Cynthia E. Vance, J.D., CFP®, ChFC®, AIF®

Chief Executive Officer

Cynthia is the Chief Executive Officer and a founding partner of Sterling Investment Counsel, LLC. She is also a partner at Jensen, Marks, Langer, & Vance, LLC, a comprehensive wealth planning services firm.

Cynthia began working in the financial services industry in 1983. She is an accredited investment fiduciary, and earned her CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification in 1988 and her Chartered Financial Consultant designation in 2001. She has her Bachelor of Arts from the College of Business at Michigan State University, her MBA with a concentration in Taxation from Xavier University, and she graduated magna cum laude from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law. Cynthia has prior work experience practicing for a large Western New York law firm, where she specialized in the area of tax-exempt bond financing and commercial transactional work.

Cynthia is Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Buffalo-Toronto Public Media (WNED/WBFO). She is also a member of the Board of The Country Club of Buffalo, where she is the Treasurer and chariman of the Finance Committee. Cynthia is a member of the Junior League of Buffalo, where she has volunteered many hours over the years.

As a past recipient of the Junior League of Buffalo’s Sustainer Council Award, the Board Volunteer award at the 7th Annual Champions for Justice Bash, the 2015 Women of Distinction Award from the Girl Scouts of WNY, the 2019 Women of Influence Award, and the 2020 Luminary Award from the Center for Elder Law & Justice, Cynthia’s dedication to many charitable organizations in our community is inspiring to the members of our firm and clients alike. She has served on a number of boards in the past, including Canisius College and Nichols School where she chaired both of their Endowment Committees and was President of the Board of Trustees for The Center for Elder Law & Justice.  Cynthia continues to be listed by Buffalo Business First each year as one of the most powerful women in Western New York.