Great Lakes Bay Estate Planning Council
Thursday, February 27, 2025 - 12:00 noon
Great Hall at Valley Plaza, Midland, MI -or Isabella Bank, Mt. Pleasant, MI
Rosemary Howley Buhl, JD, is a shareholder with the firm of Buhl, Little, Lynwood and Harris, PLC in East Lansing, Michigan.
She practices in the areas of elder law, long-term care planning, estate planning, special needs planning and estate and trust administration. Her program will focus on the legal and non-legal issues which face elder law attorneys and advisors in 2025. A working knowledge of elder law issues is critical to anyone working in the estate planning arena. She will touch on legal issues such as capacity, ladybird deeds, gray divorce, guardianship and Medicaid planning. Non-legal issues such as the dichotomy of autonomy vs. safety, housing options, and care choices will also be addressed.
Ms. Buhl is a past Chairperson of the Elder Law and Disability Rights Section of the State Bar of Michigan and is a Past President of the Michigan Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. She is a member of the Probate and Estate Planning Section of the State Bar of Michigan and a Past President of the Greater Lansing Estate Planning Council (GLEPC).
Ms. Buhl previously served as a member of the Michigan Court Forms Committee with the State Court Administrative Office (SCAO) for Guardianship and Conservatorship forms. She earned her certificate of completion from ICLE and the Probate and Estate Planning Section of the SBM in the areas of probate and estate planning. She has been recognized as a Rising Star and Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers magazine as well as a Best Lawyer. In 2015, she was selected as a Fellow by the Michigan State Bar Foundation and was a recipient of the Joe D. Sutton Call to Justice Award presented by Elder Law of Michigan. She was recognized as a member of Michigan Lawyers Weekly 2016 Michigan Women in the Law and in 2022 was named by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as a Leader in the Law. She is a frequent author and speaker. Rosemary lives in East Lansing, with her husband, children, and their sub-par dog, Chip.
Additional information regarding Ms. Buhl and the firm can be viewed at https://bllhlaw.com/team/rosemary-h-buhl/
Thursday, January 23, 2025 - 12:00 noon
Great Hall at Valley Plaza, Midland, MI -or Isabella Bank, Mt. Pleasant, MI
Geoff Moore is the Chief Information Officer of Valmark Financial Group. He has over 20 years of experience in financial services, technology and cybersecurity strategies.
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His presentation, “Artificial Intelligence: Practical Applications for Professional Advisors,” is intended to give practitioners in the fields of accounting, law, trust administration, financial planning, investment advice and insurance an introduction to the many ways artificial intelligence can help them provide better advice to more clients. He will discuss how AI can provide realistic improvements and benefits within the wealth management area, as well as potential pitfalls. Also addressed will be the need to carefully balance regulatory compliance with the operational freedom of independent advisors, while still protecting sensitive client data.
Valmark Financial Group is a 60-year old company providing broker-dealer, investment advisory and insurance brokerage services to more than 100 independent member firms and their financial advisors around the country, including eight of the top 100 independent CPA firms and another twelve mid-sized regional firms. Four member firms are owned by publicly-held banking groups.
Geoff and his team of technology experts focus on delivering secure systems that enable operational excellence for member offices and Valmark business units. His team was recognized as a finalist for the Northeast Ohio Tech Team of the year by the Greater Cleveland Partnership. In 2023, Geoff was invited to be a member of the Surge Ventures Industry Council, and this year he was a Barron’s 100 panelist on artificial intelligence and a member of the Box.com Product Advisory Board for Artificial Intelligence.
Geoff is a frequent contributor on Fintech, cybersecurity and AI on LinkedIn, and has been a guest on dozens of podcasts focused on those same topics.
Thursday, October 24, 2024 - 12:00 noon
Great Hall at Valley Plaza, Midland, MI -or Isabella Bank, Mt. Pleasant, MI
The speaker will be MICHAEL GREGORY, a mediation and negotiation specialist and founder of Michael Gregory Consulting, LLC. He is an international speaker, author and consultant. His program is entitled "How to Handle Uncomfortable Situations Effectively." Mr. Gregory states that attendance at this program has increased 219% in the first half of this year as opposed to last year. He indicates that attendees feel that society is becoming increasingly polarized, due partly to a lack of true political discourse, a greater lack of empathy and understanding, and conflicts in the workplace and at home.
Mike feels that a healthy disagreement can have positive outcomes when managed appropriately. He will address how to achieve better, more effective collaboration in order to arrive at a winning solution. Highlights will include how to connect with others, how to listen calmly and actively, and how to present your views in a positive, educational way without being judgmental and giving unwelcome advice. He will also utilize neuroscience to address how our brains work in an uncomforable situation and why we tend to react the way we do. Effective collaboration applies directly to conflict resolution and management and to dispute resolution and management in our daily lives.
Mike spent 28 years working for the IRS before founding his company. He has helped hundreds of clients work through conflicts and negotiate winning solutions. Mr. Gregory is an Accredited Senior Appraiser with the American Society of Appraisers, a Certified Valuation Analyst with the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts, a Qualified Mediator with the Minnesota Supreme Court, and a Minnesota State Bar Association Alternative Dispute Resolution Section board member. He has served on the Business Valuaton Comnittee of the American Society of Appraisers and the Valuaton Credentialing Board, and is Chair of the Ethics and Oversight Board of NACVA. He is also a reviewer for the Trust and Estates Journal Valuation Committee.
Thursday, September 26, 2024
Our speaker for the September meeting was Misty Janks, CEO of the Chapman Foundation for Caring Communities. Her topic was "Managing Effective Confrontation." She spoke on the challenges of navigating emotions, behavior and their impact in confrontational messages. She provided the membership with some practical tools to help the members of an organization to communicate positively with each other and with clients in a manner that will allow for the non-confrontational presentation of views and advice in order to have those views heard without triggering defensive or hostile reactions.
MEMBERSHIP
The GLBEPC (formerly NMEPC) is currently comprised of about 100 members from five disciplines: CPAs, Attorneys, Financial Services Professionals, Trust Officers, and Development Officers of non-profit organizations. Annual dues are $150, which includes the program materials and a buffet luncheon.
A junior membership has been established for those who do not qualify for full membership but are studying for or working toward a designation, certification or qualification in one of the five disciplines. Annual dues are $75. A junior member must be employed by and/or actively involved in one of those fields in the State of Michigan. A junior membership may be renewed for a maximum of four years, with the expectation that, at or before that time, the junior member would meet the qualifications for full membership.
MEETINGS
The GLBEPC meets on the last Thursday of September, October, January, February, April and May. Meetings are held in person at the Great Hall in Midland and at Isabella Bank in Mt. Pleasant. Joining by Microsoft Teams is an option, except for the annual meeting in May (which is generally held at a different venue and requires in-person attendance). Lunch is served at 12:00 noon, with the program beginning at 12:30 and concluding at 1:30 p.m.
OUR PURPOSE
♦ To effect and promote the coordination of professional services necessary for proper estate planning including charitable giving.
♦ To improve the understanding, knowledge and skill of the member professional groups in their efforts on behalf of their clients and in appreciation of each specialized service.
♦ To raise the standards of cooperation between the professional groups for more effective application and employment of professional services in behalf of public interest.
♦ To promote and encourage the appropriate use of the professional services available from the different groups coomprising the membership of this Council.
APPLICATIONS
If you would like to join the Council, please click [ here ] for an application form or contact us at admin@glbepc.org. Our mailing address is: GLBEPC, P.O. Box 347, Freeland, MI 48623. For an application for a Junior Membership, please click [ here ].
If you have any questions, please contact us at admin@glbepc.org.
