meet the team
The value we deliver is a direct result of our team culture – a team of financial experts. Your team of financial experts working together with and for you. Download our 'Who We Are' PDF.
Yes, at the core of our culture, you'll find living, breathing people: Brian, Dennis, Laura, Darlene, and Debbie. And, although you'll get to know each of us well you'll work with our entire team. As a team, we can bring all of our energy, expertise, and extensive professional credentials to bear on your situation. And, because we work solely for you, we are free to develop broad strategic relationships with the best and brightest wealth management experts in areas where specialization will add value to your experience. The results? Our objective, exceptionally-valued Align team that is Client Focused. Period.
Brian Puckett
CFP®, CPA/PFS, Attorney at Law
Brian's entrepreneurial spirit drove him to establish Align Wealth Management in order to fill an important void for individuals, families, and small business owners seeking something different and something special within the financial services industry.Brian is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, a CPA with Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) credentials, and an attorney, making him one of the few "Triple Board Certified" financial advisors in practice today. Business Week listed Brian among the Top 50 most experienced independent financial advisors in the United States. His trio of high caliber credentials underscores a personal passion for helping clients make the most of their financial lives. Brian is an engaging speaker, with appearances in the local and national financial press. He also has served as adjunct professor at the University of Central Oklahoma and has lectured at a variety of institutions and continuing education programs for financial planners, CPAs, and attorneys. Brian is an active member of the Oklahoma and American Bar Associations, the Financial Planning Association, and the Personal Financial Planning sections of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Oklahoma Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Brian is also a member of the American Association of Attorney-Certified Public Accountants. The AAA-CPA is the only organization comprised of individuals who are dually-qualified as attorneys and CPAs.
Brian graduated in the top 10% of his class at the University of Oklahoma School of Law and he holds a bachelor's in business degree (with high honors) from the University of Oklahoma. Brian enjoys spending time with his son, Jay. Brian also enjoys a number of sporting activities, including bicycling, paddle boarding, and golf - although he's a self-confessed hacker on the links.
Dennis Packard
Certified Financial Planner™
Dennis describes his professional journey as following a slightly different path yet arriving at the same destination for the same reasons expressed by his colleague Brian Puckett to, first and foremost, have the freedom to serve clients' broad wealth management interests.A financial services professional since 1997, Dennis began his career as an investment banking bond analyst for Dow Jones/Bridge Financial. Later, he joined TD Waterhouse in Oklahoma City, where he was a Senior Investment Consultant and Retirement Specialist, helping clients with their financial and retirement planning needs. Partnering with Brian in 2006, they jointly crafted their firm's client-first, team-oriented service strategy.
Dennis is regularly sought after by media sources such as The Oklahoman, Fox News, and OKCBiz to share his insights and expertise on sound money management techniques. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and holds a bachelor's degree in finance from Oklahoma State University.
Dennis' wife, Keri, is a teacher and serves on the event committee for Anna's House Foundation. They have one daughter, Kaitlyn. Dennis has been an active volunteer within the Oklahoma City Public Schools and the Oklahoma Council on Economic Education, where he advocates for K-12 level financial literacy programs. He serves on the Midwest Region Board of Directors for the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors, the country's leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors. He is also on the board of advisors for Oak Tree Country Club. He and Kaitlyn are avid golfers.
Laura Payne
Certified Financial Planner™, Certified Public Accountant
A lifelong learner, Laura has a passion for educating and helping others. Laura has long been an advocate for the individual investor, and considers it the upmost privilege to help people achieve their financial goals.Laura graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. She began her career with Arthur Andersen as an auditor.
She brings over 20 years of combined industry experience as a CFP®, CPA, Human Resources manager and 401(k) Administrator. She serves and advises high net worth individuals in all aspects of financial planning, relationship management and investment management. She uses her extensive range of knowledge, skills and experience to serve others.
