AKERS FINANCIAL GROUP - Key Persons
Alex joined Akers Financial Group in May of 2012. He is a CFP®, a licensed life and health insurance specialist and holds series 7 and series 66 licenses. Alex is also a FINRA General Securities Representative. He graduated from Towson University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting.
Job Titles:
- State Health Insurance Program Coordinator for the Harford County Office
Andrea Pomilla is the State Health Insurance Program Coordinator for the Harford County Office on Aging. She participates as a guest speaker at our Retirement Planning Expo. She has worked for the Office on Aging in varying roles since January 2007. Her background in Health Promotion and Education lends itself to her role as Coordinator for the Health Insurance program in which her duties include education, assistance and referral for Medicare beneficiaries both over and under 65 in Harford County.
Job Titles:
- Life Insurance Specialist
Andrew joined Akers Financial Group in July of 2023 as our Insurance Specialist. He has two degrees from Wheaton College and a master's degree as well. He started in insurance in 1990, before spending a number of years in higher education, then for twenty years was in non-profit leadership positions before returning to insurance, where he holds licenses for life and health / accident.
Andrew's responsibilities include helping clients leverage the power of life insurance for:
wealth transfer
tax free retirement income
risk management
mortgage protection
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Attorney Bress Raut Law, LLC
Ashley Nelson-Raut and partner Kevin Bress own Bress Raut Law, LLC. Ashley focuses her practice on advising clients in the areas of estate planning, elder care, estate and trust administration, income taxation of trusts and estates and family law.
Ashley graduated cum laude from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 2017. While in Law School, Ashley was an Associate Editor for the University of Baltimore Law Forum, a member of the Royal Shannonhouse III Honor Society, Historian of the Phi Delta Phi International Honor Society, and Law Scholar for ILS/Civil Procedure for Professor John Bessler.
During Law School, Ashley worked as a Research Assistant to Professor Angela Vallario, for which she assisted in drafting Professor Vallario's Fundamentals of Estate Planning Textbook, and researched the Elective Share in Maryland. Also while in Law School, Ashley worked as a Law Clerk specializing in administrating trusts and probate estates, preparation of various tax returns, and drafting estate planning documents.
In addition to practicing law, Ashley is active in the community. She was a Member of the Ulman Foundation, Body of Young Adult Advisors, where she was recognized as a "Game Changer" for her fundraising efforts, a One Love Foundation Escalation Workshop Facilitator and Speaker, a Member of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Tomorrow's Leaders for the Baltimore Chapter, and is currently a volunteer at the Upper Chesapeake Health Foundation Klein Crisis Center and Cancer Center. She is also currently teaching as an Adjunct Professor in the Legal Studies Program at Stevenson University where she teaches Advanced Estate Administration and Advanced Estate Planning and Towson University where she teaches Fundamentals of Estate Planning. Ashley recently received a Certificate of Appreciation from Stevenson University for her exceptional efforts in assisting the University's faculty leadership during the pandemic.
Prior to law school Ashley attended Stevenson University graduating summa cum laude, where she obtained her degree in Paralegal Studies.
Job Titles:
- Financial Planning Advisor
Bernie has been a part of the Akers team since February, 2016. He holds series 7, 66 and life and health licenses. He has retired from Northrop Grumman Corporation as their Vice President and Chief Information Officer. Prior to that Bernie served as Vice President and CFO for Northrop Grumman's legacy IT sector.
Bernie has a strong financial and business management background. He earned his bachelor's degree in business administration and accounting as well as his master's degree in business administration with a concentration in finance, from Loyola College. Bernie has completed the general management program at Harvard Business School.
He is a Baltimore County native. Bernie and his wife have lived in Ellicott City for over 30 years. He is a sports enthusiast, enjoys traveling with his wife Terry and spending time with their two grown children.
Job Titles:
- Founder
- President
- Harford Christian Educational Foundation Board Member
Brian A. Akers, CFP®, President and Founder of Akers Financial Group, has more than 35 years of experience in the financial services industry. With a determined vision, Akers Financial Group is built on the premise of serving clients - one at a time. We specialize in personalized financial planning with lower volatility and strive to provide our clients with guidance and tax-saving strategies to help build, protect, and preserve their financial assets. Our valued team of industry professionals is committed to the philosophy and concept of providing exceptional customer service with a unique and individual approach.
