Growing up as the son of a Baltimore County bricklayer, Gary learned lifelong lessons about money at an early age. His family’s frequent financial struggles (deepening with the death of Gary’s mother when he was just eight years old) forced them to periodically rely on welfare, with little or no extra cash for emergencies. It was an experience that instilled a profound belief in the values of hard work, putting family first, and saving and investing for a more secure future—values that ultimately shaped his career.

Gary attended Towson University and graduated with a BS in business administration with a concentration in finance. He quickly realized that, as a financial advisor, he could help others avoid mistakes and achieve financial security; it's something he feels strongly about. And for the past 24 years, Gary has done just that, specializing in working with pre- and post-retirees to help them maintain an enjoyable lifestyle during their retirement years.

A lifelong learner, he has continued to hone his expertise over the years, obtaining several specialized designations including CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^™ professional, Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor^SM, and Accredited Investment Fiduciary^®. His extensive experience has made him a highly sought-after investment commentator for news outlets such as Money Magazine, Bankrate.com, Yahoo Finance, Maryland Public Television’s Business Connection, The Business Monthly, and others as well as a regular columnist for the Baltimore Business Journal. 

To help raise money for charities dear to his heart, Gary wrote the acclaimed Amazon bestseller* The Art of Retirement (with foreward by NFL Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott). The book uses the story of Michelangelo’s incredibly long (and challenging) life and famed art as a metaphor to compare the reader’s life to a masterpiece while emphasizing the importance of creating a resilient, well-crafted portfolio. All profits from The Art of Retirement are donated to the Y in Central Maryland, Augie’s Quest, the Maryland SPCA, and the Brigance Brigade Foundation.

Gary is exceedingly active in the community and serves on numerous nonprofit boards including the Association Board of Directors of the Y in Central Maryland, the Investment Committee for Mount Saint Joseph High School Endowment and the Brigance Brigade Foundation Board of Directors.

Gary, his wife, Lee, and their three children—Abigail, Nicholas, and Emerson—live in Howard County, Maryland, along with their goldendoodle, Cali. In his spare time, Gary enjoys spending time with his family, exercising, and surfing.

Gary is proud to have been recognized as a Leaders Level advisor for 2018—a distinction based on annual production attained by just 7 percent of advisors affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network.

Each year, Commonwealth, the Registered Investment Adviser–broker/dealer that helps us process investment transactions on your behalf, recognizes Leaders Level advisors by inviting them to an exclusive gathering of their peers, leading industry experts, and Commonwealth home office staff. Leaders Level advisors benefit from an intensive learning and networking experience designed to help them hone their expertise, share best practices, and provide ever-higher levels of service, education, and leadership to their clients.

*Ranked #62 in Retirement Planning books for 2013

Mark grew up in north Baltimore County where he was the youngest of five children. Money was always a concern for Mark and his family. He learned at an early age to work for what you want. Things only got more challenging when his mother died of breast cancer at a young age, but watching his father care for her through years of her disease taught him the importance of family and taking care of each other.

Working part-time, Mark paid his own way through Towson University, graduating debt free with degrees in economics and business, with concentrations in finance and international business. After working with American National Savings Bank and American Express Financial Advisors, he found his true career as part of the Williams Asset Management team.

As vice president of investment operations, Mark serves as the firm’s head trader, manages and monitors our asset allocation models, and is a member of the firm’s investment committee.

He’s been happily married for 36 years to Cathy, who helps manage the pension plan for retired DuPont employees. They have two children and one delightful grandson.

Giving back to others is deeply ingrained in Mark. He spent more than six years as an assistant scoutmaster and troop leader with the Boy Scouts and is active in leadership roles at White Clay Creek Presbyterian Church. He is a member of the church’s stewardship committee and volunteers for Family Promise (working to keep homeless families together and provide support until they are able to find permanent housing) and Workers without Wages (a church group helping people constrained by physical and/or financial limitations with tasks such as painting, cleaning, repairs, and yard work).

Growing up as an only child in his family in Harford County, Tom enjoyed going out to his local golf course late on weekend afternoons to play nine holes with his dad. It was during this quality time that he learned that having a positive attitude and an even-keeled temperament can help overcome many obstacles.

After attending the College of Charleston and caddying at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, he returned to Maryland and enrolled in the actuarial science program at Towson University to put his aptitude for math and problem solving to good use. When Tom was in college, his father was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. In the intervening years before his father finally lost his battle with cancer, Tom saw in the overwhelming support of family and friends just how much impact one individual can have on their community. Although it was a difficult period in his life, Tom graduated with a bachelor of science in mathematics in 2010.

His desire to learn as much as possible about investments drove Tom to earn the Chartered Financial Analyst^® (CFA^®) credential. It's the most respected investment management designation in the world, requiring nearly 1,000 hours of rigorous study. Tom has also earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^™ (CFP^®) certification since joining Williams Asset Management, which will better enable him to serve our client’s comprehensive financial planning needs and help them meet their financial goals.

He currently resides in Eldersburg, Maryland, with his beautiful wife, Lauren; 12-year-old stepdaughter, Riley; toddler son, George; and infant daughter, Evelyn. The family loves to take walks with their friendly rescue dog, Athena, on the weekends and enjoys spending quality time together around the house or going out for an occasional afternoon round of golf.

Born and raised in Silver Spring Maryland, Diana brings an extensive administrative background to our firm, having worked as an executive assistant to division presidents at large companies including Northrup Grumann and WR Grace. For more than six years, she worked as an executive assistant to the Sales Department at JDSU and was eventually promoted to a financial position where she led the Sales Commissions Team.

After losing her sister to the disease, Diana became a strong advocate and fundraiser for the Lymphoma/Leukemia Society, active each year in the “Light the Night” walk through which she has personally raised more than $10,000 for the charity. In her spare time, Diana is an avid reader, loves to cook, and enjoys spending time with her three children and new granddaughter Bella.

We’re proud to have such an experienced individual serving as our director of first impressions! She is the friendly face you see when you walk in our doors and the voice on the other line when you call into our office.