BUIES CREEK, North Carolina – Campbell University’s Business School and the Trust Education Foundation (TEF) partnered to host the 25th annual Trust Advisors Forum, Feb. 21-24, at Pinehurst Resort. The largest Forum in program history, 265 attendees across 140 institutions participated. More than 50 students from the Campbell Business undergraduate and Masters of Trust & Wealth Management programs also attended, as well as 46 corporate sponsors.
The Forum is the largest conference of its kind for trust professionals in the U.S.
During the Forum the TEF presented Campbell President Dr. J. Bradley Creed with a check for $50,000 to assist in the funding of the First Citizens Wealth Management Center, which was dedicated last October. All Campbell Business students benefit from the addition, which provides cutting edge, state-of-the-art technology and databases that prepare students for exciting careers.
“Through the efforts of the Foundation and its Board in offering the Trust Advisors Forum and Southeastern Trust School to the industry, $220,000 has been pledged and/or received by Campbell University towards the cost of the First Citizens Bank Wealth Management Center,” said Campbell Business Associate Professor Jimmy Witherspoon. “What a testimony to their faith in and loyalty to Campbell and, more importantly, to our students. Our students will now train on technology and trust platforms unavailable to any other students in the country. They will be even better prepared to meet the challenges of a career in trust and wealth management.”
The Forum began on Sunday, Feb. 21, with a reception, as well as remarks by Paul Clark, 2016 TEF Chair, and Becky Kelly, TEF Executive Director. On Monday, Feb. 22, more than 70 Campbell Business alumni and friends attended a breakfast with President Creed.
“The Mission of the Trust Education Foundation is to benefit the Trust Management program at Campbell University, so our support of the First Citizens Wealth Management Center is a perfect fit,” said Clark. “The Trust & Wealth Management students will be exposed to applications that will be directly transferable to their future careers.”
The event continued on over the course of the following three days with sessions and panel discussions that focused on estate planning, management, regulatory updates, economics market outlook, fiduciary income taxation, investments and loans, among other topics.
Over the last 45 years, proceeds from the event have funded more than $1 million in scholarship to support the Trust & Wealth Management Program — the only one of its kind in the nation — resulting in 80 trust majors receiving scholarship aid in 2015-16.