Our Extended Team of Experts
When it comes to providing top-notch support and knowledge to our clients, we don't rely solely on our team. We have an extended team of experts who are always ready to lend a hand. These experts are specialists in their respective fields, and they bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. Whether our clients need advice on a particular issue or require specialized support, we can tap into this pool of experts to ensure that they receive the best possible service. With this extended team in place, we can confidently say that we are well-equipped to meet the needs of our clients, no matter what challenges they may face.
Our Anchorage Branch
John Ramseyer
Market Director / Branch Manager
John is the Branch Manager for the Seattle and Anchorage offices of Baird as well as the Market Director for the Pacific Northwest.
John began his investment career at Ragen MacKenzie with the institutional equity group. He spent several years in San Francisco with the investment bank WR Hambrecht before returning to Seattle, where he worked for Merrill Lynch. Prior to joining Baird, John was with McAdams Wright Ragen from 2009 - 2014 and became the Branch Manager in 2011.
John graduated from the University of Oregon in 1988. He has been FINRA licensed since 1995. He and his wife, Heather, have two children and a chocolate lab. They live on Mercer Island.
Lynn Howard, CFP®
Branch Administrative Manager
Lynn is the Branch Administrative Manager for Baird's Seattle & Anchorage offices and is responsible for the leadership of the support staff.
She began her career in the investment industry in 1996 at Paine Webber in Bellevue, Washington. Since then, she has worked for KMS Financial Services and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. In 2012, she joined McAdams Wright Ragen.
Lynn graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso in 1990. She earned her CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation in 2017. Lynn has been FINRA licensed since 1998. She and her husband, Jeffrey, have two children and reside in Renton.
Our Planning Team
Melanie Schmieding, CTFA
Director of Baird Family Wealth
As Director of Baird Family Wealth, Melanie is responsible for the development of HNW and UHNW solutions and resources within Baird Private Wealth Management supporting advisors and their clients. She is passionate about developing long-range strategies critical to sustaining wealth and values over generations.
Prior to joining Baird, Melanie was a Managing Director at Abbot Downing where she led a team that focused on large family offices and multi-generational wealth. She has spent the last 25 years working with HNW and UHNW families.
Melanie is a member of the Family Office Exchange (FOX) and the Purposeful Planning Institute (PPI). A published author and thought leader on the topic of family wealth, she is focused on the development of the qualitative aspects of a family’s wealth. Melanie earned her Master in Business Administration from Boston
University and is a Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor.
Timothy M. Steffen, CPA/PFS, CFP®, CPWA®
Director of Tax Planning
As Director of Tax Planning for Baird, Tim is responsible for researching, writing and speaking on important tax issues that impact the clients of Baird. This includes topics related to retirement planning, executive compensation, business owners, legislative changes, and overall best practices.
Tim earned his bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Illinois in 1991. He is a Certified Public Accountant/Personal Financial Specialist, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, a Certified Private Wealth AdvisorSM professional and a member of the American and Wisconsin Institutes of CPAs,
Investments & Wealth Institute (IWI) and the Financial Planning Association (FPA).
Michael S. Oehler, JD, LLM
Wealth Strategist
Michael Oehler is a Wealth Strategist supporting clients and advisors in Baird’s Western market. He has over 20 years of experience advising clients on their estate, tax, financial and wealth
planning needs.
Prior to joining Baird, Michael was a Senior Wealth Planning Strategist and Trust Fiduciary Advisor for 16 years at Wells Fargo Private Bank and five years at US Bank Private Wealth Management. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Brigham Young University, a Master of Laws in Taxation from the University of Washington School of Law and a Juris Doctor from the University of tah, S.J. Quinney College of Law. He is a member of the State Bar of California and the Utah State Bar, not currently practicing. He is also a member of the Sacramento Estate Planning Council where he served as a Board Member from 2014 through 2020.
Working with your Financial Advisor, Michael’s planning expertise will help you develop and implement customized wealth planning solutions based on a thorough understanding of your personal values, asset growth, wealth transfer goals and vision for your legacy.
Willis W. Hobson, J.D.
Senior Vice President, Trust Strategist
Will is a Senior Vice President and Trust Strategist for Baird Trust. He works with Baird Financial Advisors and their clients offering complex trust and estate planning guidance. Will has over 30 years of experience in trust and estate planning and administration. He is a member of the Kentucky and Louisville Bar Associations. He is also a member of the Louisville Estate Planning Counsel.
