FIRSTPURPOSE - Key Persons
Whether its financial planning or big-game hunting, Adam Taylor enjoys guiding people towards achieving their goals and having memorable experiences. Building life-long friendships is the best part of his job. Away from work, Adam enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons and teaching young men to appreciate the great outdoors. An expert fly fisherman, Adam has traveled to Los Roques, Venezuela, and the Seychelles Islands off the East Coast of Africa to test his skills. He also guides hunting groups throughout Utah's backcountry. Having volunteered for years as a baseball coach, Adam helped Pleasant Grove High School build a state-of-the-art clubhouse.
Adrian was born in Los Angeles, California, but grew up in Guadalajara, Mexico where he studied Accounting. He later moved back to L.A., continued studying Accounting and worked for a company in LAX doing Payroll and Accounts Payable for over 13 years. Adrian moved to Utah in 2018, seeking other opportunities and finally made his way to us. Adrian is fluent in both English and Spanish. Adrian enjoys hiking and international cuisine
Building his own business has always been a goal for Alex Haviland. He started mowing lawns at age 10, repaying his dad for the mower within a couple of summers. In high school, he and his buddies built custom cabins and barns in scenic locations like Oakley and Bear Lake. Now Alex enjoys helping clients build stable financial futures. At home, Alex is happily married and has a growing portfolio of young kids who each have very distinctive personalities. He also enjoys trap shooting, camping, backpacking and fly fishing in remote areas like the Wind River mountain range in Wyoming. Indoors, Alex enjoys designing and publishing strategy-driven board games.
Alex has been with FirstPurpose Wealth since 2013 and is a Wealth Advisor with the firm. He graduated from Utah Valley University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Personal Financial Planning. He works with clients to help them with financial planning goals and decisions. Alex believes that education and the understanding of financial principles allows for the best financial decisions. When Alex is not working you can find him on a golf course, playing basketball, or spending time with his wife Dani and daughter Macee.
Ana graduated from Utah Valley University from the Personal Financial Planning Program. Ana loves helping people better understand their finances and reach their financial goals. When not at work Ana enjoys exploring the near by mountains, swimming, and playing fetch with her two dogs. She is also a lover of music, movies, and TV shows.
Andy Perkins is from Hurricane, Utah and is a graduate of the personal financial planning program at Utah Valley University. During school, he worked at Fidelity Investments and Desert Mutual Benefit Administrators, then passed the Certified Financial Planning(TM) exam shortly after graduating in 2021. Andy now enjoys providing support to the wealth advisors at First Purpose by performing analysis on and implementing their clients' financial plans. Andy loves the Utah Jazz, playing pickleball, hiking, watching movies, and being an uncle.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Wealth & Tax Advisors Team
- Tax Services Advisor
Annie is a tax services advisor at FirstPurpose Wealth. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the Woodbury School of Business at Utah Valley University, Magna Cum Laude. Annie has 16 years of tax experience. She is an Enrolled Agent, licensed to practice before the IRS, and assists with tax preparation, and filing. When not working, Annie loves to hike, read, and play racquetball.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Financial Advisor
- Employee at Squire & Company
Bryant Armstrong is a versatile financial advisor. As an early employee at Squire & Company, Bryant gained both tax and audit experience, trained clients in Quickbooks, provided outsourced CFO and controller services, and built the firm's technology practice, including Great Plains ERP software implementations. Bryant also worked as a controller and designed accounting systems at Private Capital Group. He and his wife are the proud parents of five children and a growing passel of grandkids. In his free time, Bryant takes on century rides as an avid cyclist and enjoys canyoneering. He earned his MAcc (Master of Accountancy) at BYU.
Job Titles:
- Client Services Associate
Carmen serves as a Client Services Associate here at FirstPurpose Wealth working directly with the clients of Jason McMullin and Alex Haviland. She has a professional history of working internationally in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Philippines. More recently she was lucky enough to live on the beautiful island of Oahu. She returned to Utah in 2018 and is happy to be closer to family, but takes any opportunity she can to travel to a warm beach with her two little boys. Carmen holds a degree from Brigham Young University in Asian Studies and has been a great addition to the FirstPurpose team.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Tax Associate
- Tax Services Associate
Carrie Boren is a Tax Services Associate at FirstPurpose Wealth. Carrie graduated from Boise State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accountancy. She is customer service driven and strives to give clients the best experience possible. On the weekends you will find Carrie enjoying time outdoors with her husband and 4 kids.
