Elmendorf serves on a number of boards and is a founder of the nationally recognized Colonie Youth Court program.

Small-business roots run deep for Mike Elmendorf. He grew up in a family of small businesspeople and saw firsthand the challenges and rewards of running your own business. His mother and stepfather own and operate Fritze Jewelers in Colonie, N.Y., a family business than has been in operation in New York's Capital District for more than 60 years. His father spent many years in the bar and restaurant business in the Albany area.

Elmendorf is a native of the Town of Colonie, and received his bachelor's degree, magna cum laude, from Union College in Schenectady.

Radio Show Guest May 31, 2008
Paul M. Barausky , Principal, Chief Marketing Officer

Paul co-founded Oak Star Partners. As a successful 18 year veteran of the financial services industry, Paul had deep-rooted professional and personal contacts at many of the country’s top financial firms.  Additionally, he has very diverse industry experience with working knowledge of insurance, annuity, mutual fund, and separately managed account products.  Paul is a graduate of Penn State University and resides in Dallas, TX.

Oak Star Partners

Oak Star Partners was formed in 2006 to help guide financial advisors in the evolving market of Life Settlements. The past few years have seen a dramatic growth in the Life Settlement Industry.  In 2007 alone, over $25 Billion in policy face values were purchased from insured’s who no longer had need for policies that they own.

Oak Star Partners was created to empower financial advisors to assist their clients in executing the best Life Settlement decisions.  We are committed to educating both the advisor and their client so that they can examine all of their possible options.  Perhaps most importantly, we are completely committed to setting the standard for compliant, transparent, client-first transactions.

*** Paul Barausky & Oak Stat Partners are not affiliated with NEXT Financial Group, Inc.***