Making Waves in 2025 and Looking Ahead to 2026

In this special year-in-review episode of the Shares podcast, listen in as leaders from The College look back on 2025 and discuss how we’ve worked to fulfill the mission to better society through financial education, as well as where they see these programs taking The College in 2026 and beyond. They’ll cover topics such as the Horizons conference, the Tax Planning Certified Professional® (TPCP®) program, and more expansions to The College’s learning platform that position us to offer expertise for every stage of a professional’s career and their clients’ lives. They’ll also talk about new and upcoming partnerships, such as The College’s partnership with Achievable, their expectations for the twentieth anniversary of the Conference of African American Financial Professionals, and more.

George Nichols III, CAP®, currently serves as the 10th president and CEO in the storied history of The College. Nichols joined The College after a 17-year stint at New York Life, where he held principal roles in sales, P&L, strategic initiatives, and public policy. In 2007, Nichols was named to the company's executive management committee. He also served as executive vice president in the Office of Governmental Affairs.

Nichols has been acclaimed for his efforts to drive transformative change in the financial services profession and elsewhere. Savoy, a leading Black business and lifestyle magazine, named him among the "Most Influential Black Corporate Executives" twice: in 2012 and 2018; and among the “Most Influential Black Corporate Directors” in 2021. He was named to Forbes' inaugural 2021 edition of "The Culture 50 Champions." Nichols was honored as one of "The Ten to Watch in 2021" by WealthManagement.com, and in 2022, he won a ThinkAdvisor Luminaries award for Executive Leadership, followed by InvestmentNews’ recognition in 2023 for the year’s See It, Be It role model. Additionally, Nichols is the inaugural recipient of the Alonzo Herndon Award by Business Insurance Magazine.

Jared Trexler serves as a senior vice president and chief marketing and strategy officer at The American College of Financial Services. In this role, he leads branding, strategic and executive communications, digital media, events, and demand generation efforts, as well as overseeing the growth of The College's three strategic focus areas. Trexler previously served as director of strategic and executive communications at The College, working with President and CEO George Nichols III, CAP®, and The College’s leadership team to draft compelling narratives that best communicated strategic initiatives, new education programs, and the missions of The College’s Centers of Excellence. He is a past recipient of the Mary Varner Award for Exemplary Service, The College’s highest honor for professional staff.

Any views or opinions expressed in this podcast are the hosts’ and guests' own and do not necessarily represent those of The American College of Financial Services.

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