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).
Nate Houghton
Nate has deep experience in technology sales, marketing, and business development as an individual contributor, team leader, and founder. He made his first cold call less than a week after graduating from college and hasn't stopped for the last decade. His career includes roles with Google's field sales team, as a founder of a B2B technology company, on the other side of the table as a Venture Capitalist, and as a VP of Sales for a seed-stage startup. In addition to his work with College Funding Services, Nate is the co-founder of the Congo Leadership Initiative, a nonprofit organization training young entrepreneurs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Nate is a graduate of Cornell University and completed his MBA at Harvard Business School.
Adam Fischman
Adam has over fifteen years of consulting, business development, sales, and marketing experience. He has worked closely with startups, major government agencies, Fortune 100 companies, non-profits, and political candidates over the span of his career. Before working with College Funding Services, Adam was Director of Business Development at Change.org. He is an active angel investor and current partner at NextGen Ventures. Previously, he was a consultant at Sapient where his clients included U.S. intelligence and healthcare agencies. He began his career as a political strategist at PSB, where he worked with prominent heads of state including Tony Blair and Hillary Clinton. Adam is a graduate of Cornell University and completed his MBA at Georgetown University.
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.
Jera Barrett
Jera has 5 years of experience in the financial aid field. Before earning a full-time position, Jera had an internship with CFS while attending Endicott College. Jera graduated Magna Cum Laude while earning a degree in Finance. In addition to guiding herself and her brother through the college financial aid maze she has worked with hundreds of families struggling to do the same. Originally from Northampton, MA Jera currently resides in Salem, MA.
Josh Bennett
An unashamed personal finance nerd. As the founder of Vincere Wealth Management, I have consulted hundreds of people on the impacts of college education on their personal finances. I know what it takes to get on your feet in the world of education. I know that for the students it is essential to build a strong financial foundation and that many people are unable to due to their overwhelming debt from college. That’s why I developed a business in which I could teach, guide, and help to build that strong financial foundation for students and families.
John Munley
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.
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.
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.
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.