Speakers
An impressive line-up of speakers and topics await the money-smart women who attend! Register today.
Opening Session
Olivia Mellan
Mellan & Associates
Presents:
Money Shy to Money Sure: A Roadmap to Financial Well Being
Olivia Mellan has been a groundbreaker in the field of money psychology, couples therapy, and money conflict resolution since 1982. Author of five books, including Overcoming Overspending and Advisor's Guide to Money Psychology, Mellan is an expert in gender difference and money. For this money coach, it's about the differences between how men and women handle money.
Combining the skills of a psychotherapist, a financial advisor, and a personal advice columnist, Mellan writes a monthly column for Dow Jones Investment Advisor. She is owner of Olivia Mellan & Associates, Inc. in Washington DC. and began her private practice as a psychotherapist in 1974.
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.
Tom Hunt
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
Presents:
Annuities: What You Really Need to Know
Tom Hunt is a Certified Financial Planner and a financial advisor and is part of The Des Moines Group at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney.
Hunt holds a B.S. degree from the University of Illinois and an MBA in finance from Western Illinois University. His career includes more than nine years of experience as a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney and Edward Jones. He has served as the branch annuity coordinator in the Des Moines office for the past four years. In addition, he earned the Investment Management Consultant designation in 2009.
Hunt specializes in investment policy, asset allocation, performance evaluation and client service.
Josh Hanson
The Hanson Group
Presents:
Secrets to Invest in Real Estate
Josh Hanson is a realtor for The Hanson Group, specializing in investment property. He graduated with a finance degree from University of Iowa, when he began as a financial advisor.
Shortly after graduation, he began The Hanson Group, LLC, which is a real estate investment company that owns and manages more than 15 unites of investment property in the Des Moines area.
In 2006, he was honored with the Rookie of the Year award.
Hanson is a certified trainer and teaches classes for the Iowa Association of Realtors, and is an active member of the Des Moines Area Association of Realtors, the Iowa Association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors. He has gained the Graduate Realtor Institute, GRI, and Certified Residential Specialist , CRS, designations.
Hanson is also the founder and CEO of Nfinity Perfomance Group, a training and organizational development firm.
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.
Tammy Hickman-Fay
CFP, CPA 
Presents:
On-Line Investing Tools to Try
Tammy is a certified financial planner , a CPA, and mother of four. Tammy founded The Center for Financial Success and Prism Financial, a financial planning practice that specializes in helping parents raise kids who know how to handle their money and plan for the future. She is also the creator of a kid-friendly budgeting notebook called “Moolah.”
In addition, Tammy owns several day care centers and is an active community and school volunteer.
