Vestry Class of 2023
St. Luke’s Family!
Candi, Emerson, Lily, and I joined St. Luke’s when we transitioned from Chicago, IL. When we first arrived in Montclair, we rented a home at 124 Gates Street which is walking distance from St. Luke’s. We looked at a number of churches to find a church home and St. Luke’s felt just right. We are a special-needs family and Candi has started a ministry for teens with special needs called “We’ve Got Friends.” It has quickly grown to more than four groups throughout New Jersey.
Our daughter Lily is a member of the children’s choir and acolyte group. Candi volunteers with the group that prepares the meals. We have maintained strong financial support of the church through our pledges and giving since joining four years ago.
I believe I can contribute to our Christian family by using the skills honed in my career in financial services. I have my own wealth management practice, Strategies For Wealth, where I help my clients make sure that their cash flow and assets are protected from all threats before we start helping them save and grow their money.
Prior to joining Strategies for Wealth, I was a Managing Director of Community Development at The Private Bank in Chicago. In this capacity, I facilitated client access to capital, while leading the bank’s civic involvement through non-profit board representation and community outreach. Previously, I held senior private banking roles with J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, and Fifth Third Bank. I began my wealth management career in 2003. I earned an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, where I graduated with distinction. I earned a B.S. from Howard University, where I was actively involved in Army ROTC. I proudly served my country as a combat arms officer in the United States Army after graduating as the Distinguished Military Graduate of my class.
I believe that St. Luke’s has given us far more than we could have imagined and I believe serving on the Vestry is a way we can help our church family grow.
Best,
Joseph