Advisory Team
Not all Northwestern Mutual representatives are advisors. Only those representatives with "Advisor" in their title or who otherwise disclose their status as an advisor of NMWMC are credentialed as NMWMC representatives to provide investment advisory services.
“What I admire most about the Sparks team is the connection they have to each other. It’s clear they all respect each other, and that comes out in the outstanding service they offer.”
Mike Bowen,
Branch Manager, Guild Mortgage
Scott Sparks
- Colorado State University
- Bachelor of Science in Business Finance
- Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®)
- Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®)
- Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP®)
- FINRA Series 6, 7, 63 and 66
- Life, Health, and Long-Term Care Insurance Licenses
Background and Expertise
Scott joined Northwestern Mutual as a college intern and has been a full-time Wealth Management Advisor for Northwestern Mutual since 1990. In this time, he has built a wealth management team that regularly achieves the highest honors across the financial services industry. Scott focuses on building long-term relationships based on integrity, knowledge, and commitment. Scott’s overall goal is to help people define, build, and enjoy prosperous lives.
Personal Spark
Scott is a lifetime resident of Colorado. He and his wife Holli have two children, Taven and Tanner. He has a balanced life with work and family, and attributes this to his top-notch team at the office.
Gary Wing , RICP®, ChFC®, CLU®
Partner and Private Wealth Advisor
Gary Wing
- Colorado State University
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Accounting
- Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®)
- Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®)
- Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP®)
- FINRA Series 7, 63, and 65
- Life, Health, and Long-Term Care Insurance Licenses
Background and Expertise
Gary joined Sparks Financial in 2004 as a Wealth Management Advisor. He has worked in the Financial Services Industry since 1999.
Personal Spark
Gary is a Colorado native and has four children with his wife Ande. He has been a dedicated coach in youth sports for over 30 years and sits on the board for Denver Street School.
Ted Holmes , CLU®, ChFC®, CFP®, RICP®, WMCP®
Partner and Private Wealth Advisor
Ted Holmes , CLU®, ChFC®, CFP®, RICP®, WMCP®
Partner and Private Wealth Advisor
Ted Holmes
- Penn State University
- Bachelor of Science in Finance
- Certified Financial Planner (CFP®)
- Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®)
- Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®)
- Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP®)
- Wealth Management Certified Professional (WMCP®)
- FINRA Series 7, 9, 10, 63, and 66
- Life, Health, and Long-Term Care Insurance Licenses
Background and Expertise
Ted joined Sparks Financial in 2006 and became Partner in 2022. Ted's passion for financial, estate, and charitable planning stems from his family's history in the industry for over 50 years.
In 2021, After 17 years in Colorado, Ted and his family moved home to the Northeast to both be closer to family and to expand the reach of Sparks Financial.
Personal Spark
Ted, and his wife Emily, met at Penn State University where they were both varsity athletes (lacrosse and soccer). They have three wonderful children, Gabe, Elliot, and Hadley. The Holmes family loves to hit the road travelling especially to their favorite spots like Key West and Crested Butte. You'll also find them exploring the outdoors of Upstate New York and the Rocky Mountains.
Taven Sparks
- Texas Christian University
- Bachelor of Business Administration, Entrepreneurial Management, Finance and Leadership
- Life, Health, and Long-Term Care Insurance Licenses
Background and Expertise
Taven joined Sparks Financial in 2019 as a Financial Advisor and has since become a Partner in the firm. After graduating from TCU, Taven spent 3 years as a consultant with Deloitte within the Financial Services Industry.
Personal Spark
Taven was born and raised in Colorado and is an avid Broncos, Nuggets, Rockies, and Avalanche fan. He also loves traveling and has been to 5 of the 7 continents. A few highlights from his travels include hiking Machu Picchu, hang gliding in Switzerland, and riding elephants in Thailand. In their free time, Taven and his wife, Lauren, enjoy shows at Red Rocks, playing volleyball at Washington Park, skiing, hiking, and spending quality time with family, friends and their English Cream Golden Retriever, Leo.
Vy Tran
- University of Denver
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
- Life, Health, and Long-Term Care Insurance Licenses
Background and Expertise
Vy joined Sparks Financial in 2021 as a Client Support Associate. Prior to joining the team, she worked as an executive assistant and volleyball coach in the Centennial and Denver areas.
Personal Spark
Vy was born and raised in Colorado. In her free time, she enjoys playing volleyball, exploring new mountain towns, and finding the best food trucks. She is an active supporter of Food for Thought - Denver.
Peter Egan
- United States Naval Academy
- Certified Financial Planner (CFP®)
- FINRA Series 7 and 63
- Life, Health, and Long-Term Care Insurance Licenses
Background and Expertise
Pete joined Sparks Financial in 2010. He has worked in the financial services industry since leaving the U.S. Navy and moving to Denver in 1996. Having worked with clients through both the ups and downs of stock market cycles, Pete understands the real-world impact of financial risk and return. As an Advisor at Sparks Financial he brings that experience to life, building all weather portfolios designed around his clients’ individual financial planning goals.
