Amy S. Rubin

The financial services industry wasn't the original plan. After earning a BA in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Florida in 1981, followed by an MBA in finance from Emory University in 1983, the first role was in corporate strategic planning for a national retailer. The work was analytical, but it felt removed from the people affected by those strategies.

In 1985, a position opened at a private wealth management firm in Atlanta as an investment analyst and financial planner. That shift made all the difference. By 1986, becoming a registered representative with an independent broker-dealer opened the door to what this work could actually be - not pushing products, but building relationships and helping people understand their own financial lives. The past 40 years have been spent doing exactly that, working with several broker-dealers throughout the career and developing a practice focused on education and long-term planning.

What makes this work rewarding is the relationship side. Clients become friends over time. Helping someone articulate what they're actually trying to accomplish, then watching them achieve it years later, never gets old. The educational piece matters most - when clients understand their financial goals and how to reach them, they move toward real independence. That's the whole point.

Being a fourth-generation Atlantan means watching this city grow and change over decades. Jeff, my husband of 39 years, and our three children - Jake, Dana, and Brad - all live here. We met at the University of Florida, and Gator sports still occupy a lot of our time (season tickets to multiple sports will do that). Biking has become a passion we share, taking trips across the U.S. and internationally whenever possible. Reading fills the quieter moments.

Service to the community includes sitting on the board of Future, Inc., an investment and social club that started in my grandparents' generation, and serving on the Dean's Leadership Council at the University of Florida's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Making sure my own children grew up financially literate has been just as important as the work done with clients. Financial independence starts with understanding, and that applies at home, too.

Professional credentials:

• Series 63, 65, and 7 securities registrations
• Life, Accident, Sickness, and Variable Product insurance licenses
• Specializes in investment, tax, education, and retirement planning for individuals and small business owners
• Continuing education in insurance, pension, estate, and retirement planning