Awards Presented in Person at Gala in Boston on September 25, 2025
2nd Annual Executive Tribute Honors John Hyland of Private Advisor Group for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, now Blood Cancer United, with Fundraising Campaign
BOSTON, Mass.,— September 26, 2025—The Invest in Others Charitable Foundation (“Invest in Others”), a nonprofit organization dedicated to amplifying, celebrating, and inspiring the charitable work of the financial services community, presented five awards to financial advisors committed to giving back to their communities during its 19th annual Invest in Others Awards Gala, held on September 25, 2025 at the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport.
The Invest in Others Awards program, which features five categories, honors financial advisors who go above and beyond in volunteering and supporting nonprofit organizations, making a positive impact in the communities where they live and work.
The charities supported by the Catalyst, Community Service, Emerging Impact, and Volunteer of the Year category recipients each received a $60,000 grant from Invest in Others. Invest in Others also honored the Lifetime Achievement Award category recipient with a $100,000 grant to their designated charity. In addition, two finalists in each of the five categories received grants of $25,000 to each of their charities and 75 honorable mentions received grants of $2,000 each to their charities.
By award category, the 2025 Invest in Others Awards recipients are:
- Catalyst Award: William Sherlach of Raymond James in Newtown, CT, in recognition of his support for Sandy Hook Promise, which seeks to educate and empower youth and adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities.
- Community Service Award: Nadia Shokohi of Shokohi Wealth Management Group | LPL Financial in Parker, CO, honoring her commitment to assist Front Range Divorce Center DBA WINGS, a provider of personal empowerment through financial education and emotional wellness for women.
- Emerging Impact Award: Justin Elder of Cetera Financial Specialists in Naperville, IL, who supports Moose & Me Baking Company, which employs adults with physical, developmental, and intellectual disabilities, and seeks to provide an inclusive workplace where they can learn job skills and put them to use in a productive environment.
- Volunteer of the Year Award: John Lyons of J Lyons Fund Management, Inc. | Interactive Brokers in Deerfield, IL, who volunteers his time and expertise for
Hope for the Silent Voices, which seeks to bring attention and resources to the severely neglected, disadvantaged, and discarded around the world, and give them a voice.
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Scott Stackman of UBS Financial Services in New York, NY, honoring his dedication to the Challenged Athletes Foundation, which provides opportunities and support to people with physical disabilities, and empower them to pursue active lifestyles through competitive athletics and physical fitness.
“This year’s award recipients set the bar very high for balancing dedication to clients with a commitment to supporting nonprofit organizations. Their work makes an impact on the lives of people in their communities, and across the country,” said R. Barkley Payne, President and CEO of the Invest in Others Charitable Foundation. “Our annual awards program and gala celebrate these individuals and the support they give to causes close to their hearts. We are honored to highlight this inspiring side of the financial services industry, amplifying impact through awards recognition and financial support.”
Additional Notable Recognitions
During the gala, Invest in Others also presented its second Executive Tribute to John Hyland, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Private Advisor Group of Morristown, NJ. With a career spanning more than three decades, Hyland has become a trusted leader in retirement and estate planning, guiding clients with care and expertise as they work toward their personal financial goals. He also believes in actively engaging in his community to improve quality of life for as many people as possible. He joined the board of Invest in Others in May 2014 and is the board’s immediate past chairman.
Hyland received the 2025 Executive Tribute to honor his efforts on behalf of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, now Blood Cancer United, where he serves as president of the board of the organization’s New Jersey chapter. Hyland has dedicated years of involvement to the organization, inspired by a family connection to the deadliest form of blood cancer, acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Notably, Hyland was honored with the Invest in Others Community Service Award in 2010 for this charitable work and was recipient of the award prior to his own 2010 diagnosis with AML. A special fundraising campaign by Invest in Others was recently launched to raise $500,000 in Hyland’s honor, which will be shared equally between Invest in Others and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, now Blood Cancer United, for which he is a national trustee.
At the gala, Invest in Others also honored Thomas Whitehurst of Whitehurst Advisory Group | Raymond James, a 2025 award finalist for his support of Casa Familia, Inc., who passed away earlier this year. Whitehurst’s wife and daughter, who were in attendance, accepted a very special posthumous honor on his behalf.
The 2025 Invest in Others Awards are presented by Fidelity Investments and made possible with support from Diamond sponsors Cetera, Osaic, and Private Advisor Group, as well as Platinum sponsors Cambridge, Commonwealth Financial Network, LPL Financial, Merrill, MFS, and Natixis Investment Managers.
To learn more about the honorees and their charitable work, visit 2025 Invest in Others Awards Gala.
