HIGHLAND INVESTMENT ADVISORS - Key Persons
Mr. Drake's passion is partnering with independent financial advisors to build fee-based practices that deliver a successful investing experience to clients. At Highland, Mr. Drake is involved in investment management, operations, business development, and strategy.
Before joining Highland, Mr. Drake worked as an investment analyst at Vogel Consulting LLC, a multifamily office firm serving ultra-affluent individuals. Prior to Vogel, he was a portfolio manager at a registered investment advisory firm in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Before this, he worked as an equity research analyst for Robert W. Baird & Co. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and in various roles at Strong Investments (now Wells Fargo). He has been in the financial services industry since 1998.
Mr. Drake holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is a member of the CFA Institute. He graduated Cum Laude from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee with a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Finance in 2000.
Allison joined our team in Ponte Vedra Florida in July of 2022 and contributes her
Beverly joined Highland Investment Advisors, LLC as an Investment Advisor Representative in February 2020.
Beverly fell in love with the financial planning profession after working for wealth management firms and seeing first-hand the value that a coordinated approach to finances can make to clients. By combining her expertise as a CPA and as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Practitioner she helps clients see "the big picture" and assists them in minimizing their tax liability through careful planning.
Beverly graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting from NC State University and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Richmond. She has over twenty years of experience and holds the following professional designations:
CPA (Certified Public Accountant) since 1993
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Practitioner since 2003
Mr. Karr has been practicing investment management since 1996 when he joined Strong Investments (now Wells Fargo) as an investment representative. Mr. Karr worked at Strong from 1996 to 2003. In April 2004, he joined a Lake Geneva based registered investment advisor as an investment advisor representative.
In September 2006, Mr. Karr founded Highland Investment Advisors, LLC and serves as President and Chief Compliance Officer. Prior to his career in investments, Mr. Karr served as an officer with the Arlington Police Department in Texas for fifteen years.
Mr. Karr graduated from Ferris State University, Big Rapids, Michigan, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice in 1980. He earned an MBA in Finance from the University of Texas - Arlington in 1993. Mr. Karr was awarded the Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) designation in January 2004.
With more than two decades of experience in the investment management and financial planning profession, Mr. Dignan brings a wealth of knowledge that provide him an understanding into the challenges that so many of today's advisors face. Having owned and successfully transitioned two different investment firms, one a FINRA-registered OSJ Broker/Dealer office and the other a fully independent SEC-registered Investment Advisory practice, he has experienced and lived the challenges and benefits that go with both.
In January of 2009, Mr. Dignan founded CedarPoint Investment Advisors, after spending nearly five years developing his own fee-based business through his Broker/Dealer at the time. While making this transition provided him the opportunity to always put his clients' interests first, it also was a great learning experience into the logistical and practice management challenges that go hand-in-glove with running a world-class firm. When presented with the opportunity to reunite with Mr. Karr and Mr. Drake in an effort to make this same opportunity available to other advisors who want to focus solely on their clients' best interests, it was simply too attractive to pass up.
Tiffany joined Highland Investment Services in October of 2021 and brings an abundance of skills including financial management, project management, leading various teams, marketing, and facilitating business functions. She is always looking for ways to improve efficiency, return on value, and improving relationships.
Tiffany attended Florida State College at Jacksonville where she studied Business Management and Supervision with an emphasis on psychology and project management. She previously worked for Merrill Lynch assisting clients, advisors, and internal partners with their financial and technical needs. Tiffany chaired a Disability Advocacy Board with Merrill Lynch focusing on accommodations, event planning, communication, and networking. In her free time, Tiffany enjoys capturing photography, volunteering for different outreach organizations, traveling, and spending time outdoors.