The HPP Team
HERE TO SERVE YOU FOR GENERATIONS TO COME
Here at Heritage Planning Partners, you’re served by a diverse team of professionals with different skills, knowledge, and areas of expertise —all working together on your behalf. We have intentionally built a multi-generational practice so you can rest assured that you and your family are being cared for now and in the future.
Partners
Michael D'Aquila CFP®, CPWA®, WMCP®, CLU®
Partner and Private Wealth Advisor
Plan – Partner – Prosper
PROFESSIONAL APPROACH
As a Private Wealth Advisor, Michael’s priority is helping others connect their purpose to their wealth. He spends much of this time with clients identifying the problems they’re trying to solve and how their financial plan can help them achieve their goals. While many of his clients work in the financial community and other specialized fields, he’s found they appreciate a strategic, yet straightforward approach to their planning. Michael’s clients lead busy lives, so his team is there to provide accountability and to make it easy to execute on their plan. Heritage Planning Partners is built to provide clarity, serving our clients to achieve what’s possible.
As a co-founder of Heritage Planning Partners, Michael also leads our advisory team. He has always spent time mentoring and developing advisors, so he aids in developing the next generation of professionals to serve our clients for decades to come.
BACKGROUND & INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
Michael began his career as an intern in 2001 while completing a finance degree at Loyola University Chicago. From an early stage, he wanted a career that was built on personal relationships, working to make a difference in people’s lives. More than 20 years later, he’s grateful to have had an early start, seeing the benefit of his work with long-term clients.
Michael has qualified for Northwestern Mutual’s Forum multiple times, being recognized as top advisor in the organization. In 2021, he was named by Forbes as one of the 250 top financial security professionals in the nation. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner and has his Certified Private Wealth Advisor®, Wealth Management Certified Professional®, and Chartered Life Underwriter® designations.
PERSONAL FULFILLMENT
Michael lives in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood with his wife Genevieve and their two daughters, Lucia (9) and Mariana (6). As a family, they love seeing live, local music performances; he and Lucia are even taking piano lessons at a neighborhood music school. Michael also enjoys getting involved at the girls’ school, Near North Montessori, lending his time however he can.
As an avid runner, Michael enjoys being active on the weekends, but he still finds some time to cook, watch soccer, and enjoy a glass of wine with his neighbors.
Benjamin Voigt CFP®, CLU®, RICP®, CPWA®
Partner and Private Wealth Advisor
Plan – Partner – Prosper
PROFESSIONAL APPROACH
As a wealth management advisor with more than 20 years of experience, Ben provides comprehensive financial planning for professionals, families, pre-retirees, and retirees. He focuses primarily on retirement income planning, helping clients articulate their long-term goals and create practical plans to achieve them. As they work together, he becomes his clients’ trusted confidant, providing insight about important financial topics and helping them navigate major life decisions. Ultimately, Ben’s goal is to give others confidence about their future and the decisions they make with money—about their spending habits, savings, investment strategies, and insurance plans. By overseeing each client’s entire financial world and providing valuable feedback and guidance, he hopes to remove their worry and concern, giving them freedom to feel good about their progress and the decisions they’ve made.
BACKGROUND & INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
With his entrepreneurial drive and desire to help people, Ben knew early in his career that financial advisory would be a good fit for him. After working at a consulting firm for a few years, he joined Northwestern Mutual in 2001 and started his own practice. He loved the opportunity it provided to build relationships, have deep conversations, and connect with people on important topics that made an impact in their everyday life. After running his own practice for 16 years, he founded Heritage Planning Partners with Mike and Adam.
Ben has earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, Certified Private Wealth Advisor®, Retirement Income Certified Professional®, and Chartered Life Underwriter® designations. He is also a member of Finseca, an organization that provides education, training, and growth opportunities for financial professionals. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.
