Our team

Ryan started his career after graduating from the Lumpkin School of Business at Eastern Illinois University in 1996. He holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification and is a member of Million Dollar Round Table—Top of the Table. CFP® is a certification of expertise in the areas of planning, taxes, insurance, estate strategies and retirement. 

He enjoys working with clients locally and teaming with other Thrivent professionals and their clients through our Joint Fieldwork Mentoring program. Ryan’s areas of specialization include active portfolio management strategies, tax efficiency concepts for retirement, estate strategies and detailed financial planning solutions. 

Ryan was born and raised in Altamont, Illinois, where he still lives today with his wife, Mandy, a speech-language pathologist, and daughter, Olivia, who is studying industrial and organizational psychology at Auburn University through their accelerated master’s program. Ryan’s hobbies include hunting, fishing and traveling. 

MDRT Top of the Table is an industry honor based on sales excellence, outstanding client service, ethical conduct and professional knowledge.

Dustin has been with Thrivent since 2003. He works with clients out of our Collinsville, Illinois, office, serving clients throughout the St. Louis, Missouri, and Metro East area of Illinois. His specialties include tax-efficient portfolio management, advanced estate planning strategies and comprehensive financial planning. 

He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in finance and business management from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification. CFP® is a formal certification of expertise in the areas of taxes, insurance, estate strategies and retirement.

Dustin lives in O’Fallon, Illinois with his wife, Amy, an independent health insurance agent, and their two children, Younger and Anderson “Andey.” His hobbies include playing the drums and guitar, mushroom hunting and spending time with his family. 

Dick works with clients in the Altamont, Effingham and surrounding counties, helping ensure that their protection and savings needs are met. In addition to more than three decades of experience, Dick also has a specialized designation in long-term care planning. 

Dick lives in Altamont with his lovely wife, Jan. He is most proud of the fact that his two sons, Ryan and Dustin, have joined him in his career path. He enjoys collecting antiques, fishing, prairie dog hunting and spending time with his three grandchildren: Olivia, Younger and Andey. 

Jon partners with Ryan and Dustin clients for review appointments, both in person and by phone. He specializes in investment management and retirement income planning. 

Jon has a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from the University of Florida and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional certification. CFP® is a formal certification of expertise in the areas of taxes, insurance, estate strategies and retirement. 

Jon lives in the Tampa, Florida, area with his wife, Heidi, and their three children: Hannah, Cort and Mitch. Jon is a cousin of Ryan and Dustin. In his free time, he enjoys coaching soccer, road biking and running.

Leah is particularly passionate about helping her clients develop a plan to protect their loved ones while helping ensure that they’re on track to achieve the retirement they want and deserve. She earned a master’s degree in public administration from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and has achieved the Certification in Long-Term Care (CLTC) and Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP) designations.

Leah is originally from Greenfield, Illinois, and now lives in Collinsville, Illinois. When not serving her clients, she enjoys traveling and scuba diving with her significant other, Matt. 

Eric lives in Nashville, Illinois, and has three children: Claire, Cole and Cortland. Eric loves to play golf, exercise and coach his kids’ basketball teams. 

He graduated from the University of Missouri–St. Louis with a bachelor’s degree in biology.

Eric’s niche is tax-efficient estate strategies for clients 70 years and older as well as helping young families establish a solid base for their financial futures. 

Adam loves to work with clients on a comprehensive basis, with an emphasis on tax efficiency and generational planning. He attended Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. Before joining Thrivent in 2014, Adam was the CFO of his family’s four-generation cheese business. When he’s not working, you can find Adam in his kitchen coming up with dinner recipes, or spending time at Table Rock Lake, skiing and fishing with his family. 

Adam lives in Kirkwood, Missouri, with his wife, Neile, and their two children, Eloise and Louis.

Logan has been in the financial industry for more than ten years and is passionate about providing comprehensive financial services that are tailored to his clients. His mission is to help clients create a comprehensive plan that is centered on their goals and purpose so they can live their best life. He graduated from University of Missouri-Columbia with a bachelor’s degree in business-economics.

Logan lives in Maplewood, Missouri, with his wife, Angela, and son, Isaac. 

