RETIRESFS.COM - Key Persons
Ann Miller Client Service Associate Personal Profile Ann knew right away that the values, attention to detail and services offered by Strategic Financial Solutions was a culture that she wanted to be a part of. Ann assists the financial professionals in our office and maintains positive and proactive customer relationships while helping to execute day to day operational tasks. As the lead New Business Coordinator, she ensures that all New Business is processed properly and in a timely manner. Specialty New Business Coordination and Processing Education and Honors College Associate's Degree in Early Childhood Education Professional Accreditations Life and Health Insurance Licensed 13 years' financial service industry experience Interests and Hobbies She lives in Cedar Rapids with Luke, her significant other. Ann is the doting "pet parent" of a German Shepherd named Josie, a Boston Terrier named Stella and three parrots, Olive, Milo and Lola. She enjoys cooking, visiting with family and friends, reading a good book, and spending time outdoors. Favorite Food: Italian Favorite Holiday: 4th of July Place to Visit: Australia
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Retirement Services
Bert McClintock, CFP®, AIF, AIFA Vice President of Retirement Services Personal Profile Bert cares deeply for his clients. That's the core to who he is and what drives him to be the best financial resource possible to those he strives to help. Bert wants to help individuals plan for financial independence at the earliest age possible so they are in the position to make work/life decisions that positively impact themselves and those they care about. Specialty Corporate Retirement Plans Fee-Based Investment Management Community Involvement Member of NAIFA (National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors) Member of Cedar Rapids Area Estate Planning Council Member of Northeast Iowa ESOP Association Class of 2014 Economic Alliance Leadership for Five Seasons Education and Honors Simpson College Major in Business Management with specialization in Finance and Insurance Minor in Sports Administration Professional Accreditations CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®) education designation from FI360. FINRA Series 7, Series 66 Securities Registrations, Life and Health Licensed Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst (AIFA) 23 years' experience in the financial services industry Interests and Hobbies Bert and his wife, Tia, are blessed with two children, Collin and Paige. Growing up on a farm outside of Essex (Southwest Iowa) is still core to Bert's work ethic, values and desire to help others. The kids keep the family very busy with their extracurricular activities. In his free time, Bert enjoys being outdoors whether that is golfing, boating, hunting, playing/coaching sports teams or simply spending time with his family. Favorite Food: Tia's lasagna Favorite Quote: How can I be the answer to someone else's prayer today? Favorite Movie: Tommy Boy Favorite Holiday: Christmas Biggest Accomplishment: Being a Partner at SFS and carrying out the mission of helping as many people as possible to build and protect their financial futures. Favorite place to visit: Australia
Job Titles:
- Executive Planning Professional
Brian Brandt, CFP®, AIF Executive Retirement Specialist Personal Profile Brian has over 25 years' experience in the financial services industry helping people gain confidence in their finances. He takes the time to understand his clients' unique needs and goals, and he works with them to create a personalized financial plan that will help them achieve their dreams. Most importantly, he meets consistently to monitor and update that financial plan. Specialty Retirement Income Planning Key Person planning for Businesses Executive Compensation Strategies Community Involvement YPN Board of Trustees Chair Leadership for 5 Seasons Graduate and two-time Co-Chair Education Simpson College B.A. in Economics and Finance Honors Corridor Business Journal* Forty Under 40 - 2011 Business Leaders You Need to Know - 2020 250 most influential executives in the Corridor - 2021, 2022 Professional Accreditations CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional AIF® (Accredited Investment Fiduciary) Interests and Hobbies Brian resides in Solon, IA, with his wife Christy and their 4 boys, Greg, Thomas, Charlie & Will. Brian has completed two half marathons, is an "OK" poker player (direct quote) and enjoys a good game of Cribbage, Backgammon or Catan with his friends or family. Brian is co-founder of "Briar Ridge Bikes" in Solon and has become an avid Mountain, gravel and trail biker. Favorite Food: Pizza Favorite Quote: "Trust the process." Favorite TV Show: NFL games Favorite Holiday: Thanksgiving Biggest Accomplishment: Developing an outstanding successor to my previous role of leader of the Eastern Iowa Region of Principal Financial Group®. This allowed me to confidently transition to my current role. Favorite vacation spots (so far): St. John, Switzerland & Banff *The recognitions are not specific to financial services and do not constitute an endorsement or recommendation, nor do they reflect the performance of the advisor.
