Annapolis Branch Office

Derrick Jackson has deep roots in Maryland. He was born in Annapolis, grew up in Severna Park, then built his career in financial services across the country, and ultimately found his way back to the city he still considers home here in Morgan Stanley’s Annapolis and Eastern Shore markets.

There is something distinctive about building a business in a place like Annapolis. It is a city with a deep history and a strong sense of community — where business owners know one another and families put down roots. Derrick believes that sense of connection is one of the branch’s greatest strengths. His goal is to preserve the personal, collaborative culture that has always defined the market while giving Financial Advisors access to everything a global institution can offer.

Derrick began his career as a Financial Advisor in 2002, serving in advisory and leadership roles across Charlotte, Indianapolis, and Kansas City. That firsthand experience continues to shape his approach to leadership. He understands the independence that comes with building your own practice, and the challenges inherent to growing a business, developing talent, and eventually thinking about succession.

Today, he works to give advisors the freedom to build their businesses in ways that reflect their clients and ambitions — while making sure they know they have a deep bench of resources behind them. From sophisticated financial planning and alternative investments capabilities to advanced technology, cybersecurity, and practice-management support, Derrick believes advisors should never have to choose between scale and personal attention.

That balance is particularly important in Annapolis. The branch is part of one of the world's leading financial institutions, but its leadership team lives and works in the same community as the people it serves. Derrick sees that proximity as more than a convenience. It creates accountability. It means an advisor can pick up the phone, walk down the hall, or sit down together and solve a problem. It means understanding the business owners along West Street, the families whose lives are woven into the community, and the advisors who have spent decades building relationships here. In a city where relationships tend to last, Derrick believes the same should be true of the relationships within the branch.

Derrick earned his undergraduate degree in Economics from Randolph-Macon College, where he was a four-year letterman on the football team, and later earned his graduate degree from Northeastern University. He holds the CRPC^® designation, along with Series 7, 66, 9, and 10 licenses and applicable insurance licenses.

Outside the office, Derrick lives in Severna Park with his family. He enjoys competitive sports, spending time with family, and staying involved in the community. In his free time, he volunteers with the Annapolis Maritime Museum, Junior Achievement, local food banks, and organizations supporting children and families — continuing a commitment to the place that has always been home.

Al Wirth is the local Risk Officer covering the Annapolis and Eastern Shore offices of Morgan Stanley. Currently functioning as a Vice President, he directly handles all legal, regulatory compliance and daily risk items at the local level. He started his brokerage career after college with Legg Mason in 1995, working in the Legal and Compliance department. Leaving his role as Regional
Compliance Officer, his transition to Wealth Management occurred in 2000 when he joined the Annapolis Sales office of Legg Mason. With true respect for the industry, he has held various management roles over his last 30 years in financial services. Although there have been a few name
changes, from Legg Mason to Smith Barney, and now Morgan Stanley, he has remained with the same firm his entire career.

A lifelong Maryland resident, Al currently resides in Annapolis. He is Baltimore born and raised, with a brief stop at Towson University for an accounting degree. He planted some family roots in 1999 after moving to Severna Park and has called Eastport Annapolis home since 2011. Now an empty nester, with his daughter Erica now grown and living in Richmond, he still considers parenting his best work. He is a certified car nut, loving all things automotive. Basketball, pickleball and a paddle board keep him moving, and plenty Annapolis dining spots keep him relaxed

Prior to joining the DC-Annapolis Complex, Yvonne began her career in Finance in 2008, working for Charles Schwab as a Registered Representative.  Moving to Maryland, she continued with her career at Wells Fargo Advisors, where she was quickly promoted while studying for her degree.  Yvonne holds a Master of Science degree in Financial Management and Information Systems from University of Maryland Global Campus and a Bachelor of Science from UMGC. Most recently Yvonne held the position of Associate Field Support Manager at Wells Fargo where she led a group of 39 direct reports responsible for the branch operational functions across multiple sales locations while serving as the main point of contact for Financial Advisors, branches, the back office, clients, and other Support Center associates. Yvonne spends her time with her two boys, Tristen and Brenden.  She enjoys hiking, photography, music, and travel.

Sara is the Annapolis/Eastern Shore Market Administrator at Morgan Stanley, responsible for supporting four Wealth Management Offices in Annapolis, Easton, Salisbury and La Plata, Maryland. Her role is pivotal in providing administrative support to the Market and Market Manager and coordinating Market events and projects. With over 15 years of management experience in the Education and Sport industry, Sara brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership skills to her new position.

