The 801 Group at Morgan Stanley

How I can help you:

As a founding member of The 801 Group at Morgan Stanley, I bring more than 30 years of financial services experience to every client I advise. My clients include high net worth individuals and their families, as well as foundations, endowments and other nonprofit institutions. Individual clients look to me for guidance that includes their investments but goes far beyond to encompass estate planning strategies, risk management and other aspects of their financial lives. Nonprofits seek my advice to help them refine both their spending and investment policies and implement those policies with investment strategies designed to meet their obligations, enhance their cash flow and grow their capital over time.

What makes me knowledgeable:

I began my career at a Chicago based investment banking firm that specialized in lending for mergers & acquisitions. This experience allowed me to learn from the successes and failures of corporate executives in a wide variety of manufacturing and service industries all around the country. I gained tremendous respect for entrepreneurs who pursue their passion and appreciation for the role finance and risk-taking play on the road to success. As a Financial Advisor, I’ve strived to be a lifetime learner since graduating from University of Iowa with a degree in Finance and Marketing. I am one of the relatively few Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors to have earned the firm’s Family Wealth Director designation. I am also a Certified Investment Management Analyst^®, having earned that credential from the Wharton School of Business and the Investment & Wealth Institute. I am honored to be named one of Forbes Magazine’s Best-In-State Wealth Advisors 2024. ​2024 Forbes Best-In- State Wealth Advisors Source: Forbes.com (Awarded 2024). Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based 12-month time period concluding in June of year prior to the issuance of the award.

Getting to know me:

I grew up in Iowa City and have always been an active member of my community. I’m proud to serve on the Board of Ambassadors for Coaches vs. Cancer, an organization founded by Division 1 basketball coaches and dedicated to raising funds for cancer research. In addition, I sit on the Board of Directors at Des Moines Golf and Country Club. Professionally, I am a member of Morgan Stanley’s Association of Professional Investment Consultants. My experience in the nonprofit arena has compelled me to initiate a series of symposiums for nonprofit leaders that focus on industry trends and best practices. Outside the office, I love spending time with my friends and family in Clear Lake.

How I can help you:

Clients rely on me to help them retire as planned, leave a meaningful legacy, and achieve other critical financial goals. Many of my clients are women seeking to take greater control of their financial lives. I also bring considerable experience working with nonprofit organizations, foundations, endowments, and other institutional clients. Specifically, I counsel executive leadership teams and boards in such varied disciplines as governance, asset allocation, investment and spending policy reviews and compliance with industry best practices and regulations.

What makes me knowledgeable:

I began my career at The Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines where I served as Director of Affiliates and Philanthropic Partners working with donors, attorneys, CPAs and Financial Advisors. There I realized that I could add value by earning the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERtm and Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy^® designations. Once I became a Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor in 2012, I found that this decision helped me greatly in meeting the challenges faced by both institutional and individual clients. In addition, I am one of the relatively few Financial Advisors in the firm to have earned the firm’s Family Wealth Director designation. This credential has proven invaluable in helping me provide high net-worth clients with solutions to even their most complex financial challenges. I am honored to be named one of Forbes Magazine’s Top Women Wealth Advisors 2024 and Best-In-State Wealth Advisors 2024. 2024 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors Source: Forbes.com (Awarded 2024). Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based 12-month time period concluding in June of year prior to the issuance of the award.

Getting to know me:

I’m a native Iowan who returned home after working in New York in the fashion industry and graduating from Lake Forest College with a double major in Business and Studio Art. I still love painting and interior design, but much of my time is spent with my husband, Mike, daughter, Scarlet, and participating in philanthropic pursuits. I serve on the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines’ Professional Advisor Council, support the Alzheimer’s Association, and volunteer with the Iowa State Fair Foundation.

How I can help you:

I have more than 10 years of experience providing tailored investment solutions and customized institutional advice to nonprofit organizations, foundations and endowments. I also bring this institutional process and experience to a select group of successful individual and families. In addition, I play a major role with portfolio construction, spending analysis and oversight for clients’ investment strategies. I am a voting member of The 801 Group at Morgan Stanley’s investment committee and as an Alternative Investments Director at Morgan
Stanley, I oversee our team’s Alternative Investment manager research.