David Spainer, RICP Financial Advisor Personal Profile David's goal is to help individuals and families manage and coordinate their financial goals. He starts by understanding what's most important to you and puts a plan in place for you to work towards achieving it. Specialty Retirement Planning Estate Planning Tax planning strategies Risk management (insurance) Investment management Education planning Education and Honors University of Iowa Religious Studies Major. Bachelor of Arts Degree Business Minor Philosophy Minor Professional Accreditations Series 66 and 7 Life and Health Insurance Licenses Interests and Hobbies David is originally from Florida. He traveled to Iowa City to attend the University of Iowa and pursue his dreams as a collegiate gymnast at the University of Iowa. After graduating with athletic and academic rewards, he married his wife, Kenadie. David and Kenadie enjoy biking, spending time with their church community and traveling on weekends. Favorite Food: Mom's cooking Favorite Quote: Don't count the days; make the days count. -Muhammad Ali Favorite TV/Movie: Forest Gump Favorite Holiday: Christmas Bucket List: Publish an allegorical novel
Jamie Meyers Business Manager Personal Profile Jamie wants people to achieve their goals. She holds a position where she not only gets to assist the team in reaching their personal and professional goals but works to ensure the company reaches its goals as they continue to strive for success into the future. She is passionate about carrying forward a positive culture and all-inclusive team environment in the office and also works to give back to the community as a team wherever possible! Specialty Ensuring the team has a solid foundation, built on ethics, hard work, fun, client-focus, and accountability. Jamie assists in the future vision of SFS. Community Involvement Aided in the starting of the Prairie Fishing Club at College Community Schools Past President and Board Member of PWN, Professional Women's Network Pacesetter Youth Camp - camp for middle school aged kids geared around "Be the Change You Wish to See in the World" Help for Houston - organized a semi to go to Houston to help Hurricane Harvey victims. In addition, spent 3 days down there gutting homes and helping dig through heaps of personal belongings for family heirlooms, in order to prepare for rebuilding. Help Heat the Homeless - Organized a tie fleece blanket drive for Willis Dady ... over 500 blankets were collected! Go Red for Women ELT Board Member Education and Honors Professional Accreditations Series 6, Series 63 Securities Registrations Kirkwood Community College Major in Business Administration Interests and Hobbies Jamie and her husband Brad are blessed with 2 children, Peyton and Harper. In Jamie's free time, you can find her doing anything from instructing at a local gym, cheering her children on in their various sports, giving back to her community, to enjoying the sunshine with friends and family, cheering on the Milwaukee Brewers, Iowa Hawkeyes, & the Green Bay Packers! Favorite Food: Pickles Favorite Quote: "Perfection is not attainable, but if we can chase perfection we can catch excellence." -Vince Lombardi Favorite TV Show: Friends What motivates Jamie: My kids help me to keep setting the best example I can for them in all aspects of my life. Favorite Holiday: Christmas Favorite Places to visit: Saint John USVI
Jeff Haugse, MBA Financial Advisor Personal Profile Jeff's goal is to always encourage his clients to focus on their goals for retirement. The first step is to identify goals and separate them into needs, wants, and wishes. Jeff refers to this as identifying your train and the track you want to be on for your retirement. Jeff then provides strategies on how to get the clients train moving faster and safer down their track. Jeff enjoys growing his relationships with his clients over the many years he serves them. Specialty Retirement income planning Saving and wealth accumulation strategies Creating a flexible, unique, efficient financial plan for clients' retirement Helping people achieve their goals Community Involvement Jeff is active locally and within the financial services industry as a member of NAIFA-Cedar Rapids (National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors) Junior Achievement Habitat for Humanity Education and Honors Mount Mercy University Masters of Business Administration University of Northern Iowa Bachelors in Finance Professional Accreditations Series 6, Series 63 and 65 Securities Registrations Life and Health Insurance Licensed 20 years' financial service industry experience Interests and Hobbies Jeff loves being outdoors whether that is golfing, fishing, or helping a friend out. Jeff enjoys following Hawkeye sports and Green Bay football, while relaxing at home. Favorite Food: Breakfast Burritos or Ice Cream Favorite Quote: "Where there's a will there's a way." What Motivates Jeff: Achievement Favorite Holiday: Christmas Bucket List: Trip to Europe
