Contact
Sara Decatoire, CAE, IOM
NAIFA Illinois
217-529-0126
sara@naifa-il.com
Thank you to our Sponsors
Meet the Emcee
Van A. Ewing II, MBA
As the Managing Principal of Hunken Ewing Financial Group, Van Ewing shares responsibility for firm-wide management with Scott Hunken and is member to the Executive Leadership team. He holds the primary leadership position in the firm for their recruiting and retention, wealth management and investments, compliance, and marketing. Additionally, he acts as a consultant and mentor to all members of the firm.
With 17 years of experience, Van is a recognized leader in the insurance and financial services industry. He has qualified for Guardian’s Leader’s Club 6- times and Guardian’s Presidential Citation in Field Management award, Platinum level. Van has also been a multiple qualifier for MDRT)\.
He received his BBA in Finance from Southern Illinois University- Edwardsville and his MBA in Finance from Howard University. He serves as a Board Member of NAIFA Illinois Foundation, Board Member of Howard University School of Business, and previously served as Corporate Advisory Board Member of LaRabida Hospital and the American Lung Association-Chicago Region. Van has also been recognized as a “Man of Excellence” by the Chicago Defender in 2015 and as one of Howard University’s most prominent business school alumni in 2010. On May 11, 2018, he had the privilege of returning to his alma mater to deliver the Keynote address to the Howard University School of Business, 2018 Graduation class.
Prior to joining Hunken Ewing Financial Group, Van was Managing Partner for New York Life Insurance Company (NYLIC). He was responsible for growing agency and managing teams in insurance, retirement, and financial planning. He was responsible for growing the downtown Chicago NYLIC office from scratch to one of the largest offices in the NYLIC agency system. His career began at Texaco, Inc. (now known as Chevron Corp.), with his last position being Director of Corporate Development and Strategic Initiatives.
NAIFA's Annual A Day with MDRT 2023
Please join us for NAIFA's Annual A Day with MDRT on Thursday, November 2, 2023! This year's conference features amazing speakers including Jennifer Mann, Bryon Holz, IL State Representative Jeff Keicher, Evan Manning and more. We will also host a special networking reception and silent auction in the afternoon.
The conference will be held at Belvedere Banquets in Elk Grove Village.
- Program Schedule -
8:00 - 9:00 Coffee with Exhibitors
9:00 - 9:10 Opening Remarks – Van Ewing II, Emcee
9:10 - 9:40 Legislative Update – State Representative Jeff Keicher & Evan Manning, NAIFA IL Lobbyist
9:40 - 10:40 Speaker – Bryon Holz, NAIFA National President, SENSE-ational Client Services
10:40 - 11:10 Break with Exhibitors
11:10 - 11:30 Speaker – White Glove Sponsor, The Power of Emotional Connection in Financial Workshops
11:30 - 12:10 Speaker -
12:10 – 1:20 Lunch with Exhibitors & LILI Graduation
1:20 – 2:20 Speaker – Jennifer Mann, Finding Bliss in the Busy, Navigating Life’s Juggling Act
2:20 – 2:45 Annual Business Meeting
2:45 – 3:00 Closing Remarks & Raffle Prizes – Van Ewing II, Emcee
3:00 – 5:00 IFAPAC Silent Auction & Networking Reception
Featured Speakers
Bryon Holz, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF, CASL, LACP 
Bryon Holz, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF, CASL, LACP, President of Bryon Holz & Associates, is an Investment Advisor Representative, Registered Principal of SagePoint Financial.Bryon and his team of associates in Tampa Bay, Florida have been building brighter tomorrows for their clients since 1983, specializing in asset protection, income planning and wealth conservation strategies. Their firm's approach to financial services is based on the principle that the customer’s needs should always come first.
A business graduate and Presidential Scholar of the University of Tampa and graduate of the Professional Management Institute in Insurance Marketing Management at Purdue University, Bryon has complimented his industry education with numerous designations, certifications and credentials.
