The Bellwether Group at Morgan Stanley

Aimee D. Cogan is Managing Director, Senior Investment Management Consultant, Financial Advisor and Co-Founder of the Bellwether Group. With over 30 years of experience in banking and the financial services industry, Aimee provides comprehensive wealth management for high net worth clients. She focuses on the team’s separately managed accounts, alternative investments, foreign currencies and precious metals.

Following her childhood love of math, Aimee earned a B.S. degree in Finance from the University of Florida. She started at SunTrust Bank, where she spent 12 years as a Private Client Financial Advisor. Committed to continuing education, Aimee is a Certified Financial Planner™ and a Certified Investment Management Analyst^®. In addition, Aimee has earned the Family Wealth Director designation from the firm, a status achieved because of her sophisticated approach to the complex financial needs of affluent families.

Aimee’s talents have been recognized both nationally and regionally. She has been ranked within Barron's Top 100 Women Financial Advisors (2011-2014, 2016-2018, 2021), Barron's Top 1,200 Financial Advisors (2012-2024), Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors (2019-2025), Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisors (2019-2025), Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams (2023-2025), and Forbes Best-In-State Women Advisors (2023-2025). Aimee has served as a member of Morgan Stanley’s Financial Advisors Council and has been Chair of Morgan Stanley’s Consulting Group Council.

She and her family support the Ringling College of Art and Design, Asolo Repertory Theater, Forty Carrots, Child Protection Center, and Girls Inc. When away from the office, she enjoys traveling & boating with her family.

Richard T. Williams III, CFA is a Senior Vice President, Financial Advisor, Senior Portfolio Management Director, and Co-Founder of The Bellwether Group at Morgan Stanley. With over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, he focuses on fundamental analysis, equity research, and portfolio asset allocation. He also manages the Bellwether Tactical Core Value Portfolio and provides strategic guidance on taxable bond investments and portfolio hedging. Rich is recognized by Morgan Stanley as an Alternative Investments Director based on his knowledge and experience with hedge funds, private equity and private credit.

Rich’s love of the stock market began at age 13 when he used the money he earned from mowing lawns to purchase his first stock. After his graduation from the University of Florida with a B.S. in History, he entered the financial services industry in 1991. He rose to become a Vice President, Client Consultant for Manning and Napier Advisors, Inc; a large, Rochester, NY based, institutional investment advisor. After moving back home to Sarasota, he spent seven years as one of Wachovia Wealth Management’s top private bankers. In 2005 he moved to Merrill Lynch to start the Sarasota office for their Private Banking and Investment Group as Vice President. After the financial crisis forced Merrill Lynch to be acquired by Bank of America, he decided to joined Morgan Stanley in 2009.

With a strong belief in financial education, Rich has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst^® (CFA) designation, thus acquiring advanced analytical and portfolio management skills, along with enhanced investment strategies. Rich conducts an in-depth analysis of each investment he chooses for his clients’ financial plans. This analysis is ongoing as he regularly makes adjustments to adapt to changing market conditions.

Rich is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Tampa Bay Society. He is a former Chairman of the Board of the Wellness Community, and a past Board Member and Treasurer of Forty Carrots Family Center, a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening families through educational programs. Currently, Rich serves on the Board of The Field Club and is Treasurer of The Field Club foundation. He enjoys, tennis, boating and travel with his wife Kristen and their three children.

Scott Rockwell is a Senior Vice President, Financial Advisor, and Co-Founder of The Bellwether Group at Morgan Stanley. With over 31 years of experience in banking and the financial services industry, Scott concentrates on technical analysis, portfolio asset allocation, risk management, municipal bonds and taxable bond investments. He manages the group’s Small Cap Growth, Dividend Growth and discretionary fixed income portfolios. He coordinates the team’s Executive Financial Services (restricted stock/Rule 144) clients and is an Insurance Planning Director and an Alternative Investments Director.

