Our People
2011 Best Place to Work!
Columbus Business First named The Joseph Group first in its category at the 2011 Best Places to Work Awards.
“It’s more like a family,” Matt Palmer said. “One of the things people like about our company is that we actually care about each other.”
Mark Palmer, JD Chief Executive Officer
Mark is a co-founder and CEO of the firm and serves as a Client Advisor, Managing Director of Business Development, and as the firm’s Chief Compliance Officer. As a Client Advisor, Mark specializes in wealth and investment planning for clients. He is a licensed attorney, and he is a member of the firm’s Investment Committee.
Earlier in his career Mark was a partner with the Columbus law firm Bricker & Eckler LLP. Mark’s legal practice focused on representing business owners in merger and acquisition transactions and other general business matters. He also developed an expertise in dealing with financial distress business situations. Mark began his legal career with the firm most recently known as Chester Willcox & Saxbe LLP (now a part of the firm Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP). Mark received his undergraduate degree in Business Administration and Economics (with distinction) from Ohio Northern University, and his Juris Doctorate degree from Rutgers University. Mark also completed graduate coursework in Economics at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Finance and Commerce.
In 2011 Mark was appointed by Ohio Governor John Kasich to serve on the Board of Directors of the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation as an investment specialist member of the Board. He presently chairs the board of trustees of Methodist ElderCare and its operating affiliates Wesley Glen and Wesley Ridge. He is also a member of the board of trustees of Ohio Northern University where he serves as vice chairman of the finance committee, and as a member of the investment committee. He is also a member of the Professional Advisory Committee of the Columbus Foundation. Mark and his wife Laurie are the parents of two sons, they live in Bexley, and they are members of Bexley United Methodist Church where Mark has served the Church in various leadership capacities.
Matt Palmer, CFP® President
Matt is a co-founder and President of the firm and serves as a Client Advisor and Managing Director for Advisory Services. As a Client Advisor, Matt specializes in designing customized wealth and investment plans for clients and has particular expertise in investment and charitable giving strategies. He is a member of the firm’s Investment Committee.
Earlier in his career Matt managed the investment advisory subsidiary of what is now Wealthstone Financial and served as a vice president and managing director for Huntington Trust Company. A certified financial planner, Matt is a summa cum laude graduate of Ohio Wesleyan and received a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Harvard University.
He presently chairs the board of trustees of The Catholic Foundation and is a member of its Professional Advisory Group. He also is a trustee of the Bexley Education Foundation and a member of the Professional Advisory Committee of The Columbus Foundation. Matt and his wife Lisa have three daughters and live in Bexley where they are members of St. Catharine Church.
R. Travis Upton, CFA, FRM, CAIAChief Operating Officer
Travis is the COO of the firm and serves as Managing Director for Investments and Client Services. Travis chairs the firm’s Investment Committee and plays a key role in developing and communicating The Joseph Group’s investment strategy.
Earlier in his career Travis served as an Institutional Portfolio Manager with Fifth Third Investment Advisors where he worked extensively with investment policy for endowment and pension funds. He also worked in institutional sales with the Harbor Fund mutual fund family. In addition to his investment duties, Travis serves on the faculty for the Schweser Study Program where he teaches training programs for major global investment banks and develops study materials for financial certification programs. Travis is the co-author of two textbooks used in the Schweser Institute Certificate Program titled Derivatives and Risk Management, and Debt Securities. He is a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Toledo and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Financial Risk Manager (FRM), and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designations.
Travis currently serves as President of the Columbus Chartered Financial Analyst Society, is a past president of the Financial Analysts Society of Toledo, and is active with Columbus Kiwanis. Travis and his wife Shannon have three children and live in Hilliard where they are members of Upper Arlington Lutheran Church.
Doug BurtonExecutive Vice President, Business Development
Doug joins The Joseph Group from Caretta Workspace where he was Executive Vice President of sales & marketing. Prior to joining Caretta he was Executive Vice President of Continental Office Environments. Doug brings over 30 years of business development expertise to the Joseph Group in numerous market segments. He graduated from Ohio Northern University with a Business Administration and Marketing degree. Doug is married and the father of four, and lives in Upper Arlington with his wife, Roxanne. Doug enjoys wakeboarding in the summer, snowboarding in the winter, reading and spinning year round.
Todd D. Walter, CFP®, CPAClient Advisor and Director, Wealth Planning Services
Todd serves as a Client Advisor and Director, Wealth Planning Services. As a Client Advisor, he utilizes his extensive financial planning background to meet clients’ planning needs. Todd leads our Advisor Team and is also a member of the firm’s Compliance and Investment Committees.
