TACONIC ADVISORS - Key Persons

Chip is married to Karen Hansen Simon, a happily retired ex-CPA partner, formerly with Sedore and Company, CPAs, LLP. They enjoy vacation travel and community events together, as well as the company of their children, Scott & Emma.

After graduating from Adelphi University in 2008, John began his career in finance on the precipice of the U.S. financial crisis. John obtained the Series 7, Series 6 and Life Accident and Health licenses while working for a large financial services company in the heart of Manhattan. John gained invaluable experience supporting a successful advisory team. He had the opportunity to interact with thousands of clients and helped to coordinate billions of dollars in assets. However, after working in the industry for nearly a decade, it became obvious that the success of the company's clients would often come second to that of their advisors. With that understanding, John decided it was time to go in search of a new paradigm, and so he moved from Manhattan to the Hudson Valley in August of 2016. Luckily, his search was brief, and in March 2017 he joined Taconic Advisors as the Financial Planning Assistant to Charles "Chip" Simon and Meredith Briggs. John is absolutely thrilled to have found the company of like-minded individuals and after completing the rigorous requirements fort the CFP® designation he is now taking a lead role with client relationships. John lives with his astonishingly wonderful wife, Megan, in Beacon, NY. They enjoy traveling, spending time outdoors and exploring all that the Hudson Valley offers.

Karen began her career in higher education in 1979 when, fresh out of Hartwick College, she was hired as a Financial Aid Counselor at Marist College. Within two years, she became the Director, expanding the staff and managing a budget of 26 million dollars. (That was a lot of money, at the time - especially for a 24 year old!) In 1988 Karen moved to Vassar College as an Assistant Director of Financial Aid. There she worked for her former boss on a 10-month contract and relished her summers off! While at Vassar she created a new office for Student Employment where she was responsible for managing jobs, placement and payroll for over 1500 students. Karen ‘retired' from higher education in December 2005. After a year of being a gym rat (and babysitting for family) Karen was a bit bored. She always liked numbers and her checking account wasn't all that interesting. She mentioned this to Chip's wife, Karen, who suggested that he speak to her about a role at Taconic Advisors, and the "Most Esteemed Assistant" was born. Karen started with Taconic Advisors in the spring of 2007. She's been happily playing with numbers ever since and has developed the role of Administrative Manager. Karen met her husband, Stephen, while she was at Marist. Stephen is now retired from a successful career in the law and they split their time between Poughkeepsie and their lake house, Fairwinds, on Schroon Lake. They enjoy sailing (him) biking (her) and gardening together. And what a garden! It is built on a hillside, predominantly shade, entirely perennial, mostly native and features almost 150 varieties of hosta. They love to entertain friends and family and believe they are the luckiest two people on the planet.

Job Titles:

• Co - Owner
• Certified Financial Planner

Meredith graduated from Duke University in 2001 and began her financial services career in 2005 in Richmond, Virginia. After experiencing several significant family events she was inspired to develop a career helping individuals and families meet their financial goals. She completed the rigorous exams for the Series 7, Series 66 and Life and Health Insurance licenses and began working with individuals, families and small businesses. But, as Meredith became more experienced in her field, she also became more concerned with the typical role of a financial advisor as "salesperson" and "asset gatherer" and the lack of focus on clients' financial goals. In 2009 Meredith became a Certified Financial Planner™ and joined a fee-only wealth management company where she worked as the lead advisor and created and monitored comprehensive financial plans, tax projections and their corresponding investment strategies. In 2011 Meredith moved to the Hudson Valley to be closer to family and joined a large wealth management company providing financial planning services to clients employed at local non-profit organizations. In 2016, Meredith became a co-owner and shareholder in Taconic Advisors. She is excited to help steer the future direction of the company and bring more awareness of fee-only planning to the community. Meredith lives in Saugerties, NY with her energetic young twins. In her free time Meredith enjoys spending time with her family, playing music, practicing yoga, jogging, hiking and exploring the beautiful Hudson Valley.

Job Titles:

• Certified Financial Planner

Rebeca is a Certified Financial Planner, an Accredited Financial Counselor and Enrolled Agent. Her career began right out of college working for a small engineering firm as their Administrative Assistant. Eventually, Rebeca was promoted to Financial Administrator, and served in that role for just over 10 years. As a military spouse, she most recently served as a Personal Financial Counselor for her local military installation, providing classroom style presentations on a variety of financial topics, in addition to individualized financial counseling. Rebeca grew up in Washington state, just 30-minutes south of Seattle, and completed her Bachelor's degree in business administration in 2007 from Central Washington University. With a passion for personal finances since high school, Rebeca began her transition into the financial planning industry in 2019, after marrying her active-duty Army husband. In addition to completing the Certified Financial Planning (CFP®) coursework through Liberty University and successfully passing the CFP® exam in 2021, Rebeca's interest in taxes led her to gain experience as a tax professional through H&R Block and the BLX Internship Program. As a lifelong learner, Rebeca is currently pursuing her Masters in financial planning through The American College of Financial Services, with the goal of completing her degree program at the end of 2023. As Taconic Advisors' Financial Planning Assistant, Rebeca is excited for the opportunity to gain first-hand financial planning experience. Rebeca currently resides overseas with her husband and teenage son and daughter. In her free time, she enjoys staying active and was previously a Zumba and cardio kickboxing instructor. She also loves spending time with her family, traveling to new countries, hiking, and going on walks with her two dogs.

Job Titles:

• CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER

Bump is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ™. He completed his undergraduate studies in finance at Endicott College where he was a member of the men's ice hockey and lacrosse teams and also holds a graduate degree in Behavioral Sciences from the University of Pennsylvania.