Don Blandin, former president and CEO of the Investor Protection Trust (IPT) and the Investor Protection Institute (IPI), has worked in and with a wide variety of sectors, including business and industry; nonprofit; academia and philanthropic foundations; and federal, state and local government, ...more

Don Blandin, former president and CEO of the Investor Protection Trust (IPT) and the Investor Protection Institute (IPI), has worked in and with a wide variety of sectors, including business and industry; nonprofit; academia and philanthropic foundations; and federal, state and local government, both in the U.S. and globally. Don has been building coalitions and partnerships for more than three decades. Don Blandin was appointed president and CEO of the Investor Protection Trust (IPT), a nonprofit organization devoted to investor education, in 2004. Founded in 1993, The Investor Protection Trust works both nationwide and on a grassroots level to provide independent objective investor education needed by all Americans to make informed investment decisions. Don’s achievements at IPT include: sponsorship of the “Personal Finance Guide for Military Families;” the Elder Investment Fraud and Financial Exploitation Prevention Program; the Investor Education in Your Community® program; the national MoneyTrack public television series; The Campaign for Wise and Safe Investing® in partnership with the AARP Foundation, and “The Basics of Saving and Investing: Investor Education 2020.” Awards bestowed on Don include the BBB International Torch Award for Consumer Leadership from the Council of Better Business Bureaus and the Heart of Financial Planning Award from the Financial Planning Association. Prior to his work at IPT, Don was president of the American Savings Education Council (ASEC). While at ASEC from 1996 to 2004, he undertook multiple initiatives to raise public awareness regarding what it takes to instill long-term personal financial independence. Don and his wife, Nanette, now reside in Asheville, NC. They have a son, Devon, and daughter, Sara. Specialties: Don was an appointed a delegate to two White House/Congressional National Summits on Retirement Savings, hosted by the President and Congressional leaders. Don is a founding member and the first national director of Pi Alpha Alpha, the national honorary society for public administration. Don Blandin holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from California State University, East Bay, and a Master of Public Administration degree from The American University in Washington, DC.less