Gordon Ford College of Business Staff

JD, University of Florida College of Law, 1985

 

BS, Business Administration, Florida Southern College, 1983

 

 

A fun-filled life.

 

Embodying his love of life and adventure, Dr. Ron Rhoades literally hurdled his way as captain of his high school’s track team, played football (and later became an assistant high school football coach under former Oakland Raiders head coach John Rauch), sailed across the Atlantic and back on a tall ship (the USCGC Eagle), performed in road shows in Europe and North America as a Disney Character (and in shows and parades at the Walt Disney World Resort), rowed on a crew team (silver medal, small college NCAA nationals, freshman 8’s), marched in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, sailed on the U.S.S. Enterprise (aircraft carrier), marched in competition as a member of a state-championship rifle drill team, escorted numerous celebrities around Central Florida (Rock Hudson and many more) as a show production assistant, undertook a one-week solo canoe trip into The Everglades, performed as a Tin Man at a mountaintop theme park in North Carolina (The Land of Oz), and then served as a stage manager and talent scheduling coordinator for entertainment productions at Walt Disney World. And then he graduated from college.

 

Estate Planning Attorney.

 

Dr. Rhoades went on to law school, and following graduation from the University of Florida College of Law, with honors, he practiced for over 20 years as an attorney, with nearly all of those years substantially devoted to estate planning, transfer tax planning, and the formation and representation of closely held business entities. During this time, he served on the Board of Directors of several local for-profit and not-for-profit business entities and community associations.

 

Wealth Manager.

 

Dr. Rhoades has over 21 years of experience as an investment adviser and personal financial planner. For ten years he served as Chief Operating Officer, Director of Research, and Chair of the Investment Committee of a Florida-based investment advisory firm that he co-founded. He now maintains his proficiency in financial planning and investments through his service to a highly select group of clients as a wealth manager for Cerity Partners, a national fee-only investment advisory firm.

 

Advocacy; Books & Articles.

 

Dr. Rhoades is a national authority on fiduciary law as applied to financial planners and investment advisers. He is the author of several books and hundreds of articles published in industry and consumer periodicals and blogs. Dr. Rhoades is a frequent speaker at national financial planning conferences, and he frequently meets with policy makers in Washington, D.C.

 

Service to Professional Associations.

 

Dr. Rhoades has served on committees of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) and on both the National and South Region Board of Directors of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA). He has also served on task forces of the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.

 

Dr. Rhoades currently serves on the Steering Group of The Committee for the Fiduciary Standard (for which he served as Chair during 2014-5), a voluntary association of leaders of the profession who engage in advocacy on the fiduciary standard for all providers of financial and investment advice. He also serves on the Board of Advisors of The Institute for the Fiduciary Standard.

 

Teaching Experience.

 

Dr. Rhoades was the Program Director for the Alfred State College (NY) Financial Planning Program, for four years, prior to his arrival at Western Kentucky University in July 2015. He currently teaches courses in Applied Investments, Retirement Planning, Estate Planning, and Financial Plan Development.

 

Awards Received:

 

Chi Omega "Professor of the Month" (Feb. 2020)

 

WKU GFCB Faculty Award for Teaching (2020)

 

Inducted, International Fraternity of Delta Sigma Pi (2019)

 

WKU GFCB Vitale Award for Initiative, Innovation, and Leadership (2019)

 

Inducted, Beta Gamma Sigma (2018)

 

WKU Chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success "Excellence in Teaching" Award (2018)

 

WKU GFCB Class of 2021 "Engagement Award" (Fall 2017)

 

WKU Gordon Ford College of Business Public Service Award (2017)

 

Elected by readers to the Sweet 16 of the “Most Influential in Wealth Management” in Wealth Management’s March Madness competition (2014).

 

Elected one of the “Top 30 Most Influential” in NAPFA’s 30-year history (2013).

 

Named as one of the Top 25 Most Influential persons associated with the investment advisory profession in Investment Advisor magazine (2011).

 

Dr. Rhoades was the 2011 recipient of The Fiduciary of the Year Award from The Committee for the Fiduciary Standard for “altering the course of the fiduciary discussion in Washington,” and was the recipient of 2020 Frankel Fiduciary Prize from The Institute for the Fiduciary Standard.

 

My biggest reward is in seeing the progression of my students, as they learn skills and acquire knowledge in the progression to their professional careers.

 

Current Online Writings:

Twitter feed: @280ltd

LinkedIn postings: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wkubear

Columnist for RIABiz - www.riabiz.com

Blog for Financial Professionals: www.ronrhoades.com

Blog for College Students: www.TriumphInCollege.blogspot.com

Thought Leader at APViewpoint (subscription required)