Matt Carpenter
Matt started CFS in 2005 after realizing both he and his parents had made some major mistakes in navigating the college admissions and financial aid processes. It became Matt's mission to show other families how to avoid making similar mistakes in one of the biggest investments of their life. Today, Matt is recognized as one of the nation's leading authorities within the College Funding niche. Together, with CFS, Matt has successfully guided thousands of families through the college financial aid maze.
Matt grew up in the Birthplace of American Independence, otherwise known as Ipswich, MA. He graduated from Stonehill College in 2004 after enjoying a great career in the classroom, much less so on the football field.
When he's not busy saving families from the college loan crisis, Matt enjoys hanging out with his wife Rosey, their daughter Emma, and their lab Tommy. They reside in Beverly, MA.
When the Carpenters aren't passionately supporting one of their favorite Boston teams, you might catch them at the beach, traveling, or attending a concert from any of these life-enhancing bands: My Morning Jacket, Band of Horses, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Iver or The War on Drugs.
Bill Rabbitt
Bill started working with CFS in 2007 by helping found the NY/NJ office and is currently COO and Managing Partner. Bill's passion for the college funding space came from personal experience. Being 1 of 4 children of a blue-collar family, he witnessed his parents struggle to put 4 kids through college. He saw first hand the fear, anxiety, and stress that the process brought with it. His personal mission is to help families navigate this process in a strategic and fully educated way so as to limit the stress and cost as much as possible.
Today, Bill is recognized as one of the nation's leading authorities within the College Funding space. Bill has worked with a countless number of families from every demographic, as well as, dozens of organizations throughout the country.
Growing up in Bayonne, NJ Bill graduated from St. Peter's Prep High School. He went on to play football at Stonehill College and graduated in 2005. He now resides in Westfield, NJ with his lovely wife Danielle and two children Liam (5) and Claire (3).
Matt Mulhern
Matt started working with CFS in 2012. After graduating from Rutgers University with a degree in Economics, Matt enjoyed a successful career in both the real estate financial services sectors with multiple New York City firms.
Matt unexpectedly stumbled across the CFS website and liked what he saw. He decided to attend one of our live financial aid presentations. By the end of the workshop, Matt knew CFS was the perfect company for him. The feeling was mutual.
One of four children, Matt watched as his parents, both public school teachers, struggled to send four kids to college. Matt realized that his parents would have benefited greatly from the expertise of a professional. Helping families decrease their financial burdens while greatly reducing the stress and anxiety of the college process became Matt’s passion.
Matt currently lives in Jersey City, NJ.
John Galvin
John grew up in Oceanport, NJ and attended Shore Regional High school. John went on to attend the University of Delaware graduating Magna Cum Laude in 2008. After graduation, John pursued careers in the real estate and investment advisory fields. Despite John's success, he yearned for more. He found his passion in helping families navigate the financial aid process as his family struggled so much in this undertaking.
John is still active in developing real estate and currently resides in Jersey City, NJ.
Lisa Patella
Lisa has been a team member of CFS for since the summer of 2016. Lisa has been active in the Cranford community volunteering her time as a CBSL softball coach, PTA President and then later as a Board of Education member. She was born and raised in Bayonne, NJ. Lisa and her husband, Mike, moved to Cranford in 1991 and have been blessed with three wonderful children.
Lisa is a lifelong Mets fan and has met most of the 1986 Championship NY Mets team. Lisa enjoys spending her free time at the beach with her family.
Jera Barrett
Jera Barrett works as an intern for College Funding Services' Salem, MA branch. She is a rising senior at Endicott College in Beverly, MA working towards a Bachelor's Degree in Finance. She is part of the Sigma Beta Delta Business Honor Society and has completed two previous internships while at Endicott. One at Family Legacy Partners located in Northampton, MA and the other with the City of Northampton's Finance Department. She recently returned from a semester abroad in Australia.
Joe Messinger
16 years of financial services experience
B.S. from Penn State in 2000
Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) in 2014
Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®) in 2011
Member of FPA (Financial Planning Association)
Columbus Business First "Forty Under 40" Class of 2013
Joe is leading authority on late-state college funding and frequently speaks to organizations and parent groups, such as the OSCPA, FPA, XY Planning Network, BMI Credit Union, Westerville City Schools, At The Core, and CollegeWise, among many others.
He was on the PSU football team for one season under Coach Paterno, but didn't see any game time. Joe actually went to college to become a chef. He loved the craft, but hated the grueling hours. His financial career was a total accident, spurred on by a friend's suggestion while in Atlanta. When he's not in the office, Joe is most likely at "a show" with his fellow jam band junkies. He is proud Victorian Village resident along with his dog, Bobby Weir. He recently joined a bowling league.
