Focus

Sarah focuses on retirement, investment and income planning with high net worth families and individuals. She also specializes in assisting women in transition. Sarah has her Certified Divorce Financial Analyst designation which allows her to help individuals and couples going through or contemplating divorce by providing valuable insight into the financial issues surrounding divorce, such as taxes, pension plans, healthcare coverage, stock option elections, and more.

Background and Experience

Sarah began her career in the financial services industry over 20 years ago and has extensive experience and passion helping others to achieve financial freedom.

Sarah was born and raised in Alaska and graduated from Dimond High School. She achieved dual degrees in finance and marketing from Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA. Mrs. Springer holds the CDFA® and CFP® certification.

Sarah has far-reaching experience in the capital markets. She lived and worked in Boston, MA at a world class bond management shop and gained in-depth knowledge of the taxable and municipal bond markets and management. Sarah also worked at an equity management firm before becoming a financial advisor.

Mrs. Springer's career as a financial advisor with The Planning Group of the Northwest started in 2002. Sarah enjoys working with families and women to tackle tough financial obstacles and to help clients achieve their personal and financial goals.

She has a passion for learning and meeting new people, which has taken her all over the world. She has lived and studied not only in Alaska, but in Europe, Boston, Washington and Colorado.

Personal Life

Sarah lives in Fort Collins, Colorado with her husband, Ben, and two sons, Andrew and Sam. Sarah sits on the Executive Committee of YoungLife® of Northern Colorado. Sarah currently is the Past President of the Baird Womans Advisory Council and a council member of ASCEND. She is very active in her community and volunteers in her sons’ classrooms and at her church. Whenever she has a free moment, she enjoys yoga, hiking, and cooking.

Focus

Grant is passionate about helping others with their pre and post retirement planning to make wise financial decisions and pursue and achieve their goals in life.

Background and Experience

Grant began his career in the financial services industry in the mid 1990’s and is passionate about helping families and institutions with their retirement planning and legacy planning needs. Grant was born in Seattle, Washington, raised in Los Altos, California and attended school at California State University, Chico.

Upon graduating, Grant began working in the financial services industry in Palo Alto, CA, and New York City for several years. While in Palo Alto, Grant worked with Prudential Securities and Wachovia Securities as an advisor and manager. While in New York City, he worked with Prudential Investments and was the product manager for their 1.2 billion dollar separate account program.

Grant moved to Alaska in 2007 and became a partner within The Planning Group of the Northwest. Grant and The Planning Group work with clients in 38 states and have a deep commitment to serving the Alaska based community. Most of the out-of-state clients he and the team serve lived in Alaska at one point. Grant is a Senior Partner with The Planning Group of the Northwest as well as the Resident Manager of the R.W. Baird office in Anchorage, AK. Grant served as a member of the Municipality of Anchorage Investment Advisory Commission, he is also a member of the Anchorage Downtown Rotary Club, and he completed the Anchorage FBI Citizens Academy training program.

Focus

Rachel works with individuals and families to help them make the most of their time today and determine what their assets look like tomorrow. This allows them to spend their most precious resource, time, living their ideal life.

Background and Experience

Rachel has always had a passion for learning and adventure leading her to Alaska in 2006 to study Marine Biology at Alaska Pacific University where she studied the giant pacific octopus and shrimp in Prince William Sound and obtained a Bachelors of Science in Marine Biology.

Rachel joined the Planning Group of the Northwest in 2007. She has earned her Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) designation and Masters in Personal Financial Planning (MPAS®) from the College for Financial Planning. In 2019, she earned the designation Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA®), allowing her to assist individuals and separated couples as they navigate the financial aspects of divorce; she wishes to help them make the best financial decisions possible in an already difficult circumstance.

Personal Life

Rachel has fallen in love with Alaska and has made it her home. She enjoys spending time with her husband, Luke, her sons, Ryker and Micah. Whenever possible, she and her family love to spend time in McCarthy, AK where her husband was raised.

Rachel’s passion for helping others extends outside of the office. She is a member of the Anchorage Estate Planning Council, is the Chair of the Board for the Alaska Sea Life Center and volunteers her time with Jack and Jill of America, Inc.

Focus

Tim assists clients and his fellow team members in all operational needs. He strives to provide clients with clarity and peace of mind through listening, researching, and delivering concise and informative answers and solutions.

Background and Experience

Tim began his career in the financial services industry 20 years ago. He graduated from Whitworth University in Spokane, WA with a B.S. in Computer Science and Business Management.

Tim was born and raised in Oregon and graduated first in his class from Aloha High School in Beaverton, OR where he not only achieved academic success but was also a team player on the football and track team.

Tim’s passion for helping others developed during his role as Financial Vice President for the Student Union while at Whitworth University. He obtained his first license in 2006 as an Investment Consultant prior to moving to a Sales Supervisor role in 2012. He then joined The Planning Group of the Northwest in 2016.

Tim passed the Certified Financial Planner® exam in July of 2022. Tim currently holds the FINRA Series 7 and 66 licenses since 2006, as well as the Series 9 & 10 supervisory registration since 2012.

His comprehension of operational processes and his desire to understand various aspects of a situation so he can accurately communicate the solution to clients and colleagues make him an invaluable member of our team and a resource to clients.

Personal Life

Tim lives in Anchorage with his wife, Melissa, and their two children, Jonathan and Anna. He is actively involved in his community and volunteers in his church. He enjoys spending time with his family, biking, hiking, and playing the guitar.

Focus

Richard assists clients and team members in all operational needs. His goal is to create trust through understanding, communication, and advice.

