Advisors
Candace Chromy - Event Management Consultant
Candace Chromy has 10 years of experience in nonprofit management and fund development. She has demonstrated outstanding leadership skills in hiring, training, and managing employees and volunteers. She is adept at creating innovative programs and developing community relationships.
Candace was hired to help a struggling nonprofit and effectively saved the organization from bankruptcy by increasing social enterprise income, program revenues, and grant awards. She has also created and implemented highly successful fundraising events and instituted stewardship programs that led to substantially increased gifts. In all her nonprofit engagements, her leadership leaves a legacy of persistence, goodwill, and love of the organization.
Her private sector background includes ownership of a retail gourmet food store, cooking school, and corporate gift company. Additionally, Candace has worked in various account management positions for Fortune 500 companies where achieving sales goals was always her top priority. For two years, Candace lived and worked in our nation’s first national park, Yellowstone, as part of the management team of the Lake Yellowstone Hotel.
Throughout her career, Candace has enjoyed creating new programs and experiencing new frontiers, and her most meaningful endeavor is mentoring people to become the best representations of themselves.
Candace is a graduate of the Hospitality Management program from Washington State University where she earned twin Bachelor of Arts degrees. She enjoys yoga and traveling and resides in San Clemente, California with her husband Jim.
Jim Eckel, J.D., CFP - Charitable Gift Consultant
Jim consults with nonprofit organizations to develop charitable / planned gift programs. He has originated and directed planned giving systems that raised several million dollars in both major and planned gifts, established a professional advisor network, and conceptualized corporate sponsorship offerings. He was responsible for an organization’s best fundraising year since its separation from its parent organization 15 years prior. Jim was the recipient of the 2013 Best Gift Legacy Mission Video Award from Crescendo Interactive.
Acting as a charitable consultant for another organization, Jim created a marketing campaign to provide a concise and clear explanation of the services it provides to the general public.
Having worked with companies such as Merrill Lynch, New York Life, CUNA Mutual, and Transamerica Insurance and Investments, Jim possesses a true understanding of financial products and how they can make great charitable gifts.
Jim holds a law degree from Western State College of Law, the CFP and CLU designations, and a Business Administration degree from Cal State East Bay, CA.
He is the author of several financial books, including Planning for the Golden Years with Variable Annuities, Survey of Advanced Sales (CE Course), Conserve Your Wealth in SEVEN Easy Steps, and Charitable Giving Quick Reference Guide.
He is a past president of the Planned Giving Round Tables of Orange and San Diego Counties. Jim resides in San Clemente, California with his wife Candace and is an active hiker.
Our Clientele
