HIGHTOWER ADVISORS - Key Persons
Alyse joined the SFG as part of the financial planning team in the spring of 2021. Her resume includes ministry, management and administrative work. Alyse thrives on making sure that all the details are aligned and organized so that the bigger picture can be achieved.
Education
AA - Arts, Guilford Technical Community College
Bill comes to SFG after 15 years in the non-profit world. His background includes accounting, computer and network systems and operational oversight of a school and church in Greensboro. Prior to that, he worked for VF Corporation in several different positions. He and his wife were married and moved to Greensboro in 1989.
Education
BA - Accounting, Wake Forest University
Carol is a client advocate who joined the team in 2017. Her background includes experience in public relations, customer service and administration. Carol strives to exceed the expectations of both clients and fellow team members, while providing the high-quality customer service clients expect from SFG.
Education
AAS - Marketing and Management, Western Technical College
BS - State University of New York, Potsdam.
Job Titles:
- Wealth Management Advisor
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Wealth Management Advisor
Dax is an advisor in our Chapel Hill office where he serves clients in a wealth management and financial planning capacity. He works directly with clients to determine their goals and the best way to achieve those goals. Dax has spent his career in wealth and investment management.
Prior joining Stearns Financial Group, Dax worked as a fiduciary investment manager with a national bank. In this role, he was responsible for establishing and implementing investment policies for high net worth and philanthropic clients. In addition, he worked directly the investment strategy team to design unique asset allocation solutions for clients.
Education
BA - Economics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
MBA - Kenan Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Andy Clark Co - Author Story for Journal of Financial Planning
- Wealth Management Advisor
Dennis is the founder of Stearns Financial Group and is nationally recognized for complex ultra-high net worth financial planning and the effect of Super Trends on clients' investments, businesses/careers and the economy. He is the author of several books and is regularly quoted in major publications including the Wall Street Journal, NY Times, Kiplinger Finance, Financial Planning magazine and the Journal of Financial Planning.
Dennis has advanced training in investment planning, financial planning, business planning and estate planning.
The Financial Planning Association calls Dennis "one of the leading financial scenario experts and futurists." He has considerable experience with "Super Trends," or how the convergence of globalization, technology accelerators, the global age wave and other forces will dramatically impact our investments, our financial planning, our careers and our lives in the future.
He is a featured speaker at many regional and national conferences and economic events and regularly leads and participates in think tanks on financial planning and investment topics. Dennis is also often asked to provide "best practices" workshops for financial advisors and planners.
Dennis has also written articles and spoken frequently on how to avoid the "villains of decision making," coaching clients on how to make better decisions in personal finance, careers, businesses and in life.
Education
BA - Finance, University of South Florida
MS - Financial Services, American College
Job Titles:
- Investment Operations
- Vice President, Co - CIO
Glenn is a vice president, co-CIO (with PJ Williams) and our director of investments. He has been with the company since 2003. His past experience includes customer service and production planning management in the manufacturing sector, an adjunct faculty instructor in the College for Financial Planning program at Guilford College and prior registrations with the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), predecessor to FINRA and NC Life and Health Insurance.
Education
BA - Economics and Industrial Relations, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Job Titles:
- Wealth Management Advisor
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Client Advocate
Hayden joined SFG as a client associate in November of 2023, assisting with client account support and with projects across the investment and wealth management departments. He graduated from Kenyon College in 2022. Prior to joining Stearns Financial Group, he worked on the marketing team at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
Education
BA - English & Philosophy, Kenyon College
Heidi joined the Chapel Hill office of Stearns Financial Group in 2020. Her experience in the financial industry began in 2000 for a small fiduciary group in Arizona and includes 15 years of nurturing and strengthening client relationships while supporting multiple teams at Morgan Stanley as a registered associate. She obtained her securities licenses in 2014 and frequently assisted with management of client's portfolios. She also served as part of the coaching program for onboarding new associates. Heidi emphasizes the importance of the rapport between advisors and their clients in developing great relationships while helping clients to reach their financial goals.
Jane joined the Chapel Hill office of Stearns Financial in September of 2021 as a client service advocate. She brings with her a diverse business background with an entrepreneurial spirit. Jane spent a number of years working in the public sector for the Export-Import Bank in Washington D.C., as well as for commercial banks in New York City. She also founded and managed a small business. Jane enjoys working with people and providing high quality customer service.
Education
BA - Finance, The George Washington University
MBA - International Business and Finance, The George Washington University
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Wealth Management Advisor
Jason is an advisor in our Greensboro office where he serves clients in a wealth management and financial planning capacity, striving to help clients uncover their needs and achieve their goals. Prior to joining SFG, Jason was a senior investment analyst at a large RIA in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he worked with the chief investment officer on asset allocation research, economic analysis and portfolio design. In addition, he supported the private wealth division in managing clients' portfolios. Jason joined SFG in 2017.
Education
BBA - Economics, Valdosta State University
BBA - Finance, Valdosta State University
Jay joined SFG as a client service associate in April of 2018. He brings with him a strong military background and over five years of wealth management experience. His leadership skills and high-quality customer service elevate the client-firm relationship. Jay aims to provide a distinguished approach while supporting our clients with all of their financial goals.