PERSONAL FULFILLMENT
Ben grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and now lives in La Grange Park, Illinois, with his wife Bridget and their daughters, Molly (17) and Anna (13). (They also have a dog named Sadie and a hamster named Pluto.) Ben enjoys spending time with his family, and whenever they can, they like to visit their cabin in Michigan, where they play board games, read, take walks, and swim in Lake Michigan (when it’s warm, of course!). In his free time, Ben likes to run, bike, and play the occasional round of golf. He also volunteers as a mentor with WITS (Working In The Schools).
Adam Waitzman CLU®
Partner and Private Wealth Advisor
Plan – Partner – Prosper
PROFESSIONAL APPROACH
As a wealth management advisor, Adam helps clients identify what matters most to them and create a financial action plan that supports their vision of success. By gaining an understanding of the person and purpose behind the plan, he becomes their financial advocate, overseeing the big picture and facilitating details that support their holistic well-being. More than anything else, Adam’s clients trust him and the Heritage team because of who they are as people. He knows that meaningful wealth management is about much more than numbers, and he believes his and his team members’ combination of high character, experience, and technical acumen are what give clients the confidence to entrust them with their wealth, their families, and their futures. With a high level of empathy, he helps people define who they are and what they want out of life before moving forward with financial solutions. As such, he’s adept at serving a variety of clients and is especially passionate about working with individuals in the healthcare industry and those experiencing major life changes.
As he works with clients, his goal is to remove the worry and angst of life, giving them assurance that, as they focus on what matters to them, he’ll be there, making sure their finances are supporting a strong future and meaningful present. Adam’s objective for his clients is the same as that for his own family—to make sure money is never the driving force behind their decisions. He believes life is about experiences, and he wants the people he serves to enjoy every moment of their journey as they prepare for the road ahead.
BACKGROUND & INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
Adam joined the financial industry in 2002 because it enabled him to experience people in a meaningful, truthful way. After sitting in on a meeting with his parents and their advisor, he realized this career could help him reach the heart of others. That day, he experienced his parents in a way he never had before; his father was open and vulnerable, as was his mother. It was a side he’d never seen of them before, and from that moment, their relationship grew stronger because he saw the purpose behind their actions. At 20 years old, he had believed he knew most everything about his parents, but he discovered there was more. And so, after earning his degree in finance and entrepreneurship from The University of Illinois Chicago, he relinquished his plan to attend law school and joined Northwestern Mutual—and he’s never looked back.
Since then, Adam has been named to Northwestern Mutual’s Forum every year since 2010, an honor reserved for the top advisors in the organization. In 2021, Adam was also recognized by Forbes as one of the top financial security professionals in the nation. He has earned the Chartered Life Underwriter® designation and has his Series 7, 6, and 63 registrations. He is also a member of the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts (IDFA™).
PERSONAL FULFILLMENT
Adam married his high school sweetheart, Jodie, and they live in the northern suburbs of Chicago with their three children: daughters Allie (13) and Taylor (10) and their son, Jordan (8). They also have a bichon/poodle puppy named Snoopy that the whole family adores. Adam most loves spending time with his family, whether he’s coaching Jordan’s baseball team, coaching softball for Taylor, crafting with Allie, or just having fun with the whole crew in the backyard.
Brian M Stanley
Partner and Private Wealth Advisor
PROFESSIONAL APPROACH
As a wealth management advisor with more than 22 years of experience, Brian provides the highest level of financial security to individuals, families, and business owners both in the Michiana area and nationwide. He is committed to developing and maintaining long standing relationships based on exceptional service and trust. Through the integration of risk-based products and investment solutions, backed by a financial plan, his clients lead financially secure lives.
BACKGROUND & INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
Brian joined Northwestern Mutual in 2001. After 10 years with our Chicago office, Brian decided to the return home to South Bend area. He has qualified for Northwestern Mutual’s Forum membership 3 times, an award that represents the top five percent of more than 7,500 of Northwestern Mutual’s financial representatives. In 2021, 2022 and 2023, he was recognized by Forbes as best-in-state top financial security professionals in the nation.
PERSONAL FULFILLMENT
Brian and his wife Kelly have been married for 15 years. Together they have three children, Leighton, Will and Nolan. Brian enjoys devoting his time to his community. He is currently involved with the following organizations: Community Foundation of St. Joseph County Board member and Saint Joseph Health System Board Chair.
