Membership Categories
Accountants - For admission to the accountants' group, the applicant must be a certified public accountant, have regular and active involvement in estate planning in the geographical area served by the Council, and be properly licensed in New York State.
Attorneys – For admission to the attorneys’ group, the applicant must be admitted to practice law and have regular and active involvement in estate planning, either in their practice of law or otherwise, within the geographic area served by the Council.
Trust Professionals – For admission to the estate and trust professionals’ group, the applicant must be an employee of a Trust Division of a company with trust powers that maintains a full time staffed Estate/Trust Office within the geographic area served by the Council and whose principal duties involve estate/trust planning or administration. Furthermore, the applicant must have a minimum of five (5) years of estate/trust field experience or have earned a CTFA or AEP designation and have regular and active involvement in estate planning.
Credentialed Life Insurance Professionals - For admission to the credentialed life insurance professionals’ group, the applicant must be either:
- An officer or employee of a life insurance company having an office in the geographic area served by the Council, whose principal duties involve estate planning or advanced underwriting at such offices; or
- An agent, manager or general agent of a life insurance company admitted to do business in the State of New York, who maintains an office for the sale of life insurance in the Central New York area.
- In either (i) or (ii), such applicant must have at least three years' experience in the field of estate planning, possess the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) or Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) designation, and have regular and active involvement in estate planning in the geographical area served by the Council.
Credentialed Financial Planners - For admission to the credentialed financial planners’ group, the applicant must have an office within the geographic area served by the Council and hold the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation, be a certificant in good standing with the CFP Board of Standards or hold the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) designation or the Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) designation, and have regular and active involvement in estate planning.
Philanthropic Professionals – For admission to the Philanthropic Professionals’ group, the applicant must have an office within the geographic area served by the Council and have five years’ experience in the field of estate planning and hold the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP) designation or Certified Specialist in Planned Giving (CSPG) designation and have regular and active involvement in estate planning.
Emerging Professional – For admission to the Emerging Professional group, the applicant must have one year of professional experience (in one of the above listed six professional designation groups). Members of this category shall enjoy reduced rates for meeting attendance. Membership in this category will be for four years with exceptions to be determined by the Executive Committee of the Council.
Student Membership – For admission in the Student Membership category, the applicant must be enrolled at a higher education institution in an undergraduate or graduate level program or have graduated from a higher education institution within the last year. A student member shall not be required to pay dues for one year while a student and for one year post graduation. Members of this Student Membership shall not vote within the Council shall not be eligible to hold office or be appointed to the Nominating Committee or elected to the Executive Committee.
Associate Members - Any person who has made significant and demonstrable contributions to attaining the objectives of the Council may be elected to membership in the Council as an "Associate Member", upon a majority vote of the Executive Committee members present at a duly convened meeting of the Committee. Any member so elected shall not be considered as belonging to any of the six professional categories set out previously for purposes of membership in the Council. The Associate Member will be assessed initiation fees and dues in the same amounts as other members. An Associate Member will not be eligible for appointment to the Nominating Committee or election as described in Article VII herein.
Specifically included in this category shall be full-time or adjunct educators knowledgeable in the areas of estate planning and business development, directors, CEOs and other similar representatives of not-for-profit entities serving the geographic area served by the Council.
No person shall be considered for membership in this category whose occupation is connected with the practice of law, practice of public accountancy, trust company or trust department operations, sale of life insurance (including management or specialized services in any insurance company, agency or association), or the practice of financial planning and/or investing, unless specifically included by the previous paragraph.
Emeritus Members — Any member of the Council, who has been a member in good standing of the Council for at least 10 years, may, upon retirement, request transfer to emeritus status. Upon approval by the Executive Committee, such retired member shall become an emeritus member. An emeritus member shall not be required to pay any dues, and shall have no vote in any questions coming before the membership. Neither shall an emeritus member be eligible to hold any office, be appointed to the Nominating Committee or be elected to the Executive Committee. Emeritus members shall not be considered in connection with the limitations on membership contained in Article (III)(3) following.
Associate Members – Any person who has made significate and demonstratable contributions to attending the objectives of the Council may be elected to membership in the Council as an “Associate Member”, upon a majority vote of the Executive Committee members present at a duly convened meeting of the Committee. Any member so elected shall not be considered as belonging to any of the six professional categories set out previously for purposes of membership in the Council. The Associate Member will be assessed initiation fees and dues in the same amounts as other members. An Associate Member will not be eligible for appointment to the Nominating Committee or election as described in Article VII herein. Specifically included in this category in consideration of membership shall be professionals who have been practicing in estate planning for a minimum of 10 years, but such professional does not have the required accreditations to be considered for the other membership categories. Such admission shall require the sponsors of such professional to know the professional for a minimum of 2 years and shall attest to such professional. Such professionals shall also be required to submit, in addition to the standard application, an additional paragraph explaining why such professional should be included on the Council. Such approval for the processional shall be dertermined by the acting Board of the Council.