Prior to joining Baird Trust, Will spent four years with the law firm of Greenebaum Doll & McDonald in Louisville, where he focused primarily on estate administration, estate planning, and trust administration. Will holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Tennessee and a J.D. from the University of Louisville. He serves on the Board of Directors for Crescent Hill Community Council, Friends of the Crescent Hill Library, and KET-Louisville. Will joined our firm in 1990.
Baird Trust Company (“Baird Trust”), a Kentucky state chartered trust company, is owned by Baird Financial Corporation (“BFC”). It is affiliated with Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated (“Baird”), (an SEC-registered broker-dealer and investment advisor), and other operating businesses owned by BFC. Neither Baird nor Baird Trust provide individualized tax, accounting or legal advice. Please consult your accountant or attorney for personal tax, accounting or legal advice.
Andrea Paradise
Wealth Planner
Andrea Paradise, CFP® is a Senior Vice President and Wealth Planner serving Baird Wealth Management. She is responsible for helping Financial Advisors’ clients and prospects with their financial and wealth planning needs.
Andrea began her career in Financial Services in 1992 and joined Baird in 2023. Just prior to her current position, she worked at Morgan Stanley as a Financial Planning Director for High-Net-Worth clients, and prior to that, Wells Fargo Private Bank as a Wealth Planner for Ultra High-Net-Worth clients.
Andrea graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor’s in English and holds her Certified Financial Planner ® designation. She lives in Tacoma, Washington with her husband and is a member of the Tacoma Estate Planning Council and South Sound Planned Giving Council. Outside of work, Andrea loves running and travel, and is a mentor in the University of Washington Tacoma School of Business Milgard Women’s Initiative.
Robert J. Robes, JD, LLM
Wealth Strategist
Bob Robes is a Wealth Strategist based out of Baird’s office in Charleston, South
Carolina. Bob works with Financial Advisors to develop customized solutions for
complex planning needs of their highest net-worth clients. Bob also works with
business owner clients to develop and implement coordinated strategies for the
ownership of the client’s business and their personal estate and wealth transfer
plans, taking into consideration the personal and business goals and objectives of
the business owner and their unique family dynamics. Bob also helps business
owners understand external and internal transition solutions consistent with their
vision, values and legacy desires.
Prior to joining Baird, Bob was a shareholder at Greenberg Traurig, P.A. where he
was an attorney for over 15 years with a focus on private wealth and tax planning,
personal business structuring, and estate planning for ultra-high net-worth
individuals, families and entrepreneurs. Bob subsequently worked at Wells Fargo
Wealth and Investment Management as a Business Owner Advisory Strategist and
Senior Wealth Planner.
Bob also is an Adjunct Professor at St. Thomas University School of Law where he
teaches a course in Estate Planning.
Bob earned his Master of Laws degree in Taxation from New York University
School of Law, his Juris Doctorate degree from St. Thomas University School of
Law and his Bachelor of Arts degree from Florida Atlantic University. He is a
member of the Florida Bar.
Bob currently serves as a trustee of the YMCA of South Palm Beach County where
he is a past Chief Volunteer Officer and is a volunteer for the Colorectal Cancer
Alliance. He lives in Charleston, South Carolina, with his wife, Emily, and has two
daughters.
Our Insurance Team
Bob Stankey, MBA
Director of Private Wealth for Pacific Southwest FinancialĀ®
bob.stankey@capitasfinancial.com
Bob joined Pacific Southwest Financial, a partner firm of Capitas Financial, as a Director of Private Wealth in February 2018. He is committed to helping financial advisors achieve greater success by partnering with them to help their clients build, preserve and distribute wealth. Bob has over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, particularly with sales leadership and financial planning.
Bob holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Washington and in his spare time volunteers at the Union Gospel Mission Homeless Shelter and Recovery Center. He has lived over 20 years in Seattle with his family and enjoys playing golf, camping and traveling.
Robert W. Baird & Co. does not have any formal relationships or arrangements with any of the External non-Baird Resources listed above. This list should not be considered an endorsement of the products or services offered by these individuals or their firms.
Location
3800 Centerpoint Drive
Suite 1120
Anchorage, AK 99503
Contact
pgnw@rwbaird.com
PHONE: 907-677-8300
TOLL-FREE: 800-819-9227
FAX: 907-677-8350