CORNERSTONE WEALTH STRATEGIES - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- President and Director of Planning at Cornerstone
Beau Ruff is President and Director of Planning at Cornerstone where he both manages operations and assists clients with invaluable guidance in the areas of estate planning, business planning and taxation strategy. He previously worked at a local law firm where he was a partner. In 2016, Beau started at Cornerstone, where he is able to pursue his passion of supporting the unique financial and business needs of Cornerstone's clients and focus on advanced financial planning.
Education: Beau graduated from Gonzaga University with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and a minor in religious studies. He went on to receive his Juris Doctor from Gonzaga University School of Law and then his Master of Laws in Taxation from University of Washington School of Law. Beau holds the Series 7 registration through LPL Financial and the Series 66 registration through both LPL Financial and Cornerstone Wealth Strategies. He is also a Certified Financial Planner™.
Military Service: After graduating law school, Beau joined the U.S. Army as an attorney in the Judge Advocate General's Corps. He served for four years in active duty and 17 years in the Army Reserve, retiring in 2021. One of his most significant deployments was a year-long mission to Iraq for which he was awarded the Bronze Star. Beau continues to serve the Army as an Army Reserve Ambassador where he holds an honorary rank equivalent to an Army Major General.
Interests: Beau was born and raised in the Tri-Cities area and continues to be an active member of the community. He grew up working for his father at Ruff's Giant Burgers. Beau is also a columnist for the Tri-City Area Journal of Business, the Spokane Journal of Business, The Senior Times, and others. Beau is married to Diana, and they have two young children.
Cameron is a Wealth Advisor who has been in the finance industry since 2008 and joined Cornerstone in 2020. He works with individuals and families as well as small business owners to help them pursue financial freedom through individualized financial planning. As Trader, Cameron also assists the team with investment analysis and portfolio construction, as well as the processing of trades and money transactions for our clients. Cameron enjoys having conversations with our Spanish-speaking clients.
Education: Cameron earned his Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Utah in 2008 and worked in the banking field until he became a licensed financial advisor in 2012. He holds he Series 7 registration through LPL Financial, and the Series 66 registration through both LPL Financial and Cornerstone Wealth Strategies.
Interests: Cameron was born and raised in the Tri-Cities. He is married to Jamie, and they have four wonderful children, Evelyn, Cassidy, Caleb, and Clara. Cameron is an active member in his community and his church. He enjoys being outdoors as much as possible with his kids, whether he is skiing, mountain biking or taking pictures with his drone.
Emily joined Cornerstone in early 2022 and has over 7 years of prior experience in the financial industry. As an Operations Specialist, she is responsible for processing all of the transactions on a daily basis and is training to become our expert in helping our clients with their retirement tasks. As a member of the operations team, she will be the person you hear from when paperwork needs to be signed and is here to help you with any account-related questions or money requests.
Education: Emily graduated from Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She also holds the Series 7 registration through LPL Financial and the Series 66 registration through both LPL Financial and Cornerstone Wealth Strategies.
Interests: Emily is married to her husband Cade, and together they have three children. As a family they love traveling, playing and exercising outside, and catching movies together at the movie theater. Emily also loves being in the kitchen. Whether she's creating something new or whipping up an old recipe, cooking is one of her favorite things to do.
Job Titles:
- Senior Wealth Advisor at Cornerstone
Joel is a Senior Wealth Advisor at Cornerstone and has been in the financial industry since 2002. At his previous firm, he worked his way up from a financial advisor role to a Regional Vice President role, ultimately managing the offices and staff of the western half of the country. Joel excelled at finding creative solutions to not only help clients towards achieving their financial goals, but also to bring in and manage quality advisors to the industry. Joel joined Cornerstone in 2020 and as a Senior Wealth Advisor, he brings with him a wealth of knowledge, experience, and passion for helping clients.
Education: Joel graduated from the University of Saint Mary in 2002 with a Bachelor of Business Management. He holds the Series 7 registration through LPL Financial, and the Series 66 registration through both LPL Financial and Cornerstone Wealth Strategies.
Interests: Joel has lived in the Tri-Cities community since 2005. Much like the rest of the Cornerstone Wealth Strategies team, he is an active member of our community. He is currently on the Board for Columbia Industries and an active member of his church. In addition to his work in our community, Joel enjoys spending time outdoors with his family, whether it is hunting or spending time on the river wake surfing. He and his wife, Melanie, have three amazing children, Nicole, Nathan, and Brandon.
Joelle is an Operations Specialist and has been in the financial industry since 2008 and joined the team the same year. She brings over a decade of industry knowledge to assist both clients and the team. In addition, our clients particularly enjoy Joelle's "sparky" personality and quick personal service.
Education: Joelle earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Independent Studies from Central Washington University and her Master's in Counseling Psychology from Saint Martin's University. She also holds the Series 7 registration through LPL Financial, and the Series 66 registration through both LPL Financial and Cornerstone Wealth Strategies.
