BALTIMORE ESTATE PLANNING COUNCIL

Greetings fellow Baltimore Estate Planning Council members and Emerging Planners,

As the summer is winding down, we are gearing up for another terrific year with the Baltimore Estate Planning Council. Your BEPC Board of Directors has been hard at work planning a fantastic upcoming year. We will be starting the new year on August 26th, cheering on the Orioles as they take on the Boston Red Sox (limit of 40 guests).

Membership renewal began on July 1, 2025. Annual membership dues will remain the same at $200 and, consistent with last year, there will be a small registration fee of $20 for all social events. We will continue to host all the Council educational breakfast meetings at the Baltimore Country Club. Speaker presentations will continue to be live-streamed, however, those viewing online will no longer be able to ask questions or otherwise interact with the speaker. The live stream will simply include audio and slides. We hope that most of you will attend in person to enjoy networking with your fellow council members.

Our Programs Committee has worked diligently to identify a diverse group of national speakers for our 2025–2026 educational meetings:

September 25, 2025
Ryan Patton
“Insurance Topic”
Sponsored by Alex Brown

November 6, 2025
Sharon Klein
“Reducing Litigation Exposure”
Sponsored by The Baltimore Community Foundation

December 3, 2025
Sam Donaldson
“Tax Update”
Sponsored by Glenmede Trust Company

January 22, 2026
Ginger Mlakar
“Charitable Topic”
Sponsored by The Associated:  Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore

February 26, 2026
Anirban Basu
“Economic Update”
Sponsored by Maller Wealth Advisors

May 13, 2026
Susan Rounds
“Succession Planning”
Sponsored by PNC Private Bank

Please note that it is a requirement of Council membership to attend a minimum of two of the above programs. As in prior years, members may pre-pay for all six breakfast programs in advance during the annual membership renewal period, which is not only convenient, but it also provides a slight reduction in cost. In addition, throughout the year, the Council will host several social events, monthly NAEPC webinars, and Emerging Planners events, as well as our end-of-year Annual Meeting. 

NAEPC has once again recognized the BEPC as a 5 Star Council! This outstanding achievement allows us to continue to offer all NAEPC webinars at no additional fee to our members. Thank you to our Immediate Past President, Tina Lignos, our Past and Current Executive Directors, Melissa Dornan and Beth Hare, and all the Council Officers and Board Members for their hard work and professionalism this past year. I also want to thank each of you, as Council Members, for your continued support. Thank you as well to all our sponsors for their continued support, which has allowed us to offer quality programs with national speakers.

As we head into our 88th year, the Council continues to have a strong commitment to grow, diversify, and provide stellar educational programs and networking opportunities. The benefits offered are numerous and I encourage you to engage in these opportunities to make the most of your Council membership. On behalf of the Officers and the entire Board, I look forward to seeing you this upcoming year!
 

On a separate note, we wish Larry Macklin a successful year as President of the National Association of Estate Planning Councils (NAEPC), of which BEPC is a member.  Larry is a Past President of the Baltimore Estate Planning Council and has been an outstanding resource to this council.  Please consider attending the national conference, which is October 19 – 23, 2025 at National Harbor, Maryland.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, I encourage you to reach out to me or our Executive Director, Beth Hare. We are very interested in your thoughts and ideas as to how we can continue to make your membership in the Baltimore Estate Planning Council a valuable asset to you, both personally and professionally.

Enjoy these last few weeks of summer and I look forward to seeing everyone cheer on the Orioles at Camden Yards for our first social event!

Sincerely,
Michael Mandish
President, Baltimore Estate Planning Council