A New Chapter Begins
After more than three decades as a fee-only fiduciary advisor, Tom Batterman retired at the end of 2022. Now splitting his time between Eagle River, Wisconsin, and The Villages, Florida, Batterman says the transition has suited him well.
"It's turned out great," Batterman said. "As I've said to many people, I highly recommend retirement."
Golf, Pickleball, and Lake Life
Much of Batterman's schedule now revolves around activities that were harder to fit in during his working years. He plays golf regularly and has also taken up pickleball, a sport with a strong following in The Villages, where community activities run late into the evening.
"I'm a golfer, so I play quite a bit of golf," Batterman said. "I'm a pickleball player, so I play quite a bit of pickleball."
Beyond organized sports, Batterman also spends time on the water. His summers in Eagle River center on the family's lake home and on time spent with visiting family, including his children and grandchildren.
Community Work Draws on Old Skills
Retirement has not meant stepping away from problem-solving. Batterman has taken on several volunteer roles that draw directly on skills built over his career, including serving as Eagle Lake captain on the board of the Eagle River Chain of Lakes Association, where he helps communicate between the board and lakefront property owners.
Closer to home, Batterman serves as a board member and treasurer for his condominium association, Stone Gate. In that role, he led an effort to rewrite and update the association's governance documents, including its bylaws and rules, a project that called for the same close reading of legal language he once applied to client matters.
Batterman has also worked with neighbors to reactivate a dormant property owners association in his neighborhood, helping update its governing documents in the process.
"I have a certain set of skills that I developed during my career," Batterman said, describing why he takes on these roles. "There are individuals and organizations that need volunteer help for things that bring those skills into play. I figure, what better way to use what I managed to accumulate over the years than to try to help out some people who need it. And I'm in a position where I don't have to charge them."
Staying Connected in Florida
In The Villages, Batterman has also taken on a lighter organizing role, running a weekly couples' golf outing for neighbors. The activity reflects the more social side of his retirement, distinct from the structured volunteer board work he continues in Wisconsin.
Between the two locations, Batterman's routine now includes a mix of recreation, community involvement, and time with family, a shift from the demands of managing client relationships and running a firm for more than 30 years.
A Consistent Approach to a New Setting
Looking at Batterman's retirement activities alongside his career, a consistent pattern emerges. Whether reviewing an estate plan for a client or rewriting a condominium association's bylaws, Batterman applies the same attention to detail and interest in solving practical problems. The setting has changed, but the underlying approach has not.
For Batterman, retirement has offered the chance to apply decades of professional experience in a different context, one centered on neighbors and community organizations rather than clients and financial planning. It is a quieter version of the same work ethic that defined his career, now applied to golf courses, lake associations, and homeowner bylaws rather than investment portfolios.