Interests: Outside of work Joelle enjoys golf, reading, going to the gym, and spending time with her husband, Tim, and their three adult daughters.
Job Titles:
- CIO, Wealth Adviser
- CIO, Wealth Advisor
As Chief Investment Officer and Wealth Advisor for Cornerstone, Matt works with clients to help them pursue their financial goals. He is involved in all aspects of managing our client's financial needs and has extensive experience in investment analysis and portfolio construction. Matt and Matt have worked together since 2007.
Education: Matt graduated from Utah State University where he earned a bachelor's degree in Economics and a Master of Business Administration. He holds the Series 7 registration through LPL Financial, and the Series 66 registration through both LPL Financial and Cornerstone Wealth Strategies.
Interests: Matt is married to Nicole and has two beautiful girls, Addison, and Logan. When away from work, they enjoy spending time with their family and friends and traveling back to their alma mater where Matt was a 4-year letter award recipient and a co-captain for the football team. Matt is actively involved in our Tri-Cities community where he gives generously of his time and resources to various charitable organizations.
Matthew Riesenweber is the CEO of Cornerstone Wealth Strategies where he provides clients with invaluable financial guidance as a wealth advisor. Matt began investing at the young age of 11 and has worked as a financial advisor since 2003. He has a passion for the financial success of everyone he has the opportunity to work with, guiding clients toward confident financial futures and successful retirements.
Education: Matt graduated from Abilene Christian University with a bachelor's degree in Finance and has since continued his education by earning the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification. Matt holds the Series 7 registration through LPL Financial, and the Series 66 registration through both LPL Financial and Cornerstone Wealth Strategies.
Interests: Matt Riesenweber is an active and dedicated member of the Tri-Cities communities. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin counties. When not working, Matt and his wife, Deidre, love traveling, golfing, church activities, cheering on the Seahawks and spending time with their daughter Kaylee and son Will. Matt also enjoys dabbling in his winery venture, Market Vineyards.
Melissa joined the Cornerstone Team in August of 2018, after 10 years spent in the financial industry, specializing in client service. As our Administrative Team Lead, she helps manage the day-to-day tasks of running the business. This includes helping the advisors strategically implement more efficient processes and be on the forefront to finding new capabilities we can offer to our clients. She also helps train, mentor and provide overall support to new and existing team members.
Education: She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from Eastern Washington University in 2004.
Interests: Melissa enjoys spending time with her family and friends, especially with her nephew and four nieces. She also loves traveling, camping, and spending time working in and around her house.
Job Titles:
- Client Service Specialist
As a Client Service Specialist, Nicole is responsible for maintaining client communications, organizing events, scheduling client meetings with our wealth advisors, and helping clients access their online resources. Nicole joined the team in 2014 and excels in customer service and enjoys having conversations with our Spanish-speaking clients. With her background in teaching, Nicole is able to educate our clients on a variety of topics in a fun and enthusiastic manner.
Education: Nicole earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. In addition, she earned her certification in secondary education from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Interests: Nicole enjoys scuba diving, camping, hiking, and skiing with her husband, Richard, and their two adult children.
Job Titles:
- Wealth Advisor and Financial Planner
Tyler is a Wealth Advisor and Financial Planner for the team. Tyler started in the finance industry in 2014, and his latest tenure was with one of the largest investment firms in the nation. He served a large client base and specialized in all aspects of financial planning, working to put client goals and preferences first. Tyler works primarily to prepare financial plans for our clients in conjunction with the other wealth advisors and our advanced planner.
Education: Tyler graduated from Southern New Hampshire University with a bachelor's degree in Business Finance and has since continued his education by earning the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification. Tyler holds the Series 7 registration through LPL Financial and the Series 66 registration through both LPL Financial and Cornerstone Wealth Strategies.
Military Service: After high school, Tyler joined the US Navy where he served as an Aviation Mechanic. He specialized in maintaining a constant state of readiness for an S3-B Viking squadron, as well as qualifying flight status so he could be anywhere at a moment's notice. He served in two tours during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, earning three Navy Achievement medals and two-time Sailor of the Year for his peer group.
Interests: Tyler was born and raised in the Tri-Cities. He has lived across the nation, mainly Florida in the Navy and Arizona with his previous planning firm. Tyler enjoys being active in the community and likes to make a difference. Ridge, his German Shorthaired Pointer, keeps him busy. Tyler enjoys the outdoors, CrossFit, anything with water, cooking and entertaining with friends and family.
Winette is the Operations Consultant for the team, and just so happens to be Matt Riesenweber's mom. As she transitions to a part-time role, Winette will still be involved in various aspects of the business. Our clients can always count on her professional, friendly, and caring demeanor, as well as her go-the-extra mile attitude to make their experience with us enjoyable and positive. Winette has worked with Matt since 2004.
Interests: Winette is the mother of three sons and has been blessed with seven wonderful grandchildren. She and her husband, Steve, enjoy traveling, gardening, participating in church activities and spending time with family.