What makes me knowledgeable:

Throughout my financial services career, I’ve made a conscious effort to broaden and deepen the knowledge I bring to my clients. As a Chartered Alternative Investments Analyst (CAIA ^®), a Senior Institutional Consultant (SIC), and Morgan Stanley-credentialed Alternative Investments Director, I am required to demonstrate competence at the highest level in non-traditional asset fundamentals. This includes quantitative analysis, valuation and investment theory. In addition, I am a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP^®), a credential that is recognized as the standard of excellence for competent and ethical personal financial planning. I am also a committee member of the Association of Professional Investment Consultants (APIC).

Getting to know me:

I grew up in Iowa and graduated from The University of Iowa where I was captain of the men’s basketball team. After college, I played professionally in the NBA and European leagues for eleven years. My second career at Morgan Stanley has proven to be equally – and perhaps even more – fulfilling. I’m helping worthy organizations meet their financial challenges and fulfill their missions. Outside the office, I’m involved in the nonprofit community and have served on a variety of nonprofit boards and executive committees. I currently serve on the Board of Directors for the Iowa Swarm NIL Collective and reside in West Des Moines with my wife and three children.

How I can help you:

I play a key role in The 801 Group at Morgan Stanley’s financial planning efforts and scheduling client reviews. As a Wealth Management Associate, I understand what information is required to help maximize the value of our plans and provide clients with tangible recommendations to pursue their goals. I also help our institutional clients develop their investment policy and stress test their current portfolios while evaluating their spending policies. Together with our analyst I research various mutual funds and outside investment management organizations to help determine which should be recommended for inclusion in our clients’ portfolios.

What makes me knowledgeable:

I bring almost a decade of financial services experience to every client I work with. At New York Life where I began my career, I built a practice that focused on mutual funds and annuities, as well as insurance. When I joined Morgan Stanley in 2016, I was able to provide clients with comprehensive financial planning that encompasses not only their portfolios, but virtually every aspect of their financial lives.

Getting to know me:

I’m a graduate of Upper Iowa University where I majored in Biology and minored in Business. I also played varsity baseball and I’ve given back to my community over the years by coaching little league and high school, as well as at Grand Slam USA, a well known training facility. In addition, I’ve volunteered with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. My wife, Natalie, and I live in West Des Moines and enjoy walking our Dog Bo, playing golf and going to movies.

How I can help you:

Often, I’m the first person clients talk to when calling our team. If I can’t help them resolve their issues, I will direct them to the team members who can. Throughout my 30 year career, I’ve helped clients transfer assets, gain online access, execute trades and raise cash for unexpected expenses. My goal is to provide clients with solutions and meet their needs as quickly as possible.

What makes me knowledgeable:

I bring more than 30 years of financial industry experience to every client I serve. Before joining a Morgan Stanley predecessor firm in 1992, I worked in computer technology when that industry was in its infancy. My experience training customers and troubleshooting the issues they faced taught me important lessons about providing clients with prompt and caring service. Throughout my long career, I’ve worked as our branch’s Assistant Operations Manager and as a Client Service Associate. As a result, I know where to go for the answers that clients need and how to help them address their challenges efficiently and effectively.

Getting to know me:

I was born and raised in Iowa and my community means a lot to me. I’m an avid supporter of Breast Cancer Awareness and the Variety Club Compassion Fund. My husband, Dwight, is a retired firefighter and I’ve often lent a hand when his department was sponsoring community events. He and I reside in Ankeny and are the proud parents of a daughter, Megan, and have two grandchildren. We are very active and love to golf whenever we can and travel.

How I can help you:

Enhancing our clients’ experience is an important priority of mine. That involves anticipating client’s needs and taking steps to address any items proactively. It also means coming up with fresh ideas to help our team evolve and providing support at the team level to move important projects forward. In addition, I take pride in helping clients take full advantage of Morgan Stanley’s extensive digital and online capabilities.

What makes me knowledgeable:

I bring over a decade of experience to every client I serve. After graduating from Iowa State University with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, I began my financial service career at Principal Financial where I worked as a Client Services Associate for four years before joining Morgan Stanley. Here I perform a wide variety of functions, many of which are focused on helping our Financial Advisors leave no stone unturned when preparing for client interactions. I’ve also become the team’s go-to source for all things digital, helping my teammates establish a robust social media presence and develop our marketing strategy.

Getting to know me:

While in college, I interned with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and developed an understanding of the issues faced by nonprofit organizations. Someday, I hope to expand my involvement with the charitable sector, but that will have to wait until my four children are old enough to provide me with the time for those pursuits. As for now, I love spending whatever time I have outside the office with my husband, Marcus, and our family.