Management Team

Dale E. Brown, CAE, is the founding president and CEO of the Financial Services Institute (FSI).  Established in 2004, FSI is the only organization advocating on behalf of independent financial services firms and their affiliated independent financial advisors. FSI’s mission is to create a healthier regulatory environment for their members through aggressive and effective advocacy, education and public awareness. FSI represents more than 100 independent financial services firm members and their 160,000+ affiliated financial advisors.

Dale brings more than 30 years of association management experience to FSI with broad leadership in government relations and constituent advocacy. He leads FSI’s advocacy strategy, interacting frequently with regulators and policymakers in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining FSI at its launch, Dale guided the government relations, corporate and broker-dealer programs for the Financial Planning Association (FPA) and the International Association for Financial Planning (IAFP).  Dale led the successful fight in the mid-1990s against the IRS’s attempts to force broker-dealers to re-classify independent contractor representatives as statutory employees.

Dale was named a Certified Association Executive (CAE) in 1995. He is a past president of the Georgia Society of Association Executives (GSAE), and a recipient of GSAE’s President’s Award in 1995 and 2001. In May 2002, he received GSAE’s highest honor, the Clifford M. Clarke Award, given annually to an association executive who has demonstrated exemplary personal leadership and service to his or her own association, the association community and the general community.

Dale is an elder at Redeemer Church of Arlington, VA. He also serves on the board of Orphan Prevent Community, an Atlanta-based 501(c)3 ministry to at risk families in Guatemala.

Dale has been recognized by Registered Rep magazine as one of “Ten to Watch” in 2005; included in Boomer Market Advisor’s “Forward Thinking Five” in 2006; and was named for nine consecutive years as one of ThinkAdvisor’s 25 most influential individuals in and around the planning profession. He was named by InvestmentNews as one of the Power 20 for 2012.

Dale attended the University of Georgia and graduated from Georgia State University with a bachelor’s degree in political science.

David Bellaire works to prevent unintended consequences. As the Financial Services Institute’s executive vice president & general counsel, David leads FSI’s team of lawyers and lobbyists in pursuit of a business environment that frees its member broker-dealers and financial advisors from the unintended consequences of federal and state legislation and regulation. David has more than 25 years of broker-dealer advocacy, compliance, legal, and operations experience. Prior to joining FSI, he served as vice president of operations and general counsel at Securities Service Network, Inc. He also previously served as special investigations attorney and regional compliance manager with InterSecurities, Inc. (now known as Transamerica Financial Advisors), assistant director of compliance at Commonwealth Financial Network, Inc., and assistant to the executive director at the Institute of Certified Financial Planners (ICFP). David earned a B.S. in business management from Providence College and a J.D. from the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law. He is admitted to practice law in the states of Massachusetts and Tennessee. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music, reading and spending time with his wife Sara and their two children.

With more than 30 years of experience in association management, Michelle has dedicated the majority of her career to working for various associations in specialized roles focused on events and education. In her role at FSI, she leads the strategic and the operational direction of its portfolio of meetings, educational content, sponsorship and marketing.

She is a strong advocate for professional development and lifelong learning, which is reflected in the certifications she has earned and maintained, including the Certified Meeting Professional Fellow (CMP Fellow); the Certificate in Meeting Management (CMM); ASAE’s Business of Meetings Certification and the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential.

She is an active member of Meeting Professionals International, serving in numerous leadership roles at both the chapter and global level. She is the Past President of the Potomac Chapter and currently the Chair-Elect on MPI’s International Board of Directors, where she recently served two years as Vice-Chair of Finance.

Beyond her work at FSI, Michelle remains engaged in the meetings industry and has served on Events Industry Council’s CMP Governance Commission and other industry-related advisory boards. She earned her Bachelor of Science with a minor in Business from Ithaca College in New York.

Brett joins FSI from another 501(c)6 Washington D.C. based association where he served as the Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Operations for 6 years. In this role he managed the day-to-day finance and operations, including business and strategic planning, the Board’s finance committee that oversaw budgeting and audits, and several member outreach programs. He was successful in improving internal operating processes, strengthening the balance sheet, and creating a 9-month reserve. Prior to that, Brett worked for a world-wide management consulting firm specializing in transportation, and as a partner or the firm managed several lines of business including financial planning, commercial development, organizational reviews, and preparation of official statements to accompany bond issuances. Brett has over 24 years of business and finance experience. Brett received a B.A. in Economics and Finance from Carleton University.

Robin has nearly 20 years of diverse experience in the financial services industry where she has held legal, compliance and regulatory roles. Previously, Robin led a team of regulatory analysts in FINRA’s Office of Fraud Detection and Market Intelligence. She also served as Agency Supervisory Officer for the mid-Atlantic regional office of MML Investors Services and provided legal advice as in-house Counsel for Thrivent Investment Management, a broker-dealer. Robin graduated from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota, her hometown. She is admitted to District of Columbia bar and was previously licensed in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Robin has held the Series 7, 24, 53, and 66 licenses and was formerly a Certified Fraud Examiner.

Renee Barnett is an attorney with 20 years of securities law experience. Prior to joining FSI, Renee spent 12 years at FINRA as Senior Counsel in both the Department of Market Regulation and the Enforcement Department, where she focused on a wide-array of broker-dealer regulatory and compliance issues. In addition, she was an associate in the securities group at WilmerHale, focusing on investigations initiated by the SEC, FINRA, and state attorneys general. She also clerked in the United States District Court, District of Maryland, for the Honorable Richard D. Bennett.

Renee earned her law degree from American University, Washington College of Law, graduating summa cum laude and she served on the editorial board of the American University Law Review. She has an undergraduate business degree from Wake Forest University. Renee is admitted to practice  in the District of Columbia and Maryland.

