About SEAFA
Our Mission
SEAFA's mission is to provide effective forums for the education, interaction, and advancement of both its members and the Southeastern alternative investment community.
Education
SEAFA strives to promote the growth and development of the alternative investment community and keep members informed of industry and regulatory changes
industry best practices and the current investment environment.
Interaction
SEAFA sponsors programs featuring speakers who are institutional investors, fund managers, service providers, academics, and regulators.
Advancement
Board of Directors

Vikas Agarwal

Renee Ford

Charles Bailey

Gilbert H. Davis

Michelle Dobbins

Paul Foley

Andres Sandate

Dan Smith

Jeffrey Vale, CAIA

J.P. Vincent

William E. Huger

C. Scott Akers Jr

Bank of America Distinguished Chair and Professor of Finance Georgia State University J. Mack Robinson College of Business
Vikas Agarwal
Vikas Agarwal is Bank of America Distinguished Chair and Professor of Finance at Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business. Vikas received his Ph.D. in finance from the London Business School. He is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Financial Research, University of Cologne, Germany. He also holds a Research Associate position at EDHEC Risk and Asset Management Center, France. He currently serves as a Director on the board of the Southeastern Hedge Fund Association and on the academic advisory council of Decatur Capital Management. His broad areas of research interest include investments, household finance, private equity, and venture capital. His research addresses issues related to institutional investors (exchange-traded funds, hedge funds, and mutual funds), household finance, and private securities. His articles have appeared in leading academic journals, including the Journal of Finance, Journal of Financial Economics, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Review of Financial Studies, and Management Science.

CPA, Shareholder, Office Leader | Elliott Davis
Renee Ford

Warren Averett CPAs and Advisors Member
Charles Bailey

Partner, Investment Law Group of Davis Gillett Mottern & Sims LLC
Gilbert H. Davis
Gil Davis began his legal career in the Atlanta office of Alston & Bird LLP in 1984 and organized the firm’s first hedge fund client in 1985. Gil continues to represent the organizer of that fund today, as well as the managers of private funds ranging in size from several hundred thousand dollars to several billion. Gil is a member of the Georgia, New York and District of Columbia Bars, the American Bar Association Securities and Tax Sections and LLCs, Partnerships and Unincorporated Entities and Private Fund Committees, New York State Bar Association Securities Regulation Committee and the Private Investment Funds Subcommittee, State Bar of Georgia Securities Legislation Subcommittee, and International Bar Association Financial Services Section and Investment Funds Committee.
Gil received his undergraduate degree double majoring in History and Economics from Yale University (B.A., 1981) and a law degree from the New York University School of Law (J.D., 1984).

Chief Financial Officer, Masters Capital Management
Michelle Dobbins
Michelle Dobbins joined Masters Capital Management in 1999, serving as CFO while also managing her own accounting and third-party administration firm, Partnership Financial Consulting. In 2013, Michelle sold Partnership Financial to Trident Fund Services to give her full attention to Masters. She led the effort to build a full-service in-house accounting and compliance department, developing the systems and processes, hiring and training staff, and managing its day-to-day operations. Prior to joining Masters, Michelle worked at Northside Hospital, first as Accounting Manager and later as Director of the Business Office. Prior to that, she was an auditor for Arthur Andersen. Michelle is a 1990 graduate of the University of Florida, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accountancy.

