Germaine brings to the Inspired Financial mix her considerable experience as a financial planner, investment advisor and wealth manager — along with a keen sense of humor, honed by her life’s rich experience. Germaine has ridden out not just one hurricane, but two. In 1969 she lost her childhood Pass Christian home to Hurricane Camille then Hurricane Katrina destroyed their Ocean Springs home in 2005! Hurricane forces are nothing compared to Germaine’s. Having “flunked Retirement 101” (her words) she leaped at the opportunity to co-found Inspired Financial Planners with Tricia Kollath, CFP(r), CPA, in 2019. Their combined talents pair well with their shared passion for helping people navigate a complex financial world. Germaine has a master’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi. She is a CPA with a Personal Financial Specialist™ credential (MS certificate 5504 and NC certificate 43722), as well as a Certified Financial Planner™ practitioner. Germaine founded and continues to chair the North Carolina CPA Association’s Financial Planning Networking Group to help her fellow CPAs understand the complex financial planning issues their clients face. Outside of her career, Germaine is an enthusiastic advocate for the arts. She is a life member of the Walter Anderson Museum of Art, having served various roles including its board since the early 1990s. She and her husband John (a physician) stay young by hiking the Blue Ridge Mountains that surround their North Carolina home. These days, Germaine and John divide their time between western North Carolina and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, where Germaine enjoys kayaking … when the waters are calm.