Background and Experience

Richard was born and raised in Petersburg, Alaska and had an early introduction to the rules of supply and demand working on his father’s commercial fishing vessel. At 22 he moved to Eugene, Oregon and started his career in banking.

He comes to Baird with 20 years experience in client management and servicing in the retail and commercial banking sectors. During this time, he gained his series 7, 63, 65, and insurance licenses and has excelled in relationship management by organizing teams of financial professionals to assist high value clients.

This made the transition to The Planning Group of the Northwest an obvious progression. He is very excited to bring his years or experience to the team adding value and confidence in our clients.

Personal Life

Richard has been married for 18 years to his wife Lisa and they have 2 children, Sarah 16 and Ayden 13. They spend their summers fishing, camping, backpacking, and playing softball.

Community is very important to Richard as he assists crews with the Anchorage Parks Foundation’s Youth Employment in Parks Program, and he enjoys building houses with Habitat of Humanity.

Focus

Brandon assists clients and his fellow team members in all operational needs. He strives to provide clients with exceptional service by listening and understanding their needs.

Background and Experience

Brandon joined our team in the summer of 2021 as a Private Wealth Management Intern. He graduated from the University of Alaska Anchorage with a B.S. in Business Management and officially joined our team as a client assistant upon graduation. Brandon earned the Wealth Management Certified Professional® (WMCP®) designation in January of 2025 and currently holds the FINRA Series 7, and Series 66 exams. He is also licensed in life and health insurance, further expanding his ability to serve clients’ comprehensive financial planning needs.

Raised on a farm in Idaho, Brandon grew up with a firsthand understanding of hard work, responsibility, and the importance of long-term planning—life lessons he now applies to helping clients achieve their financial goals.

Personal Life

Outside the office, Brandon enjoys all that Alaska has to offer, whether it's kayaking the Knik River, or fishing on the Kenai Peninsula. He is also an avid reader in his spare time! 

Background & Experience

Brandon comes to us from Long Island, New York. After high school he moved to Lugano, Switzerland where he studied at Franklin University Switzerland, obtaining a BA in International Banking and Finance, and a MS in International Management. After graduation he worked for a private bank in Lugano, researching client behavior and attitudes toward financial advising.

Upon his return to New York, he began his career working in retail and private banking, and wealth management. While working for a financial services firm in New York City he obtained his FINRA Series 7 & 63 licenses. He gained further experience supporting clients through subsequent work for non-profit foundations and in commercial real estate.

Personal Life

Brandon is excited about his recent move to Alaska and this next adventure. 

Focus

Lisa assists clients and team members in all branch’s operational needs. Her goal is to create efficiency of doing business with clients and team members. She accomplishes this by prioritizing her time wisely, expecting the unexpected, and finding ways to streamline processes.

Background and Experience

Lisa started her career in the finance industry in February 2003. There she learned the different divisions of banking, starting with consumer to commercial banking and ending with a passion in leadership.

She comes to Baird with 20+ years’ experience in client management and leading a team of ranging from 8 to 76 employees. Servicing the retail and commercial banking sectors, Lisa has excelled in building long term relationships and organizing teams of financial professionals to assist her clients.

This made the transition to The Planning Group of the Northwest an obvious progression. She is very excited to bring her years of experience and adding value to our clients, strength to our team, and passion to our community.

Lisa has been on the Board of Habitat for Humanity, Community Chair for Alaska Restore, and Vice President for her HOA Board. Additionally, she has been President of the Asian Connection Network, partnering with Asian Alaska Cultural Center. Lisa also volunteers with Bridge Builders of Anchorage, and was the Events Chair for the Alaskan Women’s Network, working with nonprofits such as STAR and AWAIC.

Personal Life

Lisa has been married since 2004 to husband Richard. They have 2 children, Sarah (18) and Ayden (15) and 3 fur babies (2 Miniature Dachshunds Rosie (14) and Roxie (9), and 1 Yellow Lab Rubie (7)). Family is very important to Lisa as she has a close relationship with her mom, in-laws as well, as her 5 siblings, 4 nieces and 1 nephew.

Lisa’s hobbies include reading series and novels, cooking different cultural foods, and traveling.

An important phrase Lisa lives by is “If it’s meant to be, it will be – just experience life”.

Background & Experience

Adam has spent the past 20 years building a dynamic career in institutional money management and corporate finance. His journey has taken him from a Fortune 500 company in Anchorage, Alaska, to a private endowment fund in Charlotte, North Carolina, and most recently to a private-equity backed holding company that successfully sold to a publicly traded firm in Australia in 2023.

A proud graduate of Baylor University in Waco, Texas, Adam earned his degree magna cum laude with a double major in Finance and Economics. While at Baylor, he also served as a supplemental instructor for Dr. Kent Gilbreath’s History of Economics course. He earned his Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in December 2016.

Adam grew up in Littleton, Colorado, in a family of entrepreneurs. From a young age, he worked in each of the businesses owned by his parents and brothers, gaining hands-on experience and a deep appreciation for business strategy and lifelong learning—often sparked by lively dinner table conversations.

Personal Life

Adam lives in Anchorage with his wife, Cassie, and their two young children, Ruth and Harrison (“Harry”). Cassie works for a nonprofit focused on food insecurity and is passionate about building stronger communities. Outside of work, Adam enjoys tackling home improvement projects, exploring new places, and fly fishing for trout.

Sofia is currently a student at South Anchorage High School. She is a part-time summer intern with us and is still exploring her future career goals. Her passion is art, literature, and dance. Sofia has been a part of the School Cheer Team and Theatre Club, and was a part of the Alaska Dance Theatre, where she focused on Jazz.