About Us
Donna Pagano, CFP©
President, Family Love Letter
Donna Pagano, co-author of the Family Love Letter, is a highly sought-after speaker and champion of helping families “to get their houses in order.” Donna brings passion, wisdom and experience to her work with professional associations, public interest groups and individuals. Her message recognizes the value of the "living legacy" of the Family Love Letter. She provides guidance, training and certification of the Family Love Letter Program to professional advisors who use the Family Love Letter in their practices. From her Westlake Village offices, Donna helps individuals and families complete the Family Love Letter and create their own living legacy. Donna's expertise has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Journal of Practical Estate Planning, Kiplinger Retirement Report, Chicago Tribune, Seattle Post Intelligencer, and other local media.
With over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, Donna has balanced an impressive professional career with raising a loving family. Professionally, Donna served as vice president of a Women’s Markets program at a national financial company. Prior to pursuing her passion in the women’s markets, Donna was vice president of Business Development for a leading financial services company where she served as a business coach to the company’s top advisors helping them to design and implement strategic business plans. She also had a successful, personal practice as a financial planner in Southern California. Committed to professional education, she earned and holds the industry’s prestigious Certified Financial Planner® professional designation. Donna resides in Westlake Village, California with her husband, Joe, of 47 years. They have three children and six grandchildren.
With over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, Donna has balanced an impressive professional career with raising a loving family. Professionally, Donna served as vice president of a Women’s Markets program at a national financial company. Prior to pursuing her passion in the women’s markets, Donna was vice president of Business Development for a leading financial services company where she served as a business coach to the company’s top advisors helping them to design and implement strategic business plans. She also had a successful, personal practice as a financial planner in Southern California. Committed to professional education, she earned and holds the industry’s prestigious Certified Financial Planner® professional designation. Donna resides in Westlake Village, California with her husband, Joe, of 47 years. They have three children and six grandchildren.
John J. (“Jeff”) Scroggin,
EP (Distinguished), J.D., LL.M.
Mr. Scroggin has been married for 39 years to Lynn Geiger Scroggin and has three children. His oldest son is a professional blacksmith, his daughter has worked as a charitable event planner & fundraiser (and is now a stay-at-home mother) and his youngest son is an Iraq war veteran.
In November 2017 Jeff was inducted into the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils Estate Planning Hall of Fame, becoming the 105th inductee to receive this prestigious award. US News and World Report named Jeff as one of the 2018 Best Attorneys in America.
Jeff has practiced as a business, tax and estate planning attorney in Atlanta for 39 years. His practice is devoted to tax planning, estate planning, business representations, business succession and sales of businesses and properties. He is co-creator of the “Family Incentive Trust” and creator of the “The Family Love Letter.” Jeff practices out of an 1889 house in the historic district of Roswell, Georgia. The building contains one of the largest collections of tax memorabilia in the US. The tax collection was featured in a front page article in the Wall Street Journal on April 15, 2015. Jeff is known for his ability to convert complex, echnical information into practical, useable forms. He also hopes he is not as pompous as this bio might indicate.
Jeff serves as a Member of the University of Florida Levin College of Law Board of Trustees from 2011 to present. He serves as a member of the Florida Advisory Tax Committee of the University of Florida Levin College of Law Board of Trustees. Jeff received the following degrees from the University of Florida: B.S.B.A. (Accounting), 1974; Juris Doctorate, 1977; Master of Laws in Taxation (LL.M.), 1979. Jeff has taught tax law classes at the University of Florida College of Law and was an adjunct Tax Professor at the College of Business.
In November 2017 Jeff was inducted into the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils Estate Planning Hall of Fame, becoming the 105th inductee to receive this prestigious award. US News and World Report named Jeff as one of the 2018 Best Attorneys in America.