Chairman, Investment Management Practice Akerman LLP
Paul Foley
Paul Foley focuses his practice on securities and corporate law, with a particular focus on investment fund formation, investment adviser regulation, securities enforcement, and corporate representation, including mergers and acquisitions. He represents investment advisers, hedge funds, mutual funds, private equity funds, venture capital funds, funds of funds, institutional investors, broker-dealers, financial institutions and other entities with regard to complex federal and state securities regulatory matters. Paul advises clients on investment fund formation and has assisted fund managers with fund offerings totaling billions of dollars. He counsels clients on structuring, forming, and offering investment funds, including hedge funds, mutual funds, private equity funds, venture capital funds, funds of funds, and real estate funds. Paul also provides fund managers with ongoing advice regarding investments, transactions, compliance, and securities law matters, including applicable federal and state investment adviser registration requirements.
He has extensive experience representing institutional and retail investment Advisors with regard to various securities, compliance, and business matters, including drafting and reviewing investment advisory agreements and other material contracts, developing and implementing customized compliance policies and procedures,
mergers and acquisitions, and registration on Form ADV. Paul has conducted internal investigations and advised clients in regards to examination and enforcement-related inquiries and investigations by the SEC, self-regulatory organizations, and state agencies.
Paul often serves in a general counsel role for private companies and coordinates the outsourcing of legal services for other practice areas such as litigation, intellectual property, real estate, tax, environmental, and employment law.
Education
J.D., University of North Carolina School of Law, 2004, with honors
B.A., Queens University of Charlotte, 2000, magna cum laude
Admissions
Bars
North Carolina
District of Columbia
New York

Founder and CEO of Endurance Strategies, LLC
Andres Sandate
Andres Sandate is the Founder and CEO of Endurance Strategies, LLC and host of ATLalts a podcast dedicated to exploring alternative investments and private markets. Andres advises investors, financial intermediaries, fund managers, investment sponsors, pre-seed and seed-stage companies, and professional services firms. Andres’s prior investing, capital markets, advisory, product development, and business development experience includes positions at Altera Private, Cygnus Capital, Whetstone Capital Advisors, Ascendant Capital, Regions Capital Markets, and SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. Andres earned his BS and MBA from The University of Kansas and holds Series 7, 63, and 79 securities licenses.

President, Trident Fund Services,Inc.
Dan Smith
Dan is a Certified Public Accountant with more than 20 years’ experience in accounting, finance and fund administration. Dan heads Trident’s US fund services operations. Dan graduated from Wake Forest University with a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy in 1991.

Partner and CIO, Infinity Capital Partners, LLC
Jeffrey Vale, CAIA
Jeff Vale joined Infinity in 2002 and has been active in the investment management industry for over twenty years. Jeff is primarily responsible for overseeing portfolio manager evaluation and selection, investment policy implementation and ongoing due diligence. He leads the Investment Committee and serves as Portfolio Manager for the Infinity flagship funds. Prior to joining Infinity, Jeff was a Senior Analyst for Long Bow Capital Management, LLC – a long/short equity hedge fund. Before Long Bow, Jeff was an analyst at Wilshire Associates and an Associate Portfolio Manager at Concord International Investments. He holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designation and earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Economics from New York University and an MBA from Emory University.

Managing Director, Cowen Prime Services,LLC
J.P. Vincent
J. P. Vincent is a Managing Director at Cowen Prime Services, LLC. J.P. joined Cowen as a result of Cowen’s acquisition of Convergex Global Clearing and Prime Services, at which he was the Managing Director of Business Development. Prior to his time with Cowen and Convergex, J.P. was Head Trader at Dorado Capital Management, a Senior Vice President of Institutional Sales at Neovest, and started his career at Bell Capital Management, an Atlanta RIA. J.P. earned a bachelor’s degree in Management from Georgia Tech’s Scheller College of Business and holds multiple FINRA certifications. Mr. Vincent also serves as an advisory board member to private equity firm Buckhead Investment Partners, is a board member of SEAFA, and previously served on the board of Hedge Funds Care.

Partner, Forte Investment Services, LLC (Ex-Officio Board Member)
William E. Huger
Coming Soon

Principal, Tuxedo Capital Partners LLC (Ex-Officio Board Member)
C. Scott Akers Jr
Coming Soon.
Sustaining Corporate Members
Sustaining Corporate Members have been long-time supporters of SEAFA through their advocacy, financial commitment, and engagement by all levels of employees in organizing, promoting and attending our events. As the alternative investment industry has evolved and grown through the years, these Sustaining Corporate Members have demonstrated steadfast support for SEAFA and its mission of education, interaction and advancement of the alternative investment community. In recognition of their past and continuing support of SEAFA, SEAFA’s Board of Directors recognizes these firms as Sustaining Corporate Members.

Our Corporate Members


















