Real Estate Private Wealth East Retreat

Abdur Nimeri is a highly respected leader in the financial services industry, known for his expertise in private and public market investments. With a career spanning over two decades, he has consistently delivered industry-leading standards of excellence and instilled a culture of innovation in his organizations. As the Chief Investment Officer at UMB Bank, Abdur propelled the success of multiple investment strategies and oversaw the management of over $16 billion in wealth management investment strategies. Prior to this, he held key positions at Northern Trust Corporation, where he provided direction for the design of quantitative global portfolios and executed above-market performance across various strategies. Abdur's extensive experience also includes senior roles at Fannie Mae and Kronos Investments.

Baylor joined Amerant in 2021 as a Fixed Income Portfolio Manager, and was later promoted to become Senior Fixed Income Strategist. Baylor started her finance career in credit research at Standard & Poor’s, covering the U.S. bank and non-bank financial sector. She was a publishing analyst through the financial crisis at the independent credit rating agency CreditSights (now part of Fitch Ratings). Since 2013, Baylor has worked on the buyside in both institutional and family office roles, including at BMO Global Asset Management and at 1919 Investment Counsel (a division of Stifel Financial). Baylor is an active member of 100 Women in Finance and the Fixed Income Analysts Society, Inc. (FIASI). Baylor earned her M.B.A in Finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business. She also has an M.A. from the University of Miami. 

Bernard is the CCO and Managing Principal, joining the firm when he merged his Private Client and Institutional Consulting firm, Robertson Wealth Advisors, with The Hackett Group. He has earned the Certified Retirement Planning Counselor and Accredited Asset Management Specialist designations focusing on portfolio development and management, research, risk management and consulting. As Senior Consultant, Bernard has and currently works with Defined Contribution and Defined Benefit plans, as well as Public Funds and Nonprofit Organizations in a variety of capacities. He has been a speaker and panelist at several Public Funds, Alternative Investment, and Economic Development meetings and conferences. Previously, Robertson served as Managing Director of the Private Client Group at a boutique investment firm in New Orleans following his successes at Smith Barney, Merrill Lynch and Legg Mason Wood Walker. Bernard is currently providing consulting and management services for clients with assets totaling over $500 million in 16 states. Robertson holds an EMBA with a concentration in Business Growth from Babson College, Masters degree in Business Administration, with a Global Business concentration from Tulane University’s A.B. Freeman School of Business, and a Bachelor of Science from Tulane University. New Orleans City Business has honored him as an “Innovator of the Year”, as well as multiple times as a "Money Maker". Additionally, Robertson serves in a variety of civic leadership roles and board memberships for the Louisiana Council for Economic Education, N.O. Council on Aging, Xavier University Division of Business, Tulane Association of Business Alumni, Treme Charter School Association, NFL Players Association New Orleans Chapter, Flyte Financial & Entrepreneurship, and serves as a Son of a Saint, Silverback Society and Blessed 26 mentor.

Biff is co-founder and member of CrossGrainFI and has worked with ultra high net worth families and multi-generational investment programs for more than two decades. He was previously a Partner with Kimble Advisory LLC, a boutique multi-family office, Senior Vice President and Senior Wealth Advisor at Keel Point, LLC, a large multi-family office and institutional wealth advisor, and Vice President of Non-Traditional Investments and Family Office Services with JoycePayne Partners, a fiduciary advisory firm. Before that, he managed a family investment and consulting company, was Senior Vice President for Financial and Risk Management Services at a petrochemical industry technology firm, and was General Counsel and Corporate Development Strategist for two Internet companies, one publicly traded and the other private. Biff also practiced international business law after beginning his career in public accounting and international private banking in New York City.