Celeste enjoys how her career in personal financial planning extends her lifelong passion for community involvement. She has worked and served on committees and the board of directors for organizations such as Habitat for Humanity Utah County, NeighborWorks Provo and Provo City, where she saw the power, a strong financial footing can have on the stability and vibrancy of a community. When Celeste is not helping clients strengthen their financial well-being, you might find her skiing or hiking with her four children and grandchildren, helping them learn the names and stories behind the beautiful outdoors. She appreciates that strong massive forests once started as small seeds, eventually growing to be a nurturing environment. She applies this same long-term outlook when helping her clients. Whether they are just planting the first seeds of their financial goals or nurturing an already growing forest, Celeste's number one priority is ensuring our clients' finances are in place, so they achieve their life goals.
Job Titles:
- Paraplanner
- Wealth Advisor
Chris started at FirstPurpose Wealth in 2020 as a paraplanner after working for three years at Fidelity Investments. He completed a B.S. in Personal Financial Planning from Utah Valley University .Chris has developed a passion for financial planning and helping people achieve their financial goals. While not in the office, Chris enjoys working out, playing sports, gaming, and spending time with his wife and four boys.
Cindy specializes in providing prompt service to all clients' needs. She focuses on building long-term relationships with our clients based on trust, open communication and integrity. Cindy has previously worked in the mortgage and insurance industries for over 25 years and brings a vast amount of customer service experience to her position. When not at the office she enjoys reading, photography, movies, and music.
Claire Brown is a Client Service Associate at FirstPurpose Wealth working directly with Jim Spainhower and Alex Long. She started with the company in December 2019. Claire loves her work and is always willing to help her associates and clients with their needs. She processes paperwork, schedules appointments, does money movement for clients, and assist clients with any account-related questions. Claire is married to Terry Brown and has two kids and three adorable granddaughters with an extended family that gathers every Sunday for a dinner that consumes the entire house. When she is not working, she is either training for her next half-marathon, with a full marathon hopefully in her near future, or spending time with her grandkids.
I found my passion for finances in college after reading about the FIRE movement and realizing the power and relief of financial independence. I switched my major to financial planning and loved learning more about the many ways money can be managed to achieve peoples hopes and dreams. While in college I worked as a tax preparer and after graduating decided I enjoyed doing taxes and it would be a great area to specialize in. I love helping people reduce their tax liabilities and make their hard-earned money go further in achieving their purposes. I enjoy spending my free time with my wife and sons, eating good food, and trying new things.
Originally from Sandy, UT I studied Economic at BYU and got an MBA from the University of Utah. Since 2009 I have worked in fractional CFO services helping to prepare, analyze and consult on strategic financial decisions for small to medium size businesses. Competitive by nature I enjoy the challenge of small business and feelings of success when I help businesses grow and achieve their own financial goals. I live with my wife and children in Heber City, UT. We enjoy experiencing other cultures, traditions, and perspectives as a family. We also try to be as adventurous and spontaneous as one can be who is in accounting!
Derek is a wealth advisor who has been in the wealth services industry for over 5 years and re-joined the FirstPurpose team in 2022. After serving a mission for his church, he realized he wanted to have a career helping people. Resolving financial concerns and planning for the future was the perfect fit for him. Derek believes in being intentional with money and aligning the purposes of hard-earned savings with a person's values and goals.
Derek graduated from the Utah Valley University Personal Financial Planning program manga cum laude and shortly thereafter earned his CFP® designation.
When not working, Derek enjoys making memories with his Wife, daughter, and dog at home in Eagle Mountain Utah; and by visiting their favorite place - Eden, Utah and Pine View Reservoir. Derek also enjoys playing basketball, running, and woodworking.
