The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards has selected Martin Seay as its 2026 board chair-elect, the organization announced Wednesday.
Seay, a professor and researcher at Kansas State University, will step into the role following the tenure of current chair-elect Terri Kallsen, who is set to lead the board in 2026.
Seay, who joined the CFP Board as a director in 2022, is known for his work in personal financial planning and research on borrowing decisions and the psychological factors that shape financial behavior. He teaches in both undergraduate and doctoral programs registered with the CFP Board at Kansas State and has received multiple awards for his research, including recognition from the Financial Planning Association – which he led as president in 2020 – and the CFP Board itself.
“Martin is deeply committed to the growth and integrity of the financial planning profession,” Liz Miller, chair of the board of directors for 2025, said in the Wednesday statement. “His experience and passion will help CFP Board continue advancing the profession amid an ever-changing environment.”
Seay’s appointment continues a policy of planned leadership transitions at the CFP Board. Last year, the board named Terri Kallsen as 2025 chair-elect, following a succession plan that saw Miller move into the chair position for 2025. Kallsen is expected to take over as chair in 2026, with Seay following in 2027.
Seay said he looks forward to building on the organization’s recent momentum.
“I’m eager to use my years of experience in financial planning to champion CFP certification and grow our community of competent, ethical financial planners,” he said.
The announcement comes as the CFP Board marks a period of growth and transition. The number of CFP professionals surpassed one hundred thousand for the first time in 2024, and the organization recently appointed Barry Gersten as head technology officer to guide its digital transformation strategy. Earlier this year, longtime chief executive Kevin Keller announced his retirement, capping nearly two decades of leadership during which the board doubled its certificant base and expanded public awareness of the CFP designation.
Seay holds both a bachelor’s degree and a doctorate from the University of Georgia, with an emphasis in family financial planning. He was recognized as a distinguished alumnus by the university in 2021 and was named to the InvestmentNews 40 Under 40 list in 2020.
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