The Veridical Group at Morgan Stanley

Susan Graham Harrington is an Executive Director, Chartered Special Needs Consultant, Financial Planning Specialist, and Financial Advisor with Morgan Stanley. Susan joined Legg Mason in 1997, becoming part of the office that Charles Graham founded in 1977. Charlie retired in 2013 and Susan now heads The Veridical Group at Morgan Stanley. Susan focuses on multi-generational family wealth planning and developing comprehensive retirement and estate planning strategies for individuals and families. Her goal is to continue the legacy of individual, personalized service for each and every client.

Susan graduated from North Carolina State University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management and then in 1995 obtained dual Master’s Degrees in Finance and Management from Webster University. After service in the US Navy flight program, Susan spent time as an equity analyst in New York before beginning her long-term career with the companies that became Morgan Stanley.

With over 25 years of experience in wealth management, Susan understands the complexity of family dynamics and the importance of having a plan in place in order to achieve long-term individual and family goals. As a Financial Planning specialist, Susan offers her clients a detailed level of personal attention and tailors her strategies to the specialized concerns of high net worth families. Susan has received numerous award recognitions for her dedication to our clients.

Susan is a native of Montgomery County, MD. She and her husband Greg have six children between them, and one grandchild. Susan is an alumna of Sigma Kappa sorority, serves on the School of Business Advisory Board at Norfolk State University, and is a volunteer with the American Red Cross.

I work with individuals, families, and businesses to help them strategically manage their assets, and transfer those assets to the next generation. After working in compliance and risk management at an independent broker dealer, I joined Morgan Stanley in 2009. 

I have a B.A. from the University of Richmond, a Masters of Divinity from Regent College (located in Vancouver, British Columbia), and a J.D from the Catholic University, Columbus School of Law. I am licensed to practice law in Maryland and Washington State, but am currently not practicing due to my role as an advisor. When not helping clients, I teach a class on the prudent investment of trust assets as an adjunct professor at the Columbus School of Law.

Securities Agent: AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IL, KS, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, NC, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, PA, SC, SD, TX, VA, WA, WV; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative

After working as a naval architect for the Department of the Navy for 15 years conducting sea trials on US Navy surface ships and submarines, and then as an Environmental Engineer for 5 years, Michael embarked on his career as a financial advisor with Legg Mason in the year 2000.  With an engineering background, and expertise as a Certified Financial Planner, Michael focuses on investment selection and financial planning. 

He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) from the University of Maryland College Park, and a Masters in Environmental Engineering (MSSE) from George Washington University. 

Michael lives in Kensington, is an avid bicyclist, and a member of Fourth Presbyterian Church.

Luis Alfonso has been a Financial Advisor with Morgan Stanley since 2013. He takes a collaborative approach to Wealth Management, focused on listening and understanding clients to help them achieve their financial goals. With a background in Education, he takes great care to ensure clients are empowered to make informed choices and understand their full financial picture.

Luis graduated from the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. After spending some time working overseas and at the Smithsonian, he joined the financial industry at what would become HSBC’s Embassy Banking Group. He worked with diplomats and embassies, helping new arrivals with their transitions into Washington DC. This gave him an outsider’s perspective into the often baffling complexity of the US Financial System, while guiding clients in these complicated life changes.

Working in the DC Area, with its complex ecosystem of Government, Non-profit, and Higher Educational Institutions, has given Luis experience with a very diverse group of individuals navigating life transitions. Leveraging the vast resources at Morgan Stanley, as well as the deep expertise of other members of the Veridical Group, Luis helps to guide clients through important life changes. These include starting a new job, starting or growing an existing business, planning for retirement, navigating offers of buyouts at work, inheritances, and divorces.

Luis lives in DC with his kids Victor and Sofia. Luis likes to spend his spare time exploring everything DC has to offer, as well as spending time with his parents and sister’s family, which all finally settled in the DC area, giving up their globetrotting ways that had them all living in separate countries for 10+ years.

Maritza Hernandez is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and Financial Advisor. She draws upon ten years of experience in financial services to work closely with individuals and families. Her focus is to ensure that clients have a comprehensive approach to managing their finances and strategies tailored to their objectives. She is especially passionate about the personal relationships that she develops with her clients. Throughout her career, Maritza has worked tirelessly to provide clients with the utmost personal care and attention.

Prior to joining Morgan Stanley in 2015, Maritza worked for PNC Bank. She graduated from Allegheny College with a Bachelor of Arts in 2013 and from the Pennsylvania State University with a Master’s in Business Administration in 2023. To better serve her clients, Maritza earned the CFP^® certification from the College for Financial Planning in 2020 – a formal recognition of expertise in the areas of financial planning, taxes, insurance, estate planning and retirement. As an avid learner, you’ll always find her with a book in her hand or a podcast playing in the background. Maritza has been named to Morgan Stanley’s Pacesetter’s Club – an elite group composed of the firm’s top Financial Advisors – since 2019.

Maritza follows Morgan Stanley’s tradition of being an active and engaged participant in the community. In her spare time, you’ll find Maritza spending time with her loved ones, traveling, or enjoying the outdoors.

Christina is a 2001 graduate of Fleet Business School in Annapolis, Md. As our Wealth Management Associate, Christina is responsible for all aspects of client service and serves as our team administrator to oversee the day-to-day operations. Christina joined Legg Mason in 2004, which has since merged into Morgan Stanley. In 2016 she joined The Veridical Group.

Christina brings a wealth of knowledge and 20 yrs of industry experience to our team. She is a key resource for clients and ensures they receive first class service. Christina holds Series 7 and 66 securities licenses. As a fully licensed member of the team, Christina can also assist in filling client trade and money movement requests. Christina enjoys building the relationships she shares with our clients.

Outside of the office, Christina is an accomplished Pianist and often unwinds her day by practicing piano and playing for others. She is passionate about volunteering in the community and spending time with her husband, Roy, and their lovable Pitbull Phoenix.

Connor is a Maryland native and graduate of Winston Churchill High School. He joined the Veridical group in 2021 and holds Series 7 and Series 66 licenses. As a Registered Associate, Connor is part of our service team and he takes care of our clients daily transactional requests. His hobbies include weightlifting, nutrition, science, economics, programming, off-roading in his Jeep, skiing, singing, and learning.

Mercy is a seasoned financial professional with over 18 years of experience in client services and relationship management across commercial and retail banking industries. She joined The Veridical Group as a Client Service Associate in 2024. She loves to build relationships and is passionate about offering excellent service to clients. Outside of the office, Mercy is a part time health and fitness coach and enjoys spending time with her family as well as taking part in various voluntary activities.