Greg Caldwell is a builder. Had his father not passed away so young, Greg might still work in construction as a project manager. But his desire to care for his mother and siblings gave Greg a new home and a newfound appreciation for planning ahead. So much so that Greg earned a financial planning degree and his CFP® certification. While solving financial puzzles is rewarding, Greg thrives on building friendships with clients by helping them remove financial fear, uncertainty and doubt. For fun, Greg rides Razors and dirt bikes with his family and puts his welding skills to work, fixing up his dad's old truck. Despite all this adventure, Greg's worst injury was from wall ball.
Job Titles:
- Client Services Associate
Heidi was born and raised in Brazil, but has been in the US for almost 20 years. She has been with FirstPurpose Wealth since 2015, when she left the money lending industry to pursue a carrier helping people achieve and maintain financial health. As a client service associate, she strives to provide our clients with an excellent experience and takes a lot of pride in her work. Heidi is always ready to help clients with their needs, but she also loves to pass on her experience and knowledge by training the newer client services associates. When she is not at work or spending time with her husband and 4 kids, she can usually be found at the gym, outdoors, hiking, biking or running.
Growing up, Jason McMullin didn't have any strong financial examples to follow. That's why being able to show clients how to make money work for them - instead of just working for money - brings him so much satisfaction today. At FirstPurpose, Jason has been instrumental in building the firm's tax practice as an integrated offering with wealth management. He and his wife have four boys and enjoy hot, sunny beach vacations - especially in Kauai. Along with CrossFit workouts, Jason enjoys boating, mountain biking and cheering for his kids at their various sporting events. Jason earned a degree in finance from Utah State University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Wealth & Tax Advisors Team
- Director of Client Service
Kelby is grateful for the fact that he loves coming to work ever day. He loves helping people in any way he can. Currently as an associate advisor that involves helping clients implement their financial plan and helping with client service for the firm. Helping people live their best life is what inspires him and makes him happy. Personally Kelby McMullin enjoys serving in his calling at church and simply loves all things golf. If it's above 40 degrees and there isn't snow on the ground, he is probably going to be outside doing something golf related. Family is everything for him and he feels like the luckiest guy in the world for having such a great family.
Ken Brown's career blends strategy with execution. After earning his information systems degree from USU, Ken worked in tech support for Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) in downtown Chicago and earned an MBA from Northwestern University in nearby Evanston, Illinois. After working in marketing and product management for several tech startups, Ken rekindled a long-time interest in personal finance and completed his CFP® certification. Today, Ken enjoys tailoring financial strategies for specific clients so they can build and leverage real wealth. Annual family outings to Lake Powell and travel are favorite activities, along with a passion for pickleball.
Job Titles:
- Client Service Associate
- Client Services Associate
Lana is a Client Service Associate here at FirstPurpose Wealth. Lana primarily supports Adam Taylor's clients and will provide additional assistance for other advisors. Lana's focus is making sure her client's questions are answered in a quick and efficient manner, all while managing client data, processing paperwork, and scheduling appointments. Lana has worked in different capacities over 20 years building trust and strong relationships with clients. Before working at FirstPurpose, Lana was a cosmetologist and salon owner in Arizona. She recently moved back to Utah with her husband and two children. When not at work, Lana enjoys spending time with her family. Her favorite hobbies include hiking, boating, and exploring new places.
Landon joined FirstPurpose Wealth in 2019. He graduated from Utah Valley University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Personal Financial Planning. When he is not working Landon enjoys rock climbing, backpacking, and canyoneering.
Job Titles:
- CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER
- Wealth Advisor
Lauren, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, began working for FirstPurpose Wealth in February 2014. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Utah Valley University, with a Bachelor of Science in Personal Financial Planning. Her awards and honors include the Dean's Choice WolverineAchievement Award for the Woodbury School of Business in 2015, the TD Ameritrade RIA NextGen Scholarship in 2014, Outstanding Student Award for the Personal Financial Planning program in 2016, and acceptance into the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Her expertise on intern experiences and best practices has landed her panelist roles at national financial planning conferences. She served as the Financial Planning Association (FPA) Ambassador for Utah Valley University and maintains her FPA membership. Lauren has an ardor for lifelong learning. This, coupled with a passion for serving others, illustrates why we find Lauren to be well-suited for the wealth management profession. Her volunteer activities include guest-lecturing local high school students in the personal finance discipline and speaking via webcast on how best to transition from student to working professional. When not at work, you will often find Lauren with her two young boys snowboarding, bike riding, practicing yoga, or dancing.
