The DESIGN Group at Morgan Stanley

I began my career in wealth management in 1998, driven by a genuine desire to help people succeed. Over time, that motivation evolved into a deeper commitment to helping families steward wealth with wisdom, intention, and purpose. While I was initially drawn to the analytical and business side of economics, it was the relationship-centered work of advising families—walking alongside them through growth, transition, and uncertainty—that ultimately shaped my career.

Throughout my journey, I have been influenced by mentors who challenged me to rethink traditional definitions of success. I learned that lasting success is not measured solely by financial outcomes, but by the strength of relationships, clarity of values, and the legacy a family leaves behind. This perspective continues to guide my work and informs how I help families think about wealth as a long-term responsibility rather than a short-term achievement.

In 2011, my partners and I founded The DESIGN Group with a clear focus: helping families align their finances with their values. Our planning philosophy is grounded in timeless principles and disciplined decision-making designed to endure market cycles, life transitions, and generational change. I believe that when families clearly articulate what matters most, their financial decisions become more confident, resilient, and aligned.

As a husband to my wife, Tracie, and a father to Camden, Chase, and Kennedy, I understand the responsibility of leadership within a family. My personal experiences reinforce my conviction that wealth is most meaningful when it strengthens family unity, helps prepare future generations, and enables generosity.

I am deeply grateful for the relationships that have shaped my journey. Serving families is a privilege I approach with humility and care, while helping them design a legacy that endures.

For nearly three decades, I’ve had the privilege of guiding ultra-high-net-worth families as they navigate the complex intersection of wealth, family, and legacy.

My path began at the University of Georgia and continued through an MBA from Georgia State University, where I concentrated in financial planning. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and a Morgan Stanley Family Wealth Director—a designation awarded to a select group of advisors with deep expertise in complex wealth strategies—I bring a disciplined, multigenerational perspective to every relationship. My focus is serving families with significant wealth who want clarity, confidence, and an advisor who understands both the technical and emotional dimensions of stewardship.

My approach centers on values-based financial planning—because your values, not your balance sheet, should serve as the lighthouse for every decision. I help families uncover what matters most to them, and then build a strategy that aligns their financial resources with those deeply held priorities. Whether the goal is protecting a spouse, preparing children for inheritance, transitioning a business, structuring trusts, or creating meaningful philanthropic impact, I work to help ensure the planning reflects the family’s purpose and aspirations. Wealth should empower a family, not overwhelm it, and my role is to simplify complexity so clients can focus on what truly matters.

I connect families to the full capabilities of Morgan Stanley’s Family Office Resources, including estate planning specialists, tax strategists, philanthropic advisors, and family governance experts. Together, we help families build structures that endure, legacies that inspire, and plans that honor both the past and the future. My commitment is to walk alongside each family as an advisor you can trust, helping them use their wealth with intention, clarity, and lasting impact.

For more than three decades, I have served as a trusted Financial Advisor to ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families. Guided by a values-driven approach, I help clients clarify what matters most, build multigenerational wealth strategies, and create enduring legacies grounded in their family values and core beliefs.

My approach to wealth management begins with a holistic understanding of each client’s life, to help ensure financial decisions support both long-term goals and the legacy they seek to create. I believe sound financial planning begins with a clear understanding of family priorities and how to help prepare future generations to carry them forward.

A significant focus of my practice is family foundations. I help families navigate the dynamics and opportunities these entities create, from establishing a foundation to managing it effectively over time. Drawing on my experience with my own family’s charitable foundation, I work with clients to align philanthropic goals with family values and spiritual principles.

Beyond my professional practice, I am deeply committed to giving back to my community. I have held leadership roles with St. Luke’s Episcopal Church on the Vestry, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF-GA), now Breakthrough T1D as a Board Member and Gala Co-Chair, the Lupus Foundation of Georgia as Board Chair, and Cherokee Town & Country Club as President. In 2023, my wife, Chris, and I were honored with the JDRF Living and Giving Award. We are the proud parents to a son and a daughter, who are the center of my life, and have lived in Atlanta since 1990.

