FPSC CALLS FOR NOMINATIONS FOR 2007 DON JOHNSTON AWARD
Toronto, October 23, 2006 — Financial Planners Standards Council (FPSC) calls for nominations for the 2007 Donald J. Johnston Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Profession of Financial Planning in Canada(Don Johnston Award).
The Don Johnston Award, inaugurated at FPSC's 10th Anniversary celebration last January, honours the spirit, imagination, dedication and contribution to the profession of financial planning in Canada, as exemplified by FPSC founding retired president and first recipient of the award, Donald J. Johnston.
"By publicly recognizing and celebrating the contribution of others, FPSC hopes to further inspire ongoing outstanding contribution as well as constructive and cooperative efforts among those working to ensure we have a financial planning profession in Canada of which we can be proud, and in which Canadians can place their trust," says the Chair of the 2006/07 FPSC Board of Directors, Peter Volpé CFP.
"It takes a multi-pronged approach to advance a profession. It's important to encourage, through recognition, the tremendous and varied contributions of many organizations and individuals that, directly or indirectly, benefit the financial planning profession and the public it serves," adds Volpé.
Mr. Johnston said in his 10th anniversary address: "The first step FPSC took 10 years ago was a leap of faith. I tell you there were more than one, taken by more than one person and organization then, and each year after. I'm certain there will be many more. That's how good ideas become realities. That's how conviction gives birth to action."
Nominees for the Don Johnston Award will be considered for their work and accomplishments in the following areas: Servicing or advancing the financial planning profession's ability to benefit and protect Canadians seeking qualified financial planning; and/or their work and accomplishments toward garnering greater respect and recognition for financial planning as a profession by regulators, legislators, industry, other professions and/or the marketplace. However, it is recognized that these benefits are not mutually exclusive, and it is expected that they will be broadly and diversely interpreted by the Award Committee.
In addition to receiving public recognition for outstanding contribution, each year's recipient of the Don Johnston Award will choose a charity to receive a $10,000 donation made in the recipient's honour.
In her award inauguration speech, Past Chair of FPSC Board of Directors Margaret Koniuck CGA, CFP, explained the reason for the charitable contribution: "Financial planning is about helping people, and CFP professionals consistently tell us that 'wanting to help people' is one of the main reasons they chose careers in financial planning. It is in this spirit of benevolence that is so pervasive in our community of CFP professionals that the FPSC Board of Directors has linked the Don Johnston Award to an annual charitable contribution that we hope will touch the lives of people who may be beyond the professional reach of financial planners."
Nomination Process: Submissions made in writing and submitted to FPSC postmarked on or before November 30th will be reviewed by the 2007 Award Committee. The committee will select the nominee(s) for the consideration of the FPSC Board of Directors. The FPSC Board of Directors will make its final decision on the 2007 recipient at its spring meeting and will announce the winner in June 2007 at its Annual Board Appreciation Reception. The time and place of the reception have yet to be determined.
The 2007 Donald J. Johnston Award Committee
FPSC has selected a distinguished group of individuals to constitute the 2007 Don Johnston Award Committee. "Each member brings a vast breadth of knowledge, experience and perspective that complement those of the FPSC Board of Directors," says Volpé.
Paul K. Bates, Dean and Industry Professor in Financial Management Services at the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University and Chair of the Investor Education Fund
John DeGoey, CFP, financial planner, industry critic and author of The Professional Financial Advisor II
Jocelyne Houle-Lesarge FCGA, Executive Director, Institut québécois de planification financière
Joan Huzar, Past President, The Consumers Council of Canada
Don Johnston, Founder and retired President of Financial Planners Standards Council, and first recipient of the Don Johnston Award.
Donna MacCandlish, CFP, Vice President, CIBC, former CIBC Ombusdman
Dave Wild, Chairperson, Saskatchewan Financial Services Commission and Past Chair and current member of the Joint Forum of Financial Market Regulators
Further details on the Don Johnston Award, biographies of the Award Committee members and instruction on how to make nominations are posted on FPSC's website at www.cfp-ca.org/djaward.
About Financial Planners Standards Council (FPSC):
Financial Planners Standards Council (FPSC) is a not-for-profit organization established in 1995 to foster professionalism in personal financial planning. FPSC develops and enforces the highest standards in financial planning competency and ethics for individuals who hold the CFP® (CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®) in Canada. There are currently about 17,000 CFP professionals in Canada and more than 100,000 individuals who have earned CFP certification in 18 countries around the world. See www.cfp-ca.org for more information.
FOR MEDIA INTERVIEWS AND FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Eileen Chadnick/Chadnick Communications at 416.631.7437 or eileen@chadnick.com;
Heather Mills/ FPSC at 416.593.8587 ext. 235 or hmills@fpsccanada.org.
CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® and are certification marks owned outside the U.S. by Financial Planning Standards Board Ltd. (FPSB). Financial Planners Standards Council is the marks licensing authority for the CFP marks in Canada, through agreement with FPSB.
are certification marks