Bryon has served in leadership on various professional boards including as state and local president, two-time national trustee, and current NAIFA President. He was additionally feted with both his local and state association’s distinguished service awards, and honored to be both a graduate and two-time moderator of NAIFA’s prestigious Leadership in Life Institute (LILI).
A life, qualifying and Top of the Table member of the MDRT, Bryon is a long-time supporter of the MDRT Foundation, and has served on numerous MDRT and MDRT Foundation committees. A regular industry columnist and speaker, he was thrilled to be a featured presenter at three MDRT Annual Meetings.
An avid traveler, photographer, and social media user, Bryon’s passions include his faith, family, profession, and especially music. Bryon Holz ROCKS! He supports diversity, equity and inclusion in his profession and is a supporting member of Women in Financial Services.
IL State Representative Jeff Keicher 
Jeff Keicher was sworn in as State Representative for Illinois’ 70th District in July 2018, bringing his private sector experience and community involvement to serving his district at the State Capitol in Springfield, where he has earned a reputation as a bipartisan problem-solver.
Representative Keicher graduated from Northern Illinois University in 1996 with a degree in political science. Working through the CPCU Institutes, he attained his Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation in 2000. He has also studied with the American College of Financial Services and attained the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) & Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) insurance designations in 2001.
Representative Keicher has over 25 years of professional experience in the insurance industry. In 2006, he opened his own State Farm Insurance Agency in Sycamore, a successful and growing agency in DeKalb County serving the northern Illinois region.
Representative Keicher has extensive volunteer experience in the community and on behalf of industry groups. He is a NAIFA IL Past President. In addition to boards and commissions, Jeff has held executive board positions with the Sycamore Chamber of Commerce, the Sycamore Public Library and the Sycamore Rotary Club. He also spent many years serving on boards for the DeKalb Chapter of the American Red Cross, NAIFA Fox Valley, and the Kishwaukee YMCA.
Jeff is a proud husband and father of three children with deep roots in the community. His family history offers him life lessons unique to Illinois. Jeff’s relatives first arrived in the DeKalb and Kane County area in the early 1900s and struggled for a foothold before going on to accomplish impactful contributions to the area. As a small business owner, Jeff is committed to helping improve the quality of life for local families and making Illinois an affordable destination for more people to live, work, raise a family, start a business, contribute to their community, and retire with dignity and financial security.
Jennifer Mann, CFP, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF 
Jennifer Mann is a Vice President in the Chicago office of Lenox Advisors who has been with the firm since 2012. She primarily works with high net worth families and executives to develop integrated solutions in the areas of estate planning, retirement planning, insurance planning, wealth management, college funding, and employee benefits.
Prior to joining Lenox, Jennifer had 9 years of industry experience at Eagle Strategies. She is an active member of MDRT, where she has held several leadership positions. Jennifer is also a member of NAIFA and Finseca. Before entering this industry in 2003, she was a Manager in the Environmental Consulting Group at Arthur Andersen and LECG. Her professional designations include Life Underwriting Council Fellow (LUTCF), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), and Certified Financial Planner (CFP).
Jennifer has a BS in Finance from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and an MBA in Finance, Strategy, and International Business from the University of Chicago.
Evan Manning 
Evan Manning joined the NAIFA Illinois advocacy team as Government Relations Manager in 2019. He has experience in the private sector and most recently was an Appropriations Budget Analyst on the Senate Republican Staff.
In his new role, Evan is responsible for all aspects of the association’s government relations program. He also represents IIA of IL, Illinois State Association of Health Underwriters, and Illinois Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, collectively referred to as the Illinois Coalition of Insurance Brokers and Financial Advisors. The Coalition represents thousands of individuals and firms providing insurance and financial advice to Illinois consumers and businesses.
Evan works with our leaders in representing the Coalition before the General Assembly, Constitutional Officers, boards and commissions.