Jeff has practiced as a business, tax and estate planning attorney in Atlanta for 39 years. His practice is devoted to tax planning, estate planning, business representations, business succession and sales of businesses and properties. He is co-creator of the “Family Incentive Trust” and creator of the “The Family Love Letter.” Jeff practices out of an 1889 house in the historic district of Roswell, Georgia. The building contains one of the largest collections of tax memorabilia in the US. The tax collection was featured in a front page article in the Wall Street Journal on April 15, 2015. Jeff is known for his ability to convert complex, echnical information into practical, useable forms. He also hopes he is not as pompous as this bio might indicate.
Jeff serves as a Member of the University of Florida Levin College of Law Board of Trustees from 2011 to present. He serves as a member of the Florida Advisory Tax Committee of the University of Florida Levin College of Law Board of Trustees. Jeff received the following degrees from the University of Florida: B.S.B.A. (Accounting), 1974; Juris Doctorate, 1977; Master of Laws in Taxation (LL.M.), 1979. Jeff has taught tax law classes at the University of Florida College of Law and was an adjunct Tax Professor at the College of Business.
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Jeff is a Founding Board member of the University of Florida Levin College of Law Tax Institute and a Founding member of the University of Florida Advisor Network. He was a CPA with Arthur Andersen’s nationwide estate planning group. He is a Nationally Accredited Estate Planner, is rated “AV” by Martindale Hubbell (since 1990) and has been named in Atlanta magazine as a Georgia “Super-Lawyer” (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017) and “Five Star Wealth Advisor” (2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017). He holds a perfect 10 rating from AVVO. Jeff was Founding Editor of the NAEPC Journal of Estate and Tax Planning from 2006-2010 and was Co-Editor of Commerce Clearing House’s Journal of Practical Estate Planning from 2004-2006.
Jeff’s professional affiliations include: The State Bar of Georgia, the Florida Bar, American Revenues Society, American Tax Token Society, Atlanta Estate Planning Council, Buckhead Study Group, Georgia Planned Giving Council, and the North Georgia Estate Planning Council (President, 2002-2005). He was Chairman of the North Fulton Community Foundation from 2007-2009 and is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils (2002-2010) where he was Co-Chairman of the Long Range Planning Committee and served as Chairman of the Publications Committee. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Historic Roswell Convention and Visitors Bureau (2004-present), and is a member of the Roswell Rotary Club. He served as Founding Chairman of the Friends of Barrington Hall (2008-2012).
Jeff is the author of over 260 published articles and columns. Among the publications are: Estate Planning, Taxes, Financial and Estate Planning, Practical Tax Strategies, Leimberg Information Services, NAEPC Journal of Estate and Tax Planning,ABA Property and Probate, ABA Practical Tax Lawyer, ABA Practical Lawyer, AICPA Tax Advisor, Journal of Estates and Trusts, Trusts and Estates, Zaristky’s Estate Planning Alert, Journal of Financial Services Professionals, Journal of Financial Planning, Financial Services Professionals Newsletter, CCH Journal of Practical Estate Planning, Advisor Today, RIA Tax Watch, Financial Planning, Georgia Society of CPAs Bottom Line, Broker World, Life Association News, The Atlanta Journal/Constitution, Atlanta Business Chronicle, National Underwriter, Insights and Strategies, Bank Investment Marketing, NAILBA Magazine, Financial Services Advisor, Business Valuation, Utah Society of CPAs Journal, the Atlanta Bar Journal and the Georgia Bar Journal. He was a Tax and Estate Planning Columnist for Advisor Today Magazine (1997-2010) and a Contributing Writer to National Underwriter. He has written three books and was recognized by the CFP Board of Examiners for writing one of the best planning articles for the year 2000. His website has been recommended by the Journal of Accountancy for estate planning purposes.
