There is a well-known expression “you can’t go home again.” Basically, it means that if you try to return to a place from your past it won’t be the same as it was. The inference can often be that this is a bad thing because the place changed but the person did not. I believe places and people both change over time, and bringing them back together again can have beneficial results. In fact, there are a lot of expats returning to Detroit, and look at the results.

Please join me in welcoming our newest teammate back home to Birmingham, Michigan. Bill Feldmaier has recently joined Greenleaf Trust as our new Managing Director of our southeast Michigan market and will be located in our Birmingham office. Bill grew up in Birmingham and attended Birmingham Seaholm High School where as a quarterback he set numerous passing records. He and his family are returning home from the Annapolis, Maryland area.

Bill will be responsible for market strategy, business development, and leadership of our Birmingham office. He will be working throughout southeast Michigan to grow our wealth management, personal trust, family office and retirement plan business. We have known Bill for a long time and have been trying to convince him to come back home for the last six years. His proven leadership ability, knowledge of our industry, strategic thought process, and relationship skills are what impress us most about Bill. He joins Greenleaf Trust from Lord, Abbett & Co., where he was a director of consultant relations. Over the last 20 years, he has held senior national sales leadership roles at Transamerica, CUNA Mutual Group, and Comerica Bank. He is also a published author and has chaired numerous retirement industry conferences throughout the country.

Bill will be joining our talented team in Birmingham that has grown to 14 since we opened our doors in 2010. The team is diverse and has members from almost every one of our business divisions. I know he is excited about joining the Greenleaf Trust team because of our client centric service model, commitment to the communities we live and work in, and our organizational culture. We had more than a few conversations on these topics over the years and are excited that our opportunity aligned with his personal and professional goals.

We will formally welcome Bill back home February 23 at The Community House in Birmingham. There will be cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and the opportunity to meet Bill. If you would like to stop by, give our Birmingham office a call at 248-530-6200.