Connie Aust, California Licensed Professional Fiduciary

I have spent most of my life in Santa Rosa with family ties in Bodega and Bodega Bay.  I spent my high school years in Lake Oswego Oregon and early college years in Corvallis Oregon but returned to our lovely Sonoma County to raise my kids and purse my passion. 

From an early age I decided service to our elders was my desired life path. I attended Oregon State University with the goal of becoming a social worker for seniors. While my family was growing, I had to suspend my education working for nine years in the banking industry.  There, I was able to not only learn a great deal about banking, but I was also able to help seniors with their day to day banking needs, confirming my resolve to finish college at Sonoma State University and pursue my dream to help seniors. 

For the last 28 years I have worked in many capacities advocating for seniors in Sonoma County. I started my career by working as a case manager with our local Council on Aging serving our senior population. When the position became available, I took over the Council on Aging’s Daily Money Management Program growing it from serving about 18 seniors to a large department serving over 100 clients monthly and from managing a few thousand dollars to over 26 million dollars while serving as the Director of Financial Services and Fiduciary. 

During my years with Council on Aging I also served a Director of Social Services continuing with Case Management. I streamlined the department so that it would better serve our seniors. I also created Secure Seniors Program, an evidence-based program, combining the need for case managers to help seniors learn more about their finances while connecting them to as many resources as possible. 

I became a Licensed Professional Fiduciary in 2008 when I started to serve as Trustee, Successor Trustee, Power of Attorney for Finance, Health Care Agent and Executor.  I also serve as court appointed conservator continuing my desire to help seniors who cannot protect themselves.

What is a Professional Fiduciary?

“Professional Fiduciaries are licensed and regulated by the State of California and must follow a strict code of ethics. One must take courses required by the licensing bureau, pass a lengthy exam, attend continuing education, have clean background check and be bondable.” (Professional Fiduciary Association)

A Licensed Professional Fiduciary is everything this description describes and more.  

Fiduciaries are the neutral person to step in when there is conflict within the family unit. Appointing a fiduciary allows the family members to continue being the daughter, son, niece or friend and not the person holding the purse strings and having the burdensome job of making all of decisions. 

A Professional Fiduciary can serve as Trustee, Successor Trustee, Executor, Power of Attorney for Finance, Healthcare Agent in and Advanced Healthcare Directive and Power of Attorney for Health, bill pay, Representative Payee and court appointed conservator.

Background in the Community

In the early 90’s I served on the Sonoma County Section on Aging with Adult Protective Services, Ombudsman and the Sonoma County Public Guardian Public Administrators Office. As a team we created a white paper on the need to improve conservatorship services in Sonoma County. One of the recommendations was that an MDT group be formed which still services our community today. 

In the early 2000’s I worked closely with Adult Protective Services, Ombudsman, the Sheriff’s department and other agencies serving our senior population, spreading the word about the growing problem of elder abuse speaking to community groups and helped plan an Elder Abuse Awareness Conference in which I was one of the instructors. 

In 2008 I served on the Elder Justice Coalition concept committee and program committee helping create the Sonoma County Family Justice Center which serves seniors as well as survivors of domestic violence. 

2013 through 2015 I was a Third District appointee to the Commission on Status of Women bringing awareness of the needs, issues and concerns to local government officials when considering policy and actions that will affect women on local, state and national levels.