Financial Advisor
Thomas "Tommy" Parks CFP®, CLU®, ChFC®
Financial Advisor
Plan – Partner – Prosper
PROFESSIONAL APPROACH
Tommy partners with clients to provide purpose-driven financial planning, regularly meeting with them to discuss their goals, review their progress, and update their strategies. He works primarily with busy specialized professionals like attorneys, physicians, engineers, and financial professionals, educating them about their plan and helping them prepare for the life they want to live. He knows that most people don’t enjoy digging through financial details—they’d rather be spending time with family or friends—so he takes as much off his clients’ plates as possible, helping give them peace of mind that their wealth is taken care of as they enjoy their life. His goal is to give them more time and energy to focus on things they care about, whether that’s their career, family, personal goals, or all of the above.
Tommy’s favorite part of being an advisor is walking through life with clients and learning about their unique goals. He loves knowing that no two plans are alike, and that when he works with a young family or professional, he gets to witness their dreams turning into realities.
BACKGROUND & INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
Tommy started his career as an interest-rate trader at the Chicago Board of Trade, where he worked for six years. At the time, he was a client of Northwestern Mutual, and his financial advisor asked Tommy if he’d ever considered being an advisor himself. Tommy loved the idea of getting to spend time with people every day, and after recognizing what holistic planning had done for his own life, he decided to pursue a career as an advisor. He joined Northwestern Mutual in 2016, where he became good friends with Ben, Mike, and Adam, who mentored him as he grew his practice. With a shared vision for a collaborative, purpose-driven practice, Tommy officially joined the Heritage team in January of 2022.
Tommy graduated from the University of Chicago in 2011 and has a degree in economics. He has earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, Chartered Financial Consultant®, and a Chartered Life Underwriter® designations. He also has his Series 6, 7, and 63 registrations.
PERSONAL FULFILLMENT
Tommy lives in Hinsdale, Illinois, with his wife Lauren and their golden retriever, Ralph, who is (mostly) a very good dog. In the summer, Tommy and Lauren enjoy hanging out by the lake at their cabin in northern Wisconsin or spending time in the city. In his free time, Tommy likes to travel, golf, fish, and spend time with family and friends. He also coaches a Near West Little League team.
PROFESSIONAL APPROACH
As Financial Planning Coordinator, Mike works on creating, updating, and monitoring clients’ comprehensive financial plans. He works closely with their advisors to ensure that the team has developed a thorough and accurate plan that matches their individualized goals. His favorite part of his job is when he and his team can deliver plans to clients that demonstrate to them that they are financially secure and that they can live the lifestyle they want to without major concern. Mike believes it is his job to lose sleep over a client’s plan, so they don’t have to.
BACKGROUND & INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
Mike graduated from the University of Illinois in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Consumer Economics and a concentration on Financial Planning. It was here that he received his education requirements that are set by the CFP Board. He obtained his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional certification in 2019 and his WMCP® certification in 2021. He also has his Life and Health license and passed the Series 7 and 63 exams. Mike previously worked as a Financial Advisor for about four years and an Account Executive for about a year and a half before joining Heritage Planning Partners in March of 2017.
PERSONAL FULFILLMENT
Mike grew up in the Southwest suburbs of Chicago in Lockport, but now lives in Chicago. He enjoys exploring the city and trying new restaurants. He loves the summer when he can go boating with his friends and family and hang out on the water on a hot, sunny day. He is a huge University of Illinois basketball fan who bleeds orange and blue! He loves travelling to Champaign in the fall to attend their football games with his friends, and he is also a big Chicago Bulls fan.
