Our Team

My journey to become a Financial Planner began after my father died and my mother moved to Florida. My mom was appalled at the treatment her widowed friends received from their financial professionals and encouraged me to investigate the field. As I learned about the profession, it became clear to me that this was where my talents would be most useful. While my youngest son was in his last year of pre-school, I started interning with Warren Ward to get some real-life experience before starting the CFP® credentialing process. I obtained the CFP® credential and became a fee-only NAPFA Registered Financial Advisor. My primary goal is to help you become good stewards of your time, talent and treasure in your journey to reach your full potential as a human being.

Many people seek guidance in times of crisis and sometimes the real solution is not monetary but perspective. When faced with stressful situations what's often most important is having a trusted "Thinking Partner" that can help keep you safe and help you clarify your choices. My clients are very diverse, but they are all life-long learners, involved in their communities, authentic and coachable. Most often they come in while transitioning to a single state either through death or divorce. Through those transitions it helps to have an objective perspective on your financial situation and the impacts on your lifestyle choices. I also enjoy working with pre-retirees as we vision what form retirement will take and how best to utilize resources to live a life that matters and leaves a meaningful legacy.

My primary geographic base is Columbus, Bloomington, Indianapolis, and Central Indiana. With improved technology I am more comfortable working remotely with clients. I still enjoy meeting clients face to face, when possible, while building the relationship. I do continue to work with established clients that move away from Indiana.

My husband (Mike) and I are in the process of transitioning to empty nesters. Our oldest son graduated from Purdue in 2018 and is gainfully employed locally at Cummins. Our youngest son is a recent Emerson College in Boston graduate. 

As a member of the St. Bartholomew Choir, I have been privileged to perform at Carnegie Hall and The Vatican. I enjoy being a part of the Columbus community. Over the years I have been involved with the Columbus East High School Speech Team as a judge and fundraising coordinator, helped with various Boy Scout initiatives, The Young Mothers Educational Development (Y-MED) program, Bartholomew County Step Ahead, a variety of childcare related initiatives, the Book Buddy Program, a FIRST Lego League Coach, and Zonta International. I have served as Chair of the Bartholomew County Financial Literacy Coalition as well as a member of the Guiding Circle for the Bartholomew County Women’s Giving Circle at the Heritage Fund. In my spare time I like to read, try new recipes, and travel.
 

 I’m a proud Columbus native—this community has done a great deal to shape who I am. I grew up here and graduated from Columbus North High School. Living in Columbus helped me understand how important strong leadership and a shared sense of service are to creating an excellent place to live and work.

After high school, I headed to Bloomington, Indiana, where I earned my Bachelor of Science in Arts Management from Indiana University’s O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. At the time, I imagined myself working on the business side of theatre production. My time in Bloomington showed me that when passionate people put their minds to something, incredible things can happen.

After graduation, my wife Sharon and I returned home to Columbus to begin our careers with Cummins, Inc. During my time at Cummins, I had the opportunity to work in a variety of marketing and sales roles across different business segments, most recently focusing on the Global Mining Business. I also became a Six Sigma Greenbelt, which strengthened my understanding of statistical analysis and how to apply it practically in complex systems.

No matter the role or business unit, I always gravitated toward opportunities to help people—whether that meant navigating systems, solving problems, or building relationships. I spent much of my time at Cummins in customer-focused roles, supporting the purchase, service, and operation of diesel engine-powered equipment. But over time, I realized I wanted to make a more direct impact in people’s lives. 

Financial planning had long been something I did for my own family, and when the opportunity came along to turn that interest into a full-time career, it felt like the right fit. Helping people make confident, informed financial decisions—especially during life’s big transitions—is incredibly fulfilling. Now, as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and graduate of NYU’s Financial Planning Certificate program, I get to combine my background in client service with my passion for investing and long-term strategy.

Outside of work, I’m deeply invested in giving back to the Columbus community. I currently serve on the boards of the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, the IU Alumni Association South Central Indiana Region, and Columbus City Utilities (where I serve as Vice Chair). I’m also an active member of the Columbus Rotary Club, where I serve as Treasurer and Board Member. In the past, I’ve held leadership roles with Mill Race Theatre Company and Bartholomew County’s Convention, Recreation, and Visitors Promotion Commission.

My wife Sharon (currently a full-time parent) and I still reside in Columbus with our son Hudson (3) and our boxer-lab mix, Kevin. When we’re not parenting, we’re avid theatre and music lovers, trying to make it to as many performances as we can. I also enjoy board games, walking a round of golf (albeit poorly played), and getting outside as much as possible.

