PLAINFIELD, IL, July 23, 2019 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Diane Ruth Maloney with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Ms. Maloney celebrates many years' experience in her professional network and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes she has accrued in her field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Ms. Maloney enjoyed a successful career in the financial services industry for nearly three decades, following a twenty-year teaching career. In 1988, she affiliated with CMP Financial Services, a financial planning division of Lincoln National Life Insurance Company. During that year, she completed securities and insurance licensing requirements, built her client base and began coursework for the Certified Financial Planning (CFP) designation. She joined Herbst Financial Advisors the following year and affiliated with Long Grove Trading Company, an independent broker dealer. The president of Long Grove Trading Company requested that Ms. Maloney immediately complete the series 24 securities license, and within that year, she became a branch manager of Long Grove Trading Co. Herbst Financial Advisors, which was quickly reorganized into Herbst, Maloney & Brown Financial Planning Services, Ltd. Ms. Maloney was the COO and the chief compliance officer of the newly registered investment advisory firm. She completed her CFP designation in 1992. She created a nationwide client base working exclusively on referrals. Former students, their parents and teaching colleagues were among her first clients. Ultimately, she served a broad range of multigenerational families, individual business owners and professional people. She traveled to Western Europe, China and Japan in service to US clients living abroad. She was frequently quoted in business magazines and newspapers on a broad range of topics. In 2000, she separated from her former partners and organized Beacon Financial Planning Services, Ltd. Ms. Maloney was the sole owner and president of that firm. At that time, she became affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network, another independent broker dealer and continued responsibilities as a branch manager. During the following years, she was recognized several times for outstanding service and performance in the financial services profession. She retired from the business in 2015 and transferred her practice to a fellow colleague at Commonwealth Financial Network. However, she still remains as principal and managing partner of Beacon Management Group, LLC, her fourth and final corporation which owns commercial real estate.
Ms. Maloney began her working career in 1961 as a District Advisor for the Girl Scouts in Gary, Indiana and later in Joliet, Illinois where she met her husband, James R. Maloney. She organized new troops, recruited and trained leaders, and did fund raising to support troop activities. She worked primarily in underserved areas including public housing and financially distressed communities. She was encouraged to become an Executive Director. However, the pay was so meager that she began taking night school classes to become a certified high school teacher.
In 1968, she joined the staff of Joliet Township High School as a Humanities teacher. During the next 20 years, she primarily taught International Relations, Anthropology and Economics to gifted and high ability students. On occasion, she also taught evening courses in Anthropology at the College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL. She gradually modified her economics course to include some practical guidance on personal financial management. She wrote the curriculum to include activities such as budgeting, the use of insurance and understanding markets. This attracted the attention of colleagues and parents who enthusiastically requested copies of student materials. She enjoyed traveling with her students taking them to Greece and Turkey passing through the demilitarized zone while those countries were at war over Crete. She also took her students behind the Iron Curtain into East Germany and Czechoslovakia. During alternate years, she trained and traveled with her students to participate in the National High School Model UN, which took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. In 1977 she was the recipient of a Fulbright Summer Grant to Egypt. She traveled throughout the country, toured major archaeological and historic sites, interviewed national political, social and religious leaders and studied small scale economies. In 1971-2, Ms. Maloney completed a M.A. Degree in Anthropology from University of Illinois. She also participated in archaeology excavation in central Illinois. In 1984 she was honored with a Master Teacher Award, and in 1986 she received a "Those that Excel" award both from the Illinois State Board of Education. Ms. Maloney decided to retire from teaching in 1988 and join the business community.
In 1980, while teaching, she organized and became president of Unica, Inc, her first corporation. It had seven women teachers as shareholders. The women teachers realized their female students were likely to spend all or most of their adult lives employed, and that girls were not being prepared for this social transition facing them. The small publishing company sold, by mail order, four children's books featuring successful women lawyers, bankers, CPAs and doctors. The books were authored by Ms. Maloney. Unfortunately, in 1986 postal rates increased substantially. Profit margins were eliminated, and the company was forced to close.
Ms. Maloney graduated from Downers Grove High School in 1957 where she was a member of the National Honor Society. She attended classes for two years at North Central College and then transferred to the University of Illinois, Urbana. Majoring in Political Science with double minors in Economics and History, she also studied Spanish and Russian languages. In 1961 she served as the State of Illinois Chairman of the Collegiate Council of the United Nations. She graduated with a BA degree in 1961 with honors and was a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, the Political Science Honor Society. Upon graduation, she passed the Foreign Service exam, was interviewed in Washington, D.C. with the US Foreign Service and was disheartened to learn that women, other than secretaries or nurses, were not being considered for service. Upon returning, she accepted a job working with the Girl Scouts.
Throughout her careers, Ms. Maloney has been active in community organizations, including membership in the American Inter-Professional Institute, Plainfield Chamber of Commerce, president of the Plainfield Business Association and president of her local homeowners' association for nearly a decade. She has also served in every leadership capacity for her church. She was an active member of the Financial Planning Association throughout her business career, traveled to Russia as a representative of the FPA and wrote test questions for the Certified Financial Planner National Exam.
A celebrated Marquis Listee, she has previously been featured in the 51st edition of Who's Who in America and the 29th through the 31st editions of Who's Who in Finance and Industry.
Ms. Maloney is married to James R Maloney, Ed.D. and they have two adult children: Joel N Maloney married to Susan VanGilder with two daughters (Devon and Morgan) and Katherine L Maloney (widowed) with two children (Jacob and Jacqueline).
In recognition of outstanding contributions to her profession and the Marquis Who's Who community, Ms. Maloney has been featured on the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement website. Please visit www.Itachievers.com for more information about this honor.
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