Estate planning is headed into unknown territory! Are you ready to advise your clients at light speed or will their estate plans warp, jeopardizing both their real and digital assets? Now is the time to take a quantum leap to stay up to date learning how new rules and tax legislation will impact the future of estate planning. The Estate Planning Institute brings together leading experts and professionals to help you with strategies to protect your clients’ assets. Effective estate planning will safely transport you and your clients through the portal of the future.
Who Should Attend
This informative Institute will benefit attorneys, accountants, bankers, investment advisers, estate planning and tax practitioners, financial planners, and anyone interested in learning more about effective estate planning for their clients. Seating is limited, so reserve your space TODAY!
There are no qualifications or prerequisites to participate in and benefit from this program.
Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces
We are excited to host our 27th Annual Estate Planning Institute again at Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces. With a central location in the city, magnificent views, elegant pool area and outstanding amenities this hotel allows attendees to unwind during the Institute. Through our continued partnership we are able to offer a discounted rate of $103.00 (before taxes) per night for attendees on both Wednesday, October 31st and Thursday, November 1st nights during the event.
The last day to book your stay at this exclusive rate will be Wednesday, October 17th.
Phone Booking
Call (575) 522-4300 and mention “Estate Planning” to a Hotel Encanto team member to lock in this specialized rate.
Online Booking
Click HERE to book on our exclusive web-page. If you experience any technical difficulties please call the hotel number listed above.
Directions
Click below for Google Map directions on how get to Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces, which is located at:
705 South Telshor Blvd., Las Cruces, NM 88011
View of Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces Pool courtesy of hotelencanto.com
Registration Rates
The registration rates listed below vary for the time of the registrant’s payment. Each registrant will receive one reserved spot to attend our Estate Planning Institute for both days and includes an electronic PDF file of the 2019 Speaker Manual. If you would like to have a printed copy of the 2019 Speaker Manual it will be an additional $30.00 per manual. Registrants interested in the printed version must reserve their copy either by noting this request at the time of registration or by contacting a Community Foundation team member by Friday, October 18th.
Early-Bird: $375
Include printed speaker manual: $405.00
Now – September 30th
Standard: $450.00
Include printed speaker manual: $480.00
Saturday, September 1st – Wednesday, October 31st
Walk-In: $475.00
*A printed speaker manual will only be offered after the event for walk-in registrants*
Include printed speaker manual: $500.00
Thursday and Friday, November 1st and 2nd
Payment Information
The Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico accepts card and check payments. Credit or debit card payments can be made online, through the phone, or by coming into our CFSNM office location. Check payments need to be made out to “The Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico” and should be either dropped-off or mailed-in to our CFSNM office location. Our office location address is as follows:
2600 El Paseo Road
Las Cruces, NM 88001
Online Payment
Payments can be made online with a credit card by clicking the link below.
Click here to register, sponsor, or donate to this year’s EPI!
Company Invoice
If you will be attending on behalf of a business and they will need to be billed an invoice please email our Special Events Coordinator, Alexia, at alexia@cfsnm.org or call our office number listed below.
Phone Payment
Call 575-521-4794 to pay over the phone with a CFSNM team member.
Event Schedule
Click Here to Download the 2018 Speaker Reference Manual PDF
Speaker Information
Roberto Coronado-Vice President in Charge and Senior Economist
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, El Paso Branch
Presentation Topic: New Mexico Economic Update
Will be discussing current economic trends in the state of New Mexico. In addition, this presentation will provide an overview of the main economic clusters present in New Mexico. Regional economic challenges and opportunities will be addressed in this presentation.
Coronado serves as the Dallas Fed lead officer and regional economist for West Texas and Southern New Mexico. Coronado works closely with the branch’s board of directors and provides leadership and oversight for the operating and administrative functions of the El Paso office. He is also a senior economist and a member of the regional group of the Bank’s Research Department. His research focuses on issues pertaining to the Mexican economy, the U.S.–Mexico economic integration and border issues. Coronado has written articles for various Federal Reserve publications and academic journals in both the United States and Mexico.
In addition, Coronado is a board member of the Workforce Solutions Borderplex, El Paso Greater Chamber of Commerce, El Paso Collaborative for Academic Excellence and the United Way of El Paso. He is also a clinical assistant professor at the University of Texas at El Paso where he teaches in the Executive MBA program. He obtained his PhD in economics from the University of Houston and holds a BBA in accounting and economics and an MS in economics from UTEP.
