NAFA Annuity Leadership Forum Agenda
Join us for the 2025 NAFA Annuity Leadership Forum and Hill Walk, to be held June 23-24!
The following is current as of June 16, 2025, and is subject to change. All times listed are in Eastern Time, local to the event.
| Time | Session | Content | Speaker/Presenter(s) | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM | Registration | Plaza Ballroom Lobby | ||
| 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM | Lunch | Plaza I | ||
| 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM | Women’s Annuity Network Luncheon | Forging a Path from Service to Leadership: A candid conversation with the first female combat veteran elected to serve in the United States Senate | Senator Joni Ernst and Lori Seaton, North American (Interviewer) | Plaza II |
| 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Committee Meetings | Government & Legal Affairs | Members of NAFA’s GLAC Committee | Salon IIIA |
| 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Committee Meetings | Membership & Education | Members of NAFA’s Membership and Education Committees | Salon IIIB |
| 1:45 PM – 2:30 PM | Roundtable Discussions | Group A | NAFA Members with nametags designated A | Salon IIIA |
| 1:45 PM – 2:30 PM | Roundtable Discussions | Group B | NAFA Members with nametags designated B | Salon IIIB |
| 2:45 PM – 3:00 PM | National Anthem and Welcome | Kick off the conference with an update from the Chairman of NAFA’s Government & Legal Affairs Committee | Tyler Brown, North American, and Patrick Vaughn, National Anthem Singer, sponsored by Reliance Standard | Salon II |
| 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM | Under the Microscope: A Legal & Regulatory Analysis of the Annuity Industry | A look at critical federal litigation and regulatory activity affecting NAFA membership, from Cutter and SEC enforcement to the evergreen DOL fiduciary rule | Richard Choi, Carlton Fields; Tom Roberts, Groom Law; and Gissou Gotlieb, AmeriLife (Moderator) | Salon II |
| 3:45 PM – 4:00 PM | Break | |||
| 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM | Emerging Risks for U.S. Savers: The Latest Developments from Washington | A conversation about how we, as an industry, can help annuity professionals and their clients address new and evolving risks stemming from decision-making in our nation’s Capital | Becky Ruby Swansburg, CEO, Stonewood Financial; Author; Former Capitol Hill & White House Aide | Salon II |
| 4:45 PM – 5:00 PM | Hill Walk Prep Session | An inside look at the procedures and protocol to expect during meetings with Senators and Representatives, as well as a review of talking points to address in your conversations | Cliff Andrews, Principal of CapCity Advocates | Salon II |
| 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Attendee Mix & Mingle | Gather for conversation, cocktails and light appetizers with fellow attendees to conclude day one | Plaza Ballroom |
| Time | Session | Content | Speaker/Presenter(s) | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Registration | Plaza Ballroom Lobby | ||
| 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM | Breakfast | Plaza Ballroom | ||
| 8:00 AM – 8:05 AM | Opening Remarks | Chuck DiVencenzo, NAFA | Salon II | |
| 8:05 AM – 8:45 AM | Analyzing Our Economic Outlook in a Year of Change | Indices experts examine the investing landscape, as well as product development and industry trends, during a period of dynamic and continued volatility | Phil Brzenk, S&PDJI; Jasmine Fan, BlackRock; and Josh Levine, Bank of America (Moderator) | Salon II |
| 8:45 AM – 9:45 AM | Keynote Presentation: Highs and Lows of the American Presidency: Past, Present and Future | One of America’s leading presidential historians will paint a rich portrait of the past, offer unparalleled insight into our present and impart lessons we should consider for the future | Douglas Brinkley, American Historian and Bestselling Author; Presidential Historian, CNN; Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities and Professor of History at Rice University | Salon II |
| 9:45 AM – 10:00 AM | Break | Salon II | ||
| 10:00 AM – 10:30 AM | In the Know About the Big Beautiful Bill and the Next Retirement 3.0 Package | A candid conversation with Hill Staffers from both parties | Michael Sinacore, Pensions Policy Director, Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Republican Staff | Salon II |
| 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM | Getting It Right: The Dos and Don’ts of AI Implementation for Annuity Distribution | The challenges and opportunities of leveraging AI efficiently, compliantly and in a sustainable way to drive meaningful value for all arms of distribution | Tony Lengeling, American Equity; Patricia Carreiro, Carlton Fields; Andrew Payne, CreativeOne; and Chris Fuhrer, Southwest Annuities Marketing (Moderator) | Salon II |
| 11:00 AM – 11:15 AM | Closing Remarks | A word of thanks and a special sendoff for members participating in NAFA’s Hill Walk | Tyler Brown, North American | Salon II |
| 11:15 AM – 12:00 PM | Lunch | Plaza I | ||
| 11:30 AM – 5:00 PM | Hill Walk | Confirmed NAFA members | Capitol Hill, House & Senate | |
| 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Reception & Sponsor Mingle | A cheers to 30 years of fixed indexed annuities and a celebration of National Annuity Awareness Month | Plaza Ballroom | |
| 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM | After Hours Event | Windows at Quadrant Bar and Lounge |
| Time | Session | Speaker/Presenter(s) | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM | Board of Directors Breakfast | NAFA Board Members | The Roosevelt |
| 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM | Board of Directors Meeting | NAFA Board Members | The Roosevelt |