It was announced earlier today that Patrick Mahoney, the CEO of the Financial Planning Association passed away. I had a good relationship with Patrick, who took the helm of the FPA during a time of controversy in the FPA when a recent initiative had given pause to the chapters of the association as to whether the national FPA organization controlled them or supported them. Patrick stewarded the eventual reconciliation of the FPA chapters into a collective, greater than the sum of its parts, but none-the-lesser for the proud independence of its chapters.
Many knew Patrick better than I, both from his career prior to becoming CEO of the FPA and also from working with him day to day. I had the opportunity to work with Patrick on a few committees and had the occasional chance to sit down and simply chat with Patrick. A particular occasion comes to mind, in which I found Patrick quietly sitting and waiting for a meeting at the XYPN Live conference in 2022 in Denver. The FPA wasn’t representing itself with a big booth or as a sponsor; I think Patrick was there in person mainly because the event was happening a few blocks away from the FPA’s office off Civic Center Park in Denver.
There, Patrick took the time to get to know me as a member of the FPA a bit better. We talked about everything from his marriage of then-30-plus years, his advice for me as someone engaged and getting married the following year, and his perspective on how the industry and the world of CFP® Professionals had changed even in the time of his career. Yet, what stands out most to me is the reverence in which he held his son, who was presently serving in the Navy. You can tell a lot about a person’s character by what they cherish and for whom they share unconditional regard and affection. I didn’t know Patrick’s family or all the nuances of his personal life, but even from that conversation and many that followed over the past few years, I knew that he loved his son more than anyone in the world.
Patrick leaves behind the association of CFP® Professionals better than he left it. Not all who’ve held the mantle of FPA CEO can say the same, nor those who’ve occupied positions of leadership in the CFP® Profession, whether at the CFP® Board or NAPFA over the years. Patrick took an organization in crisis, and a profession in transition, and helped steer it towards a future in which CFP® Professional is synonymous with trust and competence. The Financial Planning Association was made a better place for his leadership of it, and is a darker place with his absence from it.
My heart and condolences go out to Patrick’s family, the FPA staff, and the Financial Planner community. We have lost, as they say, a good one. We can only hope to do so well and make as much of a difference as Patrick in our own time.