Join us for the 18th Annual Balser Celebration!
Thursday, April 18, 2024 | 4:30pm-7:30pm | Bishop Station

For the 18th year in a row, join collaborative partners: Atlanta Jewish Foundation, Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, and United Way of Greater Atlanta for the Balser Celebration, one of Atlanta’s premier educational and networking events for Professional Advisors.

The Balser Celebration, previously called the Balser Symposium was started to honor Jack Balser, who, for 13 years, served as Endowment Director of Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta. Through Jack’s efforts, the number of planned gifts in the community grew dramatically and more donors and professional advisors were educated about the importance of planned giving in philanthropy. Jack’s efforts decades ago popularizing this type of strategic giving continue to bear fruit today.

To honor Jack’s contributions, a group of generous donors including Betty Ann Jacobson of blessed memory, Steve and Candy Berman, Richard Babush, Carole Babush of blessed memory, and Lois and Larry Frank established an endowed fund to continue his legacy of teaching professional advisors about philanthropic giving.

WHAT’S IN STORE?

This exciting event will feature an educational keynote speaker presentation, a vibrant networking reception, a celebration of the graduation of our PALI 2023-2024 class, and a check presentation from our 2024 Balser Giving Circle Cohort.

This year’s Keynote Speaker is

Chris Gabriel, Merrill Lynch Financial Advisor

Keynote:

The W.I.S.E. Process: Tools and Examples for Optimal Giving

With over 30 years of leadership in the fields of philanthropy and finance, Chris currently oversees a thriving wealth management practice as a Senior Vice President, Wealth Management Advisor and Portfolio Manager at Merrill and is a Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®), a designation sponsored by the Investments & Wealth InstituteTM through the Wharton School of Business.

After earning his bachelor’s degree with honors from Yale and a master’s degree from Oxford, Chris began his career serving charitable organizations and their donors as a development director. He later became a nonprofit finance and fundraising consultant and a guide for successful charitable givers. Over time, he has participated in the gift process from every vantage point as a donor, staffer, board member, and financial advisor.

Through experiences and decades of research and relationships, Chris has developed a framework that unlocks the potential of generosity. In order for individuals and organizations to experience the full power of giving, it must be W.I.S.E.: Well-grounded, Inspired, Satisfying, and Effective. With these goals in mind, Chris shares transformational resources on his website, through his advisory work, and in his book, WISEgenerosity.

Register below for our 2024 event!

Please contact kberinhout@jewishatlanta.org for sponsorship information.

This event is brought to you by:

community foundation of greater atlanta
United Way - United Way of Greater Atlanta

Presented By:

Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2750 attorneys in 47 locations in the United States, Europe and the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. The firm is a 2022 BTI “Highly Recommended Law Firm” for superior client service and is consistently among the top firms on the Am Law Global 100 and NLJ 500. Greenberg Traurig is Mansfield Rule 6.0 Certified Plus by The Diversity Lab. The firm is recognized for powering its U.S. offices with 100% renewable energy as certified by the Center for Resource Solutions Green-e® Energy program and is a member of the U.S. EPA’s Green Power Partnership Program. The firm is known for its philanthropic giving, innovation, diversity, and pro bono.

At GT, we understand our clients’ businesses and offer them a highly entrepreneurial approach to legal counsel. Our multidisciplinary team includes senior lawyers who have served as chief legal officers at major multinational companies and have spent years solving real-world problems in the business, political and legal environments of major commercial centers. We also recognize that clients expect and are entitled to high quality legal work and, equally important, superior client service. Accordingly, we strive to provide our clients with the highest quality legal work and service at a reasonable cost. Read more about Greenberg Traurig’s services here.

Platnum Sponsor:

For over 20 years, Djuric Spratt has served families across the country. With its 250 years of collective practice experience, the firm is dedicated to providing exceptional service, finding precise solutions, and taking a holistic view of wealth preservation.

Silver Sponsor:

Bronze Sponsors:

Balser Celebration Committee

Committee Chair

Thompson Turner | Djuric Spratt

Committee Co-Chair

Tesh Patel | Cohen Pollock Merlin Turner, P.C.

Committee Members

Shellee Spagnoletto  |  SouthState Bank

Mary Frances Callis  |  Diversified Trust

Adon Solomon  |  Fox Rothschild LLP

Hays Evans  | Clover Capital Partners

Annelie Soard  | Adams Capital

Josh Dukelow | Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta

Lindsay Kopecky  | Atlanta Jewish Foundation

Michelle Staes  | United Way of Greater Atlanta

Julia Filson  | Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta

Michael Taylor  | Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta

Diaka Burke  | Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta

Eden Ayele  | United Way of Greater Atlanta

Kaylin Berinhout  |  Atlanta Jewish Foundation