Ryan began his career with Thrivent after graduating from the Lumpkin School of Business at Eastern Illinois University in 1996. Following in the footsteps of his father, he became the second generation to serve clients in the Altamont office. Over the last three decades, Ryan has been instrumental in expanding and transforming the practice, growing the foundation his father built into what is now Eckhardt Financial Group, a multi-advisor, multi-location team serving families across the country.

He holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification and is one of Thrivent’s elite Hall of Fame members, an honor recognizing consistent excellence and long-term achievement within the organization. Ryan enjoys working with clients throughout the local community and is also licensed to serve families nationwide, currently working with clients in more than 25 states. His areas of specialization include active portfolio management strategies, tax-efficiency concepts for retirement, estate strategies and comprehensive financial planning solutions.

Outside the office, Ryan enjoys hunting and spending time outdoors. He and his wife, Mandy, have one daughter, Olivia, who lives in California.

Dustin has been with Thrivent since 2003. He built and owns our office in Collinsville, serving clients throughout the St. Louis, Missouri, and Metro East area of Illinois. He has the honor of being one of Thrivent’s elite Hall of Fame members for his achievement and excellence within the organization, and his specialties include tax-efficient portfolio management, advanced estate planning strategies and comprehensive financial planning. Hall of Fame represents long-term commitment to our organization with consistent performance. Financial advisors and professionals qualify for Hall of Fame by achieving at least 20 years of service, a consistent level of production, and having a favorable compliance history.

He graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale with a bachelor’s degree in finance and business management. He holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification, a formal designation which represents 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 almost four 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 Stricker partners with Ryan and Dustin to meet with clients for review appointments, both in person and virtually. He specializes in investment management and retirement income planning.

Jon earned his degree in economics from the University of Florida and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation, reflecting expertise in tax, insurance, estate, and retirement planning.

He lives in the Tampa, Florida area with his wife, Heidi. Their two sons attend Colorado State University. Jon oversees offices in Palm Harbor, FL and Denver, CO, and works closely with his Operations Manager and daughter, Hannah Stricker, based in Spartanburg, SC.

Outside of work, he enjoys road biking.

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. 

Will is passionate about aligning his clients' financial planning needs with their goals and values. He is always seeking new client experiences and situations while making meaningful connections. Will earned his Bachelor of Science degree in financial planning from the University of Illinois.

In his free time, he enjoys hunting, traveling, spending time with his friends and family, and cheering on his favorite sports teams.

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

Eric lives in Nashville, Illinois, and has three children: Claire, Cole and Cortland. Eric loves to play golf, exercise and cheer on his kids at their basketball games.

Adam loves to work with clients on a comprehensive basis, with an emphasis on tax efficiency and generational planning. He graduated from Bradley University with a bachelor’s degree in business management. 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 10 years and is passionate about providing comprehensive financial services that are tailored to his clients. His mission is to help clients create a financial 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 O'Fallon, IL, with his wife, Angela, and sons, Isaac and Liam.

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, Thomas, and Lillian. 

Tanya is passionate about financial education and tax-efficient planning strategies. She works with clients through a comprehensive approach, helping them build clarity and confidence in their financial lives.

She graduated from Liberty University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Finance and a minor in Accounting, where she was also a Division I Women’s Soccer player. She is active in her community, having served as Vice President of the DeSoto County Business Women and as a board member of the DeSoto County Economic Development Council. Before joining the financial services industry, she taught Finance and Government at Carlisle School in Virginia and managed the international boys’ boarding house. She later worked with Horace Mann, supporting educators with their pension benefits and 403(b) retirement options.

Tanya lives in Southaven, Mississippi, with her husband, Enda, a native of Galway, Ireland, and their three children. She enjoys spending time with family, traveling, and cheering on her boys at their soccer games.

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, and his son, Callahan.

