Our Team & Bios

Steff C. Chalk

Steff C. Chalk

Steff C. Chalk is CEO of Fiduciary Consulting Group, Inc. and founder of CHALK Advisory Board, Inc. Since 1995 CHALK Advisory Board has served in a fiduciary capacity to over $12 billion of retirement plan assets. Mr. Chalk was a co-founder of FASTrak Coaching and Consulting and continues to provide performance improvement and efficiency training to financial service professionals and organizations.

The client list has included corporations, non-profits and governmental units. CHALK Advisory Board, Inc. has conducted original research for the Chilean Pension System, the Finance Ministry of Kuwait, the Central Bank of Egypt and has worked with the policy-makers of the Turkish Self-funded Retirement System. He has been an active member of State Banking Associations - serving in a variety of positions - including chair of the Trust and Investment sub-committees. He has served on the Communications Committee for the 401(k) / Profit Sharing Council of America and he has served as Co-Chair of the ASPPA 401(k) Summit. He currently sits on the Board of the National Association of Independent Retirement Plan Advisors. Mr. Chalk has been recognized by 401(k) Wire as one of the 300 Most Influential Advisors in Defined Contribution.

Mr. Chalk has 30 years experience in the financial industry and has also served as an advisor/consultant to a global consultancy and Fortune 500 Companies. He has conducted domestic original research on a variety of Investment and 401(k) Plan related topics. He has authored several articles concerning Investment Management and Retirement Services and has been a speaker for State Public Employee Retirement Systems, Finance Officers Associations, Bar Associations, Human Resource Associations, the Securities Industry Association, Actuarial Associations and both national and regional Investment and 401(k) Symposiums. Mr. Chalk is a co-author of the book "How To Build a Successful 401(k) and Retirement Plan Advisory Business."

Steff is a Founding Lecturer for The Retirement Advisor University™ at UCLA Anderson School of Management Executive Education - where he continues to lecture. He is currently on the faculty of PLANSPONSOR Institute. Previously, Steff served over ten years as adjunct faculty to the Finance Department at Northern Kentucky University where he was awarded a professional development stipend for the establishment of The 401(k) Advisory Index. Steff has served on the faculty of the Midwest Trust School, as Founding Faculty for the Economics/Finance Camp of Northern Kentucky University and on the Social Security Choice.org Advisory Board.

Mr. Chalk obtained his Masters of Science and Bachelor of Business Administration Degrees from Central Michigan University. Mr. Chalk also obtained an Associate of Applied Science Degree from Northern Kentucky University. Mr. Chalk holds the Accredited Investment Fiduciary AnalystTM designation from the University of Pittsburgh, Katz Graduate School of Business, Center for Fiduciary Studies, and degrees from The American Institute of Banking, The Kentucky School of Banking and The National Trust School.

C. Marshall Esler, Jr.

C. Marshall Esler, Jr.

Marshall is licensed to practice law in Ohio and has been admitted to practice before various Federal district and appellate courts including the United States Tax Court. Marshall is a member of the American Bar Association Section of Taxation as well as the Ohio and Dayton Bar Associations, and the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. He received his Juris Doctor degree from Ohio Northern University and an LL.M. degree from the University of Florida. Marshall has published several employee benefits-related articles and has participated in numerous benefits-related conferences. His most recent presentation was to a group of employer representatives and related to various COBRA and ERISA issues. Marshall holds the Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst designation from the Center for Fiduciary Studies Katz School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh.

 

Bertis J. VanderSchaaff IV, J.D.

Bertis J. VanderSchaaff IV, J.D.

Bert VanderSchaaff is a Director of the Fiduciary Consulting Group. Mr. VanderSchaaff has worked with qualified and nonqualified retirement plans for over 15 years and has extensive experience advising qualified plan sponsors with respect to the fiduciary standards imposed upon them by ERISA and other applicable law. Mr. VanderSchaaff was instrumental in developing the firm's model investment policy statement and has extensive experience in representing plan sponsors in the event of an audit by the U.S. Department of Labor or Internal Revenue Service. Mr. VanderSchaaff also has experience in preparing requests for proposals and performing plan expense analysis.

Mr. VanderSchaaff is licensed to practice law in Ohio and received his law degree from the University of Dayton School of Law. He is a member of the Dayton Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association and the American Bar Association. Mr. VanderSchaaff's undergraduate (B.A., University of Southern Colorado) and graduate (M.A., University of Toledo) degrees are in Philosophy. In 2005, Mr. VanderSchaaff successfully completed the EA-1 examination administered by the Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries.

Mr. VanderSchaaff participates on the Dayton Bar Association's Solo and Small Firm Committee and served on the Board of Trustees of the Preble County Art Association (Eaton, Ohio). He is a devoted Shrine Mason-a member of Bolivar Lodge #82 F&AM (Eaton, Ohio) and the Antioch Shrine (Dayton, Ohio).

Lauren Isaacs

Lauren Isaacs is a Director of The Fiduciary Consulting Group, Inc. Ms. Isaacs has worked with qualified and nonqualified retirement plans for the past 20 years and has extensive experience in providing support for the development of investment policy statements and requests for proposals. In addition, Ms. Isaacs has assisted dozens of plan sponsors under audit by either the U.S. Department of Labor or Internal Revenue Service. Finally, Ms. Isaacs is familiar with all aspects of retirement plan document compliance.

Ms. Isaacs has a paralegal degree and has completed several specialized employee benefits seminars, including courses offered though the International Foundation of Employee Benefits and the American Society of Pension Actuaries.