Our Strategic Partners
Caleb Nitz, CFP®
Caleb Nitz is the Vice President of Business Development for our partner, ValMark Financial Group. His primary responsibility is working with existing and potential Member Firms to integrate ValMark’s unique tools, resources and people to help them grow. Previously, Mr. Nitz led ValMark’s Insurance Marketing team, enhancing Member Firm services and delivering on key insurance offerings such as Life Assurance 360™. In addition to his FINRA series 7, 24 and 66 securities registrations, Mr. Nitz is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and carries Ohio Life, Health and Variable Insurance licenses. He earned his BBA in Finance and Financial Planning from the University of Akron, Magna Cum Laude, with a Minor in Business Entrepreneurship. Mr. Nitz is a graduate of the Focus Leadership Institute [2008] and is a member of the Association of Advances Life Underwriting. In his free time, he enjoys skiing, bicycling and volunteering with his wife, Hannah.
Chris Finefrock, MBA, CFP®
Chris Finefrock is the Vice President of Financial Planning for our partner, ValMark Financial Group. In his role, he oversees and is a resource for the team responsible for all aspects of design and implementation of various brokerage, insurance and advisory solutions intended to assist investors with risk management and reaching their accumulation and/or distribution goals. In addition to his FINRA series 7, 24 and 66 securities registrations and his Ohio Life, Health and Variable licenses, Mr. Finefrock holds a bachelor’s degree in Financial Services and an MBA in Finance from the University of Akron. He is also a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™.
Greg Revak
Greg Revak is an Associate Planner for our partner, ValMark Financial Group. Through various planning processes, Greg is specialized in supporting ValMark and its clients through the accumulation, income distribution and legacy phases of their retirement plans, including specialized topics such as Social Security benefits. Mr. Revak earned a BBA in Financial Services from the University of Akron with a Minor in Economics, graduating Cum Laude. Mr. Revak holds FINRA Series 7 and 24 securities registrations as well as Ohio Life, Health and Variable licenses. He has been noted in Institutional Investor: The All-American Student Analyst Competition and is a member of both the National Honor Society and the Financial Management Association. In his spare time, Mr. Revak enjoys playing and coaching ice hockey, playing a game of pick-up soccer and being with family.
James Dawson
James Dawson is a Financial Planner for our partner, ValMark Financial Group. In his role, he is responsible for aspects of design, marketing, and implementation of ValMark’s unique financial planning processes. These plans provide a clear path towards achieving clients’ goals, while identifying risks that could be obstacles and recommending solutions to best address each risk. Mr. Dawson earned a BBA in Financial Services from the University of Akron, Summa Cum Laude, and holds FINRA Series 7, 24 and 66 licenses as well as Ohio Life, Health, and Variable Licenses. Mr. Dawson also placed First Place in the North Western Mutual Financial Planning Challenge and Second Place nationwide in the CFP® competition.
Jessica Rorar, CFP®
Jessica Rorar is a Planner for our partner, ValMark Financial Group, with a focus on investment solutions. She is primarily responsible for assisting ValMark with case designs and reviews of annuity solutions within our clients’ retirement and estate plans. She also provides expertise for client needs involving retirement plans and pension risk transfer requests. Ms. Rorar earned a BBA in Financial Services from the University of Akron with a Minor in Spanish and graduated with Honors. Ms. Rorar holds FINRA Series 7, 24 and 66 securities registrations as well as Ohio Life, Health and Variable licenses and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™.
Judson Forner, CFP®, CRPC®
Judson Forner is the Vice President of Planning Review for our partner, ValMark Financial Group. In his role, he oversees and is a resource for all insurance and investment product lines including research, case analysis and design, product recommendations and advanced product concepts. Mr. Forner presents on topics such as Money Management, Financial Planning and Annuities at ValMark Member Summit (formerly School of Life) and School of Excellence conferences, as well as higher education institutions such as Ursuline College and The Ohio State University. He has been quoted in industry publications including Barron’s, Bloomberg, CNBC, Financial Advisor Magazine, and Investment News. In addition to his FINRA Series 6, 7, 24, 53 and 66 securities registrations and his Ohio Life, Health and Variable Insurance licenses, Mr. Forner earned a BBA from The Ohio State University with a focus in Finance. He is also a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and a CHARTERED RETIREMENT PLANNING COUNSELORSM.
Kristen Finefrock, CFP®
In her role as Planning Coordinator for our partner, ValMark Financial Group, Kristen Finefrock assists Member Offices in the analysis of Life Insurance planning within estates, business and retirement planning and individual coverage. She specializes in Life Insurance through the Life Assurance 360® process, as well as project management. Ms. Finefrock is responsible for overseeing the ValMark Intern Program and works closely with MyCase. She earned her BBA in Corporate Finance from the University of Akron, Cum Laude, as well as membership into the Financial Management Association. She has received the designations of Honor’s Scholar – University Honor’s College, and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™. Ms. Finnefrock holds Ohio Life and Health licenses, as well as FINRA Series 7 and 24 securities registrations.
Kyle Larsen
In his role as an Underwriting Development Associate, Kyle is responsible for case management of Life Insurance, as well as Life Underwriting assistance for our partner, ValMark Financial Group. He has previous experience as a Business Account Manager with Advantage Sales & Marketing, and as a Sales and Marketing Assistant for Walser Automotive Group. Mr. Larsen earned his BA in Communications from the University of Minnesota.
Michael Noss, FALU
As a Senior Underwriter for our partner, ValMark Financial Group, Michael Noss is responsible for the technical assessment and negotiation of underwriting offers and serves as a contact for any new business or underwriting issues. He is a national presenter for the ValMark School of Excellence in addition to various industry conferences. Mr. Noss earned his BA in Philosophy and Communication from Saint John’s University. He is a member of the Association of Home Office Underwriters (AHOU) and a Fellow of the Academy of Life Underwriting (FALU).
Phil Jackson, MBA, CLU®
Phil Jackson is a Planner for our partner, ValMark Financial Group, with a focus on insurance solutions. In his role, he analyzes estate, business and retirement planning strategies specializing in life and long term care insurance. In addition to his FINRA Series 7 and 24 securities registrations, as well as Ohio Life, Health and Variable licenses, Mr. Jackson holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University, an MBA from Palm Beach Atlantic University, and is a Chartered Life Underwriter®.
Tyler Denholm, CFA®
Tyler Denholm is the Vice President of Investment Management and Research for our partner, ValMark Financial Group. His primary responsibility is overseeing the investment management process and conducting research for TOPS®, TOPS® Strategic Allocation Portfolios, and TOPS® Variable Insurance Trust. He earned a BBA in Finance and Real Estate from the University of Akron, Summa Cum Laude. In addition to his FINRA series 7 and 24 securities registrations, Mr. Denholm has earned the elite distinction of holding the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.
Zach Hurst, CFP®
Zach Hurst is a Financial Planner for our partner, ValMark Financial Group. In his role, he is responsible for aspects of design, marketing, and implementation of ValMark’s unique financial planning processes. He assists us with accumulation, income distribution and legacy planning through various unique processes designed to best meet the unique needs of each of our clients. Mr. Hurst earned a BBA in Financial Services from the University of Akron and holds FINRA Series 7, 24 and 66 licenses as well as Ohio Life, Health, and Variable Licenses. Mr. Hurst is also a Certified Financial Planner®.
Mike Maimone
Mike is our web designer and advisor. He maintains our website, sends our newsletters and administers our blog.