Personal Spark
Pete and his wife Kathy have three adult children and two dogs. A bluebird powder day skiing with the family in the Colorado mountains is an ideal day. Pete also enjoys music and playing guitar. He is active in supporting the Alzheimer’s Association and Food for Thought – Denver. Pete is also a volunteer high school lacrosse coach.
Jonathan Rains
- Gonzaga University
- Bachelor of Arts, Economics
- University of Denver
- Master’s in Business Administration
- Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA)
- Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF)
- FINRA Series 7 and 66
- Life and Health Insurance Licenses
Background and Expertise
Jonathan has two decades of investment management industry experience including 15 years with Russell Investments prior to joining Sparks Financial.
Personal Spark
As a Colorado native, Jonathan and his wife Maile enjoy helping their four kids and one dog explore Colorado. They especially enjoy skiing, hiking, and road trips into the Rocky Mountains. Jonathan is involved with his church, and the Boy Scouts. He and his family live in Washington Park and spend lots of time there enjoying Denver’s great weather.
Sandra Laskowski
- California State University, Northridge
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Finance
- Certified Financial Planner (CFP®)
- FINRA Series 7, 63 and 66
- Life, Health, and Long-Term Care Insurance Licenses
Background and Expertise
Sandra joined Sparks Financial in 2022 as a Private Wealth Management Advisor. Her experience of over 25 years in Financial Services and Wealth Management includes building comprehensive financial plans and formulating customized investment and insurance strategies for clients. Sandra believes in empowering clients through shared knowledge and effective financial solutions so they can live the lives they envision.
Personal Spark
Sandra is a board member of the Colorado chapter of FPA (Financial Planning Association) and is involved with additional non-profit organizations like the American Heart Association and The Women’s Foundation of Colorado. Sandra also enjoys hiking and skiing with her daughter in the great mountains of Colorado and attending theatre and concerts around Denver.
Matthew Haynes
- University of Colorado, Boulder
- Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs
- Certified Financial Planner (CFP®)
- Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®)
- Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®)
- Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP®)
- FINRA Series 7, 63, and 66
- Life, Health, and Long-Term Care Insurance Licenses
Background and Expertise
Matthew joined Sparks Financial in 2014. He was previously an investment operations specialist for the Northwestern Mutual Denver office. As an Advisor he is responsible for insurance and investment strategy implementation with a focus on financial planning.
Personal Spark
Matthew enjoys spending time with his wife Jen and their son Henry. Passions include traveling and enjoying all that Colorado has to offer. You can find Matthew, Jen, and Henry enjoying walks around their Crestmoor neighborhood and enjoying restaurants in Cherry Creek and Downtown.
Drew Babb
- University of Denver
- Bachelor of Science in Finance
- Certified Financial Planner (CFP®)
- FINRA Series 7 and 63
- Life, Health, and Long-Term Care Insurance Licenses
Background and Expertise
Drew joined Sparks Financial in 2018. As an Advisory Operations Specialist, he is responsible for service support for insurance, investment and planning operations.
Personal Spark
Drew resides in University Hills with his wife Laura. Laura and Drew have a passion for traveling and in their free time they like to get out on the golf course. Drew spends his spare time volunteering with Hope Kids which hosts fun events for families with children undergoing treatment at Children’s Hospital.
Bryce Hefner
- University of Denver
- Bachelor of Science in Finance & International Business
- FINRA Series 7 and 66
- Life and Health Insurance Licenses
Background and Expertise
Bryce joined Sparks Financial in April of 2019 as an Investment Operations Specialist after 2 summers interning at Sparks Financial.
Personal Spark
Bryce is a Colorado Native who currently resides in the University of Denver area. Bryce and his wife Courtney, spend most of their time outside golfing, fly fishing, skiing, and running triathlons.
Marshall Morris
- Texas Tech University
- Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Sport Sciences
- FINRA Series 7 and 63
- Life and Health Insurance Licenses
Background and Expertise
Marshall joined Sparks Financial in July of 2020 as a Client Services Manager. Prior to joining Sparks Financial, he worked as a Physical Therapist Assistant in the Denver Area.
Personal Spark
Marshall lives in Parker, Colorado with his wife, Alex. In his free time, Marshall enjoys spending time with family, traveling around Colorado, golfing in the summer, and skiing in the winter.
Lynn Emeott
- Alma College
- Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, Accounting
- FINRA Series Securities Industries Essentials (SIE), 6, and 63
- Life, Health, Variable Life, and Variable Annuity Insurance Licenses
Background and Expertise
With over a decade of experience at Northwestern Mutual, Lynn joined Sparks Financial in 2021 and currently serves as a Client Service Associate. Throughout her career, Lynn has successfully supported advisors on the Insurance and Investment platforms in both the Orlando and Denver markets.
Personal Spark
Lynn and her husband Bob enjoy life with 3 children and 7 grandchildren! They love spending time with their family and traveling to their vacation home in Winter Park, Florida. Lynn is involved in her church and in her free time enjoys reading, cooking, and college football. As a Michigan native, she is a huge Michigan Wolverine fan and enjoys game days!
