CFP Graduate Certificate Program
Instructors
Program Director
Kathy Oakley, MBA, CPA, CFP®, is the former director of planning for the Houston office of Lincoln Financial Advisors. Prior to retiring from the financial services industry, she served as an internal resource to planners associated with Lincoln Financial Group and Sagemark Consulting. As a director of planning, she was responsible for financial plans in the Texas and Louisiana region but also contributed to development of plans by the National Planning Group for Planners and Advisors across the United States. Prior to joining Lincoln Financial Advisors, Ms. Oakley (Hartin) served as vice president and chief financial planning officer with Kanaly Trust Company. She is a member of the Financial Planning Association and has served as a board member of the Pearland Economic Development Corporation and on the Members in Industry Committee of the Houston Chapter of CPAs. Ms. Oakley holds a BS in finance and an MBA from the University of New Orleans. She also holds an insurance license and formerly held securities licenses, including the NASD Series 7 and 63.
Program Instructors
Course instructors for Rice University's CFP Graduate Certificate Program are experienced practitioners in the financial planning industry and have met Rice University's standard of quality.
Joseph R. Birkofer, CFP®, is principal and founder of Legacy Asset Management in Houston. A consultant to individual and corporate clients for the evaluation of retirement plans, Birkofer also works with plan sponsors to improve communications, monitor investment performance and streamline administration. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and a Registered Investment Advisor, he helps clients concentrate on financial planning and asset allocation. Prior to founding Legacy Asset Management, he served as a trust officer with Texas Commerce Bank. An active member of the community, Birkofer serves on local boards including The Periwinkle Foundation and The Houston Society of Financial Service Professionals. He has been published in or provided commentary for the Houston Chronicle, the Houston Business Journal, Benefits & Compensation Solutions and local radio and television shows. Mr. Birkofer earned his BS degree in foreign service from Georgetown University and his MBA from The University of Texas at Austin. He has several securities licenses, including the NASD Series 7, 24, 27, 63 and 65, as well as various insurance licenses.
Mary Kathryn Campion, Ph.D., CFA, AIFA, is president and lead portfolio manager for Champion Capital Research. Dr. Campion is in charge of the firm’s econometric analyses that generate ideas for asset allocation and tactical investment strategies. She has more than 20 years of experience in the investment industry as a portfolio strategist and financial economist, providing services to a variety of clients. Dr. Campion is published in academic and professional journals, and she holds a BA from Rice University and an MA and PhD in economics from the University of Houston.
Laura Davidson Fowell, JD, is an attorney at Joe R. Davidson, P.C., where she represents clients in estate, probate, trust, wills, and general civil practice and litigation. Previously, she served as assistant district attorney and misdemeanor and felony prosecutor for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. Ms. Fowell is adjunct professor and varsity mock trial coach at South Texas College of Law. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Houston Bar Association and Houston Young Lawyers Association. Ms. Fowell holds a JD from South Texas College of Law and a BS in corporate communication studies from The University of Texas at Austin.
Andrea K. Freedman, CFP®, is an independent financial advisor for IMS Securities, where she conducts in-depth reviews of each client’s financial circumstances and goals. She has approximately 20 years experience specializing in financial planning and asset management. Her expertise extends into areas of retirement and education planning, asset allocation, investment selection and risk tolerance analysis. She has NASD Series 7, 63, 65 and 31 licenses. Ms. Freedman holds a BS in communications from The University of Texas at Austin.
Naomi J. Hall, CEBS, RHU, is the benefits manager for Plains Exploration & Production Company. Ms. Hall began working in the benefits brokerage/consulting business in 1995, spending more than a decade as an account manager and helping small and mid-sized clients design and administer health and welfare benefit plans. She also worked as a regional director of training for a national employee benefits consulting firm. She serves as a peer advisor for the International Foundation of Employee Benefits Plans and is an adjunct instructor with the University of Houston - Downtown. Ms. Hall holds a bachelor of arts from Wake Forest University and a master’s in healthcare administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She holds Certified Employee Benefits Specialist and Registered Health Underwriter designations.
