NAIFA's Annual A Day with MDRT 2026

Program Schedule

 8:00 – 8:30               Coffee with Exhibitors

8:30 – 9:00                 Opening Remarks – Camille Tan, CRPC - Emcee

9:00 – 9:50                 Speaker – John F. Nichols, MSM, CLU – Passion, Purpose, Protection

9:50 – 10:40               Speaker – Julianne Hertel, CLU, ChFC, CLTC, LACP – Dream Big Blueprint

10:40 - 11:00              Break with Exhibitors

11:00 – 11:30             Speaker – Thomas Drapala, RSSA - Understanding & Optimizing Social Security

11:30 – 11:50             Speaker – Joey Davenport, CLU, CLF - Collaborative Discovery

11:50 – 12:30             Lunch with Exhibitors  

12:30 – 1:20               Speaker – David McKnight – The One Big Beautiful Bill Act: A New Roadmap for Tax-Free Retirement Planning

1:20 – 2:10                 Speaker – Christopher Gandy, LACP – Ferocious Prospecting

2:10 – 2:50                 Annual Business Meeting, Awards & Legislative Update, Evan Manning, IOM 

2:50 – 3:00                 Closing Remarks & Raffle Prizes - Camille Tan, CRPC - Emcee

Meet the Speakers

John F. Nichols, MSM, CLU

John F. Nichols, MSM, CLU, is a nationally recognized disability benefits consultant, author, and industry leader. He is the founder of Nichols Consulting LLC and previously founded Disability Resource Group, a national insurance agency he established in 1999 and sold to Acrisure in 2017.

Nichols served as the 100th President of MDRT and is a 26-year MDRT member with 21 Court of the Table and 19 Top of the Table qualifications. He also served as President of the MDRT Foundation and previously as the 124th National President of the National Association of Insurance & Financial Advisors (NAIFA).

A frequent speaker at national and international meetings, Nichols brings a deeply personal perspective to his work. In 1993, a water-skiing accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. His extraordinary recovery and return to an active professional life have shaped his message of resilience, purpose, and protecting one's ability to earn an income.

He is the author of Income Protection: The Conversation and Passion, Purpose, Protection: The Ability of Disability Insurance.

Christopher L. Gandy, LACP

Christopher has spent the last 27 years helping clients achieve their financial goals, specializing in life insurance, disability income, investments, and tax strategies. He began his own financial services practice in 1999 and has worked with business owners, physicians, professional athletes, and executives across the U.S.

Christopher was a Communications major at the University of Illinois. Outside of the classroom, he played on the Fighting Illini basketball team where he was co-captain and earned 2^nd Team All Big-Ten honors. After college, he played professional basketball for the Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs, and in L’Hermaine, France.

He is a long-standing MDRT member and recognized leader in the industry, having earned multiple awards with Northwestern Mutual and Molyneaux Financial Group. Christopher stands as an exemplary leader and advocate within NAIFA. As the current NAIFA National President, he has consistently proven to be a powerful voice for the interests of all Americans and families. 

David McKnight

David McKnight graduated from Brigham Young University with Honors in 1997. He has been featured in Forbes, USA Today, The New York Times, Fox Business, Bloomberg Radio, MarketWatch, CBS Radio, CNBC, Yahoo Finance, Nasdaq.com, Reuters, Investor’s Business Daily, Kiplinger’s and numerous other national publications.

David’s bestselling book The Power of Zero has sold over 400,000 copies and the updated and revised version was published by Penguin Random House in 2018. This book was recently made into a full-length documentary film entitled The Power of Zero: The Tax Train Is Coming. When his follow-up book Tax-Free Income for Life launched in November of 2020, it finished the week as the #3 most-sold business book in the world. When his most recent book The Guru Gap launched in December of 2024, it finished the week at #8 on the USA Today Bestseller list and was the top-selling business book in the world.

He and his wife Felice have seven children.

Julianne Hertel, CLU, ChFC, CLTC, LACP

Julianne Hertel is the founder and managing partner of Dream Big Wealth Strategies, LLC, a financial and wealth planning firm dedicated to helping people live with greater freedom, purpose, and joy. For more than 19 years, she has guided clients through her signature Dream Big Blueprint a holistic planning process that simplifies financial decisions and aligns wealth with what matters most.

Julianne is passionate about working with dream chasers and world changers kind, generous people who want to make a meaningful impact, leave a lasting legacy, and enjoy the journey along the way.

Julianne has been recognized as one of the Worcester Business Journal's Outstanding Women in Business. She is also an active leader within MDRT, having served in multiple leadership roles, including Global Council Member and chair of several committees. A sought-after speaker, she has presented at national and international industry conferences, sharing her insights on financial planning, leadership, and building a purpose-driven life.

Joey Davenport, CLU, CLF

Joey is President and co-Founder of Hoopis Performance Network in Chicago. He has 30 years of experience in financial services as a top producer, manager, entrepreneur and international speaker. HPN is recognized by Inc. 5000 as one of the fastest growing privately held businesses in the United States. 

Joey spent two decades with Northwestern Mutual and was the Associate Managing Partner for the Hoopis Financial Group – one of the top firms in the United States which was considered among the most productive financial services organizations in the world.

Joey is one of the producers of Trustworthy Selling which is co-developed by LIMRA and recognized by Selling Power as one of the Top 25 sales training companies in North America for 6 consecutive years. NAIFA has partnered with HPN and LIMRA to bring SkillSet powered by Trustworthy Selling to their members throughout the U.S.

Joey lives in Chicago with his wife of 24 years Lyndy and their 16-year-old son Will. He enjoys spending time with his family, traveling and playing live music. 

Thomas Drapala, RSSA

Thomas Drapala is the Director of Strategic Partnerships at RSSA, a leading provider of Social Security software and education for financial and insurance professionals. Holding both the RSSA designation and a life and health license, Tom brings deep industry knowledge and practical expertise to his role.

He is passionate about empowering agents and advisors with best-in-class education, innovative technology, and effective marketing support to better serve their clients. A sought-after speaker, Tom has delivered engaging presentations on Social Security and related planning strategies to professionals across the industry, earning a reputation for making complex topics clear, actionable, and impactful.

Camille Marie Tan, RICP

Camille M. Tan has spent more than 20 years helping people and businesses plan for their futures. She began her career alongside her father in a multiline insurance and financial services agency that grew into one of the largest practices in DuPage County. Together, they later established Van Ham & Tan Financial in Naperville, focusing on financial services and retirement planning. Throughout her career, Camille has made education central to her work, helping clients understand their goals and the steps to reach them.

Today, Camille brings that experience to her role as Associate District Manager for Farmers Insurance District 9, where she works alongside her husband to help agency owners grow and better serve their clients.

A member of the NAIFA since 2004, Camille was named NAIFA Illinois Young Advisor of the Year in 2010 and has served as president of its Illinois chapter. Outside of work, she is a competitive distance swimmer with a national championship title and multiple top 10 age group finishes. She is also a Divemaster and swim coach who enjoys sharing her love of the water with others.

Evan Manning, IOM

Evan Manning joined the NAIFA Illinois advocacy team as Government Relations Manager in 2019. He has experience in the private sector and most recently was an Appropriations Budget Analyst on the Senate Republican Staff.

Evan is responsible for all aspects of the association’s government relations program. He also represents Big I of IL, NABIP, and IAMIC, collectively referred to as the Illinois Coalition of Insurance Brokers and Financial Advisors. The Coalition represents thousands of individuals and firms providing insurance and financial advice to Illinois consumers and businesses.

Evan works with our leaders in representing the Coalition before the General Assembly, Constitutional Officers, boards and commissions.