As a Certified Financial Planner™ practitioner since July 1991, Brian has lectured throughout Maryland and Southern Pennsylvania, hosts his own radio show, "Winning in Retirement", on CBS radio, has co-hosted radio shows, and appeared as a guest expert on Fox 45 and WUSA Channel 9 News. Brian has a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Virginia Tech, holds licenses for life, health, property, and casualty insurance, series 7 and 65 is a FINRA General Securities Representative and an Investment Advisors Representative.
Brian handles a number of responsibilities on a daily basis, including:
Meeting with clients to discuss investment strategies
Developing, servicing, and delivering financial plans to clients
Researching investment and product offerings
Developing client event presentations
Helping to ensure clients feel secure and stress-free during their retirement years regarding their finances
Brian is a Harford Christian Educational Foundation board member and a Deacon at North Harford Baptist Church. He is a former Trustee of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He enjoys coaching high school, AAU, and recreation basketball teams. Brian is a life-time resident of Harford County and lives in Jarrettsville with his wife. They enjoy spending time with their family and two grown children.
Job Titles:
- Financial Planning Assistant
Cara joined the Akers team in May of 2023 with 20 years of experience in the financial industry. Her financial career has consisted of teller positions and working her way up to an Assistant branch manager. She was most recently a Business Development Specialist at a local advisory firm. Cara is also licensed in life and health insurance. Currently she assists the advisors in preparing for client meetings and in the development of financial plans. She has aspirations of becoming a financial advisor over the next 3-5 years.
Cara has been a Harford County resident for 30 years. She and her husband currently live in Abingdon with their beloved Pit Bull, Retriever, Cocker Spaniel mix named Winter. They both enjoy spending time with each other, family, friends and of course, Winter, when they aren't vacationing in the Caribbean!
David Good began working at Akers Financial Group in April of 2015. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from the University of Delaware. Following college he managed the breeding operations of Imperial Arabian Stud Farm, one of the largest Arabian horse farms in the country. Later he joined his father at Kaestner, a process piping installation and fabrication company. During his 25 year tenure with Kaestner David worked in sales, operations and management, eventually becoming vice president assisting his father in operating the 100 year old business.
David's daily responsibilities include:
Facilitating the Akers business plan
Designing employee reviews
Reviewing and designing business workflow
David is on the worship team at North Harford Baptist Church, the financial secretary as well as a member of the choir and finance committee. He and his wife Ruth reside in White Hall. They enjoy spending time with their family, which includes six children and five grandchildren!
Job Titles:
- Slott 's Elite IRA Advisor Group
Eric Kruk began his career in financial services in 1998 and joined Franklin Templeton in 2020. Prior to joining Franklin Templeton, he spent over 22 years as a financial professional with Legg Mason.
As an advisor to financial professionals, Eric provides a valuable perspective in the areas of market insights, practice management, and portfolio construction. He consults with financial professionals to help them deliver better outcomes for their clients. Eric has a wealth of industry knowledge and a deep understanding of Franklin Templeton investment solutions including mutual funds, ETFs, separately managed accounts, model portfolios, 529 plans and insurance products.
Job Titles:
- Financial Planning Advisor
Paul began working at Akers Financial Group in May of 2017. He holds series 7 and 66 licenses and is licensed in life and accident / health insurance. Paul obtained his bachelor degree in Business and Administration and his M.B.A. from Cairn University.
Some of Paul's responsibilities are:
Creating and delivering financial plans
Researching financial planning topics
Meeting with clients to provide personalized advice
Paul was part of the Cairn University Soccer team for four years and was captain two of those years. He enjoyed being involved in various campus ministries and also enjoys sports, traveling and card games. He and his wife Irene reside in North East, Maryland.
Job Titles:
- Data Coordinator / Tax Planning
Janet became part of our Akers team in March of 2023. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Richmond, a Master of Science in Finance from Loyola and a Master of Science in Taxation from the University of Baltimore. Prior to putting her career on hold to raise her three children, Janet was employed by Price Waterhouse as a Staff Auditor, she was a Senior Accountant for Mutual Fund Accounting at T. Rowe Price and was the Accounting Coordinator at Harford Community College.
Her priority during tax season is assisting Daniel Alan Tax Service. Following tax season, Janet assists our advisors with tax planning, prepares client reports, account summation, maintains data consolidation and reporting software.
Janet is a lifelong Bel Air resident. She enjoys reading and volunteering as a band mom with her sons' HS marching band and spending time with her family.
Job Titles:
- Financial Planning Assistant
Jared came on board as a Financial Planning Assistant with Akers Financial Group in November of 2021. He obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Accounting from Cairn University.
