Our Team at Morgan Stanley Park Potomac Branch

About Edgar Marita

Edgar is an Executive Director and Branch Manager of Morgan Stanley’s Potomac, MD office. In his role, he is committed to partnering with financial advisors to grow their practices by leveraging the strength and breadth of Morgan Stanley’s best in class platform, resources, and intellectual capital. He is a strong advocate for advisors and their teams, focusing on helping them deliver meaningful outcomes for the clients and families they serve. Edgar’s leadership is centered around a collaborative and high-performing environment where professionals can thrive and where top talent is inspired to build their careers.

Before joining Morgan Stanley, Edgar spent over 15 years in various leadership roles at UBS, including strategy and field leadership roles across multiple markets. Throughout his career, he has remained passionate about mentoring and giving back, reflecting his belief in paying forward the guidance and support that influenced his own career path.

Edgar lives in Montgomery County, MD, with his wife Alina, and their daughter, Olivia. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling, experiencing new cultures, and spending quality time with his family.

About Ope Afe

Ope Afe is a Vice President and Financial Planning Director serving Morgan Stanley’s Wealth Management offices in Central Maryland. She is responsible for helping Financial Advisors with their high-net-worth clients’ and prospects’ advanced financial planning needs.

Ope began her career in financial services in 2005 and joined Morgan Stanley in 2023. Prior to her current position, she worked as a Senior Advisor at T. Rowe Price in their Private Client Group in Owings Mills, MD. She has also held various wealth management roles at TIAA-CREF, SunTrust bank, PNC bank and Wells Fargo bank.

Ope is a graduate of Morgan State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in finance and graduated from Loyola University MD with a Master of Business Administration (MBA). She holds her Certified Financial Planner® and Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor® designations. Ope lives in Howard County, MD and enjoys traveling, trying out new recipes and spending time with her husband and two daughters.

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About Maria Tashjian

Maria Tashjian is a Private Banker serving Morgan Stanley Wealth Management offices in Maryland.

Private Bankers partner with Financial Advisors to develop a specialized approach for managing clients’ cash flow, liquidity and financing needs, leveraging our comprehensive suite of cash management and lending solutions.

Maria began her career in financial services in 2006, and joined Morgan Stanley in 2010. Prior to being promoted to Private Banker in 2021, Maria served as the Associate Private Banker supporting Wealth Management offices in Virginia.

Maria is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Management and a Master of Business Administration. She lives in Fairfax, Virginia with her family. Outside of the office, Maria enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering for local community organizations.
NMLS#: 1500388

About Ope Afe

Ope Afe is a vice president and financial planning director serving Morgan Stanley Wealth Management offices in Central Maryland. She is responsible for helping financial advisors with their clients’ and prospects’ financial planning needs.



Ope began her career in financial services in 2005 and joined Morgan Stanley in 2023. Prior to her current position, she worked as a senior advisor at T. Rowe Price in their private client group in Owings Mills, MD. She has also held various wealth management roles at TIAA, SunTrust, PNC and Wells Fargo (Wachovia).



Ope is a graduate of Morgan State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in finance, and also graduated from Loyola University Maryland with an MBA. She holds her CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor® designations. Ope lives in Howard County, MD, and enjoys traveling, trying out new recipes and spending time with her husband and two daughters.



DISCLOSURE:

Important information about your relationship with your Financial Advisor and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC when using a Financial Planning tool.   When your Financial Advisor prepares a Financial Plan, they will act in an investment advisory capacity for thirty (30) days after the delivery of your Financial Plan. To understand the differences between brokerage and advisory relationships, you should consult your Financial Advisor, or review our “Understanding Your Brokerage and Investment Advisory Relationships,” brochure available at https://www.morganstanley.com/wealth-relationshipwithms/pdfs/understandingyourrelationship.pdf.



You have sole responsibility for making all investment decisions with respect to the implementation of a Financial Plan. You may implement the Financial Plan at Morgan Stanley or at another firm. If you engage or have engaged Morgan Stanley, it will act as your broker, unless you ask it, in writing, to act as your investment adviser on any particular account.



Morgan Stanley offers a wide array of brokerage and advisory services to its clients, each of which may create a different type of relationship with different obligations to you.  Please consult with your Financial Advisor to understand these differences.





Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Clients should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trust and estate planning, charitable giving, philanthropic planning and other legal matters.



© 2026 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC.

About Chris Smith

Chris Smith is an Executive Director and Head of Morgan Stanley’s Trust Services Group. As a 30-year employee of Morgan Stanley, Chris is responsible for maintaining the “Open Architecture” trustee platform, which consists of thirteen third-party trust companies who can serve in a fiduciary, agency or custodial role for ultra-high-net worth client trust accounts. Chris and the Trust Services Group help Advisors, clients, prospects and the professional community understand the 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 recommend 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.

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. He lives in Saratoga Springs, NY with his wife Sharon and two boys, Ryan and Michael and has a passion for golf, skiing and horse racing.

About Mark Jansen

Mark Jansen is a Family Office Resources Generalist for Morgan Stanley’s Family Office Resources, covering the Southeast Region. In this capacity, Mark provides specialized expertise to Financial Advisors and their UHNW clients across a broad range of family wealth management issues including; family governance and wealth education, strategic estate and financial planning, philanthropy management and lifestyle advisory. Mark has over 30 years of experience advising wealthy families, business owners, and their children.

Most recently, Mark worked with New York Life in their Advanced Planning Group working with agents and their UHNW clients advising them on estate and legacy planning, business buy sell planning, and succession planning. Prior to New York Life, Mark held similar Advanced Planning Consulting roles in several National financial organizations. He originally started his career in the financial services industry in the tax department of the public accounting firm Grant Thornton. He is known for taking complex ideas and making them easy to understand. Frequently speaking to groups and individuals on estate and business planning, he brings a conversational style that helps to clarify the complex nature of these topics.

Mark received a Bachelor of Science degree from St. John’s University in Collegeville MN, received his JD degree Cum Laude from the University of Minnesota and his CPA license while working at Grant Thornton. He holds a Series 7, 24 and 63 securities licenses. He currently lives in Richmond Virginia with his wife and occasionally one of their 6 children.
Private Banking Group (PBG) Market Managers, Senior Private Bankers, Private Bankers, and Associate Private Bankers are employees of Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association.

Banking products and services are offered by Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association, Member FDIC.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC is a registered Broker/Dealer, Member SIPC, and not a bank. Where appropriate, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC has entered into arrangements with banks and other third parties to assist in offering certain banking related products and services.

Investment, insurance and annuity products offered through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC are: NOT FDIC INSURED | MAY LOSE VALUE | NOT BANK GUARANTEED | NOT A BANK DEPOSIT | NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY

Important information about your relationship with your Financial Advisor and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC when using a Financial Planning tool. When your Financial Advisor prepares a Financial Plan, they will act in an investment advisory capacity for thirty (30) days after the delivery of your Financial Plan. To understand the differences between brokerage and advisory relationships, you should consult your Financial Advisor, or review our “Understanding Your Brokerage and Investment Advisory Relationships,” brochure available at https://www.morganstanley.com/wealth-relationshipwithms/pdfs/understandingyourrelationship.pdf.

You have sole responsibility for making all investment decisions with respect to the implementation of a Financial Plan. You may implement the Financial Plan at Morgan Stanley or at another firm. If you engage or have engaged Morgan Stanley, it will act as your broker, unless you ask it, in writing, to act as your investment adviser on any particular account.

Morgan Stanley offers a wide array of brokerage and advisory services to its clients, each of which may create a different type of relationship with different obligations to you. Please consult with your Financial Advisor to understand these differences.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Clients should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trust and estate planning, charitable giving, philanthropic planning and other legal matters.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Clients should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trusts, estate planning, charitable giving, philanthropic planning and other legal matters.

Morgan Stanley does not accept appointments, nor will it act as a trustee, but it will provide access to trust services through an appropriate third-party corporate trustee.

Trusts are not necessarily appropriate for all clients. There are risks and considerations which may outweigh any potential benefits. Establishing a trust will incur fees and expenses which may be substantial. Trusts often incur ongoing administrative fees and expenses such as the services of a corporate trustee, attorney, or tax professional.

