Board of Directors
Charles E. Gearing graduated with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Georgia
Institute of Technology and then went on to earn master's and doctorate degrees from Purdue
University. Charles pursued a career in higher education, serving in various academic and
administrative roles at Auburn University, Purdue University, University of North Carolina, Middle
East Technical University (Ankara, Turkey), Dartmouth University, State University of New York,
Binghamton, before returning to Georgia Tech, where he served as Dean of the College of
Management and Associate Vice-president for Development. In his latter role, Charles
supervised a 45-member fund-raising staff during a highly successful $200 million capital
campaign. He retired from Georgia Tech as Professor Emeritus in 1991.
After his retirement from Georgia Tech, Gearing served four years as director of stewardship
development with The Cathedral of St. Philip in Atlanta. Since 1991, Gearing has served as a
stewardship consultant with the Episcopal Church Center, and as a field representative of the
Episcopal Church Foundation. In 1999 he was appointed as Director of Diocesan Programs
for the Episcopal Church Foundation, and in that capacity he assists dioceses across the
country in developing their planned giving programs. He is a co-author of the Foundation's
manual, Funding Future Ministry: A comprehensive guide for church leaders to encourage
planned gifts in support of Christian ministries, and has recently completed a companion
manual, A Diocesan Gift Planning Program: Guidelines for Success.
Outside the Episcopal Church, Gearing has served in leadership and development roles in
several non-profit organizations, such as Nicholas House, Jerusalem House, Memorial Society
of Georgia, and the Alzheimer’s Association (where he currently serves as Chairman of the
Endowment Fund).
Greg Gryska graduated from the University of Alabama with a major in Insurance. He has
worked for the past 22 years in various areas of the employee benefits and is currently the
President of AddOnBenefits, Inc., an Atlanta-based employee benefits and plan design group.
His company specializes in helping companies communicate the value of employee benefit
plans to current and prospective employees.
Jeff Shields is a Principal at Offit Hall Capital Management LLC and manages the Marketing
and Investor Relations Group.
Mr. Shields was formerly a vice president and senior relationship manager in the endowment
and foundation group at U.S. Trust Institutional. He was responsible for the administration and
asset management of charitable organizations' planned giving programs, and for overseeing
other investment management mandates for foundations and endowments throughout the
western United States.
Before joining U.S. Trust, Mr. Shields was a consultant with the San Francisco financial
planning firm, Planning & Financial Advisors. The firm specializes in developing wealth transfer
strategies for wealthy individuals and families. Prior to that (at the Council on Foundations, The
San Francisco Foundation, and the Peninsula Community Foundation), Mr. Shields worked in
the community foundation field, marketing to professional advisors and their clients various
philanthropic planning options.
Mr. Shields is a member of the National Committee on Planned Giving’s Investment
Committee, and a member of the Community Foundation for the Napa Valley's finance
committee. He is also co-chair of the professional advisory council at the Peninsula
Community Foundation, and a member of the professional advisory councils of the East Bay
Community Foundation, Asian Pacific Fund and Community Foundation Silicon Valley, and a
member of the Community Foundation for the Napa Valley's finance committee. He was a
former board member of the National Committee on Planned Giving and the Northern
California Planned Giving Council.
Mr. Shields graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Joseph W. Tombs has eighteen years of experience in various aspects of law and financial
planning. Joe started his career as a tax and estate planning attorney with the law firm of
Shannon, Porter, Johnson & Pfluger in San Angelo, Texas. Joe has served as a financial
planning and insurance professor at four universities: University of Georgia, University of
Louisiana at Lafayette, Georgia State University and Texas Tech University. Joe has served as
an Associate Vice President of First Colony Life Insurance Company and Director of Advanced
Marketing at GE Financial Assurance. Joe has developed a specialty in financial planning for
the recipients of tort settlements and is a founding partner in Amicus Financial Advisors, LLP.
Joe’s education includes JD and MBA degrees from Texas Tech University. He also holds the
CFP, ARM, CLU and ChFC designations. Joe is a member of the Society of Settlement
Planners, the American Bar Association, the Financial Planning Association and the State Bar
of Texas.
Past Board Members
Anne Paul Josey graduated from Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia with a bachelor's
of Arts degree in French and Political Science. She also studied at the Institute of European
Studies in Paris and the Williamsburg Development Institute in Virginia. Anne has worked in
various positions in the non-profit sector including the American Heart Association, United Way
of Metropolitan Atlanta and the Atlanta Ballet. She is currently the Executive Director of CLICK, a
literacy program in Newnan, Georgia.
Mark A. Newton graduated from the University of Georgia where he majored in Risk
Management and Insurance and a concentration in Estate Management. After graduation, Mark
worked for one year with an insurance planning firm based in Atlanta. The following year, he
founded Asbury Newton, Inc.
Before entering the structured settlement profession, Mark assisted affluent families and
senior executives of leading public and private corporations with critical estate, insurance and
cash flow planning. He has been quoted in national publications and has co-authored a study
on annuities that was published nationally.
