Speakers
An impressive line-up of speakers and topics await the money-smart women who attend! Register today.
Christine Benz
Morningstar, Inc.
Presents:
Is Your Portfolio Tracking with Today's Economy?
Christine Benz is director of personal finance for Morningstar, Inc., an investment research firm based in Chicago, and editor of Morningstar Practical Finance, a monthly print newsletter for individual investors. Before assuming her current role in 2008, Benz served as Morningstar's director of mutual fund analysis, and she has also served as editor of Morningstar Mutual Funds, the firm's flagship newsletter.
In addition to writing a weekly column on Morningstar.com, Benz is co-author of Morningstar Guide to Mutual Funds: 5-Star Strategies for Success, and author of the book's second edition as well as author of 30-Minute Money Solutions: A Step-by-Step Guide to Managing Your Finances.
Benz has worked as an analyst and editor at Morningstar since 1993. She holds a Bachelor's degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and serves on the board of directors for Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana where she is the council's treasurer.
Breakout Sessions
Cindy Ivanac-Lillig
Economic Outreach Specialist, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
Presents:
Economic Clues for Investor Success
Cindy joined the Chicago Fed in 2008 as an Economic Outreach Specialist. She leads a variety of economic education programs aimed at educators, students and professional associations across the Midwest. She frequently speaks at professional development seminars on the role of the Fed and monetary policy. She is also currently an adjunct economics instructor at Robert Morris University in downtown Chicago.
Prior to joining the Chicago Fed, Cindy worked in microfinance for a large international NGO, where she oversaw a multi-million dollar USAID lending program. Her background also includes a number of years in financial consulting with Ernst & Young and work abroad for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Cindy received her Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from Boston College and her Masters Degree in International Development and Economics from Johns Hopkins University.
Craig Goettsch
Securities Department, State of Iowa Insurance Division
Presents:
Fraud or Fortune? Advice on Advisors
Craig Goettsch is Director of Investor Education and Consumer Outreach/Securities Counsel for the Iowa Insurance Division. He began his work for the Securities Division in 1975 as a securities examiner.
A native of Davenport, Goettsch received his law degree, with distinction, from the University of Iowa Law School and is a member of the Polk County and Iowa Bar Associations. Goettsch has served as President of the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA), has served on several committees, served on the Board of Directors, and currently chairs NASAA's Uniform Securities Act Project Group and Corporate governance Project Group.
He has served on several task forces of state securities regulators to negotiate multi-state settlements, as an adjunct professor teaching securities law at both Drake and Iowa law schools, and as secretary for the Iowa JumpStart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy. Goettsch is a founder and trustee of the Investor Protection Trust, a public charity dedicated to investor education.
Brian Zitlow
TransUnion 
Presents:
Cashing in On Good Credit Scores
Brian manages large customer relationships in Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri for TransUnion, a national credit bureau that provides credit data and identity verification tools.
Prior to his recent move to Kansas City, Zitlow managed the regional sales offices for TransUnion’s Iowa Division and St. Louis Division. He began his career with TransUnion in 1997 as a sales representative in Wichita, KS, and has facilitated seminars and training sessions on such topics as compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, credit scoring, and how to understand your credit report.
Zitlow has also held several positions in non-profit organizations that promote the education of consumers and credit professionals, including Iowa Jump$tart Coalition, Association of Credit Executives, and American Collectors Association.
Malcom Seline
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney 
Presents:
Annuities: What You Really Need to Know
Malcolm Seline is a Financial Advisor and a Financial Planning Specialist and is part of the Symmetry Group at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in Davenport.
Seline holds a B.B.A. degree in Finance from The University of Iowa. His career includes three and one half years as a Financial Advisor with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney and twenty years in the financial services industry.
He specializes in investment policy, asset allocation, performance evaluation and client service.
Julie Lonergan,
Ruhl Property Solutions
Presents:
Secrets to Invest in Real Estate
Julie Lonergan, a licensed realtor, brings over ten years of strategic planning and business development in the real estate sector to Ruhl Property Solutions. She currently owns and manages over 3,000 residential units, including 50 residential properties in the Quad Cities and Clinton markets. Julie brings tested tools and systems that will ensure your properties are managed as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Gretchen Hurt
BetterInvesting Volunteer Advisory Board
Presents:
Finding Investments That Pay Dividends
Gretchen Hurt is director and instructor of the BetterInvesting Volunteer Advisory Board. She is also a director for the Central Iowa Chapter of BetterInvesting. An investment club aficionado, Gretchen has started two face-to-face investment clubs with friends and is a member of an online family investment club.
Now retired from a varied career as a teacher and small business owner, Gretchen enjoys teaching and sharing with others what she has learned about investing.
Mary Weinand
Iowa State University Extension
Presents:
Investing 101
Mary Weinand is a Family Resource Management Specialist with Iowa State University Extension and serves 13 counties in southeast Iowa. In her position, Mary works with credit, budgeting, and financial and retirement planning issues for Iowa families.
Mary joined ISU Extension in 1998 as a Parent Educator and has worked on a variety of grants and contracts before accepting her current position in 2005. She holds a bachelors degree from St. Mary's College of Notre Dame and an MBA from DePaul University.
