Planned Giving Advisory Council
The inaugural Planned Giving Advisory Council to the Archdiocese of Miami Development Corporation convened on February 26, 2014. The Planned Giving Advisory Council –or PGAC for short– is made up of volunteers who are professionals in the planned giving and estate and financial planning disciplines.
The objective of this invitation-only council is to help promote planned giving among our parishes, schools and archdiocesan agencies by providing advice and support to the Archdiocese of Miami Development Corporation’s Office of Planned Giving, helping create archdiocesan-approved curriculum for planned giving and estate planning workshops to be offered throughout the Archdiocese to clergy, parish staff and parishioners, and hosting an annual Legacy Planning Summit for professional advisors in the South Florida community.
Free workshops are currently being offered at various locations throughout the Archdiocese on important topics such as Estate Planning 101 and End of Life Planning, and much, much more. Check back here regularly for the workshop calendar. Also, don’t forget to sign up to receive our newsletter, and visit us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. If you are a parish and would like to host a workshop, please contact the Office of Planned Giving at (305) 762-1110
- Carlos F. Arazoza, J.D., CPA
- Daniel J. Biggs, III, FICF, LUTCF
- Katie Blanco Bourdeau, J.D., CFRE
- Deacon John T. Ermer, Sr.
- Salvador Ferradas, CFP®, CPWA®
- Adam Scott Goldberg, J.D., LL.M.
- Ghislain Gouraige, Jr., CEPA®
- Reverend Michael J. Grady
- Kristina Hernandez-Tilson, Esq.
- Alejandro S. Masferrer
- Sabrina Paul-Noel, MPA
- Jose Felix Rivas, RICP
- Lourdes B. Rodriguez, MBA
- Carmen Santamaria, Esq.
- Reverend David Zirilli
Carlos F. Arazoza, J.D., CPA
Carlos F. Arazoza, J.D., CPA
Daniel J. Biggs, III, FICF, LUTCF
Daniel J. Biggs, III, FICF, LUTCF
Katie Blanco Bourdeau, J.D., CFRE
Katie Blanco Bourdeau, J.D., CFRE
Deacon John T. Ermer, Sr.
Deacon John T. Ermer, Sr.
John began his career with The Equitable (now AXA Equitable) in 1987 as a Financial Professional. A year later, John was quickly promoted to Assistant District Manager, to what was then current Executive Vice President, Luis G. Chiappy’s award-winning district. In 1992, he was promoted to District Manager while concurrently training other Financial Professionals in the company’s Financial Planning initiative, successfully implementing the process to his clients.
In 1999, John left AXA Advisors to join Merrill Lynch as a Financial Consultant, where he managed client portfolios and continued to teach and implement the Financial Planning process. In 2002, he added a deep knowledge of investment vehicles to his array of client services when he joined Prudential Securities. Continuing his growth as a financial consultant, John joined Costa Realtors Corp. in 2004 as a commercial real estate agent selling and leasing commercial properties and portfolios.
John brings 30 years of business experience in a wide spectrum of areas, including: insurance, Real Estate, investment, and financial services strategies. John also utilizes a value-added consultative process when advising his clients.
John completed his education at The University of Miami, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing and has a Master of Science in Theological Studies from St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary. Active in the South Florida community, John is a past trustee member of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, The United Way, and The Children’s Home Society. Currently, John is a member of the Planned Giving Advisory Council of the Arch Diocese of Miami and The Business Forum Group of Doral.
John currently resides in North Bay Village, FL with his wife, Lourdes.
Salvador Ferradas, CFP®, CPWA®
Salvador Ferradas, CFP®, CPWA®
Adam Scott Goldberg, J.D., LL.M.
Adam Scott Goldberg, J.D., LL.M.
Dr. Adam Scott Goldberg practices as a tax, probate and estate planning attorney as a partner with the Martindale-Hubbell A.V. rated firm of REVIS, HERVAS & GOLDBERG with its main office in Weston, Florida. Adam is admitted to the Florida and Federal Bars and holds a Masters of Law Degree (LL.M.) in Estate Planning from the University of Miami, as well as a Juris Doctor (J.D.) Degree from Nova Southeastern University. He has also just completed his Doctorate in Education from Nova Southeastern University. Adam is a member of the United States Tax Court and was admitted to the United States Supreme Court in April of 2012. Adam has authored articles and made presentations in the areas of estate planning, tax exempt organizations, probate, ethics, planning for disability, tax litigation and planned giving. He is a Past President of the West Broward Estate Planning Council, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Tax Council and the Planned Giving Council of Broward County. Dr. Goldberg is a member of the Tax Section and the Public Interest Law Section of the Florida Bar. He recently concluded twelve years of service as the Chairman of the Florida Bar’s Exempt Organizations Committee. Adam teaches as an adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Law, Florida State University School of Business and Nova Southeastern University College of Law. Adam is a frequent lecturer for numerous charitable groups such as American Lung Association, American Cancer Society, Broward College and the National Safety Council, and for professional groups such as the Florida Banker’s Association, The Florida Institute of CPAs, The International Society for Performance Improvement and The Florida Bar. Adam has been named as a Florida Super Lawyer in Tax every year since 2017.