Jeff is a frequent speaker on business, tax and estate planning issues.. Among the groups he has spoken for are: The University of Florida College of Law Graduate Tax Program (2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015), the Georgia State University MBA Program, the Million Dollar Roundtable, the State Bar of Georgia (1992, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2013, 2016), The Annual Conference of the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils (1995, 2016, 2017),The National Convention of the Financial Planning Association (1997, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017), the Financial Planning Association Annual Retreat(2000, 2002, 2014, 2015), the Atlanta Bar Association (2005, 2013), Georgia Society of CPAs Annual Estate Planning Conference (2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016), the Georgia Federal Tax Conference (2012, 2013, 2014, 2017), The Texas Society of CPAs, Georgia Planned Giving Council, the Columbus Ohio Community Foundation, the Dallas Foundation, the Pittsburgh Foundation, the Denver Foundation, the South Carolina Baptist Foundation, the Naples Community Foundation, the Philadelphia Estate Planning Council (2007, 2010), the Estate Planning Council of Mississippi, the Central Texas Estate Planning Council, the Wilmington Estate Planning Council, the Spokane Estate Planning Council, the Stuart Estate Planning Council, the Northern Arkansas Estate Planning Council, the St. Louis Estate Planning Council, the Louisville Estate Planning Council, the Atlanta Estate Planning Council, the Estate Planning Council of North Georgia, Chattanooga Estate Planning Council, the Northern Michigan Estate Planning Council, Estate Planning Council of Winston Salem, the Detroit Estate Planning Council, Red River Estate Planning Council, North Alabama Estate Planning Council, the Wisconsin FPA & CPA Annual Symposium, Schwab Trust, Canada Life, Partners Financial, the Colorado Springs FPA, the San Diego FPA, the Wisconsin FPA, the College for Financial Planning, The Society of Financial Services Professionals National Convention, The National Business Institute, NAPFA National Convention, The National Convention of the U.S./Philippine Chamber of Commerce, The Annual Convention of the Southern Council of Optometrists, The International Forum (2009, 2010), the Society of Senior Risk Managers, Ascensus, Financial Service Corporation, NAIFA Annual Meeting, Producers Web, First Global, Subcenters, North Carolina Society of CPAs, North Carolina SFSP Annual Meeting, AXA Advisors, The Milner Group, ChFC Georgia Chapter, IAFP Georgia Chapter, NAIFA Georgia Chapter, Mid-South Society of the Institute of Certified Financial Planners, First Colony Life Insurance, CUNA Mutual Group, Metlife, Prudential Insurance Company, Family Wealth Counselors National Convention, Willis Corroon, Guardian Life Insurance Company, American General Life Insurance, Financial Network Investment Corp, Gulf States FPA, Tri-State FPA Annual Meeting, the Houston FPA, NAILBA Annual Meeting, Atlanta Life Underwriters EXPO, A.G. Edwards, Enterprise Group of Funds, and the Annual Convention of National Beer Wholesalers Association (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009).
Jeff has been quoted in a number of media sources, including: the Wall Street Journal (1999, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, March 2010, August 2010, April 2015), CNN Headline News (on the Terri Schavio case), The New York Times (2005, 2013, 2014), USA Today (2014, 2016), Atlanta Journal/Constitution(1999, 2002, 2005, 2010), National Public Radio Marketplace Radio, National Public Radio Talk of the Town, Forbes Magazine (1999, 2001, 2012, 2014, 2016), Fortune Magazine (1998, 2000, 2001), Money Harvest, Dow Jones Investment Advisor, Worth Magazine, Registered Representative Magazine, Leads Magazine, Image Magazine, Financial Advisor, The Practical Accountant, National Underwriter, Bloomberg Wealth Management, Life Association News, Financial Planning, The Asian Wall Street Journal, New York Times International Herald Tribune, Planner Pavilion.com, Journal of Financial Services Professionals, Houston Chronicle, Fort Worth Star Telegram, Redbook, Kiplinger’s, Money Magazine, Medical Economics, Smart Money Magazine, Wall Street Magazine, Minneapolis St Paul Business Journal, Investment News, South China Post, the Dallas Morning News, Secured Retirement, The LA Times, Advisor Today, Bank of America magazine,
Fortune Investor, BNA Estates Gifts & Trusts Journal, Atlanta Business Chronicle (2002, 2015), Newsday, Chicago Sun-Times, Bankrate.com, ABA Probate & Property, Clarion Ledger, Miami Herald, MSN (2010, 2013, 2015), New England Financial Journal, Baltimore Business Journal, and Knight-Ridder Tribune.