Huntsville Branch Office

Sonja is originally from Regensburg, Germany. She moved to the US in 2014 to pursue her MBA at Colorado State University. She has been with Morgan Stanley since the beginning of 2017 and leads our market in North Alabama: Huntsville, Gadsden, Decatur, Florence. Her leadership is characterized by a deep commitment to fostering strong relationships and trust, serving as a partner, coach, and advocate for financial advisors and service professionals. As a certified MBTI teambuilding and leadership coach, Sonja is dedicated to continuous learning and talent development, with a particular emphasis on strategic practice management. Sonja is passionate about creating a culture of excellence, always embracing a growth mindset for personal, professional, and business growth. She actively engages with local charities, including Village of Promise, Manna House, and the AUM Foundation, strengthening community ties through her focus on giving back.

Sonja holds her Series 7, 66, 9, 10, and 3 licenses and is a Financial Planning Specialist. She has furthered her expertise with certifications in Organizational Leadership from Harvard Business School and holds her CEPA, Certified Exit Planning Advisor designation.

Sonja believes that "relationships and trust are the foundation of our success. We are committed to the long game, nurturing a culture that prioritizes the long-term growth, success, and fulfillment of our clients, advisors, and service professionals."

Chris is Vice President, Business Service Officer for the North Alabama Market covering offices in Huntsville, Decatur, Florence, and Gadsden. Chris began his career at the age of eighteen in the retail banking space where he worked in various roles with his final role serving as a Manager of Area Operations with First Citizens Bank covering the Tennessee market. Chris began his career in the Wealth Management Industry as a Private Banker and finally as a Client Relationship Manager for 9 years before joining Morgan Stanley. Chris holds his Series 7, 66, 9 and 10 Licenses.

Chris is a native of Chattanooga, Tennessee and relocated the Huntsville, Alabama area in 2021 to join Morgan Stanley. Chris and his wife of 26 years enjoy spending time with their two sons and love to travel, spend time outdoors and play games and cards in their spare time.

Luci Woodard joined Morgan Stanley as a Service Professional in the Huntsville, Alabama Office in 1996. Since joining the firm, she has held roles as a Branch Manager’s Assistant, Service Manager, and currently as a Risk Officer. She is a Freed-Hardeman University Graduate with a BBA Degree with a concentration in Office Management. While at Morgan Stanley she has become fully licensed having earned her FINRA Series 7, Series 63, and Series 65 licenses and the FINRA Sales Supervisory Exams (Series 9 and Series 10).

She resides in Moulton Alabama and lives at the foot of Bankhead National Forest. Outside of work she enjoys travelling, mission work, oil painting, reading, and spending time with family. She has a strong knit group of friends from college that enjoys planning trips and yearly visits to a farm in the Ozark Mountains where they canoe the North Fork and White River.

Al Formentano joined Morgan Stanley last year as the Business Service Officer for our North Alabama branches. Al brings with him over 22 years of diverse industry experience. Having served as a CSA, an FA and an Operations Manager, Al finds himself in the perfect position to draw upon all his experiences to continue his goal of helping those he serves to reach their full potential. Al is most passionate about building strong relationships because that is the foundation of true success. Nothing can overcome the power of a strong team with close ties. Towards that end, Al enjoys participating in group activities with his Morgan Stanley family such as volunteering and helping with drives to benefit local charities.

Al was born and raised on the Caribbean Island of Curacao, population 152,369, a small and very culturally diverse country surrounded by water and blessed with a breeze and warmth that rival any popular Caribbean destination. This upbringing played a key role in Al’s love of diversity culture and people. You could not ask for a better beginning. In 1981, Al moved to the US to pursue an education at the Universities of Florida and South Florida and subsequently started his career in Arkansas followed by Tennessee before settling down in Alabama in 1999. Today Al is the proud father of 5 adult children and grandfather of 6 rug rats (7 is on the way). Al enjoys spending time away from the office on the lake with his amazing partner Tasia, their two dogs Marcy and Jasper, and occasionally some kids and grand kids as long as they don’t all show up at the same time.

“It’s amazing what people can accomplish if they have no concern for who gets credit.”