Some of Jared's daily responsibilities are:
Preparing for client meetings
Assisting in the development of financial plans
Jared is another one of Akers' avid sports fans. He played soccer and golf for four years at Cairn University and also enjoys fishing, hiking and watching the Ravens and Orioles games. Jared and his wife Grace love taking their dog Penny on walks and watching her swim. Jared and Grace attend Mount Carmel Primitive Baptist Church and reside in Havre de Grace.
Jeff joined the financial services industry in 2000 and is now Vice President of Akers Financial Group. He holds licenses in life and health insurance, series 7 and series 66. Jeff is a FINRA General Securities Representative and is CFP® certified. He co-hosts "Planning with a Purpose" radio show on CBS Radio. He has also completed two advanced degrees, including a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Counseling. Jeff is uniquely qualified to help clients decipher their financial needs and goals. He specializes in the creative development of conservative strategies, helping retirees to preserve their assets while seeking reasonable growth.
Kaitlin began working for Akers Financial Group in September of 2013. In May 2014 she obtained her AA in Music and her AA in Business Administration, and later earned her Bachelor's Degree in Accounting from Towson.
On a daily basis some of Kaitlin's responsibilities include:
Initiating new client forms
Processing new accounts, account transfers, beneficiary changes, new contributions and redemptions
Handling day-to-day operational activities and client service requests
Kaitlin, her husband and daughter reside in Harford County. They volunteer at Beachmont Christian Camp and enjoy working with children. They attend Sovereign Grace Church in Abingdon.
Job Titles:
- Senior Real Estate Specialist
Katie Rash is a full time Realtor who is the team leader for The Rash Team of Berkshire Hathaway Real Estate, Inc. Katie is certified as a Senior Real Estate Specialist. She has extensive knowledge in helping seniors downsize their current homes and move into new homes. Katie is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Realtor Association, Harford County Board of Realtors, The National Association of Realtors, Chesapeake Woman's Professional Network, and G.A.I.N. Katie is dedicated to serving her client's needs. Her motto is "successfully bringing buyers and sellers together one step at a time." Katie will help you through the moving process from beginning to end.
The Rash Team's mission is to help people through the home buying and selling process, one step at a time! Due to their attention to detail and excellent customer service, The Rash Team has received many awards.
Kevin participates as a guest speaker at our Winning in Retirement Training Day, in our webinars and on our Winning in Retirement radio show. He has been practicing in the estate planning field since graduating law school and has owns Bress Raut Law, LLC, with his partner Ashley Raut. His broad-based tax background serves his clients well when drafting wills, administering estates and giving elder law planning advice.
He is an adjunct professor for the University of Baltimore where he teaches Elder Law in the law school, as well as Taxation in the school's Masters and LLM Graduate Tax Program. Kevin has headed his law firm's Estate and Elder Law departments over the years and represents clients throughout Maryland.
Job Titles:
- Marketing & Client Events
Kim has been with Akers Financial Group since October 2010. After attending Villa Julie College for paralegal studies, Kim began full time employment with a Bel Air Law firm. She was then employed by Harford County Government as a Planning Assistant for twelve years before becoming a homemaker for eight years. During that time, Kim opened and operated New Again Consignment Boutique.
Some of Kim's day-to-day responsibilities include:
Administration of client services
Management of calendar and appointments
Coordinating activities related to client events
Client communication distribution
Client relationship management
Kim is a Harford County native and now resides in Pennsylvania with her husband, and not far from her two grown sons and granddaughter. She enjoys serving her community through her church outreach programs and spending time with her family.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Our Controller
In January 2014, Kim Rice joined Akers Financial Group as our Controller. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Clearwater Christian College in 2006. Kim was employed by ALICO/MetLife in Wilmington, DE working as an investment accountant for five years. She then worked for JPMorgan Chase in Newark, DE as a Financial Analyst.
Job Titles:
- Chief Investment Officer, Brookstone Capital Management
Mark W. DiOrio, CFA, is the Chief Investment Officer of Brookstone Capital Management. He participates as a guest speaker at our events, for our webinars and on our Winning in Retirement radio show. In his role at Brookstone, he leads the firm's investment committee and drives the firm's investment policy framework and portfolio construction methodology. He oversees the portfolio strategy group that provides recommendations on strategic and tactical portfolio design. Mark directs research on external managers and develops internal strategies. He produces and presents content for advisor training, a weekly Market Watch update, and the firm's quarterly market reports.
Prior to joining Brookstone, he was responsible for launching and managing a boutique investment management subsidiary of a publicly traded regional bank holding company. While there, Mark ran a global tactical asset allocation strategy and accumulated an 8 year GIPS® compliant track record. Mark has nearly 20 years of investment industry experience, including 10 years of multi-asset class portfolio management. Mark has been featured in the ETF Report, interviewed by Investor's Business Daily, and quoted in the Wall Street Journal.