Plan – Partner – Prosper
PROFESSIONAL APPROACH
Brian helps our team provide comprehensive financial planning designed to help people reach their goals. With more than 17 years of experience in the industry, he’s helped clients navigate all sorts of financial situations, and he focuses on meeting people where they are and helping them move forward. Whether he’s helping a young family grow or working with retirees on their distribution plan, he loves getting to work with all kinds of people who each have unique goals. He knows that at the end of the day, his work is about what they want to achieve, not his own opinions. Consequently, he spends much of his time listening and educating. He creates the guardrails that guide his clients, but he believes it’s just as important that they understand how their plan works—because when it comes down to it, they’re the ones who will build their life and change their future. He’s passionate about serving others, and no matter where our clients are when he meets them, Brian’s ultimate goal is to make a lasting difference in their lives.
BACKGROUND & INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
Brian started his career in 2004 with Mosaic Financial Group, where he focused on asset management for HNW clients and eventually worked his way up to a management position. In 2019, his neighbor (Adam Waitzman) told him about the team at Heritage Planning Partners and their mission to provide purpose-driven financial planning. Brian loved the culture, values, and growth mindset at Heritage, and in 2020, he joined the team as an associate financial representative. He loves being able to meet people where they are and work with all kinds of clients, knowing the planning they do will make an incredible impact on their future.
Brian has a degree in finance from Western Illinois University and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. He also has his Series 65 and 7 registrations and has completed the Dale Carnegie Course®.
PERSONAL FULFILLMENT
Brian grew up on the northwest side of Chicago and now lives in Deerfield with his wife Lindsey, their three-year-old son Hudson (aka Huddy), and their daughter Molly, who was born in July of 2021. As a family, they love visiting the botanical gardens and spending time together outdoors; Huddy especially loves exploring the forest preserves with this dad.
In the winter, Brian participates in a bowling league, and when the weather is nice, he enjoys golfing and playing 16-inch softball with friends he’s known since high school.
Wealth Support Team
PROFESSIONAL APPROACH
As an Associate Financial Advisor, Kathy works with clients on establishing new accounts or policies and servicing existing accounts and policies. She strives to deepen the relationships between the advisors and their clients through learning all that she can about their financial and life goals and plans. Kathy had a strong passion for and energy around training and helping associates develop as they join the team, so she is looking forward to dedicating more of her time to the development of the company and training new associates.
BACKGROUND & INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
Kathy has extensive experience in the world of financial services as she worked for Northwestern Mutual on and off since 1999 up until her joining Heritage Planning Partners in 2018. She has her series 7, 63, and life and health licenses.
PERSONAL FULFILLMENT
Kathy currently lives in Tinley Park with her boyfriend Alejandro. She is a huge Cubs fan and a lover of yoga – she currently attends sessions at a studio in Mokena where she has developed a warm, special community. She is also the “Aunt Kika” and Godmother to her niece who she adores!
PROFESSIONAL APPROACH
As an Associate Financial Representative, Alicia’s role consists of guiding new clients through the onboarding process once they have decided to implement their financial plan with Heritage Planning Partners. She diligently walks clients through the various steps and helps gather the appropriate information needed to ensure the process goes smoothly. She loves the feeling that she is making a difference in people’s lives through working to help clients find peace within their financial and personal lives.
BACKGROUND & INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
Alicia graduated from Central College in Iowa with a Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies in 2013. Prior to entering the financial industry, she worked in digital marketing for three years. Alicia stumbled into the financial world through a mutual connection and fell in love with the culture and the mission of helping people. She started with Northwestern Mutual in 2017 working in the Denver office but joined the Heritage Planning Partners team in January of 2021. She is life and health licensed, long-term care licensed, and has her FINRA Series 7 and 63 registrations.
PERSONAL FULFILLMENT
Alicia lives in Chicago with her husband, Josh. In her free time, she likes going to concerts, playing in their summer softball league, riding horses, and being a great aunt to her adorable niece and nephew. She is very adventurous and has gone skydiving and spent a semester abroad studying in London! She enjoys tea and watching one of her favorite movies, The Labyrinth.
PROFESSIONAL APPROACH
As an Operations Associate, Rob helps clients get from Point A to Point Z and everything in between. He handles service work with clients’ insurance and investments by executing reconsiderations, bank and personal contact information updates, withdrawals of money, and much more.
