Amy joined Ashton Thomas in 2022 as Director of Advanced Planning. As part of the Advanced Planning team, she focuses on complex estate and trust situations, tax planning strategies, and related wealth planning solutions for clients of the firm and their advisors.
Amy has been committed to maintaining a high level of professional acumen throughout her career. She became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in 2003. Amy added the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) designation, granted by the CFP Board of Standards, to her list of professional credentials in 2005. She also became a Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor (CTFA) in 2007 and a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® (CDFA®) in 2017.
“Some people try to fit wealth planning into a box,” says Amy. “I don’t take that approach. While the technical aspects are important, planning is an ongoing conversation with a client. It’s a dialogue, not a document.”
Amy’s financial services career has spanned more than two decades in the Chicago and Denver areas. Most recently, she was Director in Baird’s Wealth Strategies Group. Prior to that, she was a Senior Wealth Planning Strategist for Wells Fargo and U.S. Bank in the Denver area, and an Executive Director with JPMorgan Private Bank in Chicago. In these roles, she worked directly with high-net-worth and family office clients of the firms on multifaceted planning solutions. Earlier in her career, she was a Senior Tax Consultant with Deloitte in Chicago. She interned for Arthur Andersen while in college and became a full-time Tax Consultant after graduation, focusing on middle market business, family office, and hedge fund tax clients.
Amy hails from the Chicago suburbs of northwestern Indiana. She is an alumnus of Indiana University, where she attended the Kelley School of Business. Majoring in both Accounting and Finance, Amy graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 2000.
“Because I grew up in a community where family was so important, I endeavor to treat each client like they are my grandparents,” Amy states. “I’m also naturally curious, so I really enjoy the get-to-know aspect of planning for clients. Preserving tangible wealth is important, but so are the intangibles like family values, history, and culture. These things can really tie a family together. It’s such an important aspect of what I do.”
Amy is a committed member of the Denver metro professional community, having been active with the Mile High United Way’s Women United Business Alliance for seven years.
“We’re just delighted to have a credentialed planning professional of Amy’s caliber as part of the Ashton Thomas family,” says Ashton Thomas Founder and CEO, Aaron Brodt. “She brings valuable experience and perspective to an already talented Advanced Planning team. Our advisors really have a deep financial planning bench available to serve the complex needs of their private wealth clients.”
Amy and her husband, Mike, reside in the Denver area with their two daughters, Mary and Lucy. They enjoy family trips to interesting and educational destinations. Amy and Mike enjoy golf and collecting photographic art. Amy is also an avid reader who enjoys comedy and a good podcast.
