On November 13, more than 50 advisors gathered for The Community Foundation’s Professional Advisors Council Fall Luncheon and participated in an interactive workshop led by Dien Yuen, Founder of Daylight Advisors, which explored the value of culture and how it intersects with planning and charitable giving.
This annual event is the premier opportunity for the region’s leading wealth managers and estate planners to connect and discuss opportunities to help clients maximize their philanthropy. Many thanks to our sponsors, Chevy Chase Trust, Glenmede, Pasternak & Fidis, and Wealthspire Advisors. A very special thank you to the members of our Professional Advisors Council and to Dick Riley and the team at Foley & Lardner LLP for hosting us in their beautiful space.
Created over 15 years ago by Nancy Fax of Pasternak & Fidis and Mary Pat Alcus, the PAC is a collective of professional advisors from some of the top wealth advising and estate planning firms in the DMV region, and its charge is to advocate for The Community Foundation among peers and to provide advice and guidance to staff.
Current Co-Chairs Vernon Holleman, Founder of HOLLEMAN, and Karen Wawrzaszek, Senior Vice President and Regional Director in DC for Northern Trust, view their role as helping fellow professional advisors “maximize their effectiveness in philanthropic planning with their clients, which increases the impact on our community.”
To recognize the impact of our advisory community partners, The Community Foundation was pleased to honor Megan M. Wallace, Esq. with the inaugural Nancy Fax Professional Advisor in Philanthropy Award. The award honors advisors in the region who support The Community Foundation and help to preserve philanthropy in the DMV region.
Megan shared, “Including conversations about philanthropy when discussing estate plans is important because, for many people, a well-rounded legacy goes beyond simply dividing assets—it’s about making a lasting difference. With the Greater Washington Community Foundation as a resource, we’re able to offer clients the unique opportunity to make informed and impactful choices. We provide them with an avenue not only to give but to do so with intention and purpose, creating a legacy that reflects who they are and what they value most.”
Meet Our Honoree
Megan Wallace is the principal and founder of Wallace Law, LLC. She has been an active part of the legal and business community for many years. After clerking for the Michigan Supreme Court, Megan moved to Washington, DC to earn her LL.M. in taxation from the Georgetown University Law Center. She focused her studies on estate planning and business planning. She now applies that knowledge for her clients’ benefit in all areas of her practice. Megan is licensed in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia and practices regularly in all of those jurisdictions.
Megan concentrates her practice in the area of estate planning, trust administration and probate, in which her background in business law and tax law are highly relevant. She derives a great deal of satisfaction from helping to put clients’ minds at ease with a well-crafted estate plan that addresses all of their concerns.
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