Pete Davis, President
Davis Capital Investment Ideas
Presentation Topic: Washington Update
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act created many challenges for taxpayers, practitioners, Treasury, and the IRS. We’re still waiting for regulations and guidance on a lot of issues. There’s some question within the demoralized IRS how well next spring’s filing season will go. Most taxpayers will enjoy a tax cut, but some high-income and low-income taxpayers will get a surprise tax increase. Warn your clients now if you haven’t already.
Pete Davis advises Wall Street money managers on Washington policy developments that affect the financial markets. President of his own consulting firm since 1992, Davis Capital Investment Ideas, Pete draws on 11 years of experience as a Capitol Hill economist with the Joint Committee on Taxation (1974-1981), the Senate Budget Committee (1981-1983), and Senator Robert C. Byrd (1992). He worked in the House and Senate, and for Republicans and Democrats. Pete brought the first computer policy model, the Treasury Individual Income Tax Model, to Capitol Hill in early 1974, when he became a revenue estimator on the Joint Committee on Taxation. He formulated the 1975 rebate, the earned income tax credit, the 1976 estate tax rates, the 1978 marginal tax rates, and the Roth-Kemp tax cut. He left Capitol Hill in 1983 for the Washington Research Office of Prudential-Bache Securities, where he advised investors for seven years.
Dale Dekker, AIA, AICP-Founding Principal and Architect
Dekker/Perich/Sabatini
Presentation Topic: Is New Mexico due for an Extreme Makeover?
In the words of wise philosopher, Yogi Berra: “When you come to a fork in the road, take it!” This presentation focuses on the mega trends that will influence which fork in the road New Mexico should take. Technology is moving faster than ever: robotics, artificial intelligence, smart cities, Industry 4.0, the Internet of things, ubiquitous sensors, autonomous cars, 3-D printing, and space commercialization. All paint a picture of a future that will require an extreme makeover of our state in order to provide opportunities for current and future generations of New Mexicans.
Dekker is the original founder of Dekker/Perich/Sabatini and since then has extensive experience in architecture and planning projects that are socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable. Dale’s contributions to architecture include high tech, one-of-a-kind research facilities for Sandia National Labs, award-winning school designs across the Southwest, and large-scale master planning projects, such as the UNM Master Plan Update.
Raised in Albuquerque, Dale has become heavily involved in enhancing the quality of life in his community by participating as a volunteer on a variety of boards and commissions. Dale is a member of the Economic Forum, the Executive Committee of Albuquerque Economic Development (AED), Board Member and Past Chair of NAIOP, Past-District Council Chair of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), and was appointed by Governor Susana Martinez to the Construction Industries Commission and the State of New Mexico Workforce Solutions Development Board. Dale also serves on a variety of non-profit boards, including the Albuquerque Public Schools Foundation and the Central New Mexico Community College Foundation.
As an experienced architect and planner, Dale is committed to building a better state and community. He is currently leading an effort for the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, called the 2065 Plan that is intended to take a long range look at what the city and region might look like 50 years from today.
Paula Feinberg, Senior Vice President, Investments
Raymond James, Dallas Cities Branch
Presentation Topic: Loss & Planning For Widows
Learn how to help clients who are coping with family loss with an emphasis on creating a plan for widowers.
Paula Elerick Feinberg is a Senior Vice President with Raymond James Financial Services where she and her assistant, Shannon, take care of multi generational families in Dallas, New York, San Francisco, Houston, El Paso and other great cities. She brings with her over 25 years of experience in economic and community development, investment strategy, and financial planning with a special compassion for families who have experienced loss, having lost her husband four years ago.
Paula was born in Santiago, Chile and attended Loretto Academy preparatory. She received her Bachelors Degree from the University of Texas at El Paso in the Liberal Arts Honors Program where she was selected as the first Truman Scholar from UT El Paso. She lived in New York City for many years where she received her Masters in International and Public Affairs from Columbia University.
Paula worked in the South Bronx on community and economic development projects and later was recruited as a Vice President by Citibank to direct public affairs for Manhattan and the Bronx. She spent 20 years with Citigroup and Smith Barney and joined Raymond James last year. She currently serves on the Loretto Academy Board of Trustees in El Paso and returned recently to serve on the Board of Chiapas International in Dallas. She was a founding member of this organization ten years ago in an effort to expand micro-lending tools to the poorest women in Latin America by connecting wealthy, philanthropic women in Dallas to the cause.
