Introducing IL's Most Trusted Experts on International Real Estate, Legal Matters, Residency, Health Care, and Much More

Below is a selection of the experts you may hear from at our events. Please consult the full materials for the specific event you are interested for the complete speaker roster for that event.

Charles O. Butler
Director of Everbank World Markets and author of the popular "Daily Pfennig" newsletter

With a career in investment services and currencies extending over 30 years Chuck Butler oversees all aspects of customer service and the trading desk for Everbank World Markets. He is also a frequently quoted and respected analyst of the currency market; in the past two years alone he has appeared on, was featured or quoted in, or World Markets referenced by: the Wall Street Journal, US News and World Report, CBS MarketWatch, USA Today, CNNfn, the Chicago Tribune and many other publications. Butler's "A Pfennig for Your Thoughts" is delivered via email to thousands of market-watchers globally to help traders stay on top of the economic, currency, and market happenings. The "Daily Pfennig" (as it is more commonly called today) has become a popular resource for currency investors and traders alike over the past 11 years (sign up at www.everbank.com). Chuck Butler was previously the Chief International Bond Trader and Director of Risk Management for Mark Twain Bank, and has held significant positions in the investment industry since 1973.

Robert Chernick
President, Westridge Investment Group Inc.

As Vice Chairman of a private company he was a founder of and responsible for developing the Four Seasons Destination Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona, a $125 million project encompassing an interval ownership element. Additionally, from 1970 until present, he has raised capital and developed in excess of $500 million of real estate in Canada and the United States.

Larry C. Grossman
CFP®, CIMA® , Sovereign International Asset Management, Inc.

Larry is a Certified Investment Management Analyst-one of only about 1,500 in the United States - and was one of the first financial advisors to develop a compliant method for helping clients take their IRA's and pension plans offshore for asset protection and greater investment diversification. He specializes in domestic and international financial planning and investment management.

Don Hosmer
CEO and President of Royale Energy

He has successfully directed the funding of 170 oil and natural gas wells throughout the major geologic basins in the US. Under his leadership, Royale became the largest independent natural gas producer that explores, develops, produces, and markets natural gas in California. In September 2004, Royale Energy was ranked 8th for highest return on stockholders' equality for all publicly traded oil and gas companies. He is a member of the Speakers Bureau of the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPPA) and is registered as the oil and gas industry expert on Business Wire's ExpertSource service.

Rainelda Mata-Kelly
L.L.M. Lawyer, Commercial & Shipping Law, Law Offices of Rainelda Mata-Kelly.

In 1982, Rainelda graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Law and Political Science at Santa Maria La Antigua University in Panama. She then went on to Cornell University Law School and obtained a Masters of Law, specializing in Commercial and Maritime Law. Upon graduation, she became the founder, resident lawyer, and manager of the London office of a Panamanian law firm.  In 1991, she became a Miami Correspondent for La Prensa, the Panamanian newspaper and then went on to be the Executive Editor of La Prensa.

Rainelda was for 10 years an External Legal Advisor to the 'Asociacion de Usuarios de la Zona Libre de Colon' (Colon Free Trade Zone Merchants Association), member of the Editorial Board of La Prensa, and to date External Executive Director and Legal Advisor to INTERED (Internet Service Providers' Association).

As of 1989, she has also owned her own private practice in the areas of Corporations, Immigration, Commercial, Real Estate and Shipping Law of Panama.

Rainelda is ideally suited to answer your questions about the nuts-and-bolts of real-estate transactions, immigration, and work permits, as well as business-related issues like contract, labor, and tax matters. She'll outline for you the how-to's of becoming a "retiree" in Panama -- it's not a complicated process, but it is bureaucratic. She'll tell you exactly what you need to do to take advantage of the benefits offered by Latin America 's best retiree-incentive program.

Robert Kroesen
United Nature 

Robert Kroesen is a Panamanian of Dutch origin. He lived for many years in the United States where he obtained his marketing degree and worked as a consultant with a marketing research firm. He later returned to Panama and has for several years advised companies and several Panama law firms on their global marketing and public Relations strategies. He also became involved in one of the largest reforestation projects in Panama and together with some of the most important legal firms and consultants around the world is advising individuals on forestry programs and its residence/citizenship possibilities.

Turalu Brady-Murdock
Vice President/Counsel of the Caribbean/Latin America Division of First American Title Insurance

She has been employed by First American since 1976, in various capacities. In the Santa Ana, California National Legal Department, she was a National Title Counsel; in the Denver Regional Office she functioned as the Rocky Mountain Regional Counsel, and in the New Orleans Regional Office as the South East Regional Operation Manager.

