03 Nov Erika Mielke earns CEPA® certification and 2022 World of Difference Award

Arbor is proud to recognize two recent achievements by Erika Mielke which exemplify her commitment to offering clients expertise across all areas of wealth management as well as her dedication to serving the needs of others in our community.

CEPA Credentials

Erika earned her Certified Exit Planning Advisor® (CEPA®) credential from the Exit Planning Institute, an organization that provides advisors with industry-leading training and ongoing support. The credential is awarded to professional advisors with five or more years of experience working with business owners, who have successfully completed the required coursework and passed a final examination.  Through the extra course of study, Mielke augments her financial planning work at Arbor, while continuing her larger practice as investment advisor to her clients. 

“At some point, every business owner begins to think about succession of the ownership or management of their business,” she explains. “Our role at Arbor is to serve as a trusted advisor to our clients, throughout their entire financial journey.  This CEPA® designation allows me access to even more tools, resources, and networking options to assist business owners during this critical time in their lives.”  

2022 World of Difference Award

Erika has also earned recognition for her extensive community involvement by The International Alliance for Women (TIAW). Erika was awarded the 2022 World of Difference Award by TIAW on October 21^st at the organization’s Global Forum in Washington, D.C. The award recognizes individuals from around the world who have worked to advance the economic empowerment of women. Erika was nominated for the award in the “Community” category for her work and leadership involving three local organizations: The Breakfast Club, Triad Women’s Club, and Thrive Community.

“I’m both honored and humbled to receive this award,” says Mielke. “Through my work at Arbor, I focus on meeting the needs of my clients and on creating and maintaining lasting relationships.  These same guiding principles drive my efforts in our community. It is wonderful to know that this work has been appreciated and recognized.”

Shortly after joining Arbor, Erika founded The Breakfast Club in 2019 to bring together professional women and to create opportunities to support each other.  The Triad Women’s Club is an organization built on the foundation of The Professional Women of Winston-Salem, and Mielke assumed the role of Club President in 2022.

“I’ve always enjoyed connecting with other professional women – to bounce ideas off and seek advice and guidance,” Mielke explains. “These organizations offer a wonderful way for us all to spend time together each month.”

Thrive Community was co-founded by Mielke in early 2020, with a mission to empower adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) by providing opportunities for independent living, nurturing individual potential, and cultivating self-sufficiency.

Still in its early stages, the organization has secured funding for further research and seeks to partner with other organizations to assess the needs of families with I/DD family members in the Piedmont Triad.

Erika’s son, Noah, is a 17-year-old with I/DD. “My son is a brain cancer survivor. The treatments that saved his life also left him with cognitive and physical disabilities… yet, he is capable of much,” she says. “For this reason, Thrive is a huge passion of mine.  We have joined a wonderful list of organizations in our area that are working together to meet the needs of I/DD adults, with the dream of providing as much independence for this group as possible. As parents, one of our greatest concerns is who will take care of our children when we are no longer able. Thrive Community seeks to address that concern.”

At Arbor, we are extremely proud of Erika’s achievement and recent recognition.  Both her CEPA® credential and the World of Difference award exemplify Erika’s commitment to offering clients expertise across all areas of wealth management as well as her dedication to serving the needs of others in the community.

If you would like to talk about succession plans for your business, or learn more about the organizations above, you can reach out to Erika at erikamielke@arborinvest.com.