Evelyn M. Zohlen MS, MBA, CFP®

Evelyn M. Zohlen MS, MBA, CFP®
Regional Director, Senior Financial Planner
Evelyn M. Zohlen has served on both the personal and the institutional sides of financial services for 25 years. She currently serves as a Regional Director and Senior Financial Planner for Apella Wealth in Hartford, CT. Formerly, she was the founder and President of Inspired Financial, a wealth management firm in Huntington Beach, CA that joined Apella in July 2023 with eight employees and $275 million AUM. She also served as a Relationship Manager at The Vanguard Group where she was the trusted advisor for clients with retirement plan assets ranging from $175 million to $500 million. She received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas, her Master of Science from the Joint Military Intelligence College, and her Master of Business Administration (with a concentration in Finance/Portfolio Management) from Villanova University.
Evelyn is a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) professional and in 2020, served as Chair for the Financial Planning Association (the membership association for CFP®
professionals with 23,000 members!). She was an adjunct professor in the Personal Financial Planning Program at the University of California at Irvine and serves on the
Advisory Board for the Center for Investment and Wealth Management at UCI. She has served on the Board of Directors for WomanSage, the Board of Directors for the
American Poetry Review, and the President’s Council at Immaculata University. Prior to entering the financial services profession, Evelyn served as an intelligence officer in the United States Air Force.
Evelyn is married to the fabulous Mark Prendergast who shares her passion for food and wine, hiking (most recently to Mt. Everest Base Camp), music, reading and travel. Her perfect vacation combines great food/wine before and/or after a hike while visiting their three terrific kids and their spouses. Good times!

Fun Facts:
• During my service as a US Air Force intelligence officer, I had the thrill of “taking the stick” of an F-16 fighter jet during a nighttime mission.
• I ran a marathon (in costume!) with Mark in Bordeaux, France that included 23 Grand Cru wine tastings along the course.
• My favorite volunteer activity is providing pro bono financial planning for low-income women and their families. I rarely pass up an opportunity to help these ladies.
• I love public speaking—the bigger the crowd, the better! My largest “gig” so far was to an audience of nearly 3,000.