• Degree: B.S. in Finance, Virginia Tech (CFP® Certification Education track; now called Financial Planning & Wealth Management)
  • Graduation Year: Dec. 2012 (Spring 2013 class)
  • Current Role: Founding Partner & Financial Adviser, Verum Partners

ABOUT ME

Originally from the northern Virginia area, I now call Charlotte, NC home, and work at an incredible, fast-growing, high-energy wealth management firm. As a Founding Partner and financial adviser, I get to work with clients while also leaving my fingerprints on the structure and design of the company. 

I’m married to a fellow Hokie (Engineer) and we have young kids that keep us busy…I get to put those working mom muscles to good use. I love to cook and provide meals to our community, and sit on the Mercy Team at Uptown Church in Charlotte. In my free time, I love to prepare and enjoy a meal with friends, read historical fiction or theology, garden, and spend time outdoors (with hiking shoes and camera gear in tow).

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS

I graduated from VT and moved to the DC metro area where I kicked off my career in the boutique, independent RIA space, and never looked back. After moving to Charlotte and getting married, I met the folks who would be my future business partners, and we launched Verum Partners together in May 2019. Originally 5 people working with 50-60 households, we’ve grown to 16 team members and over 300 households, with plans to continue growing. In fact, 2024 was a big year for our firm in terms of public recognition, as we received a number of awards, including:

  • Institutional Investor’s RIA Intel named Verum 2024 RIA of the Year (under $1 billion in assets under management). (1)

  • Newsweek named Verum one of America’s Top Financial Advisory Firms and #1 in NC. (2)

  • InvestmentNews recognized Verum as one of the fastest-growing Fee-Only RIAs in the country. (3)

Disclosures:
(1) Verum Partners was awarded RIA of the Year (Under $1 Billion in AUM) on June 5, 2024, for 2024. The RIA of the Year is created by RIA Intel and is a celebration of excellence in the asset management industry honoring financial advisors, wealth management firms, and industry leaders..

(2) Verum Partners was awarded America's Top Financial Advisory Firms on November 20, 2024, for 2025. America's Top Financial Advisory Firms award is created by Newsweek and is awarded to Registered Investment Advisers based on asset performance, client performance, adviser expertise and client ratio, breadth of service offerings, and conflicts of interest. For a full list of rules around the selection process, visit https://shorturl.at/mDVjI.

(3) Verum Partners was awarded the 2024 Fastest-Growing Fee-Only RIA Award on January 22, 2025. The award is created by InvestmentNews and is awarded based on a 3-year growth rate calculated between July 2021-July 2024.

At Verum Partners, I’ve worn many hats, some I’ve been able to pass on to others! Originally Director of Financial Planning, I’ve progressed through the advisory track and served the firm as Head of Advisory for a few years. Today, I currently serve clients as a Lead Adviser, sit on the Board of Directors, oversee the Internal Finance function, and head up strategic initiatives at the firm. It’s a lot of work, and a lot of fun.

IMPACT OF MY VIRGINIA TECH EDUCATION

One of the first universities to offer the CFP® education curriculum as an undergraduate track, Virginia Tech set me up for a successful career in wealth management from the start. The program was impressive in terms of staff, course work, and community amongst students. After more than a decade post-graduation, it continues to impress as we meet, interview, and present to students. The work put in by the program to build professional connections with employers and alumni really benefited the students, including myself. I was able to participate in a number of internships and had a great job coming out of school. I believe the exposure to the financial planning and investment world during college was practical and helpful on numerous fronts, with direct application to day-to-day work being a big one.

I also have to give a plug for the social aspect of my experience at VT. I work in a people business, and the community within the finance department, in conjunction with my sorority membership, built interpersonal skills that became critical to building professional networks and community as an adult. 

GIVING BACK & MENTORSHIP

In recent years, the Verum Partners team has been more intentional about building relationships and partnerships with universities that have strong financial planning, tax, and investment management programs. I’m thankful to have the opportunity to visit the Virginia Tech campus, and speak to students in the wealth management program about the industry.  Verum Partners is now rolling out our internship and externship programs, and we’ve been able to recruit students from the VT program (and have been quite impressed!). I’ve also been able to connect with students periodically to explain the industry, give advice, and make connections as I am able. It’s been fun to give back in that way.

WORDS OF ADVICE

  • Career advice:

    • Be a sponge. Be humble. Be hungry.

    • Feedback is one of the best gifts. Don’t reject it, embrace it. You’ll be happier (long-term) and more successful. 

    • Kind curiosity over judgement. You’ll meet so many different people in your career, who think and believe different things than you do. Be open to understanding and seeing different perspectives. To learning and growing. To building wisdom.

  • Making the most of the university experience:

    • Get uncomfortable. Meet lots of people and get used to talking to people who you may NOT be friends with long term. So much of the success we see in the professional world is the soft skills – thoughtfulness, awareness, confidence, humility. College is a great time to start building those! 

PERSONAL QUOTE

“One of the hardest things to figure out as an 18-year-old is how to use your unique gifts in the professional world. Thanks to the passion and energy of the Financial Planning (and broader Finance) department, I was able to connect my gifts and interests to a career path.”