Bellevue, WA

Growing up as an only child on the shores of Henderson Bay, in Gig Harbor, fostered my love of nature, which has led to a passion for animals. As a child, I grew up with fish, cats, dogs, parrots, horses, and even one mean pony who would buck me off whenever the mood struck.

One of my most powerful memories growing up was summers spent commercial fishing with my father in Southeast Alaska. Those summers instilled in me a lifelong work ethic and solidified a lifelong best father/best friend relationship with my dad.

I met my wife, Jennifer, in the middle of Lake Sammamish, where she and I continue to spend time. Sad to say that we don’t water ski and wakeboard as much as we did when we were younger.

Up until recently, I love playing competitive soccer when knee surgeries slow me down a bit. Lately, I channeled my passion for sports into golf. Now I wish I started playing many years ago.

For seven years, I worked in the mortgage business. I then spent more than a decade, helping individuals and small businesses manage their money. Those experiences gave me valuable experience in finance and wealth management.

My enthusiasm for education and my desire to help people build a secure financial future led me to Apella. I have finally found a home where I can practice my craft with a firm that puts its clients needed ahead of its own. From my very first conversation with Tom Cock, I knew I had found my professional home.

I grew up in Bellevue, Washington which is where my parents settled after moving from Romania in their late twenties. My brother and I watched them start their own successful business and seeing their courage and incredible work ethic has always inspired me in both my professional and personal goals. 

During my time at the University of Washington (Go Dawgs!), I was able to study internationally and explore much of Europe which sparked my passion for food and travel. Now, I try to make time for road trips exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest, a getaway to Hawaii every few years or visiting new cities across the US. When I am not on a new adventure, I love creating memories with friends and family – usually involving food and a lot of laughter!

Life is about relationships and the people you surround yourself with which is why working at Apella has been such a pleasure. I started at Apella after finishing my degree in Finance and Information Systems at UW.  I am an analytical person by nature but am passionate about helping others which is what led me to pursue a career in Finance. Similarly, with industry standards always changing, there is always something new to learn. I spent the first few years of my career in the operations department, honing in on my organizational and management skills but something was missing… I knew that I wanted to connect with our clients on a more meaningful level. 

As a Financial Advisor, I have the privilege of hearing people’s stories from all breadths of life and get to experience just how impactful financial planning and investing can be. I work with individuals and families across the country on all personal finance matters from wealth accumulation to retirement planning. My professional passion is being able to help people through ongoing education and guidance while providing peace of mind so they can focus on the things that matter most to them.   

I look forward to speaking with you and hearing your story!

“The best way to pursue happiness is to help other people. Nothing else will make you happier.” – George Lucas.

The most enjoyable part of being an advisor is meeting people from different walks of life and figuring out how I can best help them accomplish their goals and dreams. Helping others is what drove me to become an advisor. I never had a dream job, but l learned from my hardworking parents that helping others is the quickest way to never feel like you have a job at all.

I was fortunate enough to attend Central Washington University at the perfect time that they unveiled their new Personal Financial Planning specialization. I ended up graduating among the first group of students with this degree specialization while simultaneously satisfying the education requirements for the CFP® certification. I fell in love with the financial planning world and the opportunity to help others with this knowledge. I eventually went on to achieve my CFP® certification in December of 2023.

I have been a Washington native my entire life and I am happy to serve clients all over the state (and many clients out of state virtually). My wife and I are very thankful to be surrounded by family here. Growing up, I played baseball and basketball and still try to play whenever there is an opportunity. Traveling and cooking are two newer passions of mine, and I hope to combine the two by traveling to Italy someday as my bucket list vacation. I love hearing about my client’s travel adventures, cooking tips and other hobbies.

We all have songs, movies, or quotes that inspire us or keep us going. These words have truly resonated when my life has taken a turn in a different direction. The day after I graduated from college and finished my soccer career, I was looking for a new course. I was looking for something into which I could pour all my energy and heart. I didn't have to look far, because it was right in front of me. I interned for Apella during my junior and senior years of college, working on spreadsheets and analyzing so many portfolios I lost count. During a staff meeting, when I saw and heard how much Apella, and it's goals meant to my father and Don. There was so much heart and passion for helping people, and I wanted in. 

My first passion was soccer. I've played it for most of my life. Every summer consisted of driving everywhere in state or out of state for soccer tournaments. When high school came around, my main goal was to play collegiate soccer. After years of hard work and support from family and friends in my junior year, I was offered a scholarship to play at a Division Two university. 

My passion for the game hasn't declined in the slightest. Today, I am coaching at Arlington High school with a former college teammate. I still play with a bunch of the guys with whom I went to school.

In October 2019, an amazing opportunity to use my soccer expertise came up. My friend, who I help coach soccer with invited to join a mission trip to Africa. The charity goes to Swaziland (Eswatini) to do numerous projects to help communities. Without a second thought, I immediately agreed. I had no idea what I was in for. The mission trip's objective was to use soccer to reach out to orphaned and vulnerable children who have been affected by the AIDS crisis. I can't find the words to describe what I saw and felt during the trip. Truly, the experience was overwhelming - It changed my life. 

Thanks for coming to learn a bit of my background story – I was born and raised in Seattle, and still call it home.  The youngest of four children, I grew up in a family business, and learned early on the value of hard work.  This, along with my natural curiosity for the world around me, led me to become the first in my immediate family to attend college – earning a degree from the University of Washington in Cell and Molecular Biology.  

I spent my first working years in research roles, both in private industry and in academic research, but realized along the way that this was not the right fit for me for the long term. 

Soon after a transition to the pharmaceutical sales industry, I was approached by a lifelong friend about joining his growing financial firm – and, while I had yet to consider Financial Services in my search for my ultimate career, each time we spoke, I realized that in this role, I would have the opportunity use my problem solving skills to have a meaningful positive impact on people’s lives.  I took the leap and began my career in Financial Services in 2006 – a couple years before the Great Recession.  This time showed me that the true value of an advisor was in providing peace of mind to those that we work with, to help them filter out the noise, focus on what is in our control, and stay the course.   

After working with two different firms over the last 15 years, in 2021, I decided that I wanted to also clear out the noise in my own career, to find a place where I could focus completely on what I have always loved about the many relationships I have built over the years – educating people and providing really good advice.  I feel quite fortunate to have found, in  Apella, precisely that.  

Personally, I met my incredible wife, in 2005, when she was living in Spokane, attending law school – we were married in 2008, and we have two elementary school-aged daughters.  We love to travel, spend time outdoors, and work around our Northeast Seattle home.   

I was born and raised in Coupeville, Washington in the heart of Whidbey Island. My financial education began at an early age when I received a gifted stock certificate from my grandparents in a local utility company. I have always been interested in the stock market and business. I began my professional career in the financial services industry in 2010 and have obtained the Certified Financial Planner® and Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor® designations. I enjoy helping clients with all aspects of their financial journey, which includes partnering with their CPA and estate attorney to have a comprehensive and ongoing plan centered around investments, tax planning and legacy. The landscape of financial planning is consistently changing with rules and regulations. The benefit of having a fee-only fiduciary with you on the journey is very helpful.

Apella Wealth is a firm that clients feel like is their home. We focus on financial and investment planning paired with ongoing education with the “Talking Real Money” podcast and classes.

I am also on the Board of Trustees and Chair of the Consult & Investment Committee of Lifetime Advocacy Plus, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides an array of personal services, including Guardianship, Trustee, Attorney in Fact, Financial Management, and Executor/Personal Representation for individuals with disabilities.

Please reach out if you’re looking for guidance with your finances. I’d like to hear your story!