I am a Columbus native and a Columbus East 2014 graduate. After receiving my Mechanical Engineering degree from Purdue University in 2018, I relocated to the Detroit area to work for Ford Motor Company in their college graduate engineering rotational program. 

Navigating post-grad life and managing my first salary is where my passion for personal finance began. Figuring out how to prioritize paying off student loan debt, saving up an emergency fund, starting retirement funds, along with saving to replace my 15-year-old car led me to tons of personal finance blogs, podcasts, and books that sparked my passion for personal finance and building wealth.  

I soon became the “financial expert and spreadsheet nerd” in my groups of friends and family, and always made sure my younger, post-grad family members knew how to open a Roth IRA and set up a monthly budget. 

My philosophy on money is that it is a tool to help you reach your financial goals while also living your best life. It is possible to live below your means, save and invest for the future, and spend intentionally on things that matter to you - you just need some self-awareness and a plan! 

My husband and I later decided to move back to Columbus in December of 2021 to be closer to family and I found a job as a Performance Engineer at Cummins. While I enjoyed parts of my work as an engineer, my passion for personal finance outgrew my interest in diesel engine calibration. I started looking more seriously into making a career change but wasn’t sure how or when to do it. 

After a Google search for “fee only fiduciary Columbus Indiana,” I found WWA and reached out to Jalene in 2022 to inquire about what a career in financial planning would look like. This initial conversation led to many more over the next couple of years, and I was offered the opportunity to join the firm in April of 2024 as an Associate Financial Planner. I am currently working on my CFP® designation in addition to my responsibilities at the firm. 

While I am a type-A planner, I also live outside the spreadsheet by volunteering as a Big Sister through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. I am also involved in the Meridian Kiwanis club and the Purdue Alumni Club of Bartholomew County.

My husband and I thoroughly enjoy traveling, hiking, and exploring US National Parks and beyond. We aim for multiple hiking trips each year as we work toward our goal of visiting all 63 US National Parks. I also love playing Euchre, cheering on the Purdue basketball team, listening to country music, and doing DIY home projects with my husband.   

After 26 years with Cummins, I retired and joined the WWA team in January 2020. My primary responsibilities are investment research, portfolio rebalancing, trading, and business development.  

Although I began my career as a mechanical engineer, I have always had an interest in investing. This interest grew after graduating from Purdue University in 1986 and started working at GE’s Aircraft Engine Division in Cincinnati OH. While there, I met up with a group of engineers who formed an investment club. We pooled our money, began investing in the market, and learned from each other how to analyze individual stocks and develop and manage a portfolio. That experience helped to shape my personal investment approach which stayed with me after I left GE in 1993 and joined Cummins. 

My career at Cummins allowed for a variety of experiences ranging from engineering, human resources to global account management. This unique career path helped me develop a broad range of skills and view of the world that I have been able to bring to my approach in investing. While there we were encouraged to give back to our communities. One way I did this was to become a big brother as well as a member of the board of the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. It was during this time on the board that I met Warren and became a client of WWA. During those 20 years our relationship was not your typical client advisor. I was more involved in the practice as I would often challenge or debate investment approaches with Warren, while Jalene would often have me evaluate new client software she was considering for the practice. It was at one of our regular client meetings that the idea of me working for them was discussed. That became a reality after my early retirement from Cummins at the end of 2019. 

As I reflect on my career, I have always been happiest in roles where I’m helping others succeed, continuing to learn, and taking on new challenges. It was with these interests in mind that I was excited to take on my new role with WWA as an Investment Analyst. In my spare time I stay active in the community by serving on several volunteer boards and also enjoy golfing, bicycling, reading, and traveling with Denise, my wife of 35 years. We have two sons, both graduates of Indiana University. 

I moved to Columbus during the summer of 2009. I am a graduated from Northview High School in my hometown of Brazil, IN. I have since learned office management and general organizational skills through the management of various offices over a twenty-year period and am excited to marry what I have learned throughout my varied career, with the WWA team. Some of my more recent job experiences include working with JCBank, AT&T, and Lincare. I love meeting and helping people.  

I am a pianist and worship leader serving at New Hope Christian Church and am an active member of my local Emmaus community.  I am also involved with Mill Race Theatre Company, often finding enjoyment in creating theatrical art and inhabiting all sorts of crazy characters. 

I am happily married to my wife, Mikki, and is the father of two wonderful boys, Colton (9) and Ian (5).  I love spending time with my family and find that time spent with them is always exciting! My favorite thing to do is to share new experiences with them and strive to ensure I live in the moment, cherishing every second spent together.