Scott is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a B.S. in Business Administration and Finance. He spent eleven years at Bank of America, with over six years as a Commercial Relationship Manager and nearly five years as Senior Vice President in the Private Banking Division. His focus was on middle-market companies, high net worth individuals, and municipal finance. After three years as a Private Wealth Advisor at Merrill Lynch, Scott came to Morgan Stanley in 2009 and co-founded The Bellwether Group with Aimee Cogan and Rich Williams.

With more than three decades of financial experience, Scott works with his team to research, analyze and implement investment solutions that are appropriate for his client's specific goals and objectives. His experience in municipal bonds can be valuable for high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals and families.

Actively involved in his community, Scott has served as Board President and Treasurer for the Easter Seals of South West Florida, the Easter Seals of Southwest Florida Foundation, and as a Board Member of the Manatee County YMCA. He enjoys all sports and has volunteered as a youth lacrosse, football, and baseball coach over the years. He most recently served for 4 years as an assistant lacrosse coach with Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School. Scott resides in Sarasota with his wife Crystal and two children.

Kathy Francoletti is a Senior Vice President, Family Wealth Advisor and Financial Advisor with The Bellwether Group at Morgan Stanley. With more than 45 years in the banking and financial services industries, Kathy focuses on comprehensive wealth management for individuals and business owners.

Kathy entered the banking industry in 1978 with a predecessor of Wells Fargo Bank. Her banking career included experience in banking and lending as well as investment management and trust services. After joining Morgan Stanley in 2011, Kathy earned the prestigious Family Wealth Advisor designation. This certification allows her to help clients manage the complexities of philanthropy and estate planning from a family and multi-generational perspective. She holds the Securities Series 7, 63, 65 and Florida Life and Variable Annuity Licenses.

An active member of her community, Kathy has volunteered for many years with a focus on serving women and children’s services. During her career she served as President of the boards of the Women’s Resource Center and Girls Inc. of Sarasota County to name a few. Currently she volunteers with Easter Seals of Southwest Florida. Kathy and her husband, Tom, live in Cape Haze, where they enjoy spending time with their quadruplet grandchildren.

Rochelle Nigri, QPFC ^® is a Financial Advisor with The Bellwether Group at Morgan Stanley, with over 18 years of experience as an advocate for clients with companies in finance, retail, media and philanthropy. She focuses on tailored Wealth Planning, Retirement Solutions, Investment Management, Divorce Financial Analysis, and Cash Management. Rochelle joined the team in 2014 as a Marketing Associate responsible for marketing, public relations, business development and client relations. Her career as an advocate for clients has been developed over 2 generations: first as a runway & print model in New York, Florida, and Italy, and then returning to her academic roots she honed her Relationship Management career over 10 years at Saks Fifth Avenue, Dolce PR, and SRQ MEDIA Group. Rochelle earned her B.A. from the University of South Florida with a double concentration in Economics and International Relations, and a minor in Business. She holds the securities Series 7, 63, 65, 31, and Florida Life, Health and Variable Insurance licenses.

With a strong belief in financial education, Rochelle has earned a Qualified Plan Financial Consultant ^® (QPFC) designation, thus demonstrating her knowledge, experience, and commitment to working with retirement plans. Plan advisors who earn their QPFC ^® demonstrate the professional focus required to provide support to help plan sponsors manage their fiduciary roles and responsibilities.

Rochelle has been named to the Morgan Stanley’s Pacesetter’s Club, a global recognition program for Financial Advisors who, early in their career, have demonstrated the highest professional standards and first-class client service. She serves on Morgan Stanley’s Southwest Florida Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Council. An advocate for Financial Literacy Rochelle has presented on multiple Financial Savvy and Wealth Planning panels, including to the Black Wealth Summit, Official Black Wall Street, the National Council of Negro Women (Hudson Valley Section), graduates of West Point, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (Westchester Alumnae Chapter).

