Winners

Heather Liston , CFP®, EA

at HARGRAVE FIDUCIARY ADVISORS

San Francisco, CA

Heather is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) specializing in resource planning for all of life, with special attention to retirement preparation and the combining and managing of assets in new or changing relationships. She also holds the IRS’s Enrolled Agent credential, as evidence of her expertise in income tax planning. Heather loves helping individuals, couples, and small businesses meet their long-term goals while also enjoying their assets and opportunities in the present.

Steve Abramson , CPC, CLU

President at APS Pension and Financial

Mellenville, NY

Stephen Abramson is the President and founding partner of APS Pension & Financial Services established in 1977, a mid-size consulting and actuarial firm employing twenty-two professional and support staff specializing in pension and pension-related services.  For over 40 years, APS has been providing closely held businesses with financial services including pension design and administration, business succession planning, and wealth preservation planning. In 2015 APS Investment Management was established to provide fiduciary services to 401(k) and 403(b) plans and in 2018 APS Wealth Management, a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA), was established to provide investment management services to individual clients and retirement plans replacing his previous relationship with a Broker/Dealer.  Steve has taught professional level education programs for the American Society of Pension Actuaries; lectured to various professional groups, including the National Conference of CPA Practitioners, The NYS Society of CPAs, Nassau Bar Association, the C.W. Post Tax Institute, and the National Institute of Pension Administrators; and conducted continuing education seminars for Certified Public Accountants for the past 35 years. He is co-author of Plan Smart, Retire Rich published by McGraw Hill in 1998; author of Advisor’s Guide to Qualified Plans originally published by Aspen Publishing in March, 2002 and recently in the process of being updated with the 8th edition, and Retirement Financial Management for Clients Approaching Retirement published by Aspen Publishing in August, 2002.  A less technical version of Advisor’s Guide to Qualified Plans entitled Guide to Qualified Retirement Plans: A Plain Language Primer was published by the International Association of Employee Benefits in March 2005.  The second edition of this book was released in 2008.

Warren Bergstein , CPA, AEP©

Partner at Adelman Katz & Mond LLP

Adamstown, PA

More than forty years of practice in tax planning, estate and trust administration and planning, personal financial planning and accounting have given Warren an extraordinarily deep understanding of personal finance. At his New York City firm, Adelman, Katz & Mond LLP, his clients, who include primarily high net worth individuals, entrepreneurs and sole proprietors, benefit from his particular expertise in tax law, its applications and implications for individuals. Warren is an adjunct professor of accounting and taxation at Long Island University, New Jersey City University, and Rutgers Business School. He has spoken at the Institute of Management Accountants, both the New York and Long Island chapters of Financial Planning Association, the New York State Society of CPAs, New York University, and Lorman Educational Services. In addition, he is an accomplished author, and has regularly contributed to publications the experts rely on, like Marshall Loeb's Money Guide, Taxation for Accountants, and The CPA Journal. Warren has been very active in professional organizations, and has frequently been elected as president, board member or committee chair. 

Ilene Slatko

Principal at DSS Consulting

McLean, VA

For the past 35 years Ilene has provided financial literacy and investment education for individual clients to enhance their understanding of money, finances, and investments; and to organizations with a particular emphasis on retirement planning. She has worked for notable Washington, DC area investment companies in management and in building organizational depth in financial education. 

Ms. Slatko has significant experience in the areas of leadership development, team development, career development, executive coaching and talent management. She has expertise in designing learning solutions – virtual instructor-led training and instructor-led -- to meet the unique challenges of clients. She was a key provider of executive and employee education for The Southland Corporation, U.S. Mapping, Century 21, and ERA Real Estate. She has worked with executives and leaders in the areas of communication, selling, client management, leadership development, and team development. 

Ms. Slatko has extensive experience in Federal retirement programs and training federal employees. When the previous retirement system was replaced by FERS, Ilene was at the forefront of presentations to educate affected employees in their choices. She has been a trainer for retirement presentations at agencies throughout the DC area,

She has been a speaker at conferences including the Army Materiel Command Women’s Financial Day, Delaware Women’s Conference, and numerous youth financial literacy programs. Ms. Slatko is currently the host of a weekly Roku and Apple TV show called, The *It Show, the first financial program designed specifically for young women. In addition, she has been the Director of Training for companies in the financial and real estate fields. 

Ilene is an alumna of Marietta College where she studied Drama, Speech, and English.