Trust services are provided by third parties who are not affiliated with Morgan Stanley. Neither Morgan Stanley nor its affiliates are the provider of such trust services and will not have any input or responsibility concerning a client’s eligibility for, or the terms and conditions associated with these trust services. Neither Morgan Stanley nor its affiliates shall be responsible for any advice or services provided by the unaffiliated third parties. Morgan Stanley or its affiliates may participate in transactions on a basis separate from the referral of clients to these third parties and may receive compensation in connection with referrals made to them.

Morgan Stanley, its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Clients should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trust and estate planning, charitable giving, philanthropic planning and other legal matters.

Branch Address

12505 Park Potomac Ave
Ste 200 and 400
Potomac, MD 20854
US
Branch:
(301) 279-6480(301) 279-6480
Fax:
(301) 279-6485(301) 279-6485
1When Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors (collectively, “Morgan Stanley”) provide “investment advice” regarding a retirement or welfare benefit plan account, an individual retirement account or a Coverdell education savings account (“Retirement Account”), Morgan Stanley is a “fiduciary” as those terms are defined under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), and/or the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”), as applicable. When Morgan Stanley provides investment education, takes orders on an unsolicited basis or otherwise does not provide “investment advice”, Morgan Stanley will not be considered a “fiduciary” under ERISA and/or the Code. For more information regarding Morgan Stanley’s role with respect to a Retirement Account, please visit www.morganstanley.com/disclosures/dol. Tax laws are complex and subject to change. Morgan Stanley does not provide tax or legal advice. Individuals are encouraged to consult their tax and legal advisors (a) before establishing a Retirement Account, and (b) regarding any potential tax, ERISA and related consequences of any investments or other transactions made with respect to a Retirement Account. Individuals should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trust and estate planning, charitable giving, philanthropic planning and other legal matters.

For more information, please see the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC Client Relationship Summary.

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2Tax laws are complex and are subject to change. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Individuals should always check with their tax or legal advisor before engaging in any transaction involving 529 Plans, Education Savings Accounts and other tax-advantaged investments.

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3Insurance products are offered in conjunction with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC’s licensed insurance agency affiliates.

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4Alternative Investments are speculative and include a high degree of risk. An investor could lose all or a substantial amount of his/her investment. Alternative investments are appropriate only for qualified, long-term investors who are willing to forgo liquidity and put capital at risk for an indefinite period of time.

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5Insurance products are offered in conjunction with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC’s licensed insurance agency affiliates.

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6The returns on a portfolio consisting primarily of sustainable investments may be lower or higher than a portfolio that is more diversified or where decisions are based solely on investment considerations. Because sustainability criteria exclude some investments, investors may not be able to take advantage of the same opportunities or market trends as investors that do not use such criteria. Diversification does not guarantee a profit or protect against loss in a declining financial market.

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7Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Clients should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trust and estate planning, charitable giving, philanthropic planning and other legal matters.

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8Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Clients should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trust and estate planning, charitable giving, philanthropic planning and other legal matters.

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9Tax laws are complex and are subject to change. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Individuals should always check with their tax or legal advisor before engaging in any transaction involving 529 Plans, Education Savings Accounts and other tax-advantaged investments.

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10Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC is a registered Broker/Dealer, Member SIPC, and not a bank. Where appropriate, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC has entered into arrangements with banks and other third parties to assist in offering certain banking related products and services.

Investment, insurance and annuity products offered through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC are: NOT FDIC INSURED | MAY LOSE VALUE | NOT BANK GUARANTEED | NOT A BANK DEPOSIT | NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY

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11Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC is a registered Broker/Dealer, Member SIPC, and not a bank. Where appropriate, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC has entered into arrangements with banks and other third parties to assist in offering certain banking related products and services.

Investment, insurance and annuity products offered through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC are: NOT FDIC INSURED | MAY LOSE VALUE | NOT BANK GUARANTEED | NOT A BANK DEPOSIT | NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY

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Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversifying its workforce (M/F/Disability/Vet).

The investments and products listed may not be appropriate for all investors. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC recommends that investors independently evaluate particular investments or products, and encourages investors to seek the advice of a Financial Advisor or Private Wealth Advisor. The appropriateness of a particular investment or product will depend upon an investor's individual circumstances and objectives.

Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is a business of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC.

© 2025 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC.

Awards Disclosures | Morgan Stanley
CRC 4665150 (08/2025), 4763067 (9/2025)