Current Role:

Field Vice President, Ameriprise Financial, 11811 North Tatum Blvd., Phoenix, 85028
As FVP, I am responsible for all elements of our Phoenix operation including recruiting, retention, productivity, financials, compliance, client relations and staff productivity.

Career Progression with Ameriprise:

Prior to moving to Phoenix, I held the same role with Ameriprise in Columbus, Ohio.  I was the FVP there for the last 3 years, from January 2005 - February 2008.  In that role, I grew the office significantly from 14 financial advisors to 38 financial advisors and grew their productivity per advisor from $54,000 to $128,000.  
In 2005, I took over an office ranked 85th in the United States and finished that year ranked 3rd in the US.  That effort got me a prestigious award at my firm, the Leader of the Year, awarded to 3 leaders per year.
Before becoming a Field Vice President, I was a District Manager for Ameriprise in Orlando, Florida from January 2003 - January 2005.  As a District Manager, I grew a team of advisors from 5 to 20 and in 2004 had the 3rd largest individual district and second most productive district in the United States.  During that two year timeframe, I kept every advisor I brought into our business, which, in our business, is quite an accomplishment.

Prior to engaging in a leadership role, I ran a successful financial planning practice serving approximately 180 clients and managing $57 million in client assets.

Career Highlights Prior to Ameriprise:

Before joining Ameriprise in September of 2001, I worked as the Program Supervisor for Best Buddies Florida.  I was responsible for growing participation in our Citizens Program across the state.  In the Citizens Program, we paired individual volunteers into 1 to 1 friendships with adults with developmental disabilities.  In this role, I was also responsible for fund raising and developed a premier networking opportunity for young professionals age 25-40.  I built Business Buddies, which was a grass roots networking event held monthly to raise funds and awareness for Best Buddies Florida.  I built the group from 20 person events in year 1 to 700 person events in year 4.  In addition, I grew the adult program by 40% in the 3 years I was involved.  I also led the board that I recruited to help me operate and grow Business Buddies.

I moved to Best Buddies from my role as the Sales Representative for the Central Florida Zoo.  At the Zoo, I was responsible for leading the Group Sales Department.  In that role, I brought corporate outings to life, led outreach programs and represented the Zoo in the community.  I grew group sales by 12% in 1997, a year in which overall Zoo attendance was down over 40% due to severe wildfires in Central Florida.  I managed this by reaching out to all non-profit organizations in Central Florida and invited them to the Zoo for free.  We comped their admission, but managed to drive concessions and merchandise sales as a result to supplement the drop in attendance.

My first role out of college was a 4 year stint with the Walt Disney Company in Orlando.  As a guest services manager, I was trained in client relationships by the absolute best in the world at it.  Many of the principles I learned at Disney are still prevalent in my career today.

Community Involvement:

Although new to Phoenix, I have gotten involved very quickly with a few select groups.  I am just getting involved with the North Scottsdale Chamber, am active in the Phoenix Chamber, am a member of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council and am involved in the Financial Planning Association of Phoenix.
I am still an active volunteer with Best Buddies.  Specifically, I am paired into a friendship with gentleman named Joshua who is an adult with cerebral palsy.  We've been friends for almost 8 years now and will be for a long time to come.
I am an advocate for philanthropy in my role as a leader at Ameriprise.  I encourage my advisors to get involved in their community and have supported the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics, Big Brothers and Big Sisters and many others through my advisors.  In addition, this is my second year spearheading our Employee Giving Campaign for our Market Group to drive participation among employees and to make a difference in our local communities.

Personal information:

Married, 7 years (8 Thanksgiving weekend) to Eden
2 children, Natalie - age 4, Thomas - age 1