May: A Month of Unexpected Milestones
May is often a time for celebrating Mother's Day and closing the month with Memorial Day weekend. But this year, it has brought a string of remarkable surprises.
Historic Shifts and Personal Triumphs
- On May 3, Warren Buffett, the legendary investor and champion of long-term financial strategy, shocked the business world by announcing his upcoming retirement as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway at the age of 94. His legacy as a superager continues to inspire generations.
- On May 3, Jesse Weingarden, son of Scott, graduated from the University of Michigan with a BS in General Studies with a focus on construction management! Congratulations, Jesse! 🏗️👏
Jesse Weingarden
- On May 7, my grandson, Kai Hashimoto, a USC alum, accepted a position as a videographer/editor with the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders. He’s excited to join the team led by Pete Carroll, the former USC championship-winning coach.
Kai Hashimoto
- On May 8, Pope Leo XIV made history by becoming the first American ever chosen to lead the Catholic Church. That same day also marked the 80th anniversary of VE Day, commemorating the victory in Europe during World War II.
Photo By Edgar Beltrán, The Pillar - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=165144713
Pope Leo XIV
- On May 10, Dylan Weingarden, Scott’s oldest, graduated from University of Miami Law School with JD/LLM in Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law. Congratulations, Dylan!
Dylan and proud father Scott
Honoring Philanthropy and Educational Impact
On May 1, Teach for America (TFA) Miami-Dade hosted their annual dinner, where I was deeply honored to be named their inaugural
Philanthropist of the Year. This recognition means a great deal, as Roger and I became donors more than 30 years ago, back when TFA was just beginning as an organization to advocate for educational excellence.
LaKeisha Wells-Palmer presenting my award
Starner Family celebrating with Margaret at the TFA event
Longtime readers of Margaret’s Musing may recall that, instead of holiday gifts, I chose to honor our clients each year with a meaningful donation to Teach for America. *Raymond James Charitable Foundation has also been a steadfast supporter, contributing generously to TFA annually.
Our commitment to TFA stems from a simple truth: education not only shapes individuals but transforms communities. By recruiting top college graduates—passionate individuals committed to teaching in underserved urban and rural areas for at least two years—TFA plays a vital role in strengthening our nation’s future.
This award is not based in anyway on the individual's abilities in regard to providing investment advice or management. It is not indicative of advisor's future performance, is not an endorsement, and may not be representative of individual clients' experience. Raymond James is not affiliated with Teach for America.
A Story of Transformation: Jason Catanese
Over my 35 years as an observer, I have witnessed firsthand how dedicated and bold TFA corps members impact young lives. One standout example is Jason Catanese.
Jason, a TFA alum, has been shaping young minds since 2011 when he was placed as a corps member at Pueblo del Sol Elementary and Middle School in Phoenix. Today, he remains there, teaching seventh and eighth grade math while building the largest and most successful math program in the city. He has also founded a college preparatory camp and serves on the Arizona State Board of Education.
The challenges within Pueblo del Sol’s community are significant—only 10% of residents** hold a college degree, and four out of five students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Despite these obstacles, Jason has spent over a decade proving that expectations should never limit potential.
When he arrived, no geometry or algebra classes were offered. Administrators believed the coursework was too advanced. But Jason knew better—research shows that math proficiency, particularly completing eighth-grade Algebra, is a strong indicator of college graduation within four years.
Determined to challenge these assumptions, Jason launched an after-school Algebra program to gauge student interest. He expected around 20 students. Instead, more than 80 showed up on the first day.
That enthusiasm led to official math classes, and since then, Jason has taught geometry to over 500 students and algebra to more than 1,000.
The results speak for themselves:
- 81% of Jason’s students passed the Algebra qualifying test for the Phoenix Union High School District, compared to just 30% of students overall.
- 96% of his students passed the Geometry qualifying test, far exceeding the 68% district average.
- His impact has forced local high schools to expand their AP curriculum, as too many of his students are surpassing previous academic tracks.
- Today, half of all Phoenix students taking Calculus came through Jason’s classroom—a remarkable achievement.
Jason’s path is just as inspiring as his work. Originally from the East Coast, he attended Northwestern University, studied political science, and interned in Congress before realizing he wanted to make a more grass-roots impact. That journey led him to Teach For America, where he found his true calling in education.
Jason Catanese
This is the story of human transformation—students defying expectations and educators reshaping lives. It’s a story I have seen unfold time and time again at Teach For America over the past 30 years.
Looking Ahead
I had hoped to discuss my ongoing work in longevity planning, but this Musing has already grown lengthy. I’ll save that conversation for next time—so stay tuned!
In Closing - Meet 9-year-old Leah Delgado, enjoying a day at the office with her mom, Jessica, Practice Business Manager of the Starner Group, for “Take Your Child to Work Day.” Leah’s verdict? “The office beats school—hands down!”
Sincerely,
Margaret C. Starner
Senior VP - Wealth Management
2333 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 500
Coral Gables, FL 33134
305-461-6660
Nominees for the 2020 InvestmentNews Diversity & Inclusion Lifetime Achievement Award must currently be working as financial planners, registered representatives or registered investment advisers, or as industry professionals in a role that supports financial advisers. Judges will consider management, team development, achievement and a minimum 15-year commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion. InvestmentNews received about 130 nominations for the Diversity & Inclusions awards and selected 1 individual for the Lifetime Achievement award. The ranking may not be representative of any one client's experience, is not an endorsement, and is not indicative of future performance. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating nor is Raymond James affiliated with InvestmentNews.
