Alexandra Armstrong

Alexandra (Alex) Armstrong has worked in the financial services industry for 40 years, and is the chairwoman and founder of Armstrong, Fleming, & Moore.

Biography

Born and raised in the Washington DC area, Alexandra "Alex" Armstrong's father died when she was 9 years old. She attended Stone Ridge School in her early years, and went to Newton College of the Sacred Heart for her undergraduate degree.^[1]

Alex began her financial services career with stock brokerage firm Ferris & Company as a secretary to Julia Walsh, the first Washington woman to be successful in the brokerage business9citation needed0. In 1977, Walsh left Ferris & Company to start her own firm, and Armstrong made the transition along with her. When Walsh exited and sold her firm several years later, Alex started her own financial planning firm and broker-dealer in 1983.^[1]

Alex was the first person to earn the Certified Financial Planner certification in Washington, DC.^[2]

In 1993, she co-authored "On Your Own: A Widow's Passage to Emotional and Financial Well-Being" with Dr. Mary Donahue, now in its 5th edition.^[3]

Serving financial planning

In addition to her work in her businesses, Armstrong served for seven years on the national board (1980-1987) for the International Association of Financial Planners,^[2] one of the predecessor organizations to the Financial Planning Association. Armstrong was also the first female president and chairwoman of the organization.^[4]

Armstrong is a founding member and ongoing board member for the Foundation for Financial Planning in 2000, and was a chairwoman of the non-profit organization as well.^[5]

Outside Activities

In addition to her work in financial planning, Armstrong is also active outside the financial services industry. She was the first (and only) female president of the National Capital Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and is also a past treasurer of the national board for Reading Is Fundamental. Armstrong has also served on the Board of Visitors of Georgetown University School of Business Administration, and was president of the National Association of Women Business Owners, Washington, DC and also the Women's Forum of Washington, DC.^[2]

Accolades

In 1985, Armstrong received the Award of Excellence in Commerce from Boston College Alumni Association. In 1994, she received the Alumni of the year award from Stone Ridge, her alma mater.

In 2004, Armstrong was the first woman to ever receive the prestigious P. Kemp Fain, Jr. award from the Financial Planning Association.

In 2006, she was inducted into the Washington Business Hall of Fame.

References