I believe integrity means choosing what’s right over what’s easy. I have always wanted to be the wealth advisor my family didn’t have. Growing up, I saw firsthand how valuable good financial guidance can be and how difficult it is to make important decisions without someone you trust in your corner. That experience inspired me to start Acumen, a firm built to provide thoughtful advice, meaningful relationships, and a client-first approach. My goal is simple: to help families bring order to their financial lives so they can spend less time worrying about money and more time focusing on what matters most.
My role is to help clients make informed decisions with confidence, especially during periods of uncertainty, transition, or opportunity. I help connect the many pieces of a client’s financial life from investments and retirement planning to estate strategies, tax considerations, risk management, and charitable giving into a coordinated plan. By listening carefully and communicating openly, I help clients understand their options and the tradeoffs involved. With a strategic and proactive approach, I work to anticipate challenges, identify opportunities, and adapt as clients’ lives, goals, and priorities evolve. I believe the best advice grows from a lasting relationship, one where clients know they have a trusted resource and advocate by their side through every stage of life.
My perspective is shaped by more than 25 years of experience helping individuals, families, and institutions navigate important financial decisions. Before founding Acumen, I spent a decade serving trust and private banking clients, where I developed a deep appreciation for fiduciary stewardship, thoughtful planning, and long-term relationship management. Over the past 15 years, I have led Acumen’s growth while continuing to work closely with clients on investment strategy, wealth planning, estate considerations, charitable giving, and legacy planning. These experiences have reinforced the importance of sound judgment, collaboration, and disciplined decision-making when helping clients navigate both opportunities and complexity.
“Success isn’t just about what you accomplish in your life; it’s about what you inspire others to do.”
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What resonates most with me about Acumen is our unwavering commitment to putting clients at the center of every decision. I believe individuals and families deserve advice that is objective, transparent, and aligned with their best interests. That belief shaped the foundation of our firm and continues to guide every client relationship today. It means listening before advising, seeking to understand before recommending, and always doing what is right for the people who place their trust in us.
Outside of work, I love spending time outdoors with my family. Traveling, fishing, skiing, and taking walks bring me the most joy. Giving back to the community and creating opportunities for future generations is especially meaningful to me, which is reflected in my nonprofit involvement and in the establishment of the Acumen Wealth Advisors Scholarship in Business at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
One value that continues to guide both my personal and professional life is the belief that relationships matter most. Success is not measured solely by financial outcomes, but by the trust we earn, the lives we positively impact, and the legacy we help others build.
Education and Credentials
Degrees Earned
- University of Florida – Bachelor of Science in Finance, Minor in Economics
- University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Master of Science in Accounting
Professional Credentials
- Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®)
- Certified Trust and Financial Advisor (CTFA)
- Life Insurance License
- Cannon Trust School, Honors Graduate
Community Leadership and Service
- Hunter Museum of American Art, Investment Committee Chair and Trustee
- Hospice of Chattanooga Foundation Board member for six years, including two years as Board Chair
- SMILE Fund Advisory Board, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga College of Business, Member
- Chattanooga Estate Planning Council, Member
- Founder of the Acumen Wealth Advisors Scholarship in Business at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
The Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) certification is obtained by completing an advanced college-level course addressing the financial planning subject areas the CFP board’s studies have determined as necessary for the competent and professional delivery of financial planning services, a comprehensive certification exam (administered in ten hours over a two-day period) and agreeing to be bound by the CFP board’s standard of professional conduct. As a prerequisite, the IAR (Investment Adviser Representative) must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited United States college or university (or foreign university equivalent) and have at least three years of full-time financial planning experience (or equivalent measured at 2,000 hours per year). This designation requires 30 hours of continuing education every two years and renewing an agreement to be bound by the standards of professional conduct.
The Certified Trust and Financial Advisor (CTFA) certification is obtained by successfully completing an exam administered by the American Bankers Association (ABA) Institute of Certified Bankers (ICB). As a prerequisite to sit for the exam, individuals must meet one of the following requirements: three years of wealth management experience and complete an ICB-approved training program; or have five years of wealth management experience and a bachelor’s degree; or ten years of wealth management experience. Wealth Management Experience is defined as direct client contact in the various facets of delivering financial planning and fiduciary services relating to trusts, estates, IRAs, and individual asset management accounts. This designation requires 45 continuing education credits every three years with a minimum of six hours in each of the four knowledge areas. The Cannon Trust School program is designed to facilitate the planning, implementation and administration of complex trusts including gift and estate taxes, advanced generation skipping, fiduciary income tax, and split interest and charitable trusts.