The Forbes ranking of America’s Top Women Wealth Advisors, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative and quantitative data, rating thousands of wealth advisors with a minimum of seven years of experience and weighing factors like revenue trends, assets under management, compliance records, industry experience and best practices learned through telephone and in-person interviews. Portfolio performance is not a criteria due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. This ranking is based upon the period from 9/30/23 to 9/30/24 and was released on 02/11/2025. Research Summary (as of February 2025): 48,220 nominations were received and 100 women won. This ranking is not indicative of an advisor's future performance, is not an endorsement, and may not be representative of individual clients' experience. Neither Raymond James, nor any of its financial advisors or RIA firms pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating. Compensation provided for using the ranking. Raymond James is not affiliated with Forbes or Shook Research, LLC. Please visit https://www.forbes.com/lists/top-women-advisors/?sh=36214c902a8f for more info.
The 2025 Forbes ranking of America’s Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative criteria, mostly gained through telephone and in-person due diligence interviews, and quantitative data. This ranking is based upon the period from 3/31/2023 to 3/31/2024 and was released on
01/09/2025. Advisor teams that are considered must have one advisor with a minimum of seven years of experience, have been in existence as a team for at least one year, have at least 5 team members, and have been nominated by their firm. The algorithm weights factors like revenue trends, assets under management, compliance records, industry experience and those that encompass best practices in their practices and approach to working with clients. Portfolio performance is not a criteria due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Out of approximately 11,674 team nominations, 5,331 advisor teams received the award based on thresholds. This ranking is not indicative of an advisor's future performance, is not an endorsement, and may not be representative of individual clients' experience. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors or RIA firms pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating. Compensation provided for using the rating. Raymond James is not affiliated with Forbes or Shook Research, LLC. Please see https://www.forbes.com/lists/wealth-management-teams-best-in-state for more info.
Barron’s Top 1,200 Financial Advisors 2024. Barron’s is a registered trademark of Dow Jones & Company, L.P. All rights reserved. The rankings are based on data provided by 6,595 individual advisors and their firms and include qualitative and quantitative criteria. Time period upon which the rating is based is from 09/30/2022 to 09/30/2023, and was released on 03/11/2024. Factors included in the rankings: assets under management, revenue produced for the firm, regulatory record, quality of practice and philanthropic work. Investment performance is not an explicit component because not all advisors have audited results and because performance figures often are influenced more by clients’ risk tolerance than by an advisor’s investment picking abilities. The ranking may not be representative of any one client’s experience, is not an endorsement, and is not indicative of advisor’s future performance. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating. Barron’s is not affiliated with Raymond James.
Barron’s Top 100 Women Financial Advisors (2024)
Barron’s is a registered trademark of Dow Jones & Company, L.P. All rights reserved. The rankings are based on data provided by individual advisors and their firms and include qualitative and quantitative criteria. There were a total of 1,094 applicants and data points that relate to quality of practice included professionals with a minimum of 7 years financial services experience, acceptable compliance records (no criminal U4 issues), client retention reports, charitable and philanthropic work, quality of practice, designations held, offering services beyond investments offered including estates and trusts, and more. Financial Advisors are quantitatively rated based on varying types of revenues produced and assets under management by the financial professional, with weightings associated for each. Investment performance is not an explicit component because not all advisors have audited results and because performance figures often are influenced more by clients’ risk tolerance than by an advisor’s investment picking abilities. This ranking is based upon the period from 03/01/2023 to 03/31/2024 and was released on 07/19/2024. The ranking may not be representative of any one client’s experience, is not an endorsement, and is not indicative of an advisor’s future performance. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating. Compensation provided for using the rating. Barron’s is not affiliated with Raymond James.
Barron's Hall of Fame Award, 2019. Barron's is a registered trademark of Dow Jones & Company, L.P. All rights reserved. "Barron's Hall of Fame" is an award honoring a group of advisors who exemplify long-term success and commitment to their clients. Each member of the Hall of Fame has appeared in 10 or more of Barron's annual Top 100 Advisor
Barron's Hall of Fame Award, 2019. Barron's is a registered trademark of Dow Jones & Company, L.P. All rights reserved. "Barron's Hall of Fame" is an award honoring a group of advisors who exemplify long-term success and commitment to their clients. Each member of the Hall of Fame has appeared in 10 or more of Barron's annual Top 100 Advisor rankings, and their long-looking commitment to excellence is a hopeful example for the industry to follow. The Top 100 Advisor rankings are based on data provided by individual advisors and their firms and include qualitative and quantitative criteria. Data points that relate to quality of practice include professionals with a minimum of 7 years financial services experience, acceptable compliance records (no criminal U4 issues), client retention reports, charitable and philanthropic work, quality of practice, designations held, offering services beyond investments offered including estates and trusts, and more. Financial Advisors are quantitatively rated based on varying types of revenues produced and assets under management by the financial professional, with weightings associated for each. Investment performance is not an explicit component because not all advisors have audited results and because performance figures often are influenced more by clients' risk tolerance than by an advisor's investment picking abilities. The ranking may not be representative of any one client's experience, is not an endorsement, and is not indicative of an advisor's future performance. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating. Barron's is not affiliated with Raymond James.
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