Jared is responsible for assisting our investment clients, processing applications, managing contribution and distribution requests, preparing for appointments and maintaining client information. 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 graduated from Illinois State University and now ensures a smooth client experience by managing all of our incoming calls. Jess is a great asset to our team with her friendly voice, extensive product knowledge, and help with 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 our clients through her meticulous preparation of all materials that are essential for our advisors to serve our clients with the care and attention they deserve.

Heather lives in Collinsville, Illinois, with her husband, Paul. She has a daughter, Meaghan, and a son-in-law, Dylan, who serves in the U.S. Army and is stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky with her grandson, Lane. Her stepdaughter, Micayla, lives in Collinsville and is attending school. In her free time, she enjoys running, riding four-wheelers, car cruising, and spending time with her family and her grand-puppy, Stella. She is a proud supporter of the military.

Tessa graduated from McKendree University with a degree in mathematics and is dedicated to guiding clients through policy applications. She helps ensure every step of the process is handled with care, from coordination and preparation to underwriting. Tessa also provides knowledgeable support to clients on insurance and annuity contracts and confirms smooth handling of premium payments and distributions.

Tessa lives in Collinsville, Illinois, with her partner, Erik with their baby boy Bennett, along with two dogs and two cats. She enjoys cooking, hiking, camping, dancing, traveling and spending time with friends and family.

Robin graduated from Southwestern Illinois College and now manages accounting, payroll and HR for the team, as well as scheduling appointments for many of our financial advisors.

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 helps drive practice growth and confirms the smooth, efficient operation of the firm. She leads team development, onboarding and training. As part of the leadership committee, Tina oversees key processes and reporting and supports strategic initiatives. She helps keep the practice running seamlessly so the team can stay focused on serving clients.

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 supports our team by preparing brokerage documentation, maintaining licensing requirements for our advisors and managing key operational processes. She also assists with client records and coordinates communication with our home office. Jen plays a vital role in keeping our workflow running smoothly and in connecting our team with resources across the region.

Jen lives in Salem, IL with her husband, Dirk, and their daughter Raelyn, along with their dog Lucy. She enjoys being a momma and spending time with her family and friends.

Mike has a true passion for helping clients align their financial decisions with their personal values. He boasts more than a decade in the financial services industry and brings a wealth of knowledge and a collaborative spirit to support the team and serve our clients with excellence and genuine care.

A St. Louis native, Mike graduated from Saint Mary’s High School and Rockhurst University in Kansas City, where he met his wife, and together they have a beautiful daughter, Charlotte. Outside the office, Mike is an avid soccer fan. He is often up early on Saturdays to watch matches from around the world and is a proud season ticket holder for the St. Louis City soccer team.

Sherry assists with scheduling appointments and has more than 25 years of experience in the field. She is one of the friendly voices you may hear on the phone, and she provides a smooth scheduling experience for everyone she helps.

Sherry lives in Florida with her husband, Allen. 

Kayla assists with scheduling appointments and has more than 13 years of experience in customer service. She is a friendly voice you may hear when you call our office to schedule an appointment.

Amanda is the welcoming face of the Altamont office, helping ensure everyone is greeted with warmth and professionalism. Beyond creating a positive first impression, Amanda supports the daily operations of the team by coordinating appointments, assisting with client needs and helping keep the office running smoothly. Her attention to detail, friendly demeanor and commitment to excellent service make her an essential part of the team’s success.

Kassy Carpenter is the receptionist at Eckhardt Financial Group, bringing over five years of reception and front-desk experience to the team. She is highly skilled in multitasking and is committed to providing excellent service to clients by creating a welcoming, organized, and efficient office environment.

Outside of work, Kassy enjoys playing volleyball and cheering on the St. Louis Blues with her husband in their free time.

Ryleigh graduated from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and now organizes community events, represents Eckhardt Financial Group at local gatherings and connects prospective clients with financial advisors. She leads community impact initiatives, helping clients maximize Thrivent’s resources through Thrivent Action Teams, linking organizations to the Thrivent Choice® program and creating innovative ways to bless the community through meaningful events.

When she is not at work, Ryleigh enjoys running, baking, volunteering for causes she cares about, and spending time with her cat, Soup.