Alexandra Armstrong Wins Invest in Others Lifetime Achievement Award

Alexandra Armstrong, principal of Armstrong, Fleming & Moore, Inc., affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network, won the 2014 Invest in Others Lifetime Achievement Award, one of five categories of awards presented on September 18 at the eighth annual Invest in Others Community Leadership Awards dinner in New York City. Ms. Armstrong earned the honor for her work with the Foundation for Financial Planning, which will receive a $25,000 donation from the Invest in Others Charitable Foundation.

Hundreds of nominations for the Community Leadership Awards are received each year and reviewed by a diverse panel of leaders in the financial services industry. Nominees were evaluated based on their level of involvement in an organization, personal contributions, and the impact of their efforts.

“The Invest in Others Community Leadership Awards showcases the selfless efforts of financial advisors to improve their communities. Alexandra Armstrong’s distinguished service and dedication to the mission of the Foundation for Financial Planning has had a truly lasting impact on the organization. We are so pleased to recognize Ms. Armstrong as the first-ever recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award. She and the other advisors honored this year represent the very best of the financial services industry,” said Megan McAuley, Executive Director of Invest in Others.

The Foundation for Financial Planning (FFP) is the only organization in the U.S. solely devoted to supporting the delivery of pro bono financial planning to low- and moderate-income individuals. Ms. Armstrong led the Foundation’s national fundraising campaign to launch an endowment fund, helping to raise over $10 million for the Foundation, both directly and through her leadership, recruitment and training of other financial professionals. The Foundation’s endowment fund has grown to nearly $20 million with support from 50 corporations and over 14,000 individual donors. FFP has provided over $5.5 million in grants to more than 225 community-based organizations nationwide in support of pro-bono financial planning for the underserved. In addition, the Foundation has reached over 60,000 military personnel and families stationed in the U.S. and overseas on more than 50 military bases and at Yellow Ribbon events.

Through the Foundation for Financial Planning, Ms. Armstrong said, “We can all reach people who really need control of their financial lives. We’re talking about basic finance, balancing the budget, getting out of debt, maybe even saving enough for a house. We’re talking about working with employees, the Goodwill industries, Boys and Girls Clubs, parents, and families. This is a nationwide program and it’s really exciting.” She added, “It’s a way that each of us who have achieved some degree of success in our profession are able to give back.”

Wayne Bloom, CEO of Commonwealth Financial Network, said, "There is no one in this industry I respect and admire more than Alexandra Armstrong. Her commitment to her clients as well as giving back to her community is unmatched and an inspiration to all of us.”

Following this year’s awards dinner, Invest in Others finalists and winners visited the NASDAQ MarketSite in New York City’s Time Square on Friday, September 19. In honor of the occasion, Megan McAuley and Bill Dwyer, Chairman of the Board of Invest in Others, rang the Bell.

About the Invest in Others Charitable Foundation
Established in 2006, the Invest in Others Charitable Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) charity founded with the mission of encouraging, recognizing, and supporting the philanthropic and volunteer activities of financial advisors in their local communities. The Invest in Others mission is achieved through a community-based approach to philanthropy that seeks to strengthen neighborhoods from within by empowering those who are committed to serving others in their professional and personal lives. As mentors, volunteers, fundraisers and leaders, financial professionals lend their unique skills and perspectives to the challenges and opportunities facing their neighbors. Invest in Others is proud to support and promote these efforts to better our world one community at a time. For more information, visit www.investinothers.org.

About Commonwealth Financial Network
Founded in 1979, Commonwealth Financial Network, member FINRA/SIPC, is the nation’s largest privately held independent broker/dealer–RIA, with headquarters in Waltham, Massachusetts, and San Diego, California. J.D. Power ranks Commonwealth “Highest in Independent Advisor Satisfaction Among Financial Investment Firms, Four Times in a Row.” The firm supports more than 1,487 independent advisors nationwide in serving their clients as registered representatives, investment adviser representatives, and registered investment advisers, as well as through hybrid service models. For more information, please visit www.commonwealth.com.