It's Your Business includes Advisors Excel, Zac Pohlenz, Timothy McCord, Teresa Baker, Amanda Kiefer

Hires

Pathway Family Services announced Timothy McCord will be its new medical director. McCord is a child and adolescent psychiatrist with more than 10 years of experience. Prior to being hired at PFS, McCord worked in a variety of medical facilities, including the University of Kansas Medical Center. He completed part of his fellowship at KVC and provided PRN support for their Kansas City, Kan., programs. He also provided leadership at Marillac's residential program. More recently, he has been providing outpatient psychiatric services for Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center. McCord will oversee a patient caseload of up to 10 adolescent patients. He will also be responsible for developing psychiatric protocols and reviewing and updating policies and procedures. Additionally, he will oversee medication management, as well as medication prescribing management for residents at our PFS locations. McCord received his bachelor of human biology at the University of Kansas and his degree in osteopathic medicine at the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. He went on to complete his fellowship and residency at the University of Kansas Medical Center.

Teresa Baker has been selected as the executive director of Housing and Credit Counseling Inc. by the HCCI Board of Directors effective Jan. 15. “The board unanimously selected Teresa based on the solid work she has done since March 2020 as the interim executive director and her extensive experience and dedicated service to HCCI since 2007,” said Kevin Morgison, incoming board president. Baker replaces HCCI’s former executive director, Marilyn Stanley who resigned in March 2021 to accept a position with Kansas Housing Resources Corporation. Baker’s experience with HCCI includes her leadership role for financial stability program work with United Way agencies in Emporia, Lawrence, Manhattan and Topeka, where she has been the lead for United Way of Greater Topeka financial stability work since 2018. Baker and her husband, Tom, are residents of Overbrook and have four grown children.

FHLBank Topeka announced officer hires:

• Alex Adame joined as a DEI analyst. Adame previously served as a UI reporting manager with the Kansas Department of Labor.

• JoVaughn Anderson joined as a Housing and Community Development analyst. Anderson previously served as a branch manager for Azura Credit Union.

• Anna Parish joined as a mortgage loan accountant I. Parish previously served as a financial reporting accountant at SE2.

• Carlie Zimmerman joined as an audit intern. Zimmerman is working on a master's degree in Accounting from Washburn.

Promotions

Clayton Wealth Partners has promoted the following employees:

• Zac Pohlenz was named a wealth adviser Jan. 1 after he attained certified financial planner certification in late 2020. He previously was an associate wealth adviser. Pohlenz works one-on-one with clients of the wealth management firm, which has offices in Topeka and Lawrence. He creates and implements comprehensive financial planning and asset management services to help clients achieve their objectives. Pohlenz started his financial planning journey as a freshman at Kansas State University, where he realized he wanted to pursue financial services as a career, saying, "I knew it would combine my desire to help people with my aptitude for personal finance."

• J.D. Kaad was named director of trading and technology. Kaad formerly served as portfolio analyst for the registered investment adviser in Topeka and Lawrence. Kaad will oversee all aspects of the investment team’s regular trading and the firm’s entire information technology strategy and processes. His promotion was effective Jan. 1. “I look forward to the responsibility of directing the overall information technology strategy for Clayton Wealth Partners, in addition to making sure our trading systems and processes are seamless and efficient for both team members and clients,” Kaad said. Kaad joined Clayton Wealth Partners in 2009. He has the Certified Investment Management Analyst designation and is a member of the Investments and Wealth Institute. He has master’s and bachelor’s degrees in business administration from Washburn University.

FHLBank Topeka announced officer promotions.

• Sonia Betsworth was promoted from senior vice president to executive vice president. Betsworth serves as the chief administrative officer. She joined FHLBank in 1983.

• Jeff Kuzbel was promoted from senior vice president to executive vice president. Kuzbel serves as the chief financial officer. He joined FHLBank in 2021.

• Brian Dreher was promoted from vice president to senior vice president. Dreher serves as the chief information officer. He joined FHLBank in 1998.

• Amanda Kiefer was promoted from first vice president to senior vice president. Kiefer serves as the chief Human Resources & Inclusion officer. She has been with FHLBank since 2011.

• Matt Koupal was promoted from first vice president to senior vice president. Koupal serves as the chief compliance and ethics officer & general counsel, corporate secretary. He joined FHLBank in 2008.

• Brad Gentry was promoted from vice president to first vice president. Gentry serves as the director of funding, hedging and member product pricing in the Capital Markets department. He joined FHLBank in 2008.

• Troy McGee was promoted to first vice president. McGee is director of Corporate Strategies and Solutions and has been with FHLBank since 2021.

• Steven Townsend was promoted from vice president to first vice president. Townsend serves as the director of investments and balance sheet strategy in the Capital Markets department. He joined FHLBank in 2017.

• Nancy Hanks was promoted from assistant vice president to vice president. Hanks serves as the Wire Services manager. She joined FHLBank in 2005.

• Kim Savage was promoted to vice president. Savage serves as the senior director, operational audit in the Internal Audit department and has been with FHLBank since 2021.

• Drew Simmons joined FHLBank as the new Oklahoma regional account manager in November and was promoted to vice president in January. Simmons previously served as the senior banker at The Baker Group.

• Michael Young was promoted from officer to assistant vice president. Young serves as a senior Lending officer. He joined FHLBank in 2012.

• Matthew Brown was promoted to officer. Brown is the short-term investment manager in the Capital Markets department. He joined FHLBank in 2021.

• Marsha Carrasco was promoted to officer. Carrasco is the DEI officer in the Human Resources and Inclusion department. She joined FHLBank in 2021.

• Allison Garst was promoted to officer. Garst in the end user developed computing program manager in the Operations Risk department. She joined FHLBank in 2014.

• Leslie Mondesir was promoted to officer. Mondesir in the member solutions manager in the Corporate Strategies and Solutions department. She joined FHLBank in 2016.

Donations

Pediatric cancer research received a million dollar infusion during an Advisors Excel training event. The V Foundation for Cancer Research will administer the funds through an open grant process. The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded by ESPN and legendary basketball coach Jim Valvano with one goal in mind: to achieve Victory Over Cancer. Since 1993, the V Foundation has awarded nearly $290 million in cancer research grants nationwide. “Advisors Excel headed by Cody Foster and David Callanan, gave us at The V Foundation a golden opportunity to help youngsters in their battle vs. cancer,” said Dick Vitale, sports commentator. “They blew us away with their generosity from their annual event by donating an incredible 1 million dollars that will go for pediatric cancer research through The V Foundation. I simply say the clients and staff of Advisors Excel are awesome baby with a capital A.” Advisors Excel raised funds in conjunction with more than 500 of the nation’s top financial professionals attending a three-day training event in Orlando. Each year, the company hosts the event, including an opportunity to raise money for a worthy cause. Since 2008, Advisors Excel and its affiliated independent financial professionals have raised approximately $6.3 million to help nonprofits and organizations around the country.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: It's Your Business includes FHLBank, Brad Gentry, Matt Koupal