ACTEC Elects 34 New Fellows to The College

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, DC–April 2, 2025: The Board of Regents of The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) convened during the College’s 2025 Annual Meeting in La Quinta, California, to consider nominations for a new class of ACTEC Fellows. The College is pleased to announce that 34 individuals were elected: 26 Fellows, one Academic Fellow, three Fiduciary Counsel Fellows, two International Fellows from Canada, one International Fellow from Japan, and Russell N. James, III, Professor of Charitable Financial Planning at Texas Tech University, was elected as an Honorary Fellow.

ACTEC President Peter S. Gordon states: “On behalf of ACTEC, I welcome these experienced trust and estate lawyers to the College, and look forward to their contributions. I am honored to welcome Professor Russell N. James, III as an Honorary Fellow. His expertise and commitment to charitable financial planning is an invaluable asset to the trust and estate profession.”

To qualify for nomination and election as an ACTEC Fellow, a lawyer must have no fewer than ten years of experience in the active practice of trust and estate law, as fiduciary counsel with a fiduciary services company, or a combination thereof. Lawyers and law professors are elected to be Fellows based on their outstanding reputation, exceptional skill, and substantial contributions to the field by lecturing, writing, teaching, and participating in bar leadership or legislative activities, with the goal of improving and reforming probate, trust and tax laws and procedures, and creating a greater awareness of the rules of professional responsibility.

The following 34 individuals were elected as New Fellows: 

ACTEC Fellows

• Jessica Baumgarten Baggenstos, Portland, OR
• Jack K. Beckett, Annapolis, MD
• Jeffrey S. Billings, Milwaukee, WI
• Laurel R.S. Blair, Charleston, SC
• AshleyL. Case, Phoenix, AZ
• Michael T. Clear, Greenwich, CT
• Brett E.Ebert, Lincoln, NE
• Matthew B. Edwards, Greenville, SC
• Christina Goshaw Hinkle, Durham, NC
• Vincent G. Kalafat, Billings, MT
• Kurt Kawafuchi, Honolulu, HI
• Kimberly J. Kirk, Charlotte, NC
• Daren J. Layton, Tucson, AZ
• Amy Lonergan, Boston, MA
• Justin T. Mannino, Baton Rouge, LA
• Micah J. Nichols, Carmel, IN
• Amy C. O’Hara, Rye Brook, NY
• Nathan R. Olansen, Virginia Beach, VA
• Matthew Owens, San Diego, CA
• Jason S. Scott, Austin, TX
• Alison Sherman, Burlington, VT
• Laura Lynn Thomas, Columbia, MD
• Amy S. Ufberg, Philadelphia, PA
• Jennifer L. VanderVeen, Mishawaka, IN
• Daniel C. Vermillion, Honolulu, HI
• Alison Warden, Seattle, WA

Academic Fellow

• Max M. Schanzenbach, Chicago, IL

Fiduciary Counsel Fellows

• Carly Doshi, New York, NY
• Ellis H. Pretlow, Norfolk, VA
• Amy Szostak, Chicago, IL

International Fellows

• Hitomi Sakai, Chiyoda-ku, Japan
• Rahul V. Sharma, Toronto, ON, Canada
• Paul W. Taylor, Ottawa, ON, Canada

Honorary Fellow

• Russell N. James, III

Honorary Fellow
Russell N. James, III
Professor of Charitable Financial Planning at Texas Tech University 

As a distinguished professor in the School of Personal Financial Planning at Texas Tech University, Professor James has made groundbreaking contributions to the field of charitable estate planning through his extensive research, numerous publications, and dedicated teaching. His work has been instrumental in shaping the way professionals understand and implement charitable giving strategies. Professor James holds a J.D., Ph.D., and CFP® designation, underscoring his comprehensive expertise in law, economics, and financial planning. He is admitted to practice law in the state of Missouri.

His academic journey includes graduating cum laude from the University of Missouri School of Law, where he was a member of the Missouri Law Review, and earning a Ph.D. in consumer economics from the same institution, with a dissertation focused on charitable giving. In his role at Texas Tech University, Professor James directs both the on-campus and online graduate programs in Charitable Financial Planning. He has also imparted his knowledge as an adjunct professor at the Texas Tech University School of Law, teaching Charitable Gift Planning. His dedication to education is evident in the recognitions he has received, including being named the 2022 Teacher of the Year in the School of Personal Financial Planning. He has authored over 150 publications in academic journals, conference proceedings, and books, and has been featured in national outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNN, and The Chronicle of Philanthropy.

About The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC): Established in 1949, The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) is a national, nonprofit association of approximately 2,400 lawyers and law professors from throughout the United States and abroad. ACTEC members (Fellows) are peer-elected on the basis of professional reputation and expertise in the preparation of wills and trusts, estate planning, probate, trust administration and related practice areas. The College’s mission includes the improvement and reform of probate, trust and tax laws and procedures and professional practice standards. ACTEC frequently offers technical comments with regard to legislation and regulations but does not take positions on matters of policy or political objectives.

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