Jordan Kuehner, CFP®, MBA Financial Advisor Personal Profile Jordan's passion is helping families develop a financial plan to protect and provide for their future. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, he believes strongly in working through a proven process to help his clients align their actions to what's most important to them. Specialty Holistic Financial Planning Risk Management Investment Portfolio Management Retirement Income Planning Tax Planning Strategies Estate Planning Education and Honors College for Financial Planning® Kaplan CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional coursework Mount Mercy University Masters of Business Administration Coe College Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration Professional Accreditations CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional FINRA Series 7, Series 66 Securities Registrations, Life and Health Licensed 10 years' financial service industry experience Principal Honor Council Honoree - 2021 Interests and Hobbies Jordan and his wife, Kaitlin, have 4 children, Ella, Lyla and Jac (twins), and Miles. Jordan and his wife are active in their church community and really enjoy being outdoors hunting/fishing, golfing, camping, and traveling with their family. Jordan's other interests include playing the blues on guitar, barbequing, and playing with their golden retriever, Millie. Favorite Food: Deer loin and any meat off of the smoker! What Motivates Jordan: Helping others Favorite Holiday: Christmas Bucket List: Go on a moose hunt with a recurve Biggest Accomplishment: Raising a family with my high-school sweetheart
Josh Hervey Client Service Associate Personal Profile Josh enjoys working with their advisors to help clients work towards reaching their financial goals and providing a high degree of personalized service. He believes that every interaction with a customer is important and he works to ensure that belief is reflected in his interactions with clients. Specialty Josh specializes in providing a quality customer experience for all our clients. Josh is in direct communication with our clients and helps with the processing of trades and transactions. Josh also specializes in creating financial reports and servicing for our clients. Education and Honors Coe College Bachelor's Degree in English Professional Accreditations Series 6 and 63 Securities Registrations 9 years' financial service industry experience Interests and Hobbies His spare time is generally spent with his wife & daughter, following Hawkeye sports, reading history, or traveling. Having traveled to both Europe & South America, Josh someday hopes to have stepped foot on all seven continents. Favorite Food: Tacos Favorite Movie: Dr. Strangelove Favorite Holiday: Christmas Bucket List: Watch Iowa win a national championship in football Place to visit: Istanbul
Job Titles:
- Corporate Account Executive
- SFS in 2018 As a Corporate Account Executive
Justin joined SFS in 2018 as a Corporate Account Executive and has over 13 years of experience in the retirement plan industry. Justin's ultimate goal is to help provide companies with high quality service for their retirement plan and for their employees. Justin also plays an important role in preparing/presenting Investment Committee materials and taking participant phone calls on the SFS Retirement Plan Helpline. Justin enjoys helping plan sponsors achieve positive outcomes through plan design. This helps drive positive outcomes for participants within the plans which allows them to enjoy retirement. Justin will be your first point of contact related to your retirement plans and is truly an extension of your team.
Kirby Reese Client Service Associate Personal Profile Kirby had a change in heart when it came to her career path. After realizing healthcare was not her passion, she took a job as an Executive Assistant for a small investment firm. While working closely with Registered Representatives, she grew to love the industry and decided to obtain her securities registrations to further her knowledge and skill level. She enjoys every day being different and getting to know and assist clients with whatever they may need. Specialty Kirby specializes in Larry's service model and taking exceptional care of his clients' needs. Kirby has a strong background in the securities field and provides quality service when it comes to creating financial reports and processing trades and transactions for our top clients. Education and Honors University of Northern Iowa Bachelor's Degree in Athletic Training Professional Accreditations Series 7, 63 and 24 Securities Registrations 7 years' financial service industry experience Interests and Hobbies Kirby currently lives in Marion with her golden retriever, Beau. She enjoys spending her time at the gym and with close family and friends. She always looks forward to her annual trip to St. Louis to cheer on the Cardinals and loves travelling to new places and exploring new things. Favorite Place to Visit: St. Louis or Jackson Hole Favorite Food: Anything chocolate. Travel Bucket List: Ireland, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand
Job Titles:
- Client Service Associate
- Client Services Associate
Kristin Bullock-Herman is a Client Services Associate who has 16 years of experience in the Financial Services Industry. She is focused on and committed to delivering high quality service to individual clients as they work towards their financial goals.
Additionally, Kristin also helps to plan our Quarterly SFS Investment Summits, oversees investment model creation and modifications. She is a member of internal sub-committees and helps manage various projects throughout the year. She also oversees much of the processes in the individual team's day to day functionality.
Kristin has always been a local resident and loves this community and how it is evolving. She has volunteered her time at different organizations both within our community and nationally. She is the daughter of a Veteran, and her son is actively serving as a Corporal in the United States Marine Corp.
The summer is Kristin's favorite time of the year. Outside of the office, she loves to explore nature and enjoys local activities. She likes to travel to new places and trying new recipes, experimenting with different flavors and cuisines, in addition to spending time with her Chihuahua and Frenchie. She is an Iowa Hawkeye fan.