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Associate
- Associate Advisor / Support Staff
Levi graduated with a B.S. in Personal Financial Planning from Utah Valley University in December of 2022. Levi assists the wealth advisors at FirstPurpose in reviewing and implementing clients' financial plans. When not at work Levi enjoys weightlifting, playing pickleball, spending time with his family, and watching the Utah Jazz.
Job Titles:
- Tax Department Administrator
Maleena recently joined the FirstPurpose family as a Tax Associate after graduating with Honors from Bridgerland Technical College earning her degree in Accounting and Business Management. Maleena was awarded Outstanding Student of Quarter for completing classes 40 percent early, maintaining a 4.0, and having perfect attendance. She managed to finish her degree 6 months earlier than expected all while working part-time, homeschooling through the pandemic, and managing life as a single mother to three young children. Maleena prides herself on being very goal-driven and organized in all things professional and personal. She loves working with numbers, as well as building strong relationships with clients. When she isn't working, you can find Maleena camping and riding RZR's with her kids and boyfriend.
Marc grew up in Beaverton, OR and began reading the stock market section of the newspaper at age 12, when he persuaded his parents to help him open an investment account so he could buy stock. Marc earned a BS in Financial Economics from BYU (2007) and later graduated in the first cohort of Utah Valley University's Masters of Financial Planning and Analytics program (2021), receiving one of the two full-time Outstanding Student awards. He has spent the last 14 years working on the back-end of the financial industry, training the trainers how to use his former employer's software and is excited for this career change that now lets him work directly with clients in growing and managing their wealth. One of Marc's notable skills is his ability to clearly explain how something works to others in any topic he is knowledgeable about. Marc and his wife of 17 years, Yvonne, have 5 children. You will often find him cooking for or playing with his family.
Job Titles:
- Client Service Associate
- Client Services Associate
Morgan Schrodt is a Client Service Associate at FirstPurpose Wealth working under Greg Caldwell and Cole Einerson. She started working with the company in January of 2022. She is originally from Iowa and moved to Utah at the end of 2019. She brings with her 10+ years of customer service, and a friendly smile for everyone. Her main focuses are money movement, accurately processing paperwork, and client relationships. Outside of work, you can find Morgan curled up with a book, exploring Utah with her boyfriend, snuggling with her cat, and trying to figure what her newest hobby will be.
Before joining FPW, Nate worked to resolve issues and meet the financial goals of companies in the banking, hospitality, manufacturing and financial services industries. He has experience working with companies ranging from start-up to multi-million dollar corporations. As a strategic partner, Nate assists clients with cash flow optimization, budgeting and forecasting, restructuring, and operational efficiency. Nate is a doting husband and father of four children (2 boys, 2 girls) who enjoys traveling, the outdoors, and all things family. When not working or chasing kids to sporting or performing arts events, he likes to get out of the Salt Lake Valley and ride his dirt bike in the mountains.
Nick graduated from Utah Valley University with his bachelor's degree in accounting. He's currently pursuing his MACC at Western Governors University. When he has free time, he loves spending it with his wife and two children. He enjoys watching new movies and shows. His hobbies are ultimate frisbee, disc golf, and badminton.
Job Titles:
- CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER
Rob Strasburg is a veteran CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional with over twenty years of industry experience. Rob's favorite part of the job is interacting with clients and developing a personal friendship with them. He guides them through the process of navigating the investment and retirement process with a sincere commitment to protecting their hard-won assets. Rob enjoys spending time outdoors with his three sons in his free time. Together with his wife Ali, Rob also supports his boys in their competitive trapshooting activities. In addition to his CFP® certification, Rob is also an Enrolled Agent so he can prepare tax returns for his clients.
In a personal finance class at UVU, Sam Deaver caught the vision for making money grow, so he switched majors from pre-med optometry and was in the first class of personal financial planning graduates. Now he helps clients see how important it is to have a meaningful financial goal to work towards, so saving seems worth it. Sam also enjoys assisting retirees in discovering what to focus on for the rest of their lives. On the home front, Sam and his family love riding bikes together and caring for their garden, three sheep, three dogs and a cat. He is a dedicated cyclist and loves to enlist others to buy high-end bikes en masse.