Emily Zotto
Emily Zotto-Barnum joined the CFS family as a compliment to her role as Guidance Director in one of Boston’s area high schools. She is dedicated to working with students and families, providing support at all high school grade levels with a keen eye on college admissions. After working in public education for almost ten years, she feels a deep sense of commitment to improving families’ experience with all aspects of the sometimes stressful, overwhelming and complicated admissions process. Collaborating with CFS is a natural fit in providing support and reassurance to families navigating the financial aid component of the process. Emily graduated with a BA from Skidmore College in 2002, went on to work at Wellesley College for a brief time before heading to Colorado where she spent the early part of her career in account management with marketing and event agencies. Her professional background in the private sector is punctuated by a love of grassroots marketing, non traditional approaches, and a focus on partnerships and cause related marketing. She earned her Master’s in Education and Counseling from Boston University in 2009 and has been working as a School Counselor and Director of Guidance since earning her degree. Emily lives with her husband and three kids on Boston’s North Shore and enjoys riding her scooter, kayaking in the harbor (no big waves or sharks please), and eating fondue.
John Hupalo
John Hupalo is the founder and CEO of Invite Education. John is a nationally recognized expert in education loan finance and college planning. He grew up in Bethpage and is a graduate of New York University (MBA) and Boston University (BA).
He is the author of Amazon’s Best New Release in June 2016, Plan and Finance Your Family’s College Dreams: A Parent’s Step-by-Step Guide from Pre-K to Senior Year. John has talked about college planning on more than 50 radio and TV shows, including Sirius XM, NPR and CBS Radio, and The Street with Gregg Greenberg. He has also been published or quoted in the New York Times, the Fiscal Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fox Business, and U.S. News and World Report.
David C. Bowman
David C. Bowman, CFP® is our Director of Advisor Success for Capstone College Partners. Dave was an Associate Financial Advisor at a large fee-only RIA before starting Outsourced Planning, an outsourced financial planning solution for RIAs, and eventually co-founding Capstone College Partners.
He has a passion for helping planners run smarter, more intentional practices so they attract, retain and wow clients while focusing on what inspires them personally and professionally.
Dave is the go-to point of contact for our existing clients and loves helping them incorporate our tools, education, resources, and vision so they thrive throughout this process.
Joe Gatto
Joe Gatto is an experienced copywriter & digital marketer, as well as co-founder of Capstone College Partners. He has a unique gift for seeing opportunities from lots of different vantage points. He’s excellent at really understanding what prospective students truly want, and helping them articulate their goals.
Joe is a music aficionado, who enjoys traveling to Thailand in his free time.
James DellaVecchia
James DellaVecchia has a decade of experience in the investment and insurance industry. James began his career on Wall Street before ultimately opening his own Investment Services firm, The DellaVecchia Group, LLC which is located in Cranford, New Jersey where he resides. He brings experience in the areas of partnership planning, succession planning, benefits and risk planning. Whether someone is looking for a strategy to pass the business on to the next generation, improving employee retention through an affordable benefits package, or create an income stream for life, James DellaVecchia can help.
James lives in Cranford with his wife and 2 daughters. James has been snowboarding for over 20 years and still enjoys playing X-Box on occasion.
Brian Scanlon
Brian is the Founder of The Recruiting Coaches. The Recruiting Coaches help families navigate the tricky waters of the college recruiting process by giving them the most truthful information and hands on guidance. Their Coaches all have college playing and coaching experience, giving them an unparalleled viewpoint on the college recruiting process. Brian's coaching experience comes in the form of being the Recruiting Coordinator for Babson College from 2010-2015, along with coaching for the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod Baseball League. Along with The Recruiting Coaches, Brian is a Partner at O'Hare Management, LLC, a boutique Merger & Acquisition Advisory Firm. O'Hare Management provides sell-side and buy-side advisory services to companies with revenues of $5-$100 million.
Brian received his Bachelors and MBA from Babson College where he was a Captain of the Baseball Team. He has been a guest lecturer at Babson College and Johnson & Wales University.
Jessica Taub
Jessica is the Metro West Partner for Private Prep. Private Prep is a distinctive education service offering individually customized lessons for a wide range of K-12 subjects, standardized test prep and college admissions consulting. Their Academic Coaches are experienced, passionate, and highly qualified educators. In addition to a track record of improving grades and increasing test scores, they have a knack for connecting with students on a personal level and appreciate that our role transcends academics.
Jessica, was born and raised in New Jersey and brings over a decade of experience in account management at client-serving high profile brands. She has an enthusiasm for supporting the family dynamic, drawing especially from her important role as a nurturing mom of two.
Bill Kelly, CFP, CPA
Bill is the Founder and President of Verity Capital Management, LLC. Bill received a B.S. in Accounting from Providence College and both a Master in Taxation and a Master in Financial Planning from Bentley University. Bill is also licensed as a CPA in Massachusetts. Prior to founding Verity Capital Management, LLC, Bill was a partner at a large local CPA firm and a CFO for a prominent distributor in the graphic arts industry.
Bill is a scratch golfer and avid sports fan. He and his wife live in Hull, MA and enjoy spending time with their 2 sons and grandchildren.