BACKGROUND & INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
Rob graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Science in Small Business Administration and Management. He developed his strong leadership and organizational skills through his time working for the Village of Orland Park for almost six and a half years. He worked as a Lifeguard, Team Leader, Squad Leader, and eventually Assistant Manager. He values his experience there so much that he continues to go back and volunteer his time training the new lifeguards. He also worked as a Business Operations Manager at Loopie, a laundry delivery service in Chicago.
PERSONAL FULFILLMENT
Rob lives in the suburbs of Chicago with his three-year-old corgi named Indy and hopes to move to the city soon, possibly the Gold Coast area. He also loves travelling and adventures and has been cliff jumping in Colorado before! He loves the movie Inception with Leonardo DiCaprio and has even seen it ten times, but still does not fully understand it. He loves to cook, but hates to do dishes and he enjoys his relaxing daily commute on the train with his headphones on to zone out and wind down.
PROFESSIONAL APPROACH
As an Associate Financial Representative, Riley assists clients throughout the entire process. She helps clients fill out applications and is there to lend a hand if an issue arises. When changes occur, Riley reaches out to our clients to keep them up to date. She assists the team by scheduling future appointments for our clients in order to stay connected throughout the HPP process.
BACKGROUND & INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
Riley graduated from the University of Missouri with a bachelor's in Health Administration and a minor in Psychology. Before HPP, Riley worked in accounting for a health and logistics start-up. She has been at Heritage Planning Partners since October 2022. Riley is excited to learn more about the business and is excited to help make a difference in our clients' lives.
PERSONAL FULFILLMENT
Riley is originally from Hinsdale, IL, and currently lives in Gold Coast. Her favorite part of the day is her morning cup of coffee. In the summer, she loves to play intramural sports such as volleyball, cornhole, and soccer. In the past, she has enjoyed vacations in the Galapagos with her family and has endured a swim with a hammerhead shark.
PROFESSIONAL APPROACH
As an Associate Financial Representative, Portia assists with finalizing client onboarding for both life insurance and investment products. She reaches out to clients to gather necessary information and provides a service for on-going clients. Portia also assists the financial advisors in making sure their client accounts are opened or transferred appropriately. She is there to make the process as smooth and quick as possible.
BACKGROUND & INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
Portia graduated from South University with a bachelor’s in Business Administration. She has previous experience working in corporate finance at Blue Cross Blue Shield. Portia has held roles as an accounting assistant and treasury analyst. Before joining HPP she even gained some experience in tax preparation. Her goal is to attain her life, accident and health insurance license.
PERSONAL FULFILLMENT
Portia currently lives in Hazel Crest, IL. She loves to try new restaurants, go on walks through the parks and likes to spend time reading personal development and psychology books. Her favorite time of the day is the late afternoon when even the city starts to wind down. The scariest thing she has ever done is become a landlord.
PROFESSIONAL APPROACH
As a Financial Representative Assistant, Michael Ott assists clients by establishing new investment accounts and life insurance policies while servicing existing accounts. He works alongside clients to implement their financial plans. Michael takes the time to learn our client’s life and financial goals in order to achieve them down the line.
BACKGROUND & INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
Michael has been in the financial service business for more than ten years. He used to work as a banker and financial advisor for Fifth Third Bank, TIAA, BMO Harris Bank, and an Independent IRA. Michael has his Illinois Insurance license for life, health, long-term care, and variable contracts. He is accomplished in comprehensive holistic financial planning, insurance, banking, and lending.
PERSONAL FULFILLMENT
Michael is married to his wife Stefanie and has two small children, a daughter named Genevieve and a son named Nash. They have a small dog named Minnie and live in the Northern Suburbs of Chicago. Michael and his family enjoy volunteering at Ronald McDonald House, Catholic Charities, and the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
PROFESSIONAL APPROACH
As an Associate Financial Representative, Eric assists clients throughout the entire process. He collaborates with the team to ensure success and satisfaction on all fronts. Based on our clients’ requests or needs Eric services their financial plan for the better. He takes the time to learn our client’s life and financial goals in order to achieve them down the line.