I began my career in NYC in 1988, serving in Corporate Trust for Manufacturers Hanover Bank and as the Assistant Treasurer/CFO for a public biotech company. Outside of work, I enjoy golf, tennis, and travel, as well as spending time with family and friends at our vacation home in Highlands, North Carolina.

Securities Agent: LA, CO, MA, MN, MD, CA, GA, KY, DE, IN, VA, TX, OH, TN, AR, NY, NH, OR, SC, WI, MT, MI, WA, PA, MO, NC, FL, AL, NE; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
NMLS#: 1262336

JDRF Living and Giving Award is not an investment advisory or brokerage award. As such, criteria associated with financial services including, but not limited to, industry experience, client retention, assets under management, investment performance, revenue, quality of advice or client experience are not factors for consideration.

For the past 54 years, I have worked in a variety of capacities within the financial services industry. I began my career in 1972 with C&S National Bank (later NationsBank and Bank of America), where I held multiple roles, including Senior Vice President & Team Leader in the Private Bank and City Manager of Atlanta’s Professional & Executive Banking Group. In 2001, I joined The Robinson Humphrey Company (now Morgan Stanley).

I am a native of Atlanta, as were my parents and grandparents. I graduated from the Westminster Schools in Atlanta and from Salem College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I have a daughter, also named Susan.

Throughout my career, I have been deeply involved in the nonprofit community, supporting organizations such as the March of Dimes, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the Junior League of Atlanta, and the Atlanta Steeplechase. I am a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta and Shakerag Hunt Club. I was honored to be recognized as Salem College’s Alumna Volunteer of the Year in 2012. From 2013 to 2016, I served as a Director on the Board of the Rotary Club of Buckhead. In 2015, I was elected to the Salem Academy and College Board of Trustees, where I served as Chair of the Finance Committee until June 2022.

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time at my family’s home in the North Georgia mountains near Lakemont, Georgia.


NMLS#: 1279406

As a dedicated financial advisor in the wealth management industry for nearly a decade, I find purpose in empowering high-net-worth families to steward their wealth in alignment with their values.

My journey began at Kennesaw State University, where I earned a degree in Finance. In continuing my pursuit of excellence, I earned my Certified Financial Planner™ designation from Emory University. This additional education and experience equip me to serve highly compensated executives, elite professionals in the business of sports and entertainment, as well as visionary business owners who aspire to leave an enduring legacy.

My approach to financial stewardship relies upon a profound understanding of each family's unique needs and aspirations. I prioritize meaningful discovery sessions that dive into the personal values and philanthropic goals that guide my clients. With a focus on multi-generational planning, I design comprehensive financial strategies that not only optimize tax-efficient investments, but also prioritize impactful estate planning strategies. The aim is to ensure wealth is not merely preserved but leveraged to foster generosity and create lasting familial legacy and impact.

Relationships with my clients are at the heart of my practice. I recognize that financial planning is a dynamic endeavor, requiring regular engagement and adaptation. Through collaboration, I provide insights and adjustments to keep clients’ financial plans aligned with evolving family objectives. My mission is to guide families in not just managing wealth, but in thoughtfully cultivating a legacy characterized by stewardship, purpose, and generosity that inspires future generations.

Outside of the wealth management practice, my life is centered within family & community. Together with my wife, Lindsay, and our daughter, Alice, we actively engage with our community as neighbors in the Grant Park community, and members of Ansley Golf Club. Our faith is also central to our lives, and we embrace the fellowship found at Trinity Anglican Church. We dedicate our efforts as donors and volunteers for The Atlanta Mission, International Justice Mission, and Untold where our aim is to make a positive impact in the lives of those in need. I'm also particularly proud to serve as an educator of financial literacy to the young ladies at Genesis Academy through the PowHer program. We are also avid Atlanta Braves fans, and you can often find us in the stands along the first base foul line.