Jerry Kinzie
- Colorado State University
- Bachelor of Science
- FINRA Series Securities Industries Essentials (SIE), 7, and 66
- Life and Health Insurance Licenses
Background and Expertise
Jerry joined Sparks Financial in June 2022 as a Private Wealth Service Advisor. Prior to Joining Sparks Financial, Jerry worked as Financial Advisor at Northwestern Mutual. Before Northwestern Mutual, Jerry spent a year in JP Morgan’s Advisor development program and 7 years helping implement/develop Walmart’s Omni Channel Ecommerce division with his latest role as a Digital Operations Manager.
Personal Spark
Jerry is a Colorado Native who currently lives in the Denver, CO area with his Wife Dana and their dog Monty. In Jerry’s free time, he enjoys spending time in his garden, checking out the local breweries and going to sporting events.
Frank P. Ratini
- Illinois State University
- Bachelor of Science in Finance and Insurance
- FINRA Series 7 and 66
- Life and Health Insurance Licenses
Background and Expertise
Prior to joining Sparks Financial, Frank had over a decade of experience in the finance industry as an operations and implementation manager. Frank’s main focus is solving complex issues to create efficiencies that allow the success of the overall firm, and for the Sparks Financial Team to focus the entirety of their efforts on their client’s financial planning needs.
Personal Spark
Frank and his wife Jennifer are originally from Chicago and currently reside in Centennial with their two children. Outside of work you can expect to see the entire family outdoors and on the local trails. In addition to hiking, Frank aspires to become a better golfer and enjoys time spent improving his game on the course.
Chris Horvat
- Duquesne University
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Finance and Investment Management
- FINRA Series 7, 9, 10, and 66
BACKGROUND AND EXPERTISE
Chris has worked previously with Northwestern Mutual as a Director of Network Office Supervision for nearly eight years. He has worked in the Financial Services Industry since 2010.
PERSONAL SPARK
Born and raised in Cleveland, Chris attended Duquesne University in Pittsburgh where he ran both cross country and track. He and his wife Kelsey are the proud parents of two sons, Jack and Warren.
Christian Bills
- University of Denver
- Bachelor of Science in Finance and International Business
- University of Texas Austin
- Double Bachelor of Science in Biology and Finance
- Certified Financial Planner (CFP®)
- Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP®)
- FINRA Series 6, 7, 63, and 65
- Life and Health Insurance Licenses
Background and Expertise
Christian joined Sparks Financial in 2021. She is responsible for curating financial plans that help guide our clients toward a prosperous future. Previously, she with Northwestern Mutual as a Financial Planning Consultant from 2016. She has worked in the Financial Services Industry since 2011.
Personal Spark
Christian was born and raised on a working cattle ranch in Texas and is an avid Texas Longhorns fan. She currently resides in Arizona with her husband, Taylor and their daughters, Vivianne and Phoebe. Hobbies include wrangling tiny humans, hot yoga, a great book, and enjoying the wonder that is the world, through her daughter’s eyes.
Tim Perkins
- The Ohio State University
- Bachelor of Science in Finance
Background and Expertise
Tim is pleased to have joined Sparks Financial in December of 2022 on the Investment Operations team. He has been in the finance sector since 2005, with most of the time being in investment operations. Tim finds solving problems and streamlining processes personally gratifying and has enjoyed serving advisors, clients, and their families in this role.
Personal Spark
Tim lives in Denver, Co with his wife Ifeoma and daughter Amelia; they are joyfully looking forward to welcoming another little one in early 2022 ??. In his free time, Tim enjoys serving as a youth leader to middle and high school aged boys at Red Rocks Church. He can also be found playing pickup ultimate frisbee, hiking with his family, and exploring the Colorado landscape behind the wheel of his Subaru.
Elle Malone
- University of Colorado, Boulder
- Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture
- Life and Health Insurance Licenses
Background and Expertise
Elle joined Sparks April of 2022 as an Insurance Operations Specialist. Prior to joining this team, she spent some time at New York Life getting her toes wet in the Finance industry. Leading up to this career change, she wore many different hats from snowboard instructor to photovoltaic design specialist, and several others in-between.
Personal Spark
Elle is a Colorado native from the Western Slope who has a passion for staying active and exploring various aspects of life. After college, she spent a decade working in the ski industry which afforded her the ability to backpack throughout 30+ countries between seasons. Her goal is to see 97 before she leaves this life. If she's not traveling, then she's enjoying the mountains with her dogs and friends. She has a passion for helping support our military, and actively volunteers with Soldier's Angels and Stop Soldier Suicide.
Nicholas Schreiber
- University of Northern Colorado
- Bachelor of Communication
- FINRA Series Securities Industries Essentials (SIE), 6, and 63
- Life and Health Insurance Licenses
Background and Expertise
Nicholas joined Sparks financial in 2022 as an Operations Assistant. Prior to joining Sparks Financial, he worked for Theodore Financial within Northwestern Mutual.
Personal Spark
Nicholas is a Colorado native who currently resides in Highlands Ranch with his wife, Jessica. In his free time, Nicholas enjoys spending time with family and playing golf.