PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Fund Alliance, a group of Philadelphia-based asset management industry professionals, has announced that radio host, television presenter, newspaper columnist, author and lawyer Michael A. Smerconish will be the keynote speaker for the group’s 2018 gala, to be held on Nov. 1 at The Logan Philadelphia from 6-9 p.m. Smerconish broadcasts The Michael Smerconish Program on SiriusXM and hosts the CNN program Smerconish. He is also a Sunday newspaper columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer, author of six books and of counsel to the law firm of Kline & Specter.
PFA also announced that the featured charity for this year’s gala is the Take A Breather Foundation, a nonprofit organization that fulfills wishes for those children and adults living with cystic fibrosis (CF). Founded in 2012, Take A Breather Foundation has been an outgrowth of the Narberth CF Run which has been fulfilling wishes since 1996, when the foundation granted its first wish and sent a child to Disney World.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Michael as our keynote speaker,” said Bruce Leto, PFA steering committee member and co-chair of Stradley Ronon’s Investment Management Group. “We’re hopeful that other Philadelphia-based companies in the asset management industry will want to hear him speak, which in turn, will help us raise money for the great people at the Take A Breather Foundation.”
Formed in 2016, PFA was created to hold an annual fundraiser to benefit a charity in the greater Philadelphia area and to celebrate Philadelphia’s deep roots and influence in the registered funds, asset management and alternatives space. Over 200 Philadelphia-area asset management professionals raised more than $65,000 for Cradles to Crayons, a nonprofit organization that provides children living in homeless or low-income situations with the basic essential items they need to thrive, at the PFA gala last year.
Sponsors for 2018 are Aberdeen Standard Investments; ACA Compliance Group; BBD, LLP; Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.; Deloitte; DLA Piper; Drinker Biddle; EY; FS Investments; Glenmede Investment Management LP; KPMG LLP; Macquarie Investment Management; Morgan Lewis; Pepper Hamilton LLP; PwC; SEI Investments Company; Stradley Ronon; and Tait Weller.
For more information on the Philadelphia Fund Alliance and how to support its annual gala, please visit philafundalliance.com.