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
- Bachelor of Science in Business Finance
Colorado State University - Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP®)
- Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®)
- Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®)
- Life/Health/Long Term Care Insurance Licenses
- FINRA Series 6, 7, 63 and 66
Background and Expertise
Scott joined Northwestern Mutual as a college intern and has been a full-time Financial 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 life time 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
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Accounting
Colorado State University - Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP®)
- Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®)
- Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®)
- Life/Health/Long Term Care Insurance Licenses
- FINRA 7, 65, and 63
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
- Bachelor of Science in Finance
Penn State University - Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®)
- Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®)
- CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional
- Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP®)
- FINRA Series 7, 9, 10, 66, and 63
- Life/Health/Long Term Care Insurance Licenses
Background and Expertise
Ted joined Sparks Financial in 2006 as an Advisor. Ted entered the financial services industry in 2000, yet his roots in the business date back over 40 years - from the careers of both his father and brother.
Personal Spark
Ted and his wife Emily enjoy skiing, hiking, and spending time outdoors with their three children. You may also find Ted playing and coaching Lacrosse, a passion from his days of captaining Penn State’s Men’s Lacrosse team in 2001.
Taven Sparks
- Texas Christian University- M.J. Neeley School of Business
- Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A) Entrepreneurial Management, Finance, Leadership (Emphasis)
- Life/Health/Long Term Care Insurance Licenses
Background and Expertise
Taven joined Sparks Financial in 2019 as a Financial Representative. After graduating from TCU Taven spent 2.5 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 Taven’s free time you may find him at Red Rocks, playing Volleyball in Washpark, or spending quality time with family and friends around a fire pit after a long day of skiing or hiking.
Vy Tran
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
- University of Denver
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 area.
Personal Spark
Vy was born and raised in Colorado. In her free time she enjoys playing volleyball, exploring new mountain towns, and eating ice cream and street tacos.
Peter Egan
- United States Naval Academy
- Certified Financial Planner (CFP®)
- Life/Health/Long Term Care Insurance Licenses
- FINRA Series 7 and 63
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 children. Sports are a big family activity – volleyball, lacrosse, the Broncos, and the “family derby” – Spurs vs. Gunners. Pete’s passion is skiing with the family. They are active in the community and have raised many puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind.
Christian Bills
- Bachelor of Science in Finance & International Business
University of Denver - Colorado Life and Health Insurance Licenses
- Bachelor of Science in Microbiology at the University of Texas, Austin.
- Life/Health/Long Term Care Insurance Licenses
- FINRA 6,63,65,7
- Certified Financial Planner (CFP®)
Background and Expertise
Christian joined Sparks Financial in 2021. She is responsible for creating financial plans that help guide our clients toward a successful future. Previously, she with Northwestern Mutual as a Financial Planning Consultant for nearly 5 years. 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.
Frank P. Ratini
- Bachelor of Science in Finance and Insurance from Illinois State University
- FINRA Series 7 and 66
- Colorado 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.
Drew Babb
- Bachelor of Science in Finance
University of Denver - Life/Health/Long Term Care Insurance Licenses
- FINRA Series 7 and 63
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.
Jerry Kinzie
- Bachelor of Science from Colorado State University
- Colorado Life and Health Insurance Licenses
- FIRA Series SIE, 7, and 66
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. Previous to 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.
Lynn Emeott
- Bachelor of Arts: Business Administration, Accounting Emphasis
Alma College - FINRA Series 6, Series 63
- FINRA Securities Industries Essentials (SIE)
- Colorado Life, Health, Variable Life and Variable Annuity Insurance Licenses
Background and Expertise
With nearly 10 years of experience at Northwestern Mutual, Lynn joined Sparks Financial in 2021 as a part of their Investment Operations team. Lynn is responsible for the internal investment account opening process and supports the Sparks Financial advisors in providing investment service to their clients. She began her career with Northwestern Mutual in the Greater Orlando Network office and joined the Theodore Network Office in Denver in 2019. As an Associate Financial Representative, Lynn has served in various support roles on both the Insurance and Investment platforms.
Personal Spark
Lynn is a native of Michigan. She and her husband Bob have 3 married children and 5 granddaughters. They love spending time with their family and enjoy traveling to their vacation home in Winter Park, Florida. In addition, Lynn is involved in her church and enjoys reading, cooking new (and old) recipes and knitting.
Matthew Haynes
- Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs
University of Colorado, Boulder - Certified Financial Planner (CFP®)
- Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®)
- Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®)
- Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP®)
- Life/Health/Long Term Care Insurance Licenses
- FINRA Series 7, 66, and 63
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. Passions include traveling and spending time at home with their English Bulldog Watson. You can find Matthew and Jen enjoying the cultural scene in Downtown Denver where they currently reside.
Jonathan Rains
- Bachelor of Arts, Economics
Gonzaga University - Masters in Business Administration
University of Denver - Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA)
- Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF)
- FINRA Series 7 & 66
- Colorado state Life/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.
Marshall Morris
- Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Sport Sciences
- Colorado 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, CO with his fiancé, Alex. In his free time, Marshall enjoys spending time with family, traveling around Colorado, golfing in the summer, and skiing in the winter.
Bryce Hefner
- Bachelor of Science in Finance & International Business
University of Denver - Colorado 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 spends the majority of his free time outside golfing, fly fishing, skiing, and running triathlons.
Chris Horvat
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Finance and Investment Management
Duquesne University - FINRA Series 7, 66, 9, and 10
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 wife Kelsey are proud parents to seven month old son, Jack.
Tim Perkins
- Bachelor of Science in Finance
The Ohio State University
Background and Expertise
Tim is pleased to have joined Sparks Financial in January of 2022 on the Investment Operations team. He comes with over 16 years of experience in the finance sector, 14 of which have been 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.
Nicholas Schreiber
- Bachelor of Communication
- Colorado Life and Health Insurance Licenses
- FIRA Series SIE, 6, and 63
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.