PARK RIDGE, Ill. (Sept. 3, 2008) – The Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) has named Walton W. Rogers, CLU, ChFC, President of the 2008–2009 MDRT Executive Committee. Joining Rogers on the Executive Committee are: Immediate Past President James E. Rogers, CLU, CFP; First Vice President Guy E. Baker, CLU, MSFS; Second Vice President Julian H. Good Jr., CLU, ChFC; and Secretary Jennifer A. Borislow, CLU. Rogers' position as MDRT President became effective Sept. 1, 2008, and is the culmination of his five-year term on the MDRT Executive Committee, which he began as Secretary in 2005.
As MDRT President, Rogers will spend the next 12 months meeting with MDRT members around the globe to promote the principles and benefits of qualifying for MDRT. His Presidential priorities include making the MDRT/GAMA International mentoring program more accessible to MDRT's global membership; motivating MDRT members to develop deeper relationships by seeking out one another for problem solving or advice; encouraging members to develop succession plans for their businesses and their clients; and continuing to build awareness throughout the world of the prestige of belonging to MDRT.
MDRT President Walton W. Rogers, CLU, ChFC Rogers, 64, is a 34-year MDRT member and a three-time Court of the Table qualifier, one of the highest levels of MDRT membership. He first qualified for MDRT in 1975, and has qualified every year since.
Rogers has been a valuable leader to MDRT, serving on numerous committees and task forces, and speaking at several prestigious MDRT Annual Meetings. Rogers is also active in the MDRT Foundation, serving for three years on the Foundation's Board of Trustees before being named an officer of the Foundation. Most recently, he served as Foundation Vice President. In addition to his work on the Foundation Board, he has participated in several major hands-on activities for the MDRT Foundation, including a Habitat for Humanity home build in Dallas, Texas, and many Phonathon fundraisers. Rogers is a generous contributor to the Foundation as a Platinum Knight-level donor.
Rogers manages W. Rogers & Associates, a five-person financial services firm located in Annapolis. Rogers earned his bachelor of science degree in forestry from North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.
In the industry, he has served twice as president of Anne Arundel Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors and served twice on New York Life's National Agent's Advisory Council. He is a 15-time recipient of Baltimore's Agency Leader Award. A true community leader, Rogers is a past president of the Annapolis Rotary Club and the Annapolis Woodworkers Guild. Rogers is a six-year veteran of the Maryland Air National Guard and he is a past board member of United Cerebral Palsy of Southern Maryland.
"Walton is both a passionate and experienced MDRT member and leader,” said MDRT Immediate Past President James E. Rogers, CLU, CFP. "This will be seen by all who observe his efforts over his upcoming year as our President, the spokesperson for, and the face of, our Executive Committee team.”
For more information on Walton W. Rogers, please visit his profile on the MDRT Web site at http://mdrtmediaroom.org.
Members of the 2008–2009 MDRT Executive Committee have held many leadership roles within MDRT, the industry and their local communities. Joining Rogers on the MDRT Executive Committee are:
MDRT Immediate Past President James E. Rogers, CLU, CFP Rogers, of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, is MDRT's Immediate Past President. He has been a member of MDRT since 1974, and currently has 26 Top of the Table honors. He has served as a Chair and member of numerous Round Table committees, most recently serving as the 2004 Divisional Vice President of Strategic Relations. He is an Excalibur Knight of the MDRT Foundation and a Platinum Knight of the Canadian Million Dollar Round Table Foundation.
Rogers is founder of Rogers Group Financial, a 51-person independent financial advisory firm that is now in its 35th year, in addition to being involved with numerous community activities. In 2001, Rogers was the first recipient of Advisor's Edge magazine's Career Achievement Award. The Financial Planners Standards Council also recently awarded him the prestigious 2008 Donald J. Johnston Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Profession of Financial Planning in Canada.
As President of MDRT, Rogers' priorities included ensuring that MDRT represented professionals at the top of the industries in their respective countries; looking at ways to support formal education; making better use of electronic communication, including redesigning MDRT's Web site; and continuing to provide tools for members' Baby Boomer clients through the MDRT Boomertirement program.
MDRT First Vice President Guy E. Baker, CLU, MSFS Baker, of Irvine, California, is MDRT's First Vice President. He is a 38-year MDRT member with 30 Top of the Table qualifications. He has served in many leadership positions within MDRT, including twice as a member of Management Council, MDRT's leadership team, and as a member of the Top of the Table Advisory Board. In addition, he is an Excalibur Knight of the MDRT Foundation and served the MDRT Foundation as its President in 2000.
As managing director of the BTA Advisory Group, Baker manages a group of five financial services companies focused on the needs of wealthy business owners. Also an industry leader, he has served as a member of the board of directors of the Association for Advanced Life Underwriting (AALU) and the Orange County Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. Baker has presented at the MDRT Annual Meeting 13 times, and has written several books and hundreds of articles for industry publications.
MDRT Second Vice President Julian H. Good Jr., CLU, ChFC Good, of New Orleans, Louisiana, is MDRT's Second Vice President and a 25-year member of the Round Table with three Court of the Table and one Top of the Table honors. He has served in many leadership positions within MDRT, including three times as a member of Management Council, MDRT's governing body, as the 1997 Communications, 2001 Membership Administration and 2004 Business and Educational Services Divisional Vice President. He has also served as a committee Chair seven times. In addition, Good is a three-time MDRT Annual Meeting speaker, and a Diamond Knight and Steward of the MDRT Foundation.
Good began his career in the life insurance industry in 1982. Today, his practice focuses on estate and retirement planning, business insurance, and nonqualified and qualified retirement plans. Locally, Good is a past president of the Greater New Orleans Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors and past president of the New Orleans chapter of the Society of Financial Services Professionals. He is currently president of the New Orleans Estate Planning Council and is a member of the Association for Advanced Life Underwriting.
MDRT Secretary Jennifer A. Borislow, CLU Borislow, of Methuen, Massachusetts, MDRT Secretary, is a 20-year MDRT member whose commitment to the Round Table is evident in numerous distinctions and volunteer positions. A qualifier of one Court of the Table and 10 Top of the Table honors, she became the first female to serve at the helm of Top of the Table in 2005 and is the second female to serve on MDRT's Executive Committee. She is a frequent MDRT Annual Meeting speaker, and has served as Divisional Vice President of Finance and Communications. Other distinctions include past Chair positions of the Media Task Force and Public Relations Committee. In addition, she is a Platinum Knight of the MDRT Foundation.
Borislow began her career in the life insurance industry in 1982. Today, her team of 21 employees handles employee benefits for more than 400 corporate clients. A recognized industry expert and well-known speaker, Borislow has addressed audiences throughout the world.
For more information about the 2008–2009 MDRT Executive Committee, please visit their online profiles at http://mdrtmediaroom.org.
About MDRT
MDRT is The Premier Association of Financial Professionals. Founded in 1927, MDRT is an international, independent association of more than 39,000, or less than 1 percent, of the world's best life insurance and financial services professionals. With membership from 87 nations and 491 companies, MDRT members demonstrate exceptional professional knowledge, strict ethical conduct and outstanding client service. MDRT membership is recognized internationally as the standard of excellence in the life insurance and financial services business