Aging Up: What is Next 

Speaker Bios

John Diehl is senior vice president of Strategic Markets for Hartford Funds. He and his team are responsible for engaging and educating financial advisors and their clients about current and emerging opportunities in the financial-services marketplace. These opportunities range from tactical strategies in areas such as retirement-income planning, investment planning, and charitable planning, to anticipating and preparing for long-term demographic and lifestyle changes. John also oversees Hartford Funds’ relationship with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab.

John joined the company in 1988 and was promoted to assistant vice president in 1991 and vice president in 1997. He was named senior vice president in 2007, while he led the Retirement and Wealth Consulting Group, which was responsible for building awareness and knowledge of retirement challenges and the latest planning strategies to address them. In 2012, John was named Senior Vice President, Strategic Markets; in this role, he devotes his efforts to serving the needs of financial advisors and their clients. John has been widely quoted in consumer and trade publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Financial Planning, and On Wall Street. He has also appeared as a featured guest on CNBC and Bloomberg Television to discuss his views on retirement-related topics.

John attended Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics. He has been a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM (CFP®) since 1991. In addition, he holds the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®) and Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®) designations. He is also FINRA Series 6, 7, 63, and 26 registered and holds a life and variable insurance license.

Judy Frederick, a Pilates Method Alliance certified instructor, has over 1500 hours of education and experience with the Pilates method. She is comprehensively certified through the PhysicalMind Institute and is also a national teacher trainer for Peak Pilates MVe program. Judy is certiified by the American Council of Exercise as a group Fitness Instructor, holds a BS in Health Promotion and Wellness and has double Pilates for Golf certifications. Additionally, Judy spent several years as part of the Strength and Conditioning team in the Athletic Department at UNC-G. in both the sport performance and rehab settings. These days, her primary interest is changing the physical lifestyles of people over 50 and also using corrective exercise methods for clients post injury or post surgery so that they get their most optimal recovery.

Theodora Vaporis has been a practicing attorney for twenty-five years. She is a partner with the law firm of Black Slaughter & Black, P.A. with offices in Greensboro and Charlotte. Theodora is also admitted to practice law in California.

Theodora, originally from Boston, Massachusetts, received her middle and high school education in an independent school in Chestnut Hill, Beaver Country Day School. She has an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Hellenic College in Boston where she now sits on the Board of Trustees. She received her law degree from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. While in Washington, she clerked for the Internal Revenue Service in their Employee Benefits Division. Moving to San Diego she joined a small La Jolla firm focusing her practice on Estate Planning and Estate Administration.  For several years Theodora also taught a graduate course in Trusts and Estates at the University of San Diego. In 2001 Theodora and her family moved to North Carolina where she continues to practice in the areas of Estate Planning, Estate Administration, Estate Litigation and Guardianship Law. Theodora is married to retired Navy Commander, Dr. Tom Schermerhorn. Their three children, who are all studying medicine, attended Greensboro Day School and Salem Academy.

Theodora is a member of the Greensboro Bar Association, North Carolina Bar Association, Society of Financial Professionals, Greensboro Estate Planning Council, and the North Carolina Women’s Bar Association. She is also a member of the North Carolina Legislative Committee on Estate and Fiduciary Law.