My Story
I grew up attending a boarding school in the foothills of the Himalaya mountains while my parents focused their missionary work on education due to the 90%+ illiteracy rate!
They quickly realized that addressing the people’s NEEDs was in line with Maslow’s hierarchy principle. They developed a program to teach families how to both read and write to a 6-grade level in 9 months! Enabling a person to read a medicine bottle or even sign their own name gave them dignity, pride and the willingness to share in deeper conversations. Trust and respect were established.
In retrospect, while I may not have fully appreciated the unique opportunity I was placed in, it certainly has shaped my perspective on different cultures, beliefs and this amazing world we live in!
As my father told me, “One doesn’t have to go to another country to help people – wherever there is a need, that can be your mission.” It took me awhile to recognize that the path I had chosen (or was led to) was exactly that!
My Mission
Just as my parents realized that education and helping with one’s NEEDs allows us then to discuss the WANTs, so too the correlations are similar within most aspects of life. Financial Planning is certainly one of them.
Our team is here to assist in a wide range of Financial Planning for our clients: Investment Management, Retirement Planning, Tax Guidance, Charitable Gifting strategies and Estate Planning ideas to name a few.
We specialize in developing a deep understanding of what matters most to our clients and their families. We then help our clients prioritize their goals into two categories: Needs and Wants. Next, we devise a plan to guide our clients’ journey, giving support through some difficult and at times overwhelming decisions. We work closely with our clients to achieve their goals.
Making sure we first address our clients’ needs; we can then focus on the wants!
My Resume
I live in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, married to my best friend, Joette, for over 30 years and have 2 daughters. Cassidy has been on my team since 2017 and Callie currently lives and works in Nashville.
I graduated from Grove City College (PA) in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts undergraduate degree in Financial Planning and currently am a CFP® practitioner and Chartered Financial Analyst charter holder (CFA®). It’s been an honor over the last 30+ years in the industry to have also been awarded Barron’s Top 1,200 Advisor Rankings from 2015-2020 and Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.1
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and federally registered CFP (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.
1 BARRONS.COM (Awarded March 2020) Data Compiled By Barron’s Based On Time Period From 12/31/18-12/31/19. Forbes.com (Awarded Jan 2025) Data Compiled By Shook Research LLC Based On Time Period From 3/31/23-3/31/24.
Baird makes available to its clients various distinct products and services, and there are important differences between those services and the duties and obligations owed to clients in connection with provision of those services. Baird and your Baird Financial Advisor do not act as fiduciaries nor is a fiduciary duty owed to a client when providing certain products and services. For more information about the products and services Baird makes available as well as the duties and obligations Baird and your Baird Financial Advisor may have to you in connection with the provision of products and services, please contact your Baird Financial Advisor.