She'll discuss how… and why… you should guarantee your investment overseas and outline the steps you should take to do it. Getting title insurance on your property -- particularly in young real estate markets where title disputes are often common -- is a prudent way to ensure that you know what you're buying… that what you're buying is a "saleable" piece of property… and that in the event of a future title challenge, you've got somebody at your disposal who will look after your interests.

Tuey received her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley and a J.D. with scholastic merit from Western State University College of Law, California.  Tuey is a member of the California and Colorado Bar Associations.  She has also been active in the California Bar Legal Education Section, the American Land Title Association and the American Bar Association Title Insurance and International Law Sections.

Tuey is active in church, community and civic organizations, having been a member of her local PTA Board, a committee member of the Irvine Sister Cities Foundation, President of the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Orange County and the Louisiana Peace Corps Association. She was a Girl Scout Leader and junior high religion teacher. Tuey served for many years as a National Board Member of the National Peace Corps Association, Washington, D,C.; and as a Board Member of Louise S. McGehee School in New Orleans. Presently, she is a Board Member of the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of South Florida in Miami. Tuey is married with four children and one grandchild, and lives in Coral Springs, Florida. She was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Colombia, South America for two years and a teacher for eight years prior to entering law school. She has lectured extensively on title insurance related issues throughout the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America.

Joel M. Nagel
Nagel & Associates, LLC

Joel M. Nagel is the founder and managing partner of this international law firm.  The firm is Pittsburgh's first law boutique focusing exclusively on international commercial transactions and immigration. With offices in Pittsburgh, Nagel & Associates has grown 30-fold in business activity since its inception in 1992. In addition to his work as a lawyer, Mr. Nagel is known as a visionary and dealmaker providing international business leverage for leading corporations, entrepreneurs and individuals. Much of Mr. Nagel's focus is on helping clients select the right jurisdiction for a transaction and the best vehicle to reduce taxation and protect assets, such as joint ventures and other international legal structures.  In Belize, he has pioneered the licensing of international structures for foreign banks, mutual funds, hedge funds and insurance companies. He created the firm's Personal Asset Protection Program and has developed sophisticated international estate plans encompassing trusts, corporations, partnerships and insurance products. Mr. Nagel has been quoted in U.S. News & World Report on the benefits of retiring abroad. He has authored articles for International Living Magazine, The Oxford Club, Island Properties and Hemispheres newsletter and has lectured at conferences and seminars sponsored by the Central American International Investment Symposium, International Living and Assetstrategies.com, The Oxford Club, The Sovereign Society, The Hermitage Forum and The Money Expo.

Thomas Phelan

Thomas Phelan has been active in the investment field including real estate and the stock market for over 25 years. With the emergence of 80,000,000 Baby Boomers set to retire over the next dozen years Thomas has focused his endeavors on the evolving IRA (Individual Retirement Account) with special attention on how an IRA can own foreign property and or a business.

Thomas is a national Speaker on the subject of the Self-Directed IRA and he is a frequent "Guest Speaker" for prominent IRA Custodians as PENSCO, a recognized leader in the IRA industry. He has written numerous articles on the IRA for Early to Rise (ETR) and he has been published by Escape Artist and the Wall Street Journal Internet version. He has been a Guest Speaker at several of ETR's Wealth Building Conferences.

Thomas began his career with a degree in Law and he has held a Series 7 Stock Broker's License while working for Smith Barney in New York. He has held various Insurance Licenses and Real Estate Licenses in California and New York. Thomas is a Certified 1031 Exchange Specialist and has written Continuing Education approved 1031 Exchange Course for Colorado and Minnesota. He has conducted 1031 Exchange Classes for many prestigious national real estate firms including: Coldwell Banker, Re/Max, Century 21, Prudential and ERA.

Meet Thomas at the Live and Prosper in Mexico Seminar.

Brendan Sharkey
HTH Worldwide

Brendan has a wealth of marketing experience working in a variety of industries, across a number of continents. Brendan has been with HTH Worldwide for over 6 years and currently serves as the Director of Individual Travel Programs. In this role, Brendan has developed hundreds of partnerships in the online travel, insurance agency, and search engine arena, including Yahoo! Frommer's, Blue Cross and Wells Fargo. 

Brendan's experience includes advertising sales for Dun and Bradstreet as well as marketing to commercial clients, agents, and general agents for two major health plans in the mid-Atlantic.
From the nuts and bolts of travel insurance to the crucial themes of global travel health and security, Brendan is frequently called upon to discuss the travel insurance landscape. His most recent contributions include CNBC Morning Television, WGN AM Talk News Radio, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Consumer Reports Magazine, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Insure.com, Health Insurance Underwriter, among others.  A serial expatriate, Brendan has resided in Scotland, Canada and Australia, and holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing) from Griffith University in Australia.

