Happy New Year
It is the last day of 2019! Our offices will be closed one more time tomorrow on New Year’s Day and re-open on Thursday morning, January 2. We wish you all a happy, safe and prosperous new year.

We Are Hiring
Our team is seeking a full-time Investment Research Analyst to serve as an active contributor and centralized resource for the investments department. valleynationalgroup.com/join-our-team

Time for Taxes
A New Year means it is time for our team to start sending out tax questionnaires and related instructions for the tax prep season. If you have engaged us to prepare your tax return, we will be sending out the information you need from us and guidance about what we need from you, starting next week.

Our team wishes everyone in our VNFA family and Lehigh Valley community a very happy holiday week and prosperous New Year!

We had the pleasure of celebrating Christmas with the after-school homework club at Northeast Community Center last week, and we look forward to doing more in 2020 for these great kids in the Pembroke-Marvine community as part of our Volunteer Challenge project.

Visit our Facebook page for more photos, and stay tuned…

Year-End (Beginning) Holiday Office Hours
Our offices will close at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, December 24 and re-open at 8 a.m. on Thursday December 26. The following week, we will be closed on Wednesday, January 1. Our entire team wishes all of our clients and friends Happy Holidays and safe and prosperous New Year.

Our team will be taking a break to celebrate the holiday season and the close of our 34^th year in business this Friday afternoon. Our offices will close at 11:30, but we will be accessible via phone should you need us.

Thanksgiving Holiday Office Hours
Our offices will be closed on Thursday, November 28, and closing early with the markets at 1 p.m. on Friday, November 29. All of us at VNFA are grateful for our family of clients and friends. Happy Thanksgiving!

Our team was pleased to present a check to fund almost 12,000 meals for Second Harvest Food Bank of Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania. The donation was a result of a partnership with WDIY 88.1 FM during their Fall Membership Drive. Thank you to all of the members and donors who not only supported local public radio but also helped feed more people in our Lehigh Valley region.

OUR TEAM IN THE NEWS
Tune into radioamerica.com this Sunday, November 24 at 10 a.m. to listen to an interview with our CEO, Matt Petrozelli, on the nationally broadcast Executive Leaders Radio Program (executiveleadersradio.com).

We want to hear from you!
Our team is preparing for tax preparation season, and diving into conversations about related tax planning. As part of our commitment to our clients and our community, we want to provide information and ideas that are useful and interesting to you. So, let us know what topics or questions you would like our professional team to address in articles or video over the coming months. Contact us with your ideas.

In the Community
Our team supports programming through the Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley. Last week, our CEO was Honorary Chair for the Spirit of Volunteerism celebration, recognizing companies, organizations and individuals for their community impact.

Now, we are collecting shoe boxes and gifts for children across the region to receive Holiday Hope Chests. Described as “happiness in a shoe box,” these small gifts are often the only present many children receive. This year, nonprofits are requesting more than 10,000 boxes. That means there are 10,000 children who are in need.

Our team’s humble contribution usually amounts to somewhere between 20 and 30 boxes. But every box makes a difference. If you are so inclined, please look for the collection box in our front lobby where you can drop off items to help us do more. Visit volunteerlv.org to see the list of nonprofits requesting shoeboxes and the suggested gift list.

Our offices will be closed until noon on Friday, November 1 for our annual compliance and security training. A client service representative will be available to assist you in the afternoon, and your advisory teams will be checking e-mail and voicemail periodically throughout the day.

We are pleased to announce the promotion of Jessica Goedtel, CFP^® to the position of Assistant Vice President / Financial Advisor.

Jessica has been part of our team since 2016 helping clients with comprehensive financial planning, including tax, insurance and corporate benefits. She joined VNFA with several years of experience in the financial services industry and has continued developed her skills through our firm’s Entry Level Professional (ELP) program. The ELP program is specifically designed to prepare the next generation of financial advisors at VNFA with key skills and knowledge.

“Jessica received her Certified Financial Planner^TM Professional designation in 2018 and has completed all levels of our firm’s ELP development standards,” says CEO Matthew Petrozelli. “She has been and will continue to be a valuable part of our professional advisory team in this new capacity as a full-time financial advisor.”

Jessica can be reached at jgoedtel@valleynationalgroup.com or 610-868-9000 x127. Get to know Jessica.