Craig Hoffman, CFP®, CRPC®, is an associate vice president with Rowley, Hoffman & Associates, a financial advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. He holds NASD Series 4, 7, 8, 24, 63 and 65 licenses as well as insurance licenses in Texas, Colorado and California. He has more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. Mr. Hoffman holds a BA in economics from The University of Texas at Austin and has taught investment classes at the University of St. Thomas.
Ronald H. Joe, CFA, CFP®, is director of portfolio management at AIG Investments. Since 2000, he has supervised a group of external portfolio managers with more than $20 billion in assets under management, overseeing asset allocation, performance measurement and compliance matters. He has also served as finance director for a private investment company and as budget officer for an international development foundation. Mr. Joe holds BA degrees in economics and business from Rice University and an MBA in finance with honors from The University of Texas at Austin.
W. Ben Keel, III, CFP®, ChFC®, CFE®, CLU®, is a financial advisor with Financial and Insurance Consultants. He was named as one of the Top Financial Planners in the Nation by Consumers’ Research Council of America* in 2008 and 2009, and he was listed as a 2010 Five Star Wealth Manager® by Texas Monthly. Mr. Keel is currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Houston Financial Planning Association. He is also a Certified Financial Educator teaching financial education classes through the non-Profit Heartland Institute of Financial Education for companies that would like to offer non-biased financial education to their employees. In addition, he teaches financial literacy classes to all branches of the United States Military as well as government employees. In the past, he has been a financial planner with American Express Financial Advisors, Fidelity Investments and his own firm. Mr. Keel served in the US Army and Texas Army National Guard branch detailed Airborne Infantry. He holds a BBA in finance from Stephen F. Austin State University.
Karen Hook King, CPA, CFP®, is the practitioner proprietor of Karen Hook King CPA, a public accounting firm in Houston, Texas. Ms. King has more than 20 years of experience in the accounting and financial services field. Her current practice focuses on financial consulting with closely held businesses, entrepreneurs and individuals. Ms. King provides clients with financial reporting, tax, accounting and audit assistance, is trained as a financial neutral in Collaborative Family Law, and works in the mediation arena. Ms. King’s prior experience includes 16 years in public accounting with Arthur Andersen & Co. in Houston. Her teaching experience includes extensive classroom teaching time in technical and management related classes for certified public accountants. She has also taught proprietary management training programs for corporate audiences as a certified instructor. Ms. King holds a BS in accounting from Texas Tech University. She was also a Rotary Fellowship Student at the Instituto Technologico in Guaymas, Mexico.
Andrew Lewis, JD, MBA, is a partner in Lewis and Lewis, PLLC. He has approximately 15 years of experience as an attorney and judge, practicing in the areas of litigation, contract law, estate planning and probate, business planning, arbitration and mediation. Previously, he served as a county judge in Cobb County, Georgia, as well as deputy director for the Supreme Court of Georgia, Office of Dispute Resolution. He has experience teaching professionals in government, corporate and university settings. Mr. Lewis is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the State Bar of Georgia. He holds a JD from Tulane University, an MBA from Emory University and a BA from Rice University.
Kathy Oakley, MBA, CPA, CFP®, see bio under program director.
Carroll Scherer has helped corporate groups improve communication skills and build teams, using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® as a tool to enhance understanding, for more than 15 years. With 30 years of experience in higher education and industry, she is currently professional programs director for the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies. Ms. Scherer also serves as chairman of the University Professional and Continuing Education Association South Region. She is the former director of the Mays MBA Program at Texas A&M University, where she also taught in the Executive MBA Program. She holds a BA in education from The University of Texas at Austin and has earned several professional certifications including the MBTI® Certified credential.
Robert D. Womack, CFP®, CPA/PFS, is a principal of Touchdown Financial Advisors, LLC, a personal financial planning and management firm in Houston. His previous financial services experience includes income tax consulting as a partner with KPMG Peat Marwick in Houston and San Francisco, general management as a senior officer within the American General Group, and as chief financial officer for a number of public and private companies. His teaching experience includes university-level accounting and advanced income tax courses, as well as management development courses for corporate audiences. Mr. Womack also serves as an arbitrator in securities disputes for the NASD. He earned his bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Houston and an MBA from The University of Texas at Austin.
Instructors are subject to change.