Taylor enjoys problem solving and is passionate about helping clients gain clarity along their financial journey. He attended Mississippi State University and has attained the Behavioral Financial Advisor (BFA™) designation. Taylor also enjoys hunting, fishing, and lawn and garden work.

Taylor lives in Oxford, Mississippi, with his wife, Jennifer, who is a licensed child counselor in private practice and their children, Clara and Thomas. 

Tanya is passionate about Financial Education and tax-efficient planning solutions. She seeks to work with clients through a comprehensive lens.

She graduated from Liberty University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Finance and a minor in Accounting. While attending college, she was also a Division 1 Women’s Soccer player. She is an active participant in her community: currently serving as Vice President for the DeSoto County Business Women, board member of DeSoto County Economic Development Council, and volunteers her time at Compel Church and the Dream Center in Southaven, Mississippi. Before joining Thrivent, she taught Finance and Government at Carlisle Private School in Virginia and ran their international boys boarding house. Additionally, she previously worked for Horace Mann, helping educators understand their pension, benefits, and 403(b) options. 

Tanya lives in Olive Branch, MS, with her husband, Enda (who is a native of Galway, Ireland) and their three children, Aiden, Ruairi, and Eamon. She loves to spend time with family and friends, staying active, and traveling. 

Zach oversees operations for our retail brokerage and managed accounts. He processes applications, security trades and transactions, as well as assists clients who need to make investment changes or income withdrawals. Zach also assists with investment research and analysis.

He graduated from Missouri State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in finance. 

Zach was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area, where he currently lives with his wife, Claire. 

Jared is responsible for managing our investment clients, processes applications, contribution and distribution requests, appointment prep, maintains client information, and is always ready to help any member of the team. He graduated from University of Missouri-Columbia, with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management.

Jared was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, where he lives today.

Jessica assists Ryan and Dick’s insurance, annuity, and health clients, manages our front office in Altamont and organizes marketing and community engagement events. 

Jessica lives in Stewardson, Illinois, with her husband, Zachary, and their four sons: Clayton, Auston, Easton and Trenton. She enjoys baking, motorcycle riding, traveling, watching her children participate in sports and spending time with friends and family. 

Heather has more than 20 years of experience in the banking industry, including management, which provided a seamless transition to managing the Collinsville office and serving Dustin and Leah’s clients. 

Heather lives in Collinsville, Illinois, with her significant other, Paul. Heather has a daughter, Meaghan and son-in-law, Dylan who serves in the U.S. Army and is stationed in Fort Bliss, Texas. She enjoys running, riding four-wheelers, car cruising and spending time with family and grand-puppy, Stella. She’s a proud supporter of the military. 

Tessa maintains communication with Dustin and Leah’s clients while updating client records, preparing applications and greeting clients in the Collinsville office. 

Tessa lives in Collinsville, Illinois, with her boyfriend, Erik, their three dogs and two cats. She enjoys cooking, hiking, camping, dancing, traveling and spending time with friends and family.

Robin manages accounting, payroll and HR for the team, as well as scheduling appointments for many of our financial representatives. 

Robin lives in Swansea, Illinois, with her husband, Kyle. They have two daughters and sons-in-law, Gillian and JT Russell, and Sydney and Brett Maggio. Robin enjoys spending time outdoors, especially with family and pets. 

Tina manages practice growth and overall operations. She is responsible for scheduling logistics for our actively managed investment accounts, managing new team members and helping ensure each team member’s individual success. Tina wears many hats and plays a key role in assuring our clients receive topnotch service. 

Tina lives in Vandalia, Illinois, with her husband, John. They have three children: Bradyn who studies at United States Naval Academy, Ryan and Lauren, who both study at University of Illinois Springfield. She enjoys spending time with family, travel and adventures, especially anything outdoors. Tina is also an avid supporter of the military. 

Jen maintains client records, manages communication with our home office, greets clients in Altamont and shares resources with our network of Thrivent financial professionals throughout the region. 

Jen grew up in St. Peter, Illinois, and now lives in Altamont with her dog, Lucy. She enjoys watching her niece and nephew’s sporting activities, exercising and spending time with friends and family. 

Sherry assists Eckhardt Financial Group with scheduling appointments and calendar management. She has more than 25 years’ experience with scheduling and is a friendly voice you may hear from.

Sherry lives in Florida with her husband, Allen.