Job Titles:
- Financial Planning Assistant
Noah began as an intern with Akers in June of 2016. He is licensed in life and accident / health insurance. Noah obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and his M.B.A. from Cairn University.
Some of Noah's responsibilities are:
Preparing for client meetings
Assisting in the development of financial plans
Noah is a life-long Harford County resident and enjoys sports, church ministries, his family and eating pizza. He was part of the Cairn University Soccer team for four years. Noah and his wife Julia reside in Fawn Grove, PA.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Assistant
- Receptionist
Paula joined our team in May of 2021. She has been in the finance industry for approximately 30 years. Paula is from the Timonium area so she began her finance career in Baltimore County before moving to Harford County twenty years ago. She has been on both the retail / client side of the industry and also the operational / regulatory side. Her years of experience have equipped her with administrative activities as well as the knowledge of processing accounts and daily operational activities.
Job Titles:
- Head of Advisor Practice Mgmt Franklin Templeton
- Leader in Diversity
Quinton Alston-Spratt joined the Legg Mason Sales Training team in August of 2017, and the Franklin Templeton Academy in 2020. Based in Baltimore, Maryland, Quinton is responsible for supporting US Distribution with an emphasis on instilling skills that embrace a consultative approach built upon supporting practice management concepts.
Prior to Legg Mason, Quinton spent almost 10 years providing coaching and training to top agents, advisors, wholesalers and distribution leaders across the country. Quinton focuses on developing sales professionals who deliver holistic solutions, through a process driven approach while retaining each individual's personal style.
Quinton is also a leader in Diversity and Inclusion within Franklin Templeton. Quinton serves as a co global lead for Franklin Templeton's African American business resource group BEN.
Sadie joined the Akers team in September of 2021 assisting with Administrative Assistant duties, but soon moved into the Operations Support position. She has an AA in Business Administration from the Community College of Baltimore County.
On a daily basis, Sadie assists with:
Processing new accounts, account transfers, beneficiary changes, new contributions and redemptions
Day-to-day operational activities and client service requests
Being one of six siblings, Sadie loves her role as aunt to many nieces and nephews. She enjoys acting, singing, attending plays and musicals and cheering on family and friends at their sporting events. Sadie performed in 10 musicals during her school years. She volunteers at Beachmont Christian Ministries during their fall corn maze and is a leader with Metro Maryland Youth for Christ. She attends Long Green Baptist Church and sings on their worship team. Sadie was born and raised in Baltimore City where she continues to reside.
Job Titles:
- Investment Advisor Representative Asset Marketing Systems
Sam has almost 40 years of experience in the Insurance and Financial Services industry. He participates as a guest speaker at our Retirement Planning Expo, on our radio show and for our webinars. As an Agency owner, Manager, Product Wholesaler, and Business Consultant, he is very familiar with all aspects of the Insurance and Financial services world. Sam is an Investment Advisor Representative holding a series 65 License in California and has received the Retirement Income Certified Professional® Designation (RICP®) In addition, Sam holds Life, Health, Property and Casualty Licenses.
Of the financial services business, he states:
Job Titles:
- Financial Planning Assistant
We welcomed Sam to our Akers team in January of 2022 as a Financial Planning Intern. He has since graduated from Towson University with a B.S. degree in Economics and joined us full time as a Financial Planning Assistant.
Susie began working for Akers Financial Group in January of 2022. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise and Sports Science from Clearwater Christian College and an MBA in Project Management from Liberty University.
Susie assists with:
Processing annuity applications
Reviewing annuity policies
Handling day-to-day annuity operational activities and client service requests
Susie was born and raised in Cecil County and now resides in Harford County. She enjoys spending time with her dog, her family and she loves being active.
Theresa Karschner has been working for Akers Financial Group since its inception. Her background encompasses a variety of fields. She worked for the federal government as a budget assistant for seven years. After a few years at home with her children, she began teaching at Harford Christian School where she put her Office Education degree to use. During her 15 year tenure at HCS, she was a typing, office practice, and word processing teacher, yearbook advisor, athletic department secretary, and cheerleading coach.
Theresa's responsibilities include:
Management of calendar and appointments
Administration of client services
Director of Hospitality
Theresa is a life-long resident of Harford County. She and her husband, Charles, reside in Darlington and are members of Franklin Baptist Church. They enjoy spending time with their three grown children and three grandsons.