Colleen Knopinski

I've lived in Boulder since 1980, raising my two daughters here. My educational background is varied - beginning at St. John's College in Santa Fe, New Mexico in the Great Books Program and ending at the University of Colorado with a master's degree in economics. The fields that I pursued in economics were statistics and monetary theory, two areas of interest that I have carried into financial planning.

In 1995 I began a career in financial services with Financial Network Investment Corporation in Boulder and completed the requirements to become a Certified Financial Planner in 1998. From 2000 until 2006, I worked as a financial planner specializing in retirement and estate planning for high net-worth individuals at Lighthouse Financial, LLC. During that same period I collaborated with Rob Fauver to create a fee-based investment advisory program at Lighthouse, participating with some of the best advisors nationwide to visit and evaluate mutual fund managers.

In the Boulder community, I have been involved with my church as well as environmental and human service non-profit organizations. I am a member of the Financial Planning Association, Boulder County Estate Planning Council, and the Alliance for Professional Women.

"I assume, for planning purposes, that every client will live to be 100. If the client is 55 years old, that's 45 years to plan for... and that's a significant challenge. In 45 years, the economy won't be the same and nothing is going to look like it does today."

 

Rob Fauver

I came to Boulder 35 years ago from Ohio to attend the University of Colorado and like many others, decided to stay. I received a Bachelor of Environmental Design from CU in 1976 and a Masters of Planning and Community Development in 1981 - also from CU.

I was a land use planner for the City of Boulder for 14 years in the current planning division. I was responsible for administering the City's Growth Management system as well as managing the review of major development projects.

In 1995, I shifted my focus to financial planning and investment management. After completing the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards educational requirements, I started my own financial planning business. In addition to private clients, I also worked with financial firms in Boulder as a plan writer and investment analyst.

Until 2006, I worked on a consulting basis for Lighthouse Financial, LLC. In addition to managing client portfolios, I developed the firm's investment management process by establishing investment parameters, selecting managers and hiring staff to monitor and communicate with investment managers. Lighthouse Financial provides investment management services for financial advisors across Colorado.

I have been married for 20 years and have a daughter in college and a son in high school. I started volunteering at Mesa Elementary School when my daughter was in kindergarten and have continued to work on the school's music productions. I thoroughly enjoy working with the young children as they develop the confidence to perform in front of a large audience.

I am a member of the Financial Planning Association.

"I've always been a planner... from planning the growth of the city of Boulder to working with individuals to address their personal financial issues. I enjoy the collaborative process in both instances - the give and take as you travel from point A to point B. The key for the planner is to bring openness to the process - preconceived solutions just don't help."