Melissa joined Thrivent more than 30 years ago and specializes in financial planning, charitable planning, investment management, income replacement and protection planning. She feels it’s a joy and privilege to work with families and business owners to help them clarify their goals and create strategies and timelines to achieve them. Melissa also enjoys helping clients protect their assets and businesses from risks that could undermine their success. 

Melissa has a bachelor’s degree with honors in psychology and a master’s degree in early childhood special education. She is married to Pastor Bill Knippa, and they have three adult children and nine grandchildren. In her free time, she enjoys singing with the Bethany Lutheran Chancel Choir and playing with her grandkids and two dogs. She also serves on the Concordia University Texas Centennial Celebration Committee.

Cathleen began her career at Thrivent in 2004. In addition to being a financial consultant, she’s also a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional and Chartered Financial Consultant®. Cathleen specializes in providing comprehensive Dedicated Planning Services to busy professionals seeking to blend work life and family, as well as individuals and couples moving through life transitions, such as promotions, job changes and retirement.

Cathleen received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public policy and administration from Baylor University. Cathleen and her husband, Brent, have four children: Weston, Adella, Gideon and Carson. She is a member of Bethany Lutheran Church and currently serves on the church council. When Cathleen’s not enjoying time with family and friends, you’ll find her reading books and searching for vintage and antique treasures online and in local shops.

Matthew is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional who has been with Thrivent for nine years. He is passionate about helping clients reach their goals by working with them to create comprehensive financial plans. He also specializes in investment management and general client services.

Matthew holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and brings hands-on experience from managing rental properties outside of work. He and his wife, Mara, recently welcomed their daughter, Rowan. In his free time, Matthew enjoys snowboarding and golfing.

Jennifer joined Thrivent in 2020 and loves helping clients achieve financial clarity and work toward their goals with confidence. She assists clients with service needs, conducts client meetings and handles the back-end operations for the team. Jennifer and her husband, Jeff, have one adult son, Brad.

When she’s not at work, Jennifer enjoys scuba diving, skiing, biking, hiking, reading and spending time outdoors with her basset hounds in beautiful Colorado where she lives. She also serves as a community partner with Texas Children’s Hospital, The Woodlands.

Lauren has worked with the team since 2017. She loves being part of the Arbors Group and focuses on client relationship management, marketing and administrative assistance. Lauren graduated from Louisiana State University (Geaux Tigers!) with a bachelor’s degree in speech communications. She and her husband, Jeff, have a son, Rex, and a daughter, Iris. Lauren’s personal interests include spending time with her family, friends and pets, cooking, reading, playing word games and assembling jigsaw puzzles.

Karen has 20 years of experience in financial services and joined the Arbors Group in 2023. Karen earned her bachelor’s degree in finance, and she enjoys helping clients reach their financial goals and takes pride in working with such a dependable, transparent and genuine team. Karen provides a variety of client services and helps with implementation and tracking. When you have money to move or new accounts to establish, she will likely be the person shepherding you through the process.

Karen was born and raised in Texas and has recently moved to Louisiana. She and her husband, Mark, have one daughter, Ainsley. When not at work, Karen enjoys spending time with family. She loves to be outdoors and can often be found walking on the beach or gardening.

Lauren has been with Thrivent since 2021, and prior to that she worked nearly a decade in higher education and nonprofit organizations. Lauren supports our clients through the financial planning process, and you may interact with her if we’re making requests for different documents related to dedicated planning. Lauren lives in Tennessee with her husband and two young children. She’s active at her church and enjoys CrossFit—as if running after little ones isn’t enough!

Deb is a friendly and familiar face in our Beulah office who has been part of the Thrivent team since 2016. A Beulah native, Deb brings genuine care to every client interaction—whether it's helping with forms, Action Teams, or Choice Dollars®. She loves connecting with clients in person and over the phone, and outside of work, she enjoys time with her husband, children, and eight grandchildren. Deb also gives back through her church roles and still proudly remembers being North Dakota’s fastest transcriptionist in high school!

Matt is the newest member of the Arbors Group and joined the team in 2025. Having benefitted greatly from the assistance of financial professionals in the past, he looks forward to adapting his background in supply chain management and analytics to helping others build financial stability and stewardship. Matt is married to his wife, Amanda, and has two children—they are his joy and motivation. He enjoys being very involved at his church, working, hunting and anything outdoors.

Alexis joined Thrivent in 2024 and enjoys being part of the financial services industry, finding meaningful ways to support clients and foster community connections.

Originally from Wilmington, North Carolina, Alexis recently relocated to Texas with her husband, Shaun, and their twins, Margot and Silas. They’re excited about this new chapter and continue to embrace adventure through travel and spending quality time with friends and family.

Mardee joined Arbors Financial Group in 2025 as an Office Professional in the Beulah, North Dakota office, supporting daily operations and client service. She lives in Zap, North Dakota, where she owns and operates a registered Black Angus cattle ranch. Deeply involved in her community, Mardee serves on the local school board and teaches religious education at St. Joseph Catholic Church. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors, spending time with family and friends, and traveling.