Margaret “Peggy” Graham-Of Counsel and Special Needs Attorney
Pregenzer, Baysinger, Wideman & Sale
Presentation Topic: Special Needs Planning & ABLE Accounts
Gain insight into the types of accounts for people with disabilities and specific estate planning routes professionals can utilize when helping a special needs client and their families. This presentation will cover the types of special needs trusts (SNT) professionals can use in their practice and give a better understanding of the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2014.
Margaret “Peggy” Graham began her career in Topeka, Kansas where she practiced for 15 years before returning to Albuquerque. While practicing in Kansas, Peggy tried many cases to a jury verdict while an Assistant Attorney General, represented the State in numerous child and adult abuse cases, established guardianships and conservatorships for hundreds of vulnerable adults, represented the State in Medicaid and welfare benefits appeals, and served as an Administrative Law Judge for seven years where she presided over hearings for state agencies, boards and commissions, including Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, the Kansas Board of Pharmacy, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the Kansas Human Rights Commission, and the Kansas Department of Labor.
Upon moving back to Albuquerque with her family in 2009, Peggy has focused her practice on elder law, specifically in representing individuals and families in the appointment of guardians and conservators for the elderly or disabled as both the petitioning attorney and Guardian ad Litem, estate planning, probate, and fiduciary litigation. Peggy has tried cases in both state and federal court, and has represented clients before administrative bodies, including the Social Security Administration and New Mexico Human Services Department.
Peggy has a unique perspective on the representation of families who have members with developmental disabilities and special needs as she is the mother of a special needs child.
Nell Graham Sale-Of Counsel and Attorney
Pregenzer, Baysinger, Wideman & Sale
2 Ethics & Professionalism topics presented with Dan Monte:
Presentation 1: Ding Dong the Witch is Dead
We will explore the ethical issues involved in representing the Personal Representative of an estate, especially in a wrongful death proceeding, when a Munchkinland lawyer is retained by the Wicked Witch of the West to pursue a claim resulting from the death of her sister, the Wicked Witch of the East.
Presentation 2: The Client, the Spouse and the Kids, Oh My
We will explore the ethical issues involved in representing an estate planning client, her subsequent spouse, and the children, with an emphasis on issues of incapacity of the spouse, when Dorothy moves from Kansas to New Mexico and marries the Scarecrow.
Nell Graham Sale is Of Counsel with the law firm of Pregenzer, Baysinger, Wideman & Sale in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is admitted to practice law in New Mexico, Delaware, Pennsylvania, U. S. Tax Court and the U. S. Supreme Court. Nell is celebrating her 10 year anniversary of having her AV Preeminent® rating from LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell. She has been repeatedly selected for inclusion by her peers in Best Lawyer in America®, and has been selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers for many consecutive years. Nell was named Best Lawyers 2017 Elder Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Albuquerque.
Nell is a Certified Elder Lawyer as designated by the National Foundation for Elder Law. She is a former board member of the Special Needs Alliance, a national network of disability trust lawyers. Nell is a fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. She received the 2012 award from the Albuquerque Community Foundation for Excellence in Charitable Gift Planning. She also received the 2012 CLE Pinnacle award from the New Mexico Bar Association, obtaining the highest ratings for speaking at CLE programs.
Nell’s law practice concentrates on taxation, estate planning, estate administration, business succession, disability planning, and elder law. During law school, Nell garnered six American Jurisprudence awards and served as a Wolcott Fellow law clerk for the late Chief Justice Andrew D. Christie of the Delaware Supreme Court. When she is not working or serving the community, Nell is an avid tennis player.
David Hansen-Shareholder and Tax Attorney
ScottHulse Law Firm
Presentation Topic: Estate Planning Highlights from NYU’s 77th Institute on Federal Taxation
The New York University (NYU) School of Professional Studies Institute on Federal Taxation is a six-day program that encompasses all major areas of tax, including current developments; tax controversies; corporate tax; partnerships, LLCs, and real estate; trusts and estates; executive compensation and employee benefits; closely-held businesses; international tax; ethical transactions; and hot tax topics. Hansen’s highlights will allow attendees to learn about this year’s vital presentations!