Prior to joining The Joseph Group, Todd was a financial planner with Ronald Blue & Co. in Indianapolis, where he served high net worth individuals implementing comprehensive financial plans and investment solutions. His career also includes time with Ernst & Young specializing in individual income taxation and with a regional accounting firm.
Todd is a 1998 graduate of Miami University, where he met his wife, Elise. They have one daughter and live in Worthington. Todd and his family attend Scarlet City Church in Clintonville.
Scott MizerClient Advisor
Scott serves the firm as a Client Advisor and Director, Investment Research. As a client advisor, he designs investment and wealth plans for clients and has particular expertise in investment strategies and working with business owners. Scott leads our Investment Research and Implementation Team, serves on the Retirement Plan Services Team and is a senior member of the firm’s Investment Committee.
Prior to joining the firm, Scott founded and operated Mizer Financial Services, an independent financial and investment advisory firm. He has more than 25 years of experience in the financial planning and investment management industries and earlier in his career worked with Huntington Trust Company and Nationwide. A member of the American Society of Pension professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA), Scott holds the Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA) designation.
Scott is a graduate of Denison University where he majored in economics and computer science. He lives in Westerville, is an avid golfer and attends Heritage Christian Church.
Kyle HickeyManager, Trading and Account Services
Kyle serves as Manager, Trading and Account Services. As Manager of Trading, he oversees all trades made in client accounts and monitors each account to ensure they follow the assigned model. As Manager of Account Services, he works with industry software and Charles Schwab to create best practices to care for clients.
Kyle graduated from the Ohio State University in 2009, where he majored in Financial Planning. Before joining the Joseph Group, Kyle worked at Summit Financial Strategies and Scarlet & Grey Financial. He is married to his high school sweetheart Jennifer, and they live in Gahanna. Kyle and Jennifer attend St. Matthew Church.
Mary-Beth AldrichManager, Retirement Plan Services
Mary-Beth serves as the Manager of the firm’s Retirement Plans business. As manager, Mary-Beth oversees the firm’s services to company retirement plans and their participants. Additionally, Mary-Beth plays a key role in the development and implementation of The Joseph Group’s Retirement Plan strategy.
Prior to joining the Joseph Group Mary-Beth served as the Director of Product Management for Nationwide Financial. As Director, she led a team in the creation and implementation of pension, life insurance and annuity products, for financial institutions. She attended the University of Akron and was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority.
Mary-Beth currently serves on the Columbus board for the Cornerstone of Hope organization, and owns and operates an embroidery business. Mary-Beth lives in Grandview and belongs to Our Lady of Victory Catholic church.
Tagrid ButlerClient Portfolio Manager
Tagrid works in Operations and serves as the Client Portfolio Manager for the firm’s clients. As a Client Portfolio Manager, Tagrid coordinates investment account services and handles ongoing client requests.
Prior to joining The Joseph Group, Tagrid worked at Wells Fargo (Previously Wachovia Securities) for several years as a Client Services Associate, as well as in the Operations and Compliance Department. Tagrid is also an Ace Certified Personal Trainer and enjoys working out and traveling.
She is a long time member of the Vineyard Church of Columbus and is involved with Small Group Ministry. Tagrid and her husband Gerald live in Pickerington, Ohio and have four daughters.
Rody McCoolExecutive Assistant and Editor, Harvest Magazine
Rody oversees a wide range of activities at The Joseph Group including maintaining the firm’s client database, arranging meetings with current and prospective clients, and serving as editor of the firm’s quarterly magazine, Harvest. She joined the firm after completing nearly thirty-two years of service with American Electric Power, serving as Contributions Administrator for her last nine years with that firm. Rody graduated from Franklin University with a bachelor’s degree in business management. She and her husband, Bill, and golden doodle, Cleopatra, live in Dublin where they attend Dublin Baptist Church.
Emi BrackEvent Planner and Client Services Assistant
Emi serves as event planner for the firm’s Wealth Summits as well as other seminars, receptions and events. She also assists the rest of The Joseph Group team in a variety of client service projects. She and her husband, Carl moved to Bexley from Georgia in 2002 with their two sons. She is a graduate from the University of Georgia with a degree in early childhood development. Her career has included pre-school education at Georgia State University, sales support for a Fortune 500 company, owning her own business, and various roles in sales and marketing. In addition to her work at The Joseph Group she has been a senior buyer for an equipment brokerage company based in Atlanta since 1999. She serves as co-president for the Central OH Chapter UGA Alumni Association and volunteers for a weekly youth lunch ministry in Bexley. She is an avid jazzerciser and loves to go antiquing.