Kristin holds a bachelor's degree with a double major in Finance and Accounting from Mount Mercy University and named the Outstanding Finance Student of the Year for her graduating class. She also holds the Series 6 and 63 Securities Registrations and is Life and Health Insurance License in the State of Iowa. Kristin also holds the FSCP® Designation.
Larry Witzel, CFP®, CLU, AIF President Personal Profile Larry's energy, experience, analytical aptitude and ability to break down complex or challenging situations into understandable and executable individual and business financial planning has helped develop Strategic Financial Solutions into a premier regional financial services office. Community Involvement Past President of NAIFA-Cedar Rapids Member of Cedar Rapids Economic Alliance (1989 graduate of the Chamber's Leadership for Five Seasons) Current member and past President of the Cedar Rapids Estate Planning Council Member of Downtown Rotary Active within his church Education and Honors Iowa State University Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business Minor in Business Administration Graduated with honors Emphasis in Economics Professional Accreditations CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification Series 6, 7 and 63 securities registrations Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®) from the American College of Financial Services 2008, he obtained his Accredited Investment Fiduciary designation (AIF®) Interests and Hobbies Originally a "farm boy" from North Central Iowa, Larry now resides on a farm east of Marion, with his wife of over 30 years, Joni. Their daughter Rachel lives in Marion and son Nate, also a graduate of Iowa State University, is currently living in Texas. Larry's free time includes golf, racquetball, boating, working on his farm and following ISU athletics. Favorite Food: Pizza Favorite Quote: The harder you work, the luckier you get. Favorite TV Show: Big Bang Theory Favorite Movie: True Grit Favorite Holiday: Christmas Bucket List: Hike up/down the Grand Canyon with Nate Biggest Accomplishment: 30 years of marriage and two great children Place to visit: Scuba diving off the Great Barrier Reef; The Holy Land
Job Titles:
- Senior Marketing and Services Director
As Senior Marketing and Services Director, Linda oversees the marketing planning and brand management for Strategic Financial Solutions. Linda understands and believes in the mission of Strategic Financial Solutions and it shows by her dedication and work ethic.
Nick Nelson Client Service Associate Personal Profile After spending several years working in different areas, Nick began working in the Financial Industry in 2018 and instantly grew to love it. He is excited to have the opportunity to continually learn and grow, both professionally and personally. Nick is looking forward to using his customer service background to help all our clients at Strategic Financial Solutions to work toward their financial goals. Specialty Nick specializes in providing an outstanding customer experience for all our clients. Nick is direct communication with our clients on a daily basis and helps with trades and transactions. Nick also specializes in creating financial reports and servicing for all of our clients. Education and Honors Professional Accreditations Series 6 Securities Registration 3 years' financial service industry experience Interests and Hobbies Nick lives in Cedar Rapids with his wife Jordan and their son Barrett. He enjoys spending time with his family and friends, doing anything outside, and cheering on the Chicago Cubs and Iowa Hawkeyes. After serving in the Marine Corps for 4 years and travelling all over, and living in different cities since then, Nick is excited to settle down with his family back home in eastern Iowa. Favorite Food: Buffalo Wings Favorite Movie: Step Brothers Favorite TV Show: The Office and Seinfeld Favorite Holiday: Thanksgiving Bucket List: Travel to Europe with Jordan Favorite Place to Visit: Chicago
Steven Bragg Financial Advisor Personal Profile Steven's goal is to positively influence local communities through financial education, planning, and coordination with their goals. Steven is active in this through corporate education events, working one on one with individuals, and educating youths locally through Junior Achievement volunteering. Specialty Retirement planning Estate planning Tax planning strategies Risk management (insurance) Investment management Education planning Education and Honors University of Iowa Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration Professional Accreditations Series 7 and 66 securities licenses Life and Health Insurance Licenses Interests and Hobbies Steven and his wife, Lindsey, 2 boys - Atticus 6 and Lincoln 4, and a baby girl, Emersyn. Steven and Lindsey enjoy time with friends and family, and just relaxing with the boys at the park down the street where they often play Frisbee golf. When not outside or involved in one of the kids activities, they enjoy playing board games and card games. Other passions include taking a drive in the 1974 Chevy Nova that Steven, his dad, his late great Uncle, and many other families helped restore when Steven was a teen. On Saturdays during football season Steven being a lifelong cyclone fan and an Iowa Alum, cheers on both teams. Favorite Restaurant: Huhot Favorite TV Show: Brooklyn 99 Hobbies: Sand Volleyball, frisbee golf with Steven's 2 boys and friends, board games, card games and pretty much any other sport Favorite quote: "Everyday you get to make the choice to get better or get worse." Bucket List: Take my wife on her dream vacation
Job Titles:
- Senior Corporate Account Executive