Committed to being connected to the community, Rochelle volunteers for causes devoted to the arts, education, and the welfare of children and families. She has been recognized by the Sarasota Young Professionals Group with its YPG Leadership Circle Award in 2010, and SRQ Magazine in its Leadership Circle in 2019, 2020 & 2021. Rochelle presently serves on The Van Wezel Foundation Board of Directors, is former Events Chair of the Sarasota Young Professionals Group, and has served on the Advisory Board of Directors for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and Girls Inc. of Sarasota County. She has co-chaired and served on committees to provide awareness and raise funds for over 20 charities in Sarasota. Among the organizations she presently supports are The Van Wezel/Sarasota Performing Arts Center Foundation, Girls Inc., Visible Men Academy, and SPARCC Safe Place & Rape Crisis Center.

Paul understands that wealth management is more than just access to the wide range of financial services and strategies at Morgan Stanley—it is how those services and strategies are developed and tailored to help you achieve your financial goals.

Paul has been in the financial industry for more than seventeen years and had the pleasure of joining The Bellwether Group in 2022. He graduated from the University of South Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, and holds the professional designation of CRPC^® (Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor SM) awarded by the College for Financial Planning. Additionally, Paul holds his series 6, 7, 63, 66, SIE, and his Life/Health, Annuity, and Long Term Care insurance licenses.

Paul is a qualified Portfolio Manager who, in addition to providing traditional advice and guidance, can help clients pursue their objectives by building and managing his own personalized or defined strategies, which may incorporate individual stocks and bonds, model portfolios, and third-party investment strategies. When servicing clients through the firm’s Investment Advisory Program, a Portfolio Manager may manage his strategies on a discretionary basis.

His areas of expertise include retirement planning strategies for individuals and businesses, and wealth management for high-net-worth families. His clients include everyone from corporate executives and business owners to farmers and retirees. Paul believes asset allocation, portfolio rebalancing, and regular reviews are the essential foundation in helping his clients pursue their investment goals.

Paul and his wife, Sarah, reside in The Oaks Club where he serves on both the finance and master plan advisory committees. Paul and Sarah have three beautiful children, Peter, Marshall and their late daughter, Lilly. In his free time, he likes to travel to new places, play golf, and go to the gym.

Patrick serves as the Group Director for the Bellwether Group. He brings 17 years of experience throughout financial services. Patrick has previously held office and team leadership & supervisory roles across Operations, Retail Trading, Risk/Compliance, and Service organizations. Patrick’s background will help create new synergies across all aspects of our business. In addition, this broad-based background allows him to be influential in driving the best experience for our clients moving forward.

Patrick grew up in Jacksonville, FL and relocated to the Sarasota area in October. Patrick primarily devotes his philanthropic efforts to supporting organizations that focus on feeding the hungry, animal shelters, and financial wellness education programs. In his free time, Patrick enjoys playing golf and basketball and looks forward to experiencing the globally recognized beaches in and around Sarasota.

Melanie Barber is a Portfolio Associate with the Bellwether Group at Morgan Stanley. She holds securities licenses including 7, 9, 10, 31, 63, 65 and the Life and Variable Annuity Insurance license. She focuses on analytical reporting and client services. Melanie earned her B.S. in business management from Florida Gulf Coast University and resides on Longboat Key with her husband, Mark, and their daughter, Abigail and son, Logan. They enjoy boating and traveling around the world.

Christopher Wilkinson is a Wealth Management Analyst at the Bellwether Group at Morgan Stanley. He holds securities licenses including the Series 7 and 66, as well as the Life and Variable Annuity Insurance license and a Financial Planning Specialist Designation. He focuses on client services and provides analytic support for the team. Chris earned his B.A. in Economics from The University of Florida with a Minor in Business Administration. He is Bilingual (Spanish) and enjoys reading and working out.

Liz Grissom is a Wealth Management Associate with the Bellwether Group. She holds security licenses including the Series 7, 31, 63, 65 and the Life and Variable Annuity Insurance license. She focuses on financial planning assistance and client servicing. Liz earned her B.S. in Finance from Villanova University and lives in Sarasota with her husband Ashley. Liz spent her first 18 years overseas, is an avid golfer and enjoys making candy in her spare time.