Passing the Chapter Baton – Twin Cities Metro Area

Just like serving a term as President of the United States, Julie Keyes feels after four years as president of EPI’s Twin Cities Metro Area (TCMA) chapter, it is the perfect time for new leadership to step in and take her place.

Since her first year as a CEPA in 2015, Keyes has always had an interest in gathering with other CEPAs and getting to know other advisors in the Twin Cities market. This interest led her to launching the TCMA chapter. Julie followed the guidelines put in place by EPI to launch a new chapter, and since its inception, the TCMA Chapter has been one of the most successful in the EPI Chapter network.

Chapter Accomplishments

Since its launch, the TCMA chapter has continued to grow and provide great programming for their members. Their strong steering committee works hard to grow new organizational partnerships and chapter collaborations with businesses and universities. The chapter hosted three Owners Forum events due to the strong connections Julie fostered. Through Julie’s leadership, the TCMA chapter conducted one of the first regional State of Owner Readiness Surveys.

What Makes a Chapter Successful?

During her 4 years as Chapter President, Julie discovered a few best practices to make a chapter successful.

• Meet regularly as a chapter and show appreciation for what your chapter members provide
• Pull speakers from within your chapter and ensure content is of quality
• Recognize chapter sponsors in different ways and offer them a chance to speak at events
• Provide those who are interested in leadership positions with opportunities to grow within the chapter

Successful Transition of Power

Julie is excited to spend more time writing, educating, and speaking with business owners through her “Poised For Exit” podcast and book. Mark Hegstrom will lead the TCMA chapter as its President moving forward.  While Julie will remain on the chapter leadership board to ensure a smooth and successful transition of power, she is confident that Mark will grow the chapter with a fresh perspective.

Mark Hegstrom’s passion for the exit planning industry stems from years of planning. “I intend to have a retirement party on Wednesday, June 30, 2032, it starts at 4:00 in the afternoon – it is really on my calendar! I think if you know and commit to a date, then exit planning is much easier”, he shared. Hegstrom believes that if you know where you are going, and what needs to be done to get there, the exit planning process is much more manageable.

Mark is excited for the future of the TCMA chapter and is eager for the possibility of hosting in person chapter events in the upcoming year. He believes that although the pandemic has impacted many of his business-owner clients, they will be more prepared for the future. “I hope to share some of the lessons we have learned from the pandemic, so that we are stronger and ready next time. So that if there is a next time, we can pull out our Contingency Plans, and open to a tab called Pandemic Response, and know we are ready for the “D” (of the 5 D’s fame) that is Disaster”.

To learn more about upcoming Twin Cities Metro Area Chapter events visit their chapter page.