In my first professional career, I was the clinic director and lead physical therapist at an orthopedic clinic in Alpharetta, GA. It was due to an unfortunate injury that led Jeff Nolde and I to meeting, but he proved to be the most influential patient I came across. Both professionally and personally he became a mentor to me and I officially joined the DESIGN Group midyear of 2017.

As great an impact as I was making on peoples’ physical health, I kept feeling that the scope of my abilities to impact people in my community could be greater in helping improve their financial health. This was ultimately the catalyst in transitioning into what I feel I was designed to do.

Like a personal trainer guides you along the way to helping achieve your short and long-term goals, I strive to provide a financial planning framework that potentially allows clients the ability to do the same with their passions in life.

In my free time I enjoy competitive sports, outdoor activities, and surrounding myself with friends and family. I’m involved in the local community mostly through functions of Buckhead Church. My career is just as enjoyable now that I’m on a team of like-minded individuals, and we look forward to helping empower clients to achieve their goals.

Growing up, I knew I wanted to pursue a profession that would not only help people, but could have a meaningful impact on the quality of their lives. I wanted to serve others and be recognized as someone who would be there to provide guidance and offer a safe place to share fears and concerns. I also wanted to help people manage financial stress, as this was something I struggled with first-hand.

I attended Georgia Southern University to earn a degree in Exercise Physiology. Through my life experiences, I discovered my true passion to combine my desire to help others with my interest in finance and investing. I began my career at E*TRADE Financial, where I became immersed in learning the ins and outs of the financial services industry. I developed a clear picture of how I could really help people pursue their personal definition of financial freedom. And I learned that while life is unpredictable, there are steps individuals can take now that seek to prepare for future hardships, overcome challenges and achieve both short- and long-term goals.

As a Registered Client Service Associate of The DESIGN Group at Morgan Stanley, I play a pivotal role in helping our clients manage various aspects of their financial lives. I am most excited about helping make an impact on future generations as I interact and build relationships with our clients today.

I joined The DESIGN Group as a Client Service Associate, having previously served as Fifth Grade Teacher.

I always knew I wanted a job where I could help people. I felt that I had made an impact in teaching, but over time, teaching was no longer the fit for me that it had once been. I decided I wanted to make a change and transition into something that aligned more closely with who I was becoming as a person. I had recently taken up an interest in finance and investing and wanted to work somewhere where I could explore this interest, continue to learn, and pass on my knowledge to help others. At heart, I am a people person who values personal relationships, and this is the primary element that drew me to The DESIGN Group.

As a Client Service Associate, I focus primarily on estate processing and 529 funding. I graduated from Kennesaw State University and currently live in Atlanta. Outside of the office, I enjoy working out and spending time with loved ones.

Originally from Durham, NC, and recently earned my MBA from American University’s Kogod School of Business with a concentration in Finance and Alternative Investments, alongside a certificate in Sustainability Management, where I focused on impact investing. I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, where I majored in Political Science and International Relations. My academic journey has always been driven by a desire to understand systems – whether global, economic, or individual – and how they can be better leveraged to create meaningful impact. Ultimately, leading me to wealth management and the work we do here at the DESIGN Group.

Prior to joining the team while in graduate school, I interned with Morgan Stanley Wealth Management in Washington, D.C., where I supported initiatives tied to portfolio strategy, alternative investment integration, client segmentation, and business development. Gaining hands on experience in high-touch client service and data-driven decision making.

With over five years of financial services experience, I’m passionate about providing clients with access to the best opportunities available – and ensuring that our work has meaningful impact on the individuals and families that we serve. I’m excited to bring my educational background and investment focus to support the team and our clients here in Atlanta.

As someone who recently relocated to the area, I’m enjoying getting to know the city, discovering new neighborhoods and restaurants, and building community. Outside of work, I’m a devoted Duke basketball fan, and I love spending time with friends and family, travelling, and exploring new experiences.