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Leaders Club Awards

The annual meeting of the Leaders Club is a great Guardian tradition, bringing our top producers together to meet old friends, welcome newcomers, and celebrate their accomplishments. At this year’s awards dinner, at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort in Florida, Leyla Lesina set the tone:

Leaders Club splash

“Tonight is dedicated to you and your remarkable contributions. It’s also a celebration of the individuals who have stood by you throughout this journey.”

Leyla Lesina Headshot

Leyla Lesina

Head of IM Distribution

Hall of Fame Financial Professional (FP) Inductee

The Hall of Fame recognizes producers who have a long-standing track record of superior results. Requirements include attaining Leaders Club at least 30 times or President’s Council 20 times — a hallmark of a successful career with Guardian.

  • Marty Nachemson joined by his wife, Claudia Gallo and daughter, Julia, with Michael Weinberg, 2023-2024 President of the Executive Committee
    Marty Nachemson joined by his wife, Claudia Gallo and daughter, Julia, with Michael Weinberg, 2023-2024 President of the Executive Committee

    Hall of Fame Inductee

  • Mark Connely with his wife, Ashley, and children, Clarksyn and Edyn, joined by Leyla Lesina on the left
    Mark Connely with his wife, Ashley, and children, Clarksyn and Edyn, joined by Leyla Lesina on the left

    2023-2024 President of the Executive Committee

Christopher Ferrara Memorial New Agent of the Year Award

This award recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of a financial professional who is new to the business and has achieved success in a very short time. The winner achieved the highest annual Minimum Production Requirement (MPR) of the prior year.

Doug Dubitsky, Certified Financial Services, with $150,288 in total MPR Commission Credits.

Doug Dubitsky, Certified Financial Services, with Leyla Lesina

Centurion Club Qualifiers

Centurion Club recognition is earned by those with 100 or more new paid cases in a calendar year, of which 75 or more must be from individual life and disability income. The award also requires a minimum 90% persistency We recognized the following recipients who attended.

First-time Qualifiers in attendance
Qualifying Members in attendance
Life and Qualifying Members in attendance

  • First-time Qualifiers

    Stephen Abrams, National Financial Network
    Joe Biondolillo, Short Hills
    Gregory Breitman, Strategies for Wealth
    Bob Furlong, Boston
    Gary McGovern, Lifetime Financial Growth
    Robert Schlesinger, Strategies for Wealth
    Yechezkel Stein, Brooklyn
    Christopher Weber, Strategies for Wealth

  • Qualifying Members

    2 years
    Michael DiFiore    , Strategies for Wealth
    Sharon Eliot, Certified Financial Services
    Shaya IIiovits, Brooklyn
    James Kachmar, National Financial Network
    Michael McSweeney, Certified Financial Services
    Abraham Philipson, Brooklyn
    Bryan Schod, Lifetime Financial Growth
    Kris Schwartz, Austin

    3 years
    Berel Bronstein    , Brooklyn
    Edward Dennis, South Florida
    Christopher Fontana, North/Central Florida
    Cason Parker, North/Central Florida
    Gershon Weber, Brooklyn

    4 years
    Leonard Cohen    , Forest Hills Financial Group
    Patrick Hauge, Pacific Advisors
    Joel Heller, Brooklyn
    Mendy Kaufman, Brooklyn
    Richard Lunetta, National Financial Network
    Yosef Marsow, Brooklyn
    Jonathan Rosenbaum, Strategies for Wealth
    Abraham Wieder, Brooklyn

    5 years
    Eli Friedman    , NY Gotham
    Marc Mirabella, Hudson Valley
    Benzion Weinfeld, Brooklyn

    7 years
    Jim DesRocher    , Strategies for Wealth

    9 years
    David Simkowitz    , Brooklyn

  • Life and Qualifying Members

    5 years
    Ryan Brace    , Lifetime Financial Growth
    Todd Salac, Lifetime Financial Growth

    6 years
    Liang Lee    , Western Pacific
    Mark Murphy, Forest Hills Financial Group

    7 years
    Aba Berkowitz    , Brooklyn

    8 years
    Evaristo Gonzalez    , Financial Growth Partners
    Yoel Moskowitz, Forest Hills Financial Group
    Dustin Peltier, Northern States

    9 years
    Binyamin Glancz    , Brooklyn

    10 years
    Josh Ketchie    , South Central
    Shmuel Wolvovsky, Brooklyn

    12 years
    Tyler DeStefano    , National Financial Network

    13 years
    Ashvin Chheda    , Red River
    Elie Engel, Brooklyn

    14 years
    Wolf Perl    , Brooklyn

    23 years
    Dr. Eric Studley    , National Financial Network

    24 years
    Marc DiFiore    , Strategies for Wealth

    31 years
    Randy Fine    , Strategies for Wealth

Praetorian Club and Praefectus Award Qualifiers

  • Left to right: Leyla Lesina, Tyler DeStefano, Yosef Marsow, Elie Engel, Todd Salac, Dr. Eric Studley, Dan Ellen
    Left to right: Leyla Lesina, Tyler DeStefano, Yosef Marsow, Elie Engel, Todd Salac, Dr. Eric Studley, Dan Ellen

    Praetorian Club Qualifiers

    Elite performers in this group have 200 or more paid cases in a calendar year, of which 150 or more must be from individual life and disability income. The award also requires a minimum 90% persistency rate.