Laura lives in Edmond Oklahoma and is a member of Crossings Community Church. This year, Laura is learning to be an empty nester, with her twin daughters attending Oklahoma State University and Rose State College. Laura is actively involved in the community and serves on several boards. She is a board member of the Oklahoma Family Network, ECPAAA, and is a member of Impact Oklahoma. She is also Treasurer of her HOA. In addition, Laura is participating in the Leadership Edmond Class XXXIII and is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
In her spare time, Laura enjoys snow skiing in her home state of New Mexico, reading, genealogy research, and is an amateur history buff. She also enjoys participating in the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon as a half-marathoner.
Darlene Eisel
Client Services Manager
Darlene brings over nineteen years experience to her position as Align's Client Service Manager. She joined the Align team in 2002 and has been instrumental in helping client's make the most of their financial lives. Darlene holds a Finance degree from the University of Central Oklahoma. Darlene began her career in the trust department of a large banking institution. She has also worked with registered investment advisor firms in Oklahoma, Florida, and North Carolina. Darlene is expert at navigating the investment platforms utilized by Align. The bottom line is that Darlene makes life easier for every Align client and every Align team member. Darlene and her husband Gregg live in Edmond. They have one son, Luke.Debbie Stanley
Client Services Associate
Debbie brings over twelve years of experience in the financial services industry, with involvement in cash management, banking, marketing, real estate, and insurance. She holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Central Oklahoma. Debbie joined Align Wealth Management in 2008 in order to broaden her knowledge of the investment industry, as well as work with the Align team serving Align's exceptional clientele. Debbie volunteers with the Christmas Connection and enjoys spending time with her husband, Mark, and their five children.
Align's Extended Wealth Management Team
We are in regular communication with some of the most respected financial professionals in the world. For instance, while our asset allocation decisions are always customized for you and your particular situation, they are derived from decades of academic research and "best ideas" culled from strategic relationships that we have cultivated over the years. By way of example, we are in continual communication with our strategic partner, Forum Financial Management (Forum). Forum is an independent registered investment advisor firm of 30 investment professionals (including CFPs, CPAs, and attorneys). Forum provides Align and it's clients with a deep multi-disciplinary bench of high caliber professionals. Each Forum principal brings over 25 years experience in one or more aspects of financial management including: investment portfolio design, retirement, estate, insurance, and tax planning. Importantly, like Align, Forum is engaged in delivering wealth management services in the real world to real clients. Throughout the years, our ability to freely share ideas with other successful wealth management firms has proven extremely valuable to our family of clients. Across our two firms, Align and Forum collectively manage over a billion dollars in client assets. To learn more about Forum, visit www.forumfin.com.
Another member of our extended research alliance is Dimensional Fund Advisors (Dimensional or DFA). Dimensional has forged deep working relationships with some of the world's brightest financial thinkers. Nobel laureates and renowned professors in portfolio & economic theory from the likes of Harvard, Stanford, University of Chicago, Dartmouth, and Wharton sit on Dimensional's board. By leveraging our strategic alliance with Dimensional, we are continually researching tomorrow's solutions today. This works in a continual feedback loop:
- Academic leaders in the field of asset pricing find new sources of return in advance of the industry.
- Align custom builds portfolios for clients.
- Align provides feedback to these financial scientists for further testing and enhancements.
- Empirical research becomes more relevant to practical investing, and practical investing is backed by solid theory and economic knowledge.
- This continual feedback loop supports our primary aim of helping you make the most of your one financial life.
To learn more about Dimensional, visit www.dfaus.com.
Of course, Align Wealth Management is not a "research only" firm. Our clients depend on us to deliver results, and our dedication to sound empirical research fosters our ability to deliver efficient and elegant investment solutions to you. You'll own a well-balanced portfolio that is specifically aligned with your goals and objectives. The end result? You'll worry less about your money so you can focus on other, perhaps more important, areas of your life.
Align Wealth Management can make this happen for you. This is our passion – this is what we do.
Client Focused. Period.