Robert E. Bauman
Legal Counsel, The Sovereign Society and a former U.S. Congressman

Bob Bauman is the author of The Passport Book: The Complete Guide to Offshore Residency, Dual Citizenship, and Second Passports as well as a host of other books and articles. He will paint a picture of the current offshore landscape and he'll walk you, step-by-step, down the most prudent path to follow as you "go offshore," pointing out potential pitfalls and legal signposts.

Bob is a former Member of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland, (1973-1981). He is also a former federal official and state legislator; Member, Washington, DC Bar; Graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center (1964) and the School of Foreign Service (1959), Washington, DC. He is editor, The Sovereign Society Offshore A-Letter; and was author or co-author of Forfeiting Our Property Rights, The Cato Institute, (1995) (with Hon. Henry Hyde); The Offshore Money Manual 2000, Sovereign Society, (1999); The Oxford Club Wealth Protection Series, (1995-00); editor of Forbidden Knowledge, (Sovereign Society 1999), author of The Complete Guide to Offshore Residency, Dual Citizenship and Second Passports, Sovereign Society, (2000); with articles and reviews for The Cato Institute and in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Baltimore Sun, The Wall Street Journal, and National Review.

Martina Dunphy
Executive Director, International Living

Martina Dunphy, International Living's Executive Director, joined the group in October 2000. Originally from Kilkenny, Ireland, Martina came to work for International Living in Waterford, and has worked her way steadily up the ladder. Her horizons have broadened both within the group…and geographically. January 2006, Martina took IL's advice, packed bag and baggage, and moved to Panama City, where she managed International Living's growing office in Casco Viejo. From this base, Martina managed International Living's local office operations in Panama, Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, and France. In February 2007 she returned to International Living's head office in Waterford, Ireland to take up the position of Executive Director. Martina is a lifetime over-achiever, having graduated high school early, earned her business management degree at night, and won several awards in Ireland for her efforts and results. Martina continues her studies with the Chartered Institute of Management Accounting. 

Brandon Clogston
For International Living in Panama

Brandon Clogston explores Panama on behalf of IL readers, with a keen eye to the many opportunities available for living, investment, and real estate there.

Brandon was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska and received his Bachelor's of Science Degree in Journalism from the University of Nebraska/Omaha. He worked as events editor of an Omaha alternative newspaper and also as an English-as-Foreign-Language Instructor. Bit by the travel bug, he headed for Mexico, were he worked with the International Living/Mexico office.

Brandon has studied in the UK and has traveled extensively in Latin America. As editor of Panama Insider and Country Consultant for International Living, he focuses on issues pertaining to retirement and relocation, investment, offshore banking, and travel in Panama. His beat includes the tranquil mountainside towns of Boquete and Cerro Punta…the laid back islands of Bocas del Toro, Contadora, and Cormaca de Kuna Yala…the country's many beaches…and the thriving and vibrant metropolis of Panama City.

Sarah Cox
For International Living in Panama

Sarah is an International Living Country Consultant in Panama - enthusiastically scouting out the best real estate opportunities there…from the hustle and bustle of colorful Panama City to the highlands of Boquete and on to the country's many beaches, including the nearly 1500 offshore islands. After graduating from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, Sarah headed south to Mexico - where she got into the real estate game - selling high-rise condominiums in Cancun. Now part of the IL team in Panama, Sarah can answer your real estate, living and investment-related questions, as well as assist in any logistics for those who are looking for a vacation home or to relocate full-time to this friendly, diverse country with its ever-growing expat community. Sarah can also tell you all about shopping in Panama - and where you can shop for everything from perfume to jewelry to clothing at prices cheaper than in the States.

Lee Harrison
Contributing Editor, International Living, Ecuador

Lee came to International Living after a 30-year career in the U.S. electric power industry in many diverse locations.  After 12 years with Bechtel Power Corporation where he started as an electrician, Lee moved to Exelon Generation (the nation's largest power generator) where he ultimately served as a director. Taking advantage of an post merger early retirement offer, he left in 2001 at age 49 and moved to Cuenca, Ecuador where he lives and works today.

He is currently working as our Latin America Roving Editor, spending about 50% of his time on the road this year.  As a freelance, he also writes for EscapeArtist.com, as well as Hoy, a Spanish language newspaper based in Quito, Ecuador.

Steenie Harvey
Correspondent, International Living

Steenie Harvey has been writing for International Living for the past 14 years. The magazine's 'Roving Euro Editor', she travels every month - not just to Europe, but also further a field. In the last year she has investigated real estate in Thailand, Austria, Spain, Scotland, the Greek island of Crete, Poland, Switzerland, and the French West Indies. When she's not on the road, Steenie lives in County Roscommon, Ireland.

You can meet Steenie this July at the Import-Export Workshop and at the Live and Prosper in Europe Seminar this September.