    First-time Qualifier

    Yosef Marsow, Brooklyn

    Qualifying Members

    2 years
    Todd Salac, Lifetime Financial Growth

    4 years
    Elie Engel, Brooklyn

    8 years
    Tyler DeStefano, National Financial Network

    17 years
    Dr. Eric Studley, National Financial Network

  • Left to right: Leyla Lesina, Tyler DeStefano, Elie Engel, Dan Ellen
    Left to right: Leyla Lesina, Tyler DeStefano, Elie Engel, Dan Ellen

    Praefectus Award Winners

    Elite performers in this group have 300 or more paid cases in a calendar year, of which 255 or more must be from individual life and disability income. The award also requires a minimum 90% persistency rate.

    Tyler DeStefano, National Financial Network

    Elie Engel, Brooklyn

Leadership Awards

  • Lives and Life Face Value Award - Left to right: Leyla Lesina, Elie Engel, Dan Ellen
    Left to right: Leyla Lesina, Elie Engel, Dan Ellen

    Lives and Life Face Value Award

    Elie Engel, Brooklyn
    369.24 in Total Life/DI/Group Lives
    $475,076,963 Life Face Value

  • Top Producer in Park Avenue Securities Gross Dealer Concessions and PAS Advisory Sales & Deposits - Left to right: Leyla Lesina, Marianne Caswell, Mark Murphy, Ed Youmell
    Left to right: Leyla Lesina, Marianne Caswell, Mark Murphy, Ed Youmell

    Top Producer in Park Avenue Securities Gross Dealer Concessions and PAS Advisory Sales & Deposits

    Mark Murphy, Forest Hills Financial Group
    $164,244,525 PAS Advisory Sales & Deposits
    $3,720,659 Gross Dealer Concessions

  • Cross-Offering Award

    Adam Boyer, National Financial Network
    34,000 Total Cross-Offering Credits

  • Annuity Sales Award

    Nick Liapunov, Strategies for Wealth
    $6.4 Million Variable, SPDA, SPIA, DIA, and FIA sales

  • Disability Income Premium Award

    Tyler DeStefano, National Financial Network
    $735,877 Disability Annual Premium

  • Life Premium Award

    Eric Bouskila, National Financial Network
    $4,528,520 Life Annual Premium

  • Combined Group Sales Award

    Russ Carpentieri, Strategies for Wealth
    15 plans for a total of 13,742,750 in volume and $1,089,174 in premium

Three-time Client Builder Award Winners

This award recognizes those FPs with exceptional starts to their careers. These individuals achieved CBA levels at three milestones — their first 90 days, their first-year anniversary, and their second-year anniversary. In recognition of their achievements, they received $1,000 to donate to the charity of their choice.

  • Sara Dewitt, South Central

    Paul Donaldson, North/Central Florida

    Joseph Fleming, Lifetime Financial Growth

    Andreanne Frazier, Southeast

    Andrew Gilliland, Certified Financial Services

    Shelby Green, South Central

    Edward Hodge, Red River

    Robert Hudnall, South Central

    Tyler Johnson, Southeast

    Abel Joseph, National Financial Network

    Aaron Komarek, North/Central Florida

    Seth Von Kuhn, Southeast

  • Bob Lax, Certified Financial Services

    Jin Li, Greater Los Angeles

    William McClanahan, Charlotte

    Gregory Montejo, Pacific Advisors

    Don Pearson, Western Pacific

    Graham Pollan, South Central

    Michael Radovich, Short Hills

    Eric Reuschling, South Central

    Jennie Sherman, Wayne

    Cynthia Stenberg, North/Central Florida

    Alexander Witt, Strategies for Wealth

Triple Crown Award

This award recognizes those who offer a truly comprehensive practice, which they demonstrate by qualifying for the DI Inner Circle, President’s Council, AND Centurion Club — all in the same year. There were five winners this year:

Ryan Brace, Lifetime Financial Growth

Tyler DeStefano, National Financial Network

Randy Fine, Strategies for Wealth

Yosef Moskowitz, Forest Hills Financial Group

Dr. Eric Studley, National Financial Network

Left to right: Leyla Lesina, Randy Fine, Ryan Brace, Tyler DeStefano, Yosef Moskowitz, Dr. Eric Studley, Ed Youmell

  • Guardian Advocacy Award

    This new award recognizes someone whose advocacy has contributed to the advancement of our industry’s priorities at all levels of government. The winner must be nominated by the Guardian field community.

    The first winner of the Guardian Advocacy Award is Nat Perlmutter, Forest Hills Financial Group.

  • PCA Platinum Qualifiers

    Jonathan Douglas, Lifetime Financial Growth

    Michael Fraiman, National Financial Network

    Andrew Harman, Strategies for Wealth

    Charles Howard, Lifetime Financial Growth

    Regina Reiff, Western Pacific

    Rebecca Thompson, Charlotte

  • Guardian Network Talent Introduction Program Top 5

    This award recognizes the top FPs who exemplify our values and show us the true meaning of the power of community by attracting and referring quality candidates to our profession. In honor of their achievements, these winners are awarded money to give to the charity of their choice. See the Top Honor Awards article to learn what charities these winners chose and why:

    Scott Zedeker, Fort Myers/Naples; Next Level Church: $10,000

    Nicholas Taber, Western Pacific; Greater Missoula Family YMCA: $5,000

    Mark Murphy, Forest Hills Financial Group; Hoosiers for Good: $5,000:

    Mark Bucklaw, Lifetime Financial Growth; Ohio Health Foundation: $2,000

    Jin Li, Greater Los Angeles; National Philanthropic Trust: $2,000

three photo collage of Leaders Club attendees at various events

Pub8927 (01/25) 7545914.1 (Exp. 01/27) 20270101