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Associate
- Client Service Associate
- Paraplanner
Sarah is a Client Service Associate who started with FirstPurpose Wealth in 2021. She graduated with a B.S. in Personal Financial Planning from Utah Valley University. Throughout college and high school, Sarah has had several opportunities to volunteer and teach about being responsible with money and finances. When not at work, she loves to spend time with family and friends, read, or play outdoors.
After learning about compound interest as a teenager, Scott Carlson has always wanted to work in the financial planning industry. Scott runs First Purpose's business and investment processes so its financial advisors can focus on helping clients. When he's not working, Scott enjoys playing pick-up basketball, reading, helping his wife build her illustration business and raising their three girls. He does his girls' hair so well that they often prefer that he do it! Scott also enjoys playing sports and physical fitness training and wants to do a clean muscle-up someday. Scott holds a BS in Personal Financial Planning from Utah Valley University.
Scott Stratton is a practicing attorney, a faculty member at Utah Valley University's top 5 nationally ranked Financial Planning program, and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. Though he focuses on planning strategies with high net worth individuals, families and business owners, Scott works with clients from all parts of life's financial journey. Scott has founded multiple professional practices and business. His approach to his professional practices and teaching is with an entrepreneurial spirit. After obtaining two bachelor degrees from the University of Utah in Business Administration and Information Systems, Scott received a Juris Doctorate (JD) and a Masters degree in Personal Financial Planning from Texas Tech University.
Stewart graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and is currently working towards finishing his Master of Accounting degree from Utah State University. He enjoys supporting others with their taxes and other accounting related needs. When not in the office, you can find Stewart outside running, hiking, or spending time with his family.
Before joining the FPW team, Tanner Anderson's career focused on the interrelated world of venture capital and entrepreneurship. While coming from a humanities undergrad, Tanner took a people-oriented approach to the private markets through various private equity and venture capital firms. Being a founding member of UVU's student-led venture capital fund Tanner became closely involved with the entrepreneurial spirit and later co-founded his own investment analysis firm helping investors and founders of all types understand the investment world and unlock their opportunities' potential. When he isn't helping specific clients realize the value of the private markets, Tanner enjoys anything he can do with his small but growing family including hiking, board games, and family projects.
Taylor Olsen is a tax associate at FirstPurpose Wealth. Taylor graduated from Utah Valley University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the Woodbury School of Business. When Taylor is not at the office he likes playing sports, being outdoors, working on the family ranch, or spending time with his family.
Tommy first dabbled in accounting while providing customer support for Intuit's QuickBooks Online, eventually supporting accountants using the program and training new customer support staff. Oddly enough, Tommy found he enjoyed accounting and decided to go back to school while working full time. Tommy graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting from Western Governors University. Whenever possible, Tommy can often be found reading or listening to audio books.
Tim Whipple is a financial savant with an abundant mindset and a contagious generosity. He earned enough credits in college to have graduated with multiple degrees in such diverse subjects as Arabic and chemical engineering. As First Purpose's chief financial strategist, Tim thrives on solving complex financial situations for clients by devising strategies that require a holistic approach and blur the lines between financial disciplines. For renewal, Tim enjoys cycling and playing racquetball. With his wife and five children, Tim also enjoys doing service vacations to orphanages in Mexico and Bethlehem with A Child's Hope Foundation.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Wealth & Tax Advisors Team
- Tax Advisor
Trina joined FirstPurpose Wealth in December of 2015 after spending the first 8 ½ years of her career working as a Revenue Agent for the Internal Revenue Service. She worked with Small Business/Self-Employed division and has a vast amount of knowledge and experience with IRS procedures and regulations gained through the examination of a wide variety of tax returns. Knowing how to correctly interpret the tax code is something that Trina excels in, and she uses that knowledge to help clients reduce their tax burden. Trina graduated Magna Cum Lade with a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Trina is an Enrolled Agent and is licensed to practice before the IRS. In her spare time, Trina enjoys spending time with her family, baking and traveling.