Suzan Haskins and Dan Prescher
International Living

Dan is a native of Omaha, Nebraska,and a graduate of the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop. Dan and his wife, Suzan, ran a successful marketing and corporate communications business in Omaha until 2001, when they decided to live the dream before they were too old to enjoy it. They joined the International Living team, sold the house and cars, and have lived offshore ever since. They've managed International Living offices in Ecuador and Mexico, and in August 2006, they made their most recent move, relocating to Panama. Dan currently hosts many of the International Living overseas events, and he also scouts for value-oriented residential projects and developments throughout Latin America.

Suzan Haskins was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and grew up in Dodge City, Kansas; Fargo, North Dakota; and Middletown, New Jersey, before moving to Omaha in 1976. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She spent the early years of her career working in television production, advertising and marketing in Omaha. After spending several years as VP/Creative Director for one of Omaha's largest ad agencies, she eventually started her own company, Haskins & Co. (later called Roughwriters), to provide business-to-business marketing services to Omaha's largest corporations. In 2001, she left Omaha, along with her husband, Dan Prescher, to join the staff of International Living in Quito, Ecuador. From there, the Haskins/Prescher team moved to Mexico, and recently, they have moved again - this time to Panama. Suzan is International Living's Latin America Editorial Director and is responsible for the company's Latin America-based publications.

Suzan will take part in the Live and Prosper in Mexico Seminar this June.

Kathleen Peddicord
Editor and Publisher, International Living.

Kathleen Peddicord has been the editor and publisher of International Living since 1985. For more than two decades, she has spoken and been interviewed on radio and television on the topics of retiring overseas and investing in real estate around the world. She has also edited several books on these and related subjects, including The World's Top Retirement Havens and The World's Best.

She has traveled extensively investigating real estate and retirement overseas, both for International Living and for personal interest. Seven years ago, she moved with her family to the southeast coast of Ireland to open the offices of Agora Ireland Publishing, out of which she continues to publish International Living. She now divides her time between Ireland, France, Nicaragua, and Panama.

Kathie speaks and writes often on the topics of investing in real estate in foreign markets and living and retiring abroad. She has appeared, speaking on these subjects, on numerous radio and TV programs, including a guest spot on Regis and Kathy Lee, and has edited many books and reports on how to live, invest, or retire in another country.

Paul & Maria Reynolds
JR Reynolds Propiedades

Paul A. Reynolds graduated with a B. A., from the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada and has obtained the Certified International Property Specialist designation from NAR.  For the past 30 years Paul has combined his financial services and real estate experience in Canada and Argentina. He and his wife Maria are the principal owners of  Reynolds Propiedades & Relocation. 

Maria Reynolds graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She has15 years combined, Engineering and Real Estate, experience in Canada and Argentina. Reynolds Propiedades has provided expatriate real estate & relocation services in Argentina for thirty-nine years. The firm has three offices in Buenos Aires, another one in Patagonia  and one in Punta del Este, Uruguay. Their 80 team members are internationally trained and are 100% bilingual (Spanish and English). Reynolds Propiedades & Relocation are members of both the Argentine Canadian and British Chambers of Commerce and sole Argentine member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World.

Maria Savage
For International Living in Europe

Maria was born in Rifle, Colorado. She attended the University of San Francisco majoring in Political Science with an emphasis in European Studies and a minor in Theology. After college she moved to Paris, France to improve her French and explore Europe. She has travelled throughout Europe including England, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece and of course France. She has been living in Paris since January 2005 and has recently joined the IL staff to help jumpstart the European office.

Meet Maria at the Live and Prosper in Europe Seminar this September.

Lief Simon
Editor, International Living

Lief spends half the year traveling in search of real estate opportunities around the world. In addition to excellent potential returns and the opportunity to travel, he feels that international real estate offers two key benefits to the investor - diversification and asset protection. Lief looks for one of two market situations when identifying opportunities to invest - an abundance of opportunity created by a market distortion (crisis investing) or a chance to follow the path of progress (new infrastructure or trends).

For example, Lief told his readers to buy property in Argentina shortly after the 2001 financial crisis when CNN was busy showing riots in the streets. Lief and several forward-thinking readers who followed his lead have since enjoyed appreciation of at least 100% in fewer than three years on buys they made in Buenos Aires…plus rental income. He's also turned readers on to investments in Mexico, Nicaragua, and Romania, buys that have appreciated160% in 18 months, 120% in 12 months, and 82% in 15 months, respectively.

Lief has personally invested in real estate in more than a dozen countries and currently holds realestate investments in nine. He has lived and worked on five continents and traveled to more than 40 countries.

His MBA in International Management is from Thunderbird, The Garvin School of International Management, and he has worked for an accounting firm, an international oil company, and as the CFO for a hospitality design and consulting firm that renovates hotels around the world.