Ghislain Gouraige, Jr., CEPA®
Ghislain Gouraige, Jr., CEPA®
Ghislain Gouraige, Jr. – Senior Vice President , Private Wealth Advisor to High Net Worth Families, Endowments and Foundations. Prior to joining UBS, Mr. Gouraige was a Senior Vice President and Private Client Advisor in Bank of America’s Private Bank, and a Vice President and Investment Representative with the Private Client Division of Lehman Brothers in Miami, Florida. Mr. Gouraige has 25 years of experience in the financial services industry and has worked with Merrill Lynch, and Citibank respectively. Mr. Gouraige began his career as an associate attorney in the corporate and securities department of the law firm of Steel Hector and Davis. He received an Honors B.A. in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania in 1980 and a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1984. Mr. Gouraige has been active in the community and serves on the boards of the following not-for-profit institutions: Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, and the Dade Fund. He has also been a board member of the following: Ransom Everglades School (former Chair), University of Pennsylvania Library Board of Overseers, WPBT Channel 2, New World Symphony, Florida Governor’s Haiti Advisory Group, Miami Foundation, Miami City Club (President), Frost Museum of Science, Bayfront Park Management Trust (Chair) among others.
Reverend Michael J. Grady
Reverend Michael J. Grady
Kristina Hernandez-Tilson, Esq
Kristina Hernandez-Tilson, Esq
Mrs. Kristina Hernandez-Tilson focuses her practice in the areas of trust and estate litigation and probate, trust and guardianship administration. She was born and raised in Florida to Cuban immigrants and is a native Spanish speaker. She attended boarding school in Deerfield, Massachusetts (Deerfield Academy), college in Indiana (University of Notre Dame), and law school in Washington, D.C. (Catholic University of America), during which time she interned for two appellate judges. After graduating from law school, Mrs. Hernandez-Tilson litigated insurance defense cases and gained extensive experience at the trial and appellate levels in state and federal court. Later, she changed focus and began handling trust and estate litigation, probate, trust and guardianship administration. She has been published in, and later served as editor for, the Florida Bar’s Elder Law Magazine. She is a member of the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund, the Cuban-American Bar Association, and the Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law section of the Florida Bar. She lives in Miami with her husband and their daughter. In her spare time she enjoys cooking meals from scratch, reading about health and nutrition, and being outdoors with her family.
Alejandro S. Masferrer
Alejandro S. Masferrer
Alejandro “Alex” Masferrer is an independent Financial Adviser, specializing in Risk & Wealth Management strategies for Small Business Owners & Professionals. Alex manages his own firm, Persevere Planning Group LLC, and is a registered Investment Advisor Representative through Lincoln Financial Securities. Alex brings close to 20 years of global business and risk management experience. He employs a goals-based planning approach, using industry-leading technology, to ensure his clients are adequately and holistically addressing their most important goals and concerns. Alex’s approach is unique in that he believes we need to consider our overall well-being – Spiritually, Physically, Mentally, and not just Financially – in order to work towards a balanced lifestyle, now and at the time we decide to stop working. He generally accomplishes that primarily with a four-question process that provokes reflection and drives accountability. Alex is adept in the areas of Estate Planning & Tax Mitigation, Business Planning, Retirement Planning, Asset Allocation and Charitable Giving. He collaborates with key professionals, such as CPAs and Attorneys, when needed. Alex was born and raised in Miami, Florida. He attended Christopher Columbus High School, Florida International University, and earned a Master’s degree from Gonzaga University in Organizational Leadership with a concentration in Servant Leadership. He holds the FINRA Series 7 and 66 Securities registrations; is licensed to offer life and health insurance, and annuities in Florida; and, earned a Certificate in Asset Allocation from Harvard University. Alex resides in Miami with his wife Annette and their son Alejandro. Alex is proud to share his time, talents and treasure with St. Louis Catholic Church and with the Archdiocese of Miami’s Planned Giving Council. He is guest Lecturer and Adjunct Professor at FIU and speaks to companies and medical and dental residencies throughout South Florida on the topic of Financial Wellness.
Sabrina Paul-Noel, MPA
Sabrina Paul-Noel, MPA
Jose Felix Rivas, RICP
Jose Felix Rivas, RICP
Lourdes B. Rodriguez, MBA
Lourdes B. Rodriguez, MBA
Carmen Santamaria, Esq.
Carment Santamaria, Esq.
Carmen Santamaria is an attorney who lives with her husband and four children in Miami, Florida. She has a Master’s in Business Administration and Juris Doctorate degrees from the University of Miami. Her practice areas include real estate, estate planning and corporate representation. She and her husband are Natural Family Planning instructors and Carmen is on the Board of Directors of the Couple to Couple League. Carmen is the co-author of The Infertility Companion for Catholics: Spiritual and Practical Support for Couples, an award winning book. Carmen is involved in the Archdiocese of Miami’s Camino del Matrimonio (Spanish language marriage preparation), Ignatian Spiritual Exercise retreats and Christian Life Community. She has traveled around the nation speaking at conferences and workshops on infertility and spiritual formation. Carmen serves on the Archdiocese of Miami’s Planned Giving Advisory Council and is a catechist in her parish.
Reverend David Zirilli
Reverend David Zirilli
