FINANCIAL SERVICES BIOS

Theodore Sarenski, CPA/PFS, CFP 

Ted holds a BS in Accounting from SUNY Binghamton in 1978. He became a CPA in 1980, a Certified Financial Planner in 1992, and a Personal Financial Specialist in 1997. Ted was a partner with Glazier, Gerber & Sarenski, CPA, PC, from 1982 until 1997 when his firm consolidated with Dermody, Burke and Brown. As the founding member of DB&B Financial Services, LLC, Ted oversees all aspects of the division's operations, including the management of portfolio assets. In addition to working directly with clients, Ted is a lecturer, radio personality and author. He is an appointed member of the AICPA Virtual Grassroots Panel, Social Security Task Force, and Planner Magazine Editorial Advisory Board. He serves as an AICPA Personal Financial Planning Executive Committee member, an Eldercare/PrimePlus Taskforce member and a liaison to the AICPA PFP Executive Committee. Ted is past president of NYSCPA Syracuse Chapter and former Chair of the NYSSCPA Personal Financial Planning Committee. He currently serves on the NYSSCPA Tax Division Oversight and Professional Ethics Committees.

Kevin E. VandenBerg MBA, LIFA 

Kevin recently joined DB&B Financial Services, LLC as Director of Managed Portfolios. His responsibilities include the oversight of economic and investment research, tactical and strategic portfolio allocation, investment management of client portfolios, on-going client relationship management and the pursuit of new client and business opportunities.

Prior to his current role, Mr. VandenBerg served as a Research Analyst and Portfolio Manager at Greenleaf Trust which is a privately-owned Trust Bank in Kalamazoo, Michigan. There, he was the lead analyst on mutual fund research, lead analyst in the Consumer Discretionary, Technology and the Telecommunications sectors while having a secondary research role in the Transportation, Healthcare and Finance sectors. He also served as Chief Investment Officer of the Trust Division from 1998-2001 until it consolidated into the Asset Management Division.

Mr. VandenBerg graduated from Kalamazoo College in 1989 with a BA in Economics and earned his MBA in Finance from the Haworth College of Business at Western Michigan University in 2001. He also possesses the Licensed International Financial Analyst designation and is a Level Two Candidate in the Chartered Financial Analyst program.

Gail Gardner, MBA, CFP, ChFC 

Gail oversees the development of detailed, written plans that are tailored to our clients' individual financial goals. Our customized financial planning services may include advice and expertise in any of the following areas: retirement and estate planning, tax management, protection planning, college funding, asset allocation and investment planning. Gail received her BA in 1986 from SUNY Potsdam and an MBA from Clarkson University in 1990. She has been a certified financial planner since 1997 and earned the Chartered Financial Consultant designation in 2002. Gail was an Independent Contractor with American Express Financial Advisors in Ann Arbor, Michigan for eight years prior to joining the DB&B Financial Services Team in November 1999.

Julie Vitale-Leone, MBA 

Julie is responsible for ongoing mutual fund investment research and monitoring using a multi-faceted approach that includes the following considerations: risk-adjusted investment performance, manager tenure, style consistency, risk level, investment class and fund expenses. Julie earned her BS in Finance and Economics from Syracuse University in 1994 and her MBA from Rochester Institute of Technology in 1997. She has experience in both the banking and investment arenas, for companies such as HSBC and Xerox. She joined the DB&B Financial Services Team in 1998.

Brian Wells, CPA 

Brian has been a member of the DB&B team since 1997. He is currently responsible for the research of individual stocks, bonds and electronically traded funds (ETFs). Brian also assists with compliance and tax-related questions, monitors client portfolios and serves clients. Brian holds a BS in accounting from LeMoyne College and is a Certified Public Accountant. Brian's philosophy is to treat everyone as if they are a client. His special talent is assisting clients with investments, as he listens carefully to his clients' goals and tolerance for risk, and helps them design an investment strategy that works for them.

Barbara Spears 

Barb is the Business Operations Associate for DB&B Financial Services and is well qualified to handle this demanding role. With nearly twenty years of brokerage experience that began with her career as a trader on the Equity Trade floor for Shearson Lehman Brothers, her ability to handle a wide range of functions critical to the execution and support of our products is provided without question. At DB&B, Barbara is the one who keeps the Financial Team humming. Responsible for all the transactions, reporting, operational issues, client requests, and communications, she also acts as liaison between our clients and our investment platform representatives. Barbara is currently enrolled in a Masters Business Administration Degree Program with a Concentration in Organizational Psychology and Development.

Michelle Jozefczyk 

Michelle joined DB&B in 2001 and currently wears many hats. She helps clients with questions and issues, and maintains technical operations and downloads data from DB&B's reporting software. Michelle's investment and banking experience includes the Funds Transfer division and later the Unit Investment Trust department for the Bank of New York, and the Unit Investment Trust Department for Morgan Stanley.