Ed Butowsky, managing partner of Chapwood Investments, LLC has the unique ability to recognize how current events affect investment portfolios. An internationally recognized expert in the investment wealth management and personal finance industry, he was featured in “Broke,” the critically acclaimed ESPN “30 for 30” documentary that chronicles professional athletes and their financial experiences, and in the most popular Sports Illustrated article ever: “How (and Why) Athletes Go Broke.” Celebrities and athletes count on Ed Butowsky to provide advice on everything from contract negotiations and agent disputes to family finances and how people with money can take steps to keep it. Ed Butowsky is a mentor to up-and-coming athletes and their parents, but it isn’t only public figures who seek his advice. Private individuals come to him in search of new strategies for their financial concerns. Ed is best known for his straight talk and his willingness to roll up his sleeves and find solutions to issues that others want no part of. His more than 29 years in the financial services industry began at Morgan Stanley, where he was a senior vice president in private wealth management. In his 18 years there, he was the firm’s top producer nationally as well as the first adviser to surpass $1 billion in assets under management. He was recognized as a member of both the Chairman’s Club and the Equity Club, distinctions reserved for only the top advisers at Morgan Stanley. In 2005, Ed launched Chapwood Investments, LLC, a private wealth management advisory firm that focuses on providing comprehensive financial counseling and investment advice to wealthy families and individuals. Under the management of Ed and his partner, Kim Sams, Chapwood Investments was awarded the 2015 Alternative Investment Award for Excellence in Investment Wealth Management – USA.

As president of both Kaufman Rossin Wealth and Kaufman Rossin Insurance Services, Jay Pelham leads the wealth management and insurance affiliates of CPA and advisory firm Kaufman Rossin, where he serves as client services principal. For more than 30 years, Jay has worked with high-net-worth individuals and families in the South Florida market to address their financial needs.

His dedication to fostering client relationships, extensive experience in the financial services industry, and continued philanthropic efforts in our community make him ideally suited for the advisor role. During the course of his career, he has led wealth management and private banking teams for both Fortune 500 companies as well as privately owned boutique providers. Through his years at SunTrust, BankUnited, and Gibraltar Private, Jay led private banking services, where relationships are paramount. As president of TotalBank, he led the bank through organizational change, financial improvement and its ultimate sale.

John Bullman is the Chief Investment Officer at LGT Financial Advisors, LLC. With over 20 years of experience in the investment management industry, he is a key member of the team. As a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder and a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designee, John brings significant expertise in managing investment risk and constructing effective portfolios. He is responsible for assisting the Financial Advisory team with investment recommendations aligned with clients' goals and risk expectations.

Kristin Dacey is Chief Investment Officer – Real Estate, Alternatives at Bulltick, which has a RIA and Broker Dealer. At Bulltick, she also acts as the fund manager of two real estate fund of funds primarily focused on the US market. Concurrently, she is the Chief Investment Officer for Emprenta, an impact investing group, and on the board for Convision 20/20, a social enterprise in Mexico. Previously, she spent 8 years in the private sector of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) contributing to over US$2.2 billion in alternatives investments. Kristin also worked for GE Capital for 7 years where she held progressing roles in credit, portfolio management, and account management participating in the structuring of over 70 real estate, equipment, cash flow and construction deals comprising over US$2 billion in volume. Kristin has a Masters from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, an MBA from Arizona State and BS and BA degrees from Virginia Tech. 

Mary Robbins is the chief investment strategist of Fifth Third Wealth Advisors, a national bank-owned Registered Investment Adviser. With nearly 20 years of financial services industry experience, she leads the firm's investment platform and product roadmap. In her tenure with Fifth Third Wealth Advisors, As chair of the firm's investment committee and member of the senior leadership team, she spearheads all global asset allocation efforts and oversees investment due diligence, security selection and portfolio construction. In addition, Mary is responsible for the firm's market commentary and thought leadership, as well as communicating long-term asset allocation strategies and short-term tactical "tilts".

Tim works closely with high net worth individuals, family offices, and foundations advising on strategic and tactical asset allocation. He also serves on Steel Grove’s Investment Committee specializing in institutional equity and fixed income manager selection and strategy. He has over 25 years of experience in the investment management business. Mr. Ballard began his career analyzing equity investments for institutional clients including mutual funds, hedge funds and insurance companies at Morgan Keegan. He joined Goldman Sachs & Co. in Chicago working in the institutional equities division with large managers consulting on equity investment portfolios. Mr. Ballard then continued to work in the institutional capital markets with Stifel Nicholas and Cantor Fitzgerald focusing on fixed income portfolios. Mr. Ballard graduated summa cum laude from Rhodes College.