Job Titles:
- Wealth Management Advisor
John is a vice president at SFG, with deep financial analysis and planning experience, including: valuing 50 private companies while employed by a regional accounting firm; representing Wachovia (now Wells Fargo) Bank to buy and sell-side Wall Street analysts; evaluating expected returns on capital investments and implementing projects for Wachovia's Wealth Management division; and leading process reengineering and financial analysis projects for a top-15 property and casualty insurance company. He joined the company in 2005.
Education
BA - Economics and Foreign Affairs, University of Virginia
MBA - Loyola University Maryland, Sellinger School of Business
John is director of investment operations & trading. He has over 30 years of trading and operations experience as an OTC market-maker, head trader for a large mutual fund complex and COO of a regional registered investment advisor (RIA). John has served multiple terms on the Institutional Traders Advisory Committee at the NYSE and the Equity Traders Advisory Committee at the ICI - the trade group for the mutual fund industry. John has testified before Congress and the SEC on market structure initiatives shaping our equity markets.
Education
BA - Economics, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Juliet joined SFG in March of 2020 with the rare distinction of being the first employee to begin work from home. She was an administrator and executive assistant in public accounting for almost 20 years. As an investment associate at SFG, Juliet supports the investment department with her experience in efficient office processes and superb service to both internal and external clients.
Education
BA - Communications, University of North Carolina, Greensboro
Job Titles:
- Director of Business Owner Services
Job Titles:
- Client Engagement / Business Development
- Director of Client
Libby is the director of client engagement and business development, and her role includes providing an elevated level of client services: assisting clients with life transitions, especially resources for intelligent aging, career/life reinvention and other client-related special projects. She has been with the company since 2013 (and was also previously with SFG from 1997-2007), with a long-time background in the financial services industry.
Education
BS - Business Administration, Greensboro College
Job Titles:
- Wealth Management Advisor
Job Titles:
- Investment Operations
- Senior Investment Administrator With SFG
Lisa is a senior investment administrator with SFG. She joined the firm in 2014 as a client service associate and moved into the administrator role in 2015. As the senior investment administrator, Lisa coordinates everything involved in our client's alternative investments. Her strong background in customer service, insurance and financial services (totaling over 30 years) is utilized every day and comes through in the high caliber of service she provides SFG clients.
Michele has the unique title of director of first impressions at SFG, meaning she is most often the first person you'll see at the Greensboro office and the first person you'll speak to on the telephone. She joined the firm in 2013. She has held a variety of positions throughout her career: all have been in customer service/customer contact roles and include sales, event planning and management, training and account management.
Education
BA - Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
MA - English, University of Montevallo (Alabama)
Nancy is a financial associate in the Greensboro office who joined the team in 2019. Prior to joining SFG, she worked in both nonprofits and small businesses, providing executive support, client services and database management.
Education
MA - Communication Studies, University of North Carolina, Greensboro
BA - Speech Communication, University of North Carolina, Greensboro
Job Titles:
- CDFA / CFO / Wealth Management Advisor
- CFO / Wealth Management Advisor
- Director of Financial Focus for Women
Pam is the director of Financial Focus for Women, chief financial officer and a financial advisor at SFG. She specializes in women's financial issues and life transitions. She joined the firm in 2007. Her background includes more than 25 years of experience with Fortune 100 companies (Frito Lay, Grey Advertising) and Big 8 accounting firms (Arthur Andersen, Deloitte & Touche), in addition to training with Money Quotient, Financial DNA and the Kinder Institute.
Education
BA - Economics, University of California, Los Angeles
MBA, with emphasis in Finance and Accounting - University of California, Irvine
Patty joined Stearns Financial Group's Chapel Hill office in 2014. In her position as financial associate, she uses her background in the banking and mortgage industries to provide high-quality client service and office support. Her role is versatile, as she also assists with coordinating client events and marketing initiatives. Patty is the first point of contact in the Chapel Hill office and plays a pivotal role in onboarding new clients to the Stearns family.
Education
BS - Finance, Bowling Green State University (Ohio)
MBA - Marketing, finance minor, Case Western Reserve University (Ohio)
Job Titles:
- Wealth Management Advisor
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- CFO
- Executive Assistant
- Office Operations
Sarah is the executive assistant and assistant to the CFO at SFG. She has been with the company since 2007 and brings a wealth of administrative support and customer service experience to her role. She also has deep training in leadership, time management and office efficiency.
Education
Graduated from Floyd County High School
Job Titles:
- Wealth Management Advisor
Tara is manages the Financial Planning Department at SFG, and has been with the company since 2012. Tara's background includes over 19 years of experience in the financial services profession, including work in client service administration, mutual fund valuation and operation management. Tara's financial plans focus on creating multiple scenarios, which enable clients to understand the impact their decisions have on their financial future. Tara often finds the multiple scenarios allow clients to determine the way they can achieve balance between living for today and saving for tomorrow.
Education
BS - Business Administration (Finance), University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
MBA - University of Louisville
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Wealth Management Advisor
Teresa is an advisor in our Chapel Hill office, where she serves clients in a wealth management and financial planning capacity. Her mission is to empower clients with personalized, objective advice. She begins by listening to the vision the client has for their family, finances and future and then provides possible paths to lead them to their goals.
She enjoys working with clients in different life stages and through a variety of transitions that include divorce, retirement, senior housing options and career changes.
Education
BA - Psychology, University of South Alabama
MBA - University of South Alabama