Hansen is a tax lawyer and shareholder in the ScottHulse Law Firm where he represents clients during tax audits, administrative appeals and tax litigation. He also assists taxpayers confronted with government action to collect unpaid taxes and represents clients on intellectual property matters as a trademark attorney. Since joining the Firm, David has negotiated offers in compromise with the IRS and has litigated and won cases before the United States Tax Court. He has also assisted numerous non-profit organizations in their applications for tax-exempt status. David has helped both for-profit and non-profit entities with tax and corporate structure planning, including formations, mergers, conversions, and sales of entities. He has also assisted individuals with estate planning and sales of real estate.
He earned a Master of Business Administration from Cornell University and co-founded the International Institute for Biomedical Research (IIBR), a pharmaceutical research organization that became one of the leaders in the field of obesity and diabetes research. He then earned his Juris Doctor degree with honors from the University of Texas—Austin and later gained additional specialization in tax law, earning his LL.M. in Taxation from New York University.
David is active in the El Paso Community, serving on the local Boards of the American Red Cross and the Boy Scouts of America (Yucca Council). He is also an active member of the Coronado Baptist Church and has traveled on a charity mission to Guatemala. David is also a Member of the El Paso Bar Association and the American Bar Association.
Buffy Johnson-Franchise Owner/Manager and President
Home Instead Senior Care and Buffy Johnson Consulting
Presentation Topic: The 70/40 Rule….It All Adds Up!
The “70/40 Rule” means that if your parents are 70, or you are 40—it’s time to start talking about certain senior topics. This rule was created through research and experience by Home Instead Senior Care, an international care giving company, to encourage earlier conversations about sensitive life topics between adult children and their aging parents. Buffy will discuss how professionals can utilize this guide when working with their clients.
Buffy Johnson purchased the Home Instead Senior Care office in 2016 and has continued to provide the Las Cruces community with the quality and compassion that previous owners initiated.
Buffy has had an extensive career in Executive Management with proven results and a strong desire to enhance the quality of life for seniors. She has an extensive background in long term care facility survey preparation, customer service, census/marketing and financial success. Buffy graduated with a B.S. degree in Health Professions/Health Administration from Southwest Texas State University in 1991. She was a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator for 24 years and spent the past 10 years as the Regional Vice President of the health care company Fundamental, then the President of Operations for On Pointe Health, and the Regional Vice President of Consulate Health Care.
She now owns the Home Instead Senior Care franchise in Las Cruces and has a passion for providing quality care to seniors. Along with that passion Buffy works with investors and operators to build or open new nursing homes and assisted living properties on behalf of her personal business Buffy Johnson Consulting.
Greg Martin-Attorney
Kemp Smith Law
Presentation Topic: Overview of the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act
Attendees will receive a high level overview of the new tax law commonly known as the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” that went into effect January 1, 2018. This overview will identify some of the important changes to the taxation of individuals, estates and trusts, and businesses.
Gregory “Greg” E. Martin primarily practices in the areas of Corporate & Business, Estate Planning and Tax. Martin earned a B.A. in 2006 from Trinity University and then graduated magna cum laude with his Juris Doctor degree in 2011 from Texas Tech School of Law.
Prior to joining Kemp Smith, Mr. Martin was a Summer Clerk for the Honorable Judge Junell, U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Texas, and he participated in the Low Income Tax Clinic at Texas Tech School of Law. Mr. Martin was honored with the CALI award for Professional Responsibility as well as the Am Jur award for Estate and Gift Taxation, Corporate Taxation, Low Income Tax Clinic, Marital Property and Criminal Law.
Additionally, Mr. Martin has been a presenter at UTEP’s Estate Planning Conference for Women twice and other CLEs for the National Business Institute. He was also apart of the Leadership El Paso Class 39 and served on the Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters from 2013-2017.
He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the El Paso Estate Planning Council, El Paso Holocaust Museum, and El Paso Probate Bar. Martin is also actively involved with the Progress 321 initiative, which works with Las Cruces, NM; El Paso, TX; and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico individuals to recruit, empower and develop active young professionals who can volunteer and provide their expertise to build the capacities of nonprofit organizations engaged in education, the arts, public health and economic development and to engage in and fund projects and initiatives in these areas in the hopes of improving the region’s quality of life.
