News

Bennett Thrasher is pleased to announce that Jeffrey Call, Shareholder and Managing Director of the Personal Financial Services Department, has been selected as a 2011 Five Star Wealth Manager for metro Atlanta. Those individuals included on the list were chosen due to their exceptional ability and commitment to overall client satisfaction and they represent fewer than 7 percent of the wealth managers in the Atlanta area.  The full list was published in the October 2011 issue of Atlanta magazine.

To determine the 2011 class of Five Star Wealth Managers, Five Star Professional contacted more than 69,000 high-net-worth households as well as more than 8,000 registered financial services professionals within the Atlanta area through both mail and phone surveys.  Respondents were asked to evaluate wealth managers based on nine criteria including: customer service, integrity, knowledge/expertise, communication, value for fee charged, meeting of financial objectives, post-sale-service, quality of recommendations, and overall satisfaction.

Before finalizing the list, each wealth manager was reviewed by a blue-ribbon panel comprised of knowledgeable individuals in the financial services industry. Although panelist comments were incorporated into the final score, safeguards are built into the review process to reduce the ability of panel members to influence the composition of the final list on the basis of any company affiliation.

Congratulations to Senior Auditor Haley Chura, who placed second in the Female 25-29 division at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011. Her incredible achievement caught the attention of accountants across the nation when Accounting Today featured her on its home page.

To compete in the Kona Ironman, a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run, a triathlete must earn a spot through qualifying or win a spot in the lottery.  Haley earned her entry by winning her division at the Louisville Ironman in Kentucky in August, posting the fastest time of the day.

At the World Championships, Haley finished first in her division in the 2.4-mile ocean swim (fourth female overall with a time of 53:33, beating most professionals); first in her division in the 112-mile bike (just under 21mph average with a time of 5:22:17); and second in her division in the final leg—a full marathon she completed in just under four hours.

All together, Haley finished second in the Female 25-29 Division in 10 hours and 23 minutes.

Bravo to Haley for her continued effort and dedication.