BACKGROUND & INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
Eric has been working in the industry for a little over six months. He has made massive strides since starting. Eric graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida Gulf Coast and has a background as a stockbroker at E*Trade Securities. He is excited about his career here at HPP.
PERSONAL FULFILLMENT
Eric recently moved from Naples, Florida to Chicago with his family and girlfriend. He enjoys golfing, working out, and trying new restaurants. Eric has a hobby for fixing watches. He is even member of the National Watch and Clock Collectors Club!
Samantha joined Northwestern Mutual in 2015 as an Administrative Assistant. She became interested in working closer to the financial planning process and joined Brian's team in September 2016. Samantha is Life, Health and Long Term Care insurance licensed and is responsible for managing the insurance underwriting process. She is the primary contact for all insurance related questions and transactions, and also assists in scheduling appointments for our office.
Samantha and her husband reside in Osceola with their two children. They enjoy taking their boat out on the lake, and spending time with family and friends.
Brody joined Brian’s team in 2021 after working in Commercial Banking for three years. He holds a Finance degree from Ball State University. He appreciates the face-to-face client experience and enjoys helping others achieve their financial goals and planning for the future.
Brody is originally from Mishawaka where he met his wife in high school. They have three kids that keep them busy between soccer, baseball, and local theater productions. Brody enjoys coaching his kids’ teams and being active in his community. Whether it’s reading, studying, or simply watching Jeopardy every night, Brody likes to keep his mind sharp and focused in every aspect of his life.
Brody is the primary contact for all investment related questions and transactions. His other responsibilities include establishing new investment accounts, performing rollovers, and providing all other related services for investment clients.
Operations Team
PROFESSIONAL APPROACH
As Director of Operations, Michele handles all the ongoing operations of Heritage Planning Partners. She is an essential part of the team, as she manages all financials, facilities, the internal affairs of the company, and more. She oversees the firm’s operations to make sure that everything runs smoothly.
BACKGROUND & INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
Michele has been in the industry for over 20 years, she has a great deal of experience and expertise. She previously worked for Kemper, Zurich, CNA Insurance, and JPMorgan Chase, but has been with Heritage Planning Partners since August of 2019. One of Michele’s most enjoyable parts of her career is mentoring and coaching. Because of this, in the future she may work towards becoming a professional coach to fill in some of her free time.
PERSONAL FULFILLMENT
Michele lives in Bartlett with her husband Mark and their two dogs Stella and Bailey. She has one son and a granddaughter whom she adores and spoils. She loves spending time with her family on the weekends, working on renovating her home with her husband and visiting Colorado – it is her favorite place!
PROFESSIONAL APPROACH
Serving as the Operations Manager, Grace works her hardest to make sure the team members and overall operations are running smoothly so that clients receive superior customer service. She manages the team and ensures that all things are working accordingly, operationally.
BACKGROUND & INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
Grace has lots of experience in her current role, as she has previously worked in insurance operations, then served as a Case Manager and Associate Financial Advisor. Previously, she worked at Northwestern Mutual for two years and has been at Heritage Planning Partners since it was created in 2017. She is life and health licensed and has also passed her series 7 and 63 exams.
PERSONAL FULFILLMENT
Grace lives in Chicago with her husband Dane and dog Gigi. Coming home after work to her dog is her favorite part of the day! In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with her friends and family, exploring local businesses, restaurants coffee shops, and wine tastings. She loves travelling and would like to start travelling more frequently.
PROFESSIONAL APPROACH
As an Operations Specialist, Patti assists clients with their various risk and investment needs. She oversees assigning client requests to the designated team members to ensure nothing is missed; and services investments and insurance policies, money deposits, withdrawals, and more. In her role at Heritage Planning Partners, she is happiest when she is assisting clients with whatever they may need to keep their accounts in perfect order.
BACKGROUND & INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
Patti has a rich background in Executive Management support and Customer Service. She worked in the Advertising and Art Department for the Chicago Tribune Media Group for 10 years, she was an Executive Operations Assistant at Koch Industries for 9 years, and an Executive Assistant and Corporate Communications Manager at King Koil Licensing Company for 17 years. She started with Heritage Planning Partners as an Executive Assistant in 2019 and has now moved into the Operations Specialist role. She also has her life and health license.
