The Magnolia Group at Morgan Stanley

Don puts his passions to work in and out of the office. He sees his greatest role is as an advocate for his clients as well as those experiencing similar physical disabilities. In 1994, Don was in a life changing accident and is now in a wheelchair. He uses this disability as a source of inspiration for others as he volunteers with The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR) to mentor victims and families experiencing similar lifestyle changes.

He has refused to let his disability affect his business life and has continued to thrive in the financial industry for several decades. With this experience, he has accrued the knowledge necessary to provide clients with leadership during critical financial transitions as well as provide guidance through making major fiscal decisions. Don knows firsthand how unpredictable life can be. He provides his valued clients with a comprehensive plan, providing clarity in an otherwise unpredictable environment.

He has earned the title of Managing Director and has also garnered notoriety from Barron's as a top 1,200 Advisor for 2022 in addition to Forbes as a Best-In-State Wealth Advisor for 2021. He has also gained recognition as a Financial Times Top 400 Advisor in 2016. As a recipient of these awards, Don firmly believes that it is imperative to build trust with clients to help them identify, communicate and reach their true financial goals. Don is more than just an advisor; he is a friend.

Don and his team seek to provide clients with top-tier customer service and cater to their individual needs, and help put clients’ money to work for them. Don advocates for the client, and his personal mission is to help ensure that all clients receive financial mentorship personalized to their specific needs, whether it is planning for retirement and distributions, managing client portfolios or recommending investment platforms. This top-customer service is constantly evolving as life changing events occur. Don knows just how unpredictable life can be. He can’t see the future, but he helps clients plan for it.

Barron's Top 1,200 Financial Advisors: State-by-State
​Source: Barron's.com (Awarded Mar 2022) Data compiled by Barron's based on time period from Sept 2020 - Sept 2021.

Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors
​Source: Forbes.com (Awarded Feb 2021) Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based on time period from 6/30/19 - 6/30/20.

Financial Times 400 Top Financial Advisors
Source: ft.com (Awarded Mar 2016) Data compiled by the Financial Times based on time period from 9/30/13 - 9/30/15.

In 1983, Michael began his career in the financial industry as a financial advisor at Dean Witter Reynolds. After 5 years as a financial advisor, Michael transitioned into a role as an assistant branch manager. In 1994, Michael was asked to open the Sugar Land office, eventually growing the office to over 20 financial advisors.

Michael enjoyed his experience as a Branch Manager but he missed developing personal relationships with clients. Michael decided to leave management and resume his role as a financial advisor. His role as a financial advisor allows him to help his clients attain their goals by engaging in a holistic approach to financial planning whether formal or yellow pad, it should be in writing.

In his spare time, Michael teaches automobile car control and safety to teens and high performance track driving to adults with Porsche Club, BMW Club and others.

Kolby is a Financial Advisor with the Magnolia Group at Morgan Stanley in Houston, Texas. Among his many responsibilities, he helps the team create comprehensive financial plans and manage investment portfolios.

Kolby is deeply committed to building strong, enduring relationships and exceeding client's expectations. He seeks to achieve those objectives by taking full advantage of Morgan Stanley's global resources, educating investors about his carefully researched recommendations, and delivering consistent level of high-quality client service.

Known within the team for his strong attention to detail, Kolby works with the team to identify each client's specific needs and concerns and works diligently to create a custom, comprehensive financial plan to help them achieve their long-term goals. He makes himself readily available to clients to answer their questions in a succinct, easy-to-understand manner and stays in close contact with them throughout the relationship to help ensure they remain comfortable with their financial plan in all types of market and economic environments.

Born and raised in Louisiana, Kolby moved to Houston after earning his MBA with a concentration in Finance from Mississippi College, a private Christian university. While earning his degree, Kolby spent two years working with a large team within Morgan Stanley managing +$1B in assets. Always working to extend his knowledge, Kolby is currently pursuing certification to become a Certified Financial Planner.

In his free time, he enjoys playing golf, watching sporting events, notably football, baseball and basketball, and spending time with his friends and family.

A fifth-generation Houstonian, Scott Zindler is a Certified Financial Planner^® professional with more than 25 years of experience. He works with a broad range of affluent investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals and their families, business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals.

Scott's clients appreciate the comprehensive financial planning acumen that he brings to every relationship. His holistic approach to helping clients achieve their financial goals combined with Morgan Stanley's expertise in investment management, tax-efficiency, liability management, wealth education and family governance allow him to address and help navigate every facet of a family's financial journey.

As a current board member of the Houston Estate and Financial Forum, Scott is very comfortable collaborating with his client's CPA, Estate Attorney and other tax-advisers in order to help devise and implement strategies to reduce current and future estate, income and capital gain tax liabilities.

Scott is active in the community. He is an executive board member of the Spring Branch Education Foundation and very involved with activities of the Gregory Reid Ferris Empathetic Care Fund at the Methodist Hospital Foundation.

Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Scott served as a financial consultant within the wealth management group of a large global bank. He was also the Founder, President, and Chief Investment Officer of Zindler Financial Group, a boutique financial planning firm in Houston.

When not at work, Scott enjoys fishing in Galveston Bay, attending Houston Astros Games, and spending time with his wife Katie and children Haley, Ashley, and Bradley.

The CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification is the standard of excellence in financial planning. CFP^® professionals meet rigorous education, training and ethical standards, and are committed to serving their clients' best interests today to prepare them for a more secure tomorrow.

Veronica Visbal has more than 19 years in the financial services industry- she started her career at UBS, and also worked for Merrill Lynch. Veronica received her MBA with a concentration in Finance, and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Chapman Graduate School of Business at Florida International University. She also obtained a dual Bachelor of Science in Economics and Broadcast Journalism from the University of Miami and attended Rice University for her CFP^® education.

Veronica's guidance is tailored to helping simplify client's decisions, as well as bringing clarity to their financial lives in pursuit of their long-term goals. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, Veronica's primary role within the team is to create & manage customized, comprehensive Financial Plans that are appropriate for client's personal circumstances, their unique feelings, risk profiles and attitudes. Veronica provides a disciplined approach to investment and retirement planning focusing on estate planning strategies, improving tax efficiencies, legacy planning and retirement income needs. She is committed to helping clients preserve and grow their wealth over multiple generations.

Veronica is a former ballet dancer, and enjoys camping, cycling and going to the theater with her husband Leo. They are both passionate about giving back to the community in their area and abroad. She was a former board member for Hope for Kasai and they are still very active with that foundation and other non-profits in the area.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP^® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™in the U.S.


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 or review our Understanding Your Brokerage and Investment Advisory Relationships brochure available at https://www.morganstanley.com/wealth-relationshipwithms/pdfs/understandingyourrelationship.pdf

Beth's 30 years of experience in the financial industry makes her the most experienced member of the team It is her extensive knowledge of financial products, services and processes that make her an invaluable asset to the team as well as our clients She is able to simplify complex financial jargon and help clients navigate the intricacies of the financial industry- ultimately enhancing the client experience and keeping clients informed.

She began as a Client Service Associate (CSA), and in 2004, she transitioned into her role as operations manager After three years in the position, Beth decided that she missed the interaction with clients that her CSA role provides, and she once again made a change.

Outside of work, Beth is heavily involved with The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and extremely passionate about causes that support our actively deployed military and veterans She has also lead several Morgan Stanley initiatives for branch-wide drives for military bases overseas

Abryn has 15 years of experience in the financial services industry previously working for both JPMorgan and TIAA. She’s found her niche in client service and helping them fulfill their financial goals. She combines her knowledge in financial planning with operational excellence to identify service strategies that deepen client relationships to help ensure an excellent client experience.

Although born and raised in Kansas, she now considers herself a true Texan after spending the last 16 years between both Dallas and Houston. In her free time, Abryn enjoys spending time with her family and traveling within the U.S. and abroad.

Before joining Morgan Stanley in 2022, Michelle worked at BBVA Wealth Management as an International Associate Financial Consultant and International Insurance Coordinator for five years after more than a decade in legal industry. This is where Michelle established her love for the financial services industry.

Michelle graduated from Universidad de Monterrey in Mexico, with a BA in International Marketing in 2000. She is fluent in English and Spanish to enhance relationships with both our domestic and international clients.

As our team’s Client Concierge, Michelle will be the first point of contact when clients connect with our team. Her primary responsibility is to provide a white-glove level of service to our clientele by ensuring that their requests, inquiries, and transactions are executed efficiently and effectively by the proper channel within our group. Additionally, Michelle is responsible for scheduling client meetings and reviews, coordinating client events, as well as managing our team’s digital footprint, including website and social media communications.

Outside of work, Michelle’s passion is spending time with friends and family, especially with her children, Marion and Luke. Michelle also enjoys mentoring high school and college students helping them make quality life decisions along their journey through her church.

Doug joined The Magnolia Group in 2021 as a Consulting Group Analyst to assist the team’s advisors in managing investment portfolios and constructing financial plans. Prior to joining The Magnolia Group, he worked at Morgan Stanley in Rockville, MD where he was a Consulting Group Analyst for a team managing $1.25 billion in client assets. From this experience, he is able to work effectively with advisors to develop tailored portfolio recommendations for clients in order to help them pursue their financial goals. Most importantly, he focuses on cultivating and maintaining long lasting relationships with clients, so he can truly understand their needs and provide them with the best possible experience.

Doug graduated from Hood College in 2011 with a degree in business management, concentrated in finance, and attended American University’s Kogod School of Business in Washington D.C. earning his MBA. Currently, Doug is working towards enhancing his knowledge and the level of service that he provides to the team’s clients.

Doug currently lives in Houston’s Galleria Area and enjoys spending time with his wife, Kelsey, reading, exercising, watching Formula 1 racing and baseball.

Before joining Morgan Stanley in 2022, Jen worked at Harvard Medical School, SharkNinja, and Dartmouth College, where her roles focused largely on budget planning and analysis, client satisfaction, facilities, real estate and space management, and strategic company initiatives. Her devotion to building strong relationships with clients as well as her love of assessing financial goals and evaluating performance has led her to the financial services industry where she has found her niche.

Jen grew up in Connecticut and spent years living in Boston before moving to New Hampshire where she joined Morgan Stanley. She recently relocated to Houston with her husband, Wes, and their two Labrador retrievers. Their three adult children still live in the northeast and visit regularly. In her free time, Jen enjoys hiking with her dogs, downhill skiing, traveling, and exploring her new hometown.