Financial Planning Association names 2026 president-elect, welcomes board members

The Financial Planning Association has announced several leadership changes as it prepares for the year ahead, including the election of D. Crystal Alford-Cooper as president-elect for 2026.

Alford-Cooper, director of financial planning at Law & Associates Wealth Management and Planning in Maryland, will begin her term on January 1, following incoming president Daniel Galli.

Alford-Cooper, who has spent nearly three decades in the financial planning profession, brings experience from both practice and education. She has served as an adjunct professor at Howard Community College and participated in industry groups such as the CFP Board’s Council on Education and the Association of African American Financial Advisors, which is also known as Quad-A. She is completing a four-year term on the FPA board and previously chaired the FPA of Maryland.

“I am excited to help FPA continue to help the profession evolve to ensure it’s meeting the needs of all who can benefit from the guidance of the financial planning community,” Alford-Cooper said in the announcement.

She added that she takes seriously the responsibility to “represent the profession and ensure planners are always rising to the occasion to meet their clients’ needs and all people where they are.”

The board also selected Juan G. HernandezAriano, founder and principal of WealthCreate in Houston, as treasurer for 2026. HernandezAriano, who is completing his first year on the board, has held several leadership roles with the FPA of Houston and has been active in community and research programs in South America.

The FPA has also selected new members to join its board for three-year terms starting in January: Maria Castillo Dominguez, founder of Valoria Wealth Management in Miami; Gregory Furer, chief executive of Beratung Advisors in Pittsburgh; and Otto L. Rivera, a financial planner at White Lighthouse Investment Management in Orlando.

Castillo Dominguez has been recognized for her work in financial literacy and was named to InvestmentNews’ 40 under 40 in 2023. Furer has taught at Duquesne University and served on FPA committees, while Rivera has led knowledge circles within the association and facilitated sessions at annual conferences.

Carl M. Christie, an adjunct faculty instructor at Florida Atlantic University, was re-elected for a fourth year on the board. Christie volunteers as a pro bono financial planner through the association.

The 2026 board will include 15 members, including Dennis Moore, who was recently named chief executive officer after serving as interim chief.

“We are so fortunate to have such dedicated volunteer leaders as Maria, Gregory, Carl, and Otto, who have each had a tremendous impact on FPA and within their communities,” said 2025 president Paul Brahim. “Their diverse viewpoints will only serve to advance FPA and its work to help the profession evolve.”