PERSONAL FULFILLMENT
Patti lives in Orland Park, has two grown sons and a 15-year-old puggle named Delilah. In her free time, she loves to kayak, garden, ride her bike, camp, take walks, and more. She cherishes her mornings because they are a fresh start to a new day, and she loves a good challenge. She also enjoys her morning coffee with creamer loaded with flavor. She looks forward to having dinner with her family every night because she loves to cook and spend time with them after their workdays. If there was one thing that she could eliminate from her life, it would be worry.
PROFESSIONAL APPROACH
As Marketing Coordinator, Kelsey creates and updates all Heritage Planning Partners marketing collateral, both client-facing and internally. She also creates social media posts and updates for HPP and each advisor, including our affiliates, and tracks their reach. She advertises the partners and HPP’s achievements and expands the exposure of the team. Kelsey plans and executes client and team events, promotional items and gifts for clients and team members, updates the HPP website with new designs, post copies, new team members or new titles, etc. Another large part of her daily tasks are scheduling for Adam Waitzman and his clients and handling internal and external speaking engagements.
BACKGROUND & INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
Kelsey has worked with Northwestern Mutual since 2014, starting as a marketing coordinator where she mostly worked on scheduling for advisors. She has worked for numerous Financial Representatives in her career, so has lots of great experience in expanding their businesses on the marketing side. She has worked part-time with Heritage Planning Partners since 2020 and full-time since April of 2022. She previously worked at CBS Chicago for three years in the marketing and promotions department before joining Northwestern Mutual. In her future with HPP, Kelsey hopes to continue her growth in marketing on a larger scale.
PERSONAL FULFILLMENT
Kelsey is originally from Chicago and lived in the downtown area for 10 years, before taking a leap of faith and moving to Florida in March of 2021 with her boyfriend Garrett and maltipoo Zia. In her free time she enjoys exploring new, fun places in Tampa, taking Zia to dog beaches, and trying new restaurants. Her favorite part of her day is when she gets to come home and snuggle Zia (sorry Garrett).
PROFESSIONAL APPROACH
Autumn is no rookie when it comes to assisting. Beginning as a dental assistant in 2008, moving to personal and now executive assistant, she is a ready and steady support for the team. Her responsibilities include performing administrative and organizational tasks, reviewing case notes, and providing assistance wherever needed.
BACKGROUND & INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
Autumn graduated from the University of Illinois-Chicago in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. She has previously worked as a dental assistant and a personal assistant before joining Heritage Planning Partners in October 2022.
PERSONAL FULFILLMENT
Autumn lives in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood with her boyfriend, Dev, and two cats, Catana and T’Chakka. She enjoys watching action, sci-fi and horror movies, hanging out with friends, and reading fiction and sci-fi novels. She is also currently taking a coding bootcamp for Java.
PROFESSIONAL APPROACH
As a Marketing Coordinator, Claire assists with social media management and client events. She produces new ways to expand client outreach for the advisors and HPP. Claire executes new web designs and updates all social platforms. She assists with the gifting process and organizes merch for our clients and team members. Through tracking HPPs' social and website analytics Claire helps decide what the next steps are for the company when it comes to marketing and media.
BACKGROUND & INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
Claire graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in Business Management. She ran competitively for her college on both the cross country and track team. Claire developed her strong organizational and leadership skills through her time working as an account manager at a mortgage company here in Chicago. Her goal at Heritage Planning Partners is to grow with the company and eventually carry a team underneath her.
PERSONAL FULFILLMENT
Claire has lived in Chicago for three years and currently lives in Lakeview. She comes from a family of 6 and has one older brother and two younger sisters. In her free time, she loves to go on walks along the lakefront and seek out fun new restaurants to try. She recently went on a trip to Germany to sightsee with her family and intends to continue her travels overseas in the future.
