Peterborough resident Betty Halman-Plumley might be celebrating 20 years at IG Wealth Management, but it’s a lot more than her clients and their financial legacies that she has championed throughout the past two decades. With years spent being involved in local organizations in various capacities, she has been a visionary committed to making the community a better place.
To share her appreciation to her clients and to the community, Halman-Plumley is hosting an Afternoon Tea event from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 26 at The Mount Community Centre in Peterborough.
“I have lots of energy and passion for what I’m doing, so it doesn’t feel like work,” she says. “Working with three generations of families is something I’m passionate about, including setting up legacies with families while people are living and healthy. The bow on that is when we know everyone’s taken care of — the family, their kids’ families, and future generations — we can ask clients if there’s any way to add another element by giving back to the community as a family.”
Born and raised in Peterborough as a first-generation Dutch Canadian and the eldest of four siblings, Halman-Plumley appreciates how hard people work for their money and, as a proud mother and oma, she recognizes the importance of building a financial legacy for families. Her team at IG Wealth Management specializes in providing intergenerational wisdom, wealth, estate, and legacy planning for families, with special care and planning for elderly members.
Prior to becoming a financial consultant in 2005, Halman-Plumley had previously worked in support of families. She spent 25 years at the Peterborough Family Resource Centre, where she implemented several initiatives and was the executive director during the Ontario Early Years Centre designation process.
When she became interested in exploring and expanding her skillset, she moved into the financial planning industry after recognizing the value she and her husband Ken received as clients of IG Wealth Management.
“As we started a growing family, I recognized the benefits of having someone provide financial planning at every stage of our family’s life,” she says. “I thought there’s a good connection there with my previous work with families and being able to support families even further through financial planning.”
One of many reasons Halman-Plumley is proud to be working at IG Wealth Management is because the company is like “a big city with a small-town feel,” where there’s always someone available to answer the phone.
“I’ve talked to many advisors who come to IG from big companies and firms, and they say IG is like the Lamborghini in the garage because of the level of sophisticated planning and support we offer to our clients” she says.
Next year, IG Wealth will be celebrating 100 years as a Canadian planning company.
“I work alongside a trusted team of accountants, lawyers, and wealth and estate planning specialists to provide my clients with holistic, coordinated advice. As a team, we ensure that every aspect of our client’s financial life — from tax and legal to long-term legacy planning — is aligned with their goals.”
“I am pleased to be working with an incredible team — my assistant Kelley Giusti and planning assistant Anthony Bordignon — who play a key role in supporting our clients,” Halman-Plumley adds. “Together, we provide seamless administrative support and deliver comprehensive financial planning solutions, ensuring our clients receive the highest level of service and care.”
In 2016, Halman-Plumley was approached by IG Wealth Management Regional Director Glenn James to be the Division Director / Branch Manager for the company’s new George Street office in downtown Peterborough, a role she says she “happily” filled until 2024.
Always eager to keep learning, throughout her career Halman-Plumley has earned a number of credentials and designations, including Elder Planning Counselor (EPC), Registered Retirement Consultant (RRC), and Certified Financial Planner (CFP).
With a “heart for God” who sees her work with families as an extension of her faith, Halman-Plumley also most recently earned a Certified Kingdom Advisor (CKA) designation, which tells clients and prospective clients that she is trained to help them align Christian values with their financial planning.
As she has earned these achievements over the past 20 years, she has paved her way in an industry that is largely male-dominated.
“Women are still the minority, but IG is really leading the way with women in this industry,” she says. “Many years ago, it was all men presenting on the mainstage at conferences, and I remember putting in my evaluation, ‘Where are the women?’ Now there’s probably more women presenting than men.”
Throughout her career, from leading programs for fathers at the Peterborough Family Resource Centre to finding ways to get more women working in the financial industry, Halman-Plumley has been determined to engage all perspectives, including all ages, genders, and experiences.
This is the philosophy she brings to the number of community initiatives with which she has been involved, including the Woman’s Business Network of Peterborough (Halman-Plumley was the 2011 president and the Member of the Year in 2013), St. Anne’s Church, Kawartha Child Care Services, School for Young Moms, Alternative Community Program Services, the Festival of Trees, and many more.
As the past president for the Rotary Club of Peterborough — one of five female presidents in the affiliate’s more than a century history — Halman-Plumley strived to include a range of perspectives on the board and when considering the club’s recently unveiled legacy project.
Called Project ROAR, the community-driven $1.5 million campaign to create an inclusive, accessible playground at the Riverview Park and Zoo — which was founded by Rotarian Ross Dobbin in 1933. The design of the transformative project will invite people of all ages and abilities to enjoy the space, by widening pathways for those using strollers and mobility devices, adding even surfaces, and including a comfortable and shaded viewing area for parents and guardians.
“It’s a beautiful partnership between the Riverview Park and Zoo and Rotary and a way that people can learn and feel supported and be inspired while they’re there,” Halman-Plumley says. “All families and the whole community will benefit.”
For more information on the project and to donate, visit www.peterboroughrotary.ca/page/rotary-accessible-playground.
Along with being a Rotarian since 2012, Halman-Plumley continues to find new ways to use her leadership and passion for the betterment of the community, including by recently joining the board of The Mount Community Centre, a non-profit organization motivated by poverty reduction and community development.
“My parents came to this country and I’m just so grateful for that and for what the community has offered my family,” she says. “I’m passionate about families and women and children, so I give back with my time and money because helping people thrive is a real passion for me. I also want to inspire and mentor other women and want to be a role model for my family.”
When she has free time when not working or volunteering, Halman-Plumley loves to travel, read, walk, play golf, dance, and spend time with her family — including her three children and two granddaughters all living in Vancouver — and her close circle of good friends.
“I have lots of amazing women in my life who are leaders in this community,” Halman-Plumley says. “When we get together regularly, we support each other, we have fun together, and we share successes and lessons learned. I wouldn’t be able to do it without the support of the incredible people in my life.”
That’s why she is hosting the community gathering on October 26 — to show appreciation for the people who have supported her in the past two decades and beyond.
Celebrating 20 “incredible” years with IG Wealth Management and over 40 years giving back to this community, Halman-Plumley says she is proud of her journey and is excited to see what the next 20 years will bring.
“I just want to be able to say thank you,” she says. “Thank you clients, thank you community, and thank you to everyone for supporting me through these past twenty years and through all my life.”
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