Daniel “Dan” Monte-Of Counsel and Attorney
Pregenzer, Baysinger, Wideman & Sale
2 Ethics & Professionalism topics presented with Nell Graham Sale:
Presentation 1: Ding Dong the Witch is Dead
We will explore the ethical issues involved in representing the Personal Representative of an estate, especially in a wrongful death proceeding, when a Munchkinland lawyer is retained by the Wicked Witch of the West to pursue a claim resulting from the death of her sister, the Wicked Witch of the East.
Presentation 2: The Client, the Spouse and the Kids, Oh My
We will explore the ethical issues involved in representing an estate planning client, her subsequent spouse, and the children, with an emphasis on issues of incapacity of the spouse, when Dorothy moves from Kansas to New Mexico and marries the Scarecrow.
Daniel “Dan” J. Monte completed his undergraduate degree from the University of New Mexico in 1988 and attended law school at Creighton University Law School in Omaha, Nebraska. Upon graduating from law school in 1992, he joined a firm in Missouri. In 1999, he and his family moved to Santa Fe, where Dan joined a law firm and focused his practice in estate planning, estate administration, real estate, and represented several corporate fiduciaries.
For the past 11 years, Dan has worked in various senior management positions with a bank’s trust department in New Mexico and with a trust and wealth management company in Missouri. In 2017, he moved back to New Mexico when he joined the law firm of Pregenzer Baysinger Wideman & Sale, PC. His primary areas of practice are estate planning, fiduciary services, trust administration, probate, and elder law.
Bridget Mullins-Associate and Spanish Speaking Attorney
Pregenzer, Baysinger, Wideman & Sale
Presentation Topic: Medicaid Planning
Learn about how to protect your assets while qualifying for Medicaid. How the application works with an emphasis on the four eligibility requirements including a deeper understanding about the medical, income, resource and transfer qualifications.
Bridget is an attorney with the law firm of Pregenzer, Baysinger, Wideman & Sale in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She represents clients in the areas of Guardianships, Probate, Wills, Trusts, Elder law, and Family law with a focus on working with Spanish-speaking clients. In Addition, Bridget has a strong trial background after spending many years prosecuting domestic violence, child abuse, and human trafficking cases for the District Attorney and Attorney General’s Offices in Albuquerque.
Being fluent in Spanish has allowed her to work with Spanish-speaking families in many different contexts – as a teacher, an advocate, and as an attorney. Bridget earned a Master’s degree in Latin American Studies as well as her Law Degree from the University of New Mexico and while obtaining her JD in 2011 taught Spanish classes to undergraduate students. She has also worked on consumer protection issues and taught Financial Literacy classes to help community members learn about debt, investing, and credit. She is an Elder Law Section Member of the New Mexico State Bar Association and member of the New Mexico Hispanic Bar Association, as well as a liaison for the Real Property, Trust and Estate for the Young Lawyers Division.
Michael Schlesinger-Firm Partner and Attorney
Schlesinger & Sussman
Presentation Topic: What’s Current with 199A and S Corps
A discussion on the four statutory changes to S corps; one being the allowance of a non-resident alien to be a beneficiary of an electing small business trust.
Michael Schlesinger is a practicing tax lawyer, member of the New York bar and former Adjunct Professor of Law at Pace University Law School and Adjunct Professor of Accounting, at the Lubin School of Business, Pace University. He is also the author of several books including “S Corporations: Tax Practice and Analysis” (2018), among others. He is also the author of over eighty tax articles that have appeared in national publications such as the Journal of Taxation, Estate Planning, Practical Accountant, Business Entities, and many others. Mr. Schlesinger’s latest article “Tax Planning in Today’s Environment was published by Practical Tax Strategies in 2017 and reprinted in Journal of Corporate Taxation this year.
Mr. Schlesinger is a frequent guest contributor in CCH’s analyses of major tax legislation, the latest being “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: Law, Explanation & Analysis” He has been a lecturer to various organizations including, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Practicing Law Institute, the National Tax Institute, the National Association of Enrolled Agents, the National Conference of Certified Public Accountant Practitioners, the American Institute of Banking, the New York County Lawyers Association, the Federal Tax Forum, the New York and New Jersey State Societies of Certified Public Accountants, BKR International, the New Jersey Association of Public Accountants and the National Society of Public Accountants. Mr. Schlesinger has been quoted in Smart Money and Fortune Small Business; he is also frequently quoted in the New York Times and Federal Tax Weekly.
Thank you to this year’s sponsors!