PROFESSIONAL APPROACH
As an Operations Assistant, David assists with anything service related. He updates beneficiaries and monitors accounts through the underwriting process.
BACKGROUND & INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
David received his life license in 2017 and has a background in financial planning. He received his bachelor's in Business Administration and has gained experience in sales and customer service. David's goal is to grow in his knowledge and move into a leadership position here at HPP.
PERSONAL FULFILLMENT
David lives on the west side of Chicago and enjoys playing card games in his free time. He has even traveled across the Midwest to compete in tournaments. He reaches out to the community by helping put on plays at his local church.
Lyndsay’s relationship with Northwestern Mutual began in June of 2012 as a Financial Representative Intern. After graduating from Saint Mary’s College in May of 2013, she married her high school sweetheart and together they moved to Florida. Her husband unexpectedly passed away in January of 2016 which prompted her return to the Mishawaka, IN area. Seeing first-hand how important it is to have a financial plan in place made her decision to return to Northwestern Mutual a very easy one. She loves playing a role in helping families prepare for the best and worst times in life in order to feel personal and financial peace. Lyndsay remarried in December of 2018 and she and her husband, Ben, welcomed their first born son in February of 2022.
Lyndsay’s primary responsibility involves working directly with Brian to assist in the construction of personalized financial plans for our clients. Lyndsay is licensed in Life and Health, and she has FINRA Series 6 and 63 registrations.
Planning & Wealth Management Team
Provide specialized planning knowledge to the Financial Advisors to create a personal custom plan for each of our clients to reach their long-term goals!
PROFESSIONAL APPROACH
Justin has extensive knowledge about investments as he has had experience in the financial industry for eight years. As a Private Wealth Analyst, Justin creates financial plans and recommendations for clients based on their ever-changing needs and wants. He also analyzes prospective client portfolios closely. Additionally, Justin monitors existing client investment accounts to make sure that their money is invested properly and beneficially.
BACKGROUND & INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
Justin graduated from Trinity Christian College in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Finance where he developed an extensive breadth of knowledge about all things finance. After graduation, he served as a clerk on the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade for an options trading firm for 1 year. After that, he went on to work as an Investment Analyst with Northwestern Mutual-Chicago for four years before joining the team at Heritage Planning Partners in 2019. He has his Series 7 and 66 licenses.
PERSONAL FULFILLMENT
Justin is married to his wife Sarah and lives in Gurnee, Illinois. Outside of the office, Justin enjoys going boating with his family on Fox Lake in Illinois and Gun Lake in Michigan during the summertime. He also enjoys Formula 1 racing. Justin makes sure to never miss watching a race on T.V. and even attended his first live one in Austin, Texas in 2021! Justin loves traveling (he has backpacked across Europe), but also always looks forward to dinner with his wife every night.
PROFESSIONAL APPROACH
As an Associate Financial Representative, George gathers information from clients to process applications, sets up any medical appointments they may need, and processes any client trades when called for. He also works hard to keep clients up to date on the process of their applications and provides them any necessary information based on their obtained insurance policy coverages and investment products. George values maintaining a respected relationship with all clients of the company and strives to understand their long and short-term goals.
BACKGROUND & INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
George graduated from Holy Cross College in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Business and he also completed his Master of Business Administration and Management at Bethel University in 2020. His previous role before joining Heritage Planning Partners in June of 2022 was as a Personal and Relationship Banker at JPMorgan Chase & Co. for almost three years. He has obtained his life license, has passed both the Series 6 and 63, while learning how to master his new role.
PERSONAL FULFILLMENT
George currently lives in Indiana with his wife Alondra and two children Camila (3) and Alonzo (6 months). He is planning to move to Chicago in the next month and hopes to live in Humboldt Park. Although this move is intimidating for him and his family, he is looking forward to not having to mow his lawn anymore! His favorite part of the day is in the morning when he finally makes it to Chicago after the long drive from home. He recently ran a half marathon in the city, is bilingual, and occasionally coaches children in his community in soccer. His favorite vacation he has taken was to Disney World two years ago, and one movie that he could watch countless times is Forrest Gump.