Sara's career path includes her previous role as a Regional Manager at Kiddie Academy, where she oversaw four locations and provided leadership in the absence of executives. Her experience also extends to coaching competitive gymnastics for 14 years at Silver Stars Gymnastics, where she coached various levels of the USA Gymnastics developmental program. Sara holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Information Technology Management from Western Governors University. Her education focused on integrating business and IT strategies to enhance organizational operations.

She is passionate about fostering a collaborative work environment and views change as a catalyst for growth and innovation. Beyond her professional life, she is actively involved in her local church as an event coordinator and youth director. Fun fact: Sara comes from a “cheaper by the dozen”-like family and is the oldest of 12 children. She enjoys cooking and spending time at the beach and loves exploring new cuisines.

Aksel was previously Head of Morgan Stanley’s Alternative Investments Sales Desk from 2016-2018, while also covering the Central, New York Metro, and Southeast regions. In recent years, he was the Director of Investor Relations at Locust Wood Capital, a value driven long/short equity hedge fund offered through Morgan Stanley’s Alternatives platform. He also led sales and marketing for the Private Institutional Client Group at Alex Brown, Raymond James. Aksel graduated from York College of Pennsylvania in 2007, majoring in Business Administration with minors in Finance & Accounting. He became a CFA Charterholder in 2013 and a CAIA Charterholder in 2015.

Stephen Topley has been in the industry for almost 30 years. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, he was Regional Vice President for Turner Investment Partners. He began his career as an independent financial advisor and shareholder in RIA. He holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Stephen is FINRA Series 6,7, and 66. Currently resides in Doylestown, Pa. with his family and English lab, Ruby. In his free time, he enjoys sending time with his children, grandchildren, and playing golf.

Christopher J. Smith is an Executive Director and Trust Specialist who covers the Morgan Stanley offices in New England, upstate New York, Long Island, eastern Pennsylvania and Mid-Atlantic states. Within the Trust Services Group, Chris is responsible for maintaining the relationships Morgan Stanley has with its 13 corporate trustee partners. These partners can serve in a fiduciary, agency or custodial role for ultra-high-net-worth client trust accounts. Chris and the Trust Services Group help Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors, clients, prospects and the professional community understand the third party corporate trustee services available through Morgan Stanley and how our corporate trustee partners can be used to provide fiduciary solutions for clients. This involves reviewing trust document and statements as well as analyzing family dynamics. Chris then uses this information to help the client select one or more of the Firm’s third-party corporate trustee partners to possibly serve as trustee, co-trustee or administrative agent for a client trust account.

Chris has over 35 years of experience in the Financial Services industry and has been with Morgan Stanley since 1993. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley (Dean Witter), Chris worked in the Retirement Plans department of Prudential Securities and prior to that the District Agency department of Prudential Insurance Company. Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication/Journalism and Psychology from St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY.

Tully Horne is a Vice President on the Concentrated Equity Specialist Team covering the Southeast Region. He joined Morgan Stanley in 2019 and spent six years on the Equity Sales team responsible for providing Financial Advisors and clients with timely market and portfolio insights through the lens of Morgan Stanley Research and other thought leadership at the firm. In 2023, he took on the role as Industrials & Materials sector specialist. Tully graduated Summa Cum Laude from Boston College with a B.S. in Management co-concentrating in Finance and Information Systems with a minor in History.

Molly is the Business Development Manager based in Washington, DC, covering the DC/Annapolis and Central Maryland Markets. Molly works closely with Financial Advisors and market leadership to support growth initiatives, uncover strategic opportunities, and help teams navigate resources across the firm. Prior to joining the firm, Molly was with Oppenheimer Asset Management, where she partnered with Financial Advisors across multiple markets, supported wealth management platform adoption, developed customized investment proposals, and contributed to meaningful AUM and revenue growth. Her experience spans sales and marketing, program administration, cross-functional project execution, due diligence, compliance support, and advisor training.

Molly holds a B.S. in Mathematics from Villanova University, where she graduated magna cum laude, and brings a strong analytical foundation shaped by earlier experience in portfolio analysis and valuation. She has also served as a mentor through the LiveGirl SheWorks Program, reflecting her commitment to developing others and building meaningful relationships. Molly lives in Washington, DC with her fiancé, Matt. Outside of work, she enjoys cheering on New York sports teams, experimenting with new baking recipes, and exploring the city’s restaurant scene.