Institute of Technology and then went on to earn master's and doctorate degrees from Purdue
University. Charles pursued a career in higher education, serving in various academic and
administrative roles at Auburn University, Purdue University, University of North Carolina, Middle
East Technical University (Ankara, Turkey), Dartmouth University, State University of New York,
Binghamton, before returning to Georgia Tech, where he served as Dean of the College of
Management and Associate Vice-president for Development. In his latter role, Charles
supervised a 45-member fund-raising staff during a highly successful $200 million capital
campaign. He retired from Georgia Tech as Professor Emeritus in 1991.
After his retirement from Georgia Tech, Gearing served four years as director of stewardship
development with The Cathedral of St. Philip in Atlanta. Since 1991, Gearing has served as a
stewardship consultant with the Episcopal Church Center, and as a field representative of the
Episcopal Church Foundation. In 1999 he was appointed as Director of Diocesan Programs
for the Episcopal Church Foundation, and in that capacity he assists dioceses across the
country in developing their planned giving programs. He is a co-author of the Foundation's
manual, Funding Future Ministry: A comprehensive guide for church leaders to encourage
planned gifts in support of Christian ministries, and has recently completed a companion
manual, A Diocesan Gift Planning Program: Guidelines for Success.
Outside the Episcopal Church, Gearing has served in leadership and development roles in
several non-profit organizations, such as Nicholas House, Jerusalem House, Memorial Society
of Georgia, and the Alzheimer’s Association (where he currently serves as Chairman of the
Endowment Fund).
Greg Gryska graduated from the University of Alabama with a major in Insurance. He has
worked for the past 22 years in various areas of the employee benefits and is currently the
President of AddOnBenefits, Inc., an Atlanta-based employee benefits and plan design group.
His company specializes in helping companies communicate the value of employee benefit
plans to current and prospective employees.
Jeff Shields is a Principal at Offit Hall Capital Management LLC and manages the Marketing
and Investor Relations Group.
Mr. Shields was formerly a vice president and senior relationship manager in the endowment
and foundation group at U.S. Trust Institutional. He was responsible for the administration and
asset management of charitable organizations' planned giving programs, and for overseeing
other investment management mandates for foundations and endowments throughout the
western United States.
Before joining U.S. Trust, Mr. Shields was a consultant with the San Francisco financial
planning firm, Planning & Financial Advisors. The firm specializes in developing wealth transfer
strategies for wealthy individuals and families. Prior to that (at the Council on Foundations, The
San Francisco Foundation, and the Peninsula Community Foundation), Mr. Shields worked in
the community foundation field, marketing to professional advisors and their clients various
philanthropic planning options.
Mr. Shields is a member of the National Committee on Planned Giving’s Investment
Committee, and a member of the Community Foundation for the Napa Valley's finance
committee. He is also co-chair of the professional advisory council at the Peninsula
Community Foundation, and a member of the professional advisory councils of the East Bay
Community Foundation, Asian Pacific Fund and Community Foundation Silicon Valley, and a
member of the Community Foundation for the Napa Valley's finance committee. He was a
former board member of the National Committee on Planned Giving and the Northern
California Planned Giving Council.
Mr. Shields graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Joseph W. Tombs has eighteen years of experience in various aspects of law and financial
planning. Joe started his career as a tax and estate planning attorney with the law firm of
Shannon, Porter, Johnson & Pfluger in San Angelo, Texas. Joe has served as a financial
planning and insurance professor at four universities: University of Georgia, University of
Louisiana at Lafayette, Georgia State University and Texas Tech University. Joe has served as
an Associate Vice President of First Colony Life Insurance Company and Director of Advanced
Marketing at GE Financial Assurance. Joe has developed a specialty in financial planning for
the recipients of tort settlements and is a founding partner in Amicus Financial Advisors, LLP.
Joe’s education includes JD and MBA degrees from Texas Tech University. He also holds the
CFP, ARM, CLU and ChFC designations. Joe is a member of the Society of Settlement
Planners, the American Bar Association, the Financial Planning Association and the State Bar
of Texas.
Past Board Members
Anne Paul Josey graduated from Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia with a bachelor's
of Arts degree in French and Political Science. She also studied at the Institute of European
Studies in Paris and the Williamsburg Development Institute in Virginia. Anne has worked in
various positions in the non-profit sector including the American Heart Association, United Way
of Metropolitan Atlanta and the Atlanta Ballet. She is currently the Executive Director of CLICK, a
literacy program in Newnan, Georgia.
Mark A. Newton graduated from the University of Georgia where he majored in Risk
Management and Insurance and a concentration in Estate Management. After graduation, Mark
worked for one year with an insurance planning firm based in Atlanta. The following year, he
founded Asbury Newton, Inc.
Before entering the structured settlement profession, Mark assisted affluent families and
senior executives of leading public and private corporations with critical estate, insurance and
cash flow planning. He has been quoted in national publications and has co-authored a study
on annuities that was published nationally.
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Dechomai Foundation, Inc.