Ann Marsh |
The CFP Board has lost another top official.
Back in August, the CFP Board trumpeted
Eight months later, in a lengthy email Monday covering more than a dozen topics, the board said that he won't lead the board after all.
"That is a big job," says Votava, CEO of multifamily office
Despite being immersed in last-minute tax work, Votava now sounds like someone who has set down a heavy burden. In a conversation punctuated with laughter, the former accountant and lawyer says he and his wife are looking forward to spending time with two new grandchildren, after both of their grown children surprised them recently by moving closer to their parents' home in
"They are calling up saying, 'We moved back here to see you guys. Aren't you coming over tonight?'" he says.
LAWSUIT A FACTOR?
Votava's resignation follows years of volunteer work with the board in different positions. He's also been a director on the FPA's board and held top positions at numerous other nonprofits.
That long public service resume lead at least one prominent planner and Financial Planning contributor,
"What on earth compels someone with Votava’s kind of track record of success to capstone his volunteer career by resigning three months into his chair-elect year?" Kitces asks in his well-read blog. "It certainly raises the question of whether, once again, yet anotherperson in a position of leadership with the CFP Board decided he didn’t want to be around and have to take the heat or be the fall guy when the case is finally resolved."
Votava did not reply when asked specifically about the CFP Board's legal issues, but emphasized his personal motivation for stepping down, saying the workload was simply too great. "We just had one board meeting this year," he says. "That's where I could see it really ramping up."
CONFLICTS & DEPARTURES
The CFP Board has been caught up in a series of conflicts over the last few years.
In late 2012, it pressured then-sitting chairman
Several key figures have also left the board over the same period. Rex Staples left his job as director of investigations, a position the board had created for him, shortly after Goldfarb stepped down and news of the Camardas' lawsuit emerged. And
"If the CFP Board is really so certain it will prevail in its lawsuit, why does it seem like all the leadership associated with the case is fleeing the organization?" Kitces asks.
BOARD RESPONDS
A statement from the CFP Board echoes Votava's concerns.
"There is no connection between the resignation of
"After
For now, the board says current chairman
Copyright: | (c) 2015 Financial Planning. All rights Reserved. |
Source: | Source Media, Inc. |
Wordcount: | 750 |
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