It is important to me as an individual and wealth advisor to give back to the community. I have been involved with many civic and charitable activities, including the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Habitat for Humanity, and my local church.
I have also been involved with the Charlotte LGBT community for several years as an overall supporter of the group’s broader agenda for progress and in actively engaging with LGBT members of the business community. This is a dynamic and diverse group of people, and I greatly enjoy the friendships and business relationships that I have developed within this community.
I also like to market our firm to areas that are underserved by most financial advisors. The LGBT community certainly fits that criterion. My involvement started about 10 years ago. I had several friends who were gay, and one, in particular, was well-connected within several LGBT organizations. He thought it would be great to bring my financial expertise to the local LGBT community, and one way to do that was in volunteering to work at the Charlotte Lesbian and Gay Fund. This organization solicits donors and handles decisions around grants to help support many aspects of the gay and lesbian community in Charlotte.
Throughout my involvement, many people have asked if they could meet to discuss their personal financial situation. The distinct financial needs of gay and lesbian individuals and couples are especially pronounced in how they can best handle estate planning, wills and trusts, beneficiary titling, insurance, and tax planning. Members of the LGBT community have unique planning needs, and I believe my background as a certified estate planner and wealth advisor is very beneficial in helping them build successful financial strategies in many areas.
Disclosure: Securities offered through Niagara International Capital Limited (NICL). Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Great Lakes & Atlantic Wealth Management and Advisory Partners LLC (GLA). A registered investment advisory firm. GLA and JHG Financial are not affiliated with NICL.
Post-publication note: As of this update (Feb. 11, 2020), Mr. Gee is registered with Chalice Capital Partners LLC.
Photography by Jeff Cravotta
