The Perspective Group at Morgan Stanley

Doug joined the firm in 1999 and is a founding partner of the Perspective Group. He provides clients with a personalized pathway from “career mode” to a dependable retirement “paycheck.”

As a Morgan Stanley Portfolio Management Director, Doug manages all aspects of our clients’ discretionary portfolios. Doug also helps ensure clients stay well informed when it comes to crucial life decisions involving programs such as Social Security and Medicare.

A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ since 2002, Doug brings his wealth of life experience to each client relationship. With his personable style, he is especially passionate about reaching out to the children of his clients—ensuring that they pay sufficient attention to intergenerational financial challenges and opportunities—and providing clients with key referrals to other trusted financial professionals.

Before entering the financial industry, Doug worked in radar navigation with the United States Coast Guard. Having spent most of this time working on the ocean, he can confirm that the movie The Perfect Storm was spot-on in its depiction of how rough the seas can quickly get off of Georges Bank.
In 1986, following the space shuttle Challenger disaster, Doug assisted in the recovery mission, receiving a Coast Guard Commendation Medal for his efforts. Doug also has an entertainment background in radio broadcasting.

Doug earned his Bachelor of Science degree in business with honors from East Carolina University. He enjoys traveling and, as a lifelong Washington Football Team fan, is happy to commiserate about the team’s performance over the past few decades.

He lives in Leesburg, Virginia. Away from the office Doug and his wife, Kim, enjoy spending time with their three grandchildren.

The individuals mentioned as the Portfolio Management Team are Financial Advisors with Morgan Stanley participating in the Morgan Stanley Portfolio Management program. The Portfolio Management program is an investment advisory program in which the client’s Financial Advisor invests the client’s assets on a discretionary basis in a range of securities. The Portfolio Management program is described in the applicable Morgan Stanley ADV Part 2, available at www.morganstanley.com/ADV or from your Financial Advisor.

Rick focuses on developing comprehensive financial planning strategies for individuals and families. Throughout his career, Rick has worked tirelessly to provide clients with the utmost personal care and attention. He carefully and thoughtfully listens to help those clients tailor financial planning strategies specifically to their objectives. Knowing that fast-moving markets are constantly changing, Rick focuses on developing long-term strategic solutions and on meeting families’ complex financial needs throughout the various stages of their lives.

To better serve his clients, Rick furthered his education by earning the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP) designation from the College for Financial Planning in 2005. The CFP^® certification includes an ethical duty to look after his clients’ investments, and he extends this ethical requirement to every aspect of his profession. In addition, he holds the Portfolio Management Director designation at Morgan Stanley, where he began his career in 1999.
Rick graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Science degree in international relations. He also holds a Master of Science degree in strategic intelligence from the Defense Intelligence College and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Durham.

John focuses on providing comprehensive financial planning services to corporate executives and their families. He provides clients with top-tier service through an extensive understanding of their company benefits and tailoring financial strategies to the unique needs of corporate executives. John also works with many corporations and local institutions to provide them with access to sophisticated strategies, better enabling them to secure talent and promote growth.

John, who began his career as an advisor at an independent firm, came to Morgan Stanley in 2015 and soon afterwards earned his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM (CFP^®) designation. As the team’s youngest advisor, he is a valued resource for clients seeking multigenerational financial planning, working closely with their children and grandchildren to address their unique needs. John leads the group’s Modern Wealth Management initiative; integrating the latest technologies, resources and human capital to maximize the financial opportunities available to client.

John graduated with a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from Saint Francis University in Pennsylvania. He also attended Penn State University, where he played football and was a member of the 2008 Big Ten Championship Team and 2009 Rose Bowl team.

John enjoys staying active in athletics, church and the local community in Frederick, Maryland, where he lives with his wife (Alex) and children (Grace, Jack, Jude and Claire).

As our Business Development Associate, Jessi Brady is a key partner in the Perspective Group. She joined the firm in 1998 and has been a member of the Perspective Group since our inception in 2010.

In 2015, Jessi earned the Financial Planning Specialist designation and, her extraordinary proficiency was recognized by Morgan Stanley in 2024 when she received the honor of the select title promotion to Vice President.

As Business Development Associate, Jessi is involved in all aspects of the practice. In addition to being a regular point of contact for our clients, her extensive base of financial knowledge is a key resource for our clients in answering questions and resolving concerns.

Although her son, Zach, will be graduating college in 2025, Jessi can still be found participating in local school functions, or in the stands at youth sporting events. Jessi has thirteen nieces and nephews whom she supports in their many activities. Jessi and her family live in Frederick County, Maryland.

Michelle joined the firm in 2008 and became a member of the Perspective Group in 2017. As our Portfolio Associate, Michelle is fully licensed and can assist in the execution of client trade requests and fund transfers. She has also earned the Financial Planning Associate designation. She takes pride in providing exemplary customer service and being a resource for our clients.

Michelle lives in Wolfsville, Maryland with her husband, Brian. They have two sons - Zack and Jake, and recently became grandparents to a little girl, Paisley Grace. Michelle enjoys her time with family and relaxing in the serene setting of the pond on their western Maryland property.

Makayla assists with enhancing and maintaining new and existing client relationships through active communication with clients, processing client requests, providing guidance and making sure key information and documentation remains current.
Makayla began her career at Morgan Stanley’s Rockville location as the Branch Administrator in 2022. While working, she obtained all the licenses required to become a fully registered employee. She then joined The Perspective Group in 2024, as a Registered Client Service Associate. Prior to coming to Morgan Stanley, Makayla received her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at Towson University. Makayla enjoys traveling, playing tennis, and hiking in her spare time.