Dan is an attorney with over 25 years of experience in government affairs and advocacy in the financial services sector, working with state and federal legislators and regulators to achieve optimal policy outcomes. His background covers the breadth of the financial services sector, having managed advocacy programs and relationships for the Financial Planning Association (FPA), Fannie Mae, the Risk & Insurance Management Society and the Securities Industry Association.

He holds a law degree from St. John’s University in New York and is admitted to the New York Bar. He earned his BA and MA degrees in government and politics from St. John’s, as well.

Dan and his wife, Magdalena, live in Arlington, VA where they are raising their two daughters and one son.

As Director of Political Engagement, Matt focuses on helping to mobilize FSI’s members, both independent financial service firms, and independent financial advisors. Matt previously served as the Director for Mitt Romney’s annual E2 Summit and has a wealth of political campaign and fundraising experience. Most notably, Matt has worked for now Senator Mitt Romney, Former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, and America Rising PAC.

Matt is a graduate of St. Lawrence University, with a B.A. in Government.

Hanna is one of FSI’s Legislative Affairs Counsel, focusing on federal regulation. Prior to joining FSI, Hanna worked on policy issues related to financial services and health care at a leading government affairs law firm. Additionally, she worked for several years as an E-Discovery attorney during the various phases of class action litigation.

Hanna earned her B.A. in English and French from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio and her J.D. from Northern Kentucky University’s Chase College of Law. She is admitted to practice law in Ohio and the District of Columbia.

Kathryn has 25 years of experience in the financial services industry where she has held private banking, sales and national accounts roles. Currently, Kathryn is responsible for the strategic management of relationships with approximately 100 sponsor companies that partner with FSI. Prior to joining FSI, she spent over 12 years in sales and national accounts for Wells Real Estate Funds where she was responsible for developing strategic relationships with independent broker/dealers and financial institution broker/dealers across the country. At Wachovia Bank, she was a senior relationship banker where she worked with consumers and businesses to proactively capture full client relationships that included deposits, lending, treasury services, and investments. She is a 1996 graduate of the North Georgia College and State University with a B.S. in Accounting. Kathryn has held the Series 7, 63, Life and health insurance and real estate licenses.

Allison joins FSI with a broad range of experience in the communications field. Prior to joining FSI, Allison worked at the Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) as a Communications & Marketing Specialist. She has also worked as a Weekend Reporter at Lakeshore Public Radio in northwestern Indiana and was the News Director at WVUR-FM from 2008-2010.

Allison graduated with honors from Valparaiso University with a B.A. in Journalism and Political Science.

As Director of Member Engagement, Christine works directly with our FSI Councils and Task Forces to increase member engagement and identify areas FSI can advocate on behalf of membership interests. She also facilitates the content development and delivery for all FSI events.

Christine brings with her over 13 years of financial services experience. Prior to joining FSI,  she served as Director of Corporate Events for Triad Advisors, LLC and part of the events team for Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc. (currently Advisor Group) for 12 years. Most recently, Christine operated as the Project Manager for a boutique 401k firm in Atlanta. She is a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) and received her Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) certification in 2019.

Christine holds both an A.A. in Liberal Arts from Truett-McConnell College in 2001 and a B.A. in Public and Political Communication from Georgia State University in 2004. Based in Atlanta, she enjoys the outdoors, traveling and all things music.

Chris is a veteran of Capitol Hill, spending more than a decade in presidential and congressional campaigns, working as a spokesman and strategic advisor for both U.S. House and Senate leadership offices, the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee and the Bush administration. After directing the communications department for U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Chris ended his public service as Senior Advisor to former U.S. Senator George V. Voinovich of Ohio. For the last two years before joining FSI, he served as Senior Vice President of Communications, Marketing and Public Affairs for the Insured Retirement Institute. Chris earned a bachelor’s degree in communication and journalism from The Ohio State University.

Wanda comes to FSI with an extensive background in association operations. Prior to joining FSI, Wanda worked at the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) in its membership department, and in a variety of positions at the American Coatings Association (ACA).

Wanda earned a B.A. in Foreign Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Jeremy joins FSI with a background in scientific research, IT and accounting. Prior to joining FSI, he worked for seven years as a database programmer at the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) followed by working in accounting for a few different for-profit companies. He is also Treasurer of the Board of Directors of Congregation Etz Hayim in Arlington, VA.

Jeremy earned his B.A. in Cognitive Science from Northwestern University in 2001 and his B.S. in Accounting from the University of Maryland University College in 2009. He is licensed as a CPA in the state of Maryland.

Keith joins FSI with a background in accounting. Prior to joining FSI he was a project accountant at an architectural firm in the Towson area.

Keith earned his B.S. in Accounting from Towson University in 2017.

Isiah is responsible for managing FSI’s database information. Isiah joins the FSI Team with a background in program management & consulting. During his time as a government consultant in the renewable energy industry, he became skilled in data analysis and user interface implementation.

Isiah earned a B.A. in Philosophy, Politics, & Economics from the University of Maryland.

Nicki joins FSI with a broad range of experience in project management and member services. Prior to joining FSI, Nicki worked at the Association of Clinical Research Professionals as Membership Administrator, where she managed the Association’s 60+ chapter affiliates and special interest groups. Before that, she was a Senior Consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton, providing project management and communications support to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Nicki earned her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Tennessee in 2007.

Andress comes to FSI with a background as an Executive Assistant and a Certified Paralegal.  Prior to joining FSI, Andress worked in the General Counsel’s Office for Children’s National Health System both as an Executive Assistant and Risk Management Paralegal.

Andress attended University of Maryland Baltimore County and Catholic University for her undergraduate studies.