". . . the donation couldn't have come at a better time."

Tuesday, Chris Wayne dropped off the huge donation many of you contributed to during Recycle, Shred, Donate, Mr. Twisty autumn cleanup event.  During the drop off, Pathways shared they've been experiencing a significant increase in youth visits.  

Because of your giving, for Pathways to receive many of the most needed items now is quite extraordinary.

. . . There's something happening here 

Kay's Stress and Humor presentation 

Stress and Humor  or  Stress and Humor YouTube 

Motivational Humorist, Kay Frances, has shared her message to “lighten up, stress less and take care of ourselves” in 49 states and Canada for over 30 years. She holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration and a degree in Health and Education.

Kay is the author of “The Funny Thing about Stress; A Seriously Humorous Guide to a Happier Life.”

When it comes to humor, Kay is the "real deal" having performed as a professional standup comedian for many years and appearing on a number of national television and radio programs including Lifetime Cable’s “Girls Night Out” and NBC’s “America’s Funniest People”. She also lived and performed in New York City where she appeared at the nation’s top comedy clubs such as “The Improvisation” and “Catch a Rising Star.”

"Just wanted to let you know that I thought the Women’s Event yesterday was wonderful…right down to the little details. I enjoyed it very much and from what I heard other people saying I think they felt the same."

6th Annual Women's Day Luncheon at Rolling Ridge Wedding & Event Center featured Gaye Lindfors -Speaker, Author, Blogger.  . . . a unique combination of elegance and rustic charm venue exceeded our expectations.  Then with a burst of humor and electric energy Gaye made us laugh and you could feel the camaraderie.

Gaye is the author of several books, including God, Girlfriends & Chocolate and This is Livin’! Learning to Move from Messy Moments to Happy Places.

Gaye approaches life as a front row observer of celebrations, messy places, and you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me! moments. She is a city girl with a Midwestern small-town heart, a corporate and non-profit leader, an author, caregiver, and self-proclaimed Chief Encourager.

Chris’s designation recognizes advisors that have a fundamental understanding of the principals of fiduciary duty, the standards of conduct and process for carrying out said duty. Through a rigorous training program, financial intermediaries demonstrate the ability to perform fiduciary assessments on internal policies, procedures, and workflows to verify or certify an entity’s conformity to a global standard of excellence.

Chris balances his interest in investment analytics with helping clients improve their financial lives through planning and education.

With over 15 years of experience in the financial industry, he exemplifies the vision and goals of Laraway Financial. “Chris is a key part of our success,” says Steve Laraway, president/CEO. “He is true to the company’s stewardship and financial values and objectives.”

5th Annual Women’s Day Luncheon featured keynote speaker Ian Leonard “Passion, Purpose, and Detours.” Ian Leonard sums up his life in one simple sentence:  I love my life, I love my wife, I love my dog... I kinda like the cats. To know Ian is to know his passion for people and his work in the community. Ian works tirelessly for Special Olympics Minnesota (including recently taking his 191st Polar Plunge) and The Alzheimer’s Association of ND-MN having raised over 30 million dollars for the two organizations in the past ten years.

To the delight of many, Ian mingled, helped serve lunch to the women and inspired us.

re·tire·ment 1. the action or fact of leaving one’s job and ceasing to work. Dale Miller, Client Relations Administrator retired from the firm June 1, 2018. Dale managed many of the behind-the-scenes functions at the firm. Dale quietly passed the torch on to Jennifer Lesmeister, Client Relations Coordinator. A couple things you may not know about Dale: Dale is the human Google but faster; he could recall artists and songs from most any music genre, in a blink of an eye; pull up facts of past and current U.S. presidents; and take us a step back in time with his knowledge of U.S. history. One thing we know for sure is Dale has left the building.

Chris Wayne receives District Award of Merit. Laraway Financial Advisors Vice President and Partner Chris Wayne honored with Boy Scouts of America Central Minnesota Council District Award of Merit. This award recognizes professional Scouters who render service of an outstanding nature at a district level.

Chris has been a lifelong active member of Boy Scouts of American since growing up in River Falls, Wisconsin and through his volunteerism seeks to “lead by example.” 

Kimberly Foster, Financial Advisor and Chief Compliance Officer of Laraway Financial Advisors, Inc. recently earned the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®) designation from the American College of Financial Services.

Jennifer Lesmeister joins Laraway Financial Advisors, Inc. as client relations coordinator. Her role includes helping to monitor securities, to provide advisors data for their clients, compiling reports and analyzing data, while managing administrative duties.

For the last four years, Lesmeister has worked for Gray Plant Mooty in the St. Cloud area. Lesmeister’s career has leveraged her skills in interpretation, writing and research and interests in estate and financial planning.

Chris Wayne and James Schmitz (pictured) gave back to our community at The Sheridan Story. The Sheridan Story works to combat hunger in our community by providing food for students to take home each weekend of the school year. Their job was to pack the food for the students to take home.

For more information on the Sheridan Story click here

Chris Wayne, Laraway Financial Advisors Vice President and Partner has been awarded the Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®) designation from the Center for Fiduciary Studies™ (the Center), the standards-setting body for fi360. The AIF designation signifies specialized knowledge of fiduciary responsibility and the ability to implement policies and procedures that meet a defined standard of care. The designation is the culmination of a rigorous training program, which includes a comprehensive, closed-book final examination under the supervision of a proctor, and agreement to abide by the Code of Ethics and Conduct Standards. On an ongoing basis, completion of continuing education and adherence to the Code of Ethics and Conduct Standards are required to maintain the AIF designation.