Our team

As a financial professional licensed to offer advisory services, Jeff takes a comprehensive look at your financial landscape and crafts a plan to help ensure you're well positioned to reach your goals. He specializes in tax-efficient retirement and estate distribution strategies. Jeff has his Series 7 and 66 securities licenses and has been a financial professional at Thrivent since 2007. He earned his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM certification in 2012 and received his Bachelor of Science degree from Iowa State University in 2001.

Jeff is married to Angela, and has three children: Josie, Amelia and Landon. He enjoys spending time with family, golfing and boating, and is a member of Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Josh built a passion for personal finance and became an entrepreneur at an early age. He graduated from Wartburg College in 2009, earning a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, while also playing football. Josh has been with Thrivent for over 10 years with areas of focus in retirement planning, holistic financial plans and tax efficiency solutions. Josh believes the key to a successful plan is two-way trust. He serves clients in our Belmond, Ames and Johnston offices. 

Outside of his practice, Josh enjoys spending time with family and friends. He and his wife, Leigh, have been happily married for 11 years and reside in Belmond. They are proud parents of daughter, Zoey, and son, Ty. Josh is an avid golfer and volunteer for several local organizations. He has always had a passion for athletics, exercise, and enjoying the outdoors. 

As a woman rooted in small town values, Katie takes great pleasure in helping people explore their financial options in this ever-changing world. She received her undergraduate degree from Iowa State University and went on to receive her Doctorate of Pharmacy degree from Creighton University. Her educational background and experience in a service-oriented world has helped to form Katie with a passion to help others.

In and through the busyness of life, Katie and her husband, Michael, find joy in supporting their children, Brooke, Nick and Jake, in their many activities. In her free time, Katie enjoys going on walks with the family dog, Ellie, reading, traveling and enjoying lake time with family and friends.

Matthew helps his clients define their financial goals and creates a roadmap to help achieve those goals, while protecting against life’s unexpected events along the way. He has been with Thrivent for 12 years, previously working in banking and as a bank examiner for the state of Iowa. Matthew received his Bachelor of Arts degree in finance and banking from Buena Vista University.

He has been married to his wife, Kim, for 12 years and they have two children: Bennett (11) and Tessa (8). Matthew enjoys spending time with family and friends, attending his kids’ games and activities, and golfing. He is a volunteer coach for Ballard Little League.

John provides comprehensive financial data gathering and review, retirement income distribution strategies, investment planning using appropriate asset allocation, and collaboration with your CPA and attorney, to bring clarity to your overall financial picture. He joined Thrivent in 2017, previously working as a developer and vice president in the technology industry. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in management information systems and business management from Luther College in 2000.

John married his high school sweetheart, Jen, in 2001. They have two children: James (14), and Elle’ (12) and a dog named Jingles. They are members of Lutheran Church Hope. In his free time, John enjoys water sports, downhill skiing, playing basketball and chasing the kids to their next sporting event.

Ryan mostly serves small business owners and families who are aspiring towards a work optional lifestyle. His holistic approach allows Ryan to be the quarterback for his clients’ financial decisions—so they can focus on what matters most. Ryan received his degree in business administration from Wartburg College.

Ryan married Amanda in 2012 and they have two girls, Autumn and Claire. He coaches his daughter’s softball team. In his free time, Ryan enjoys spending time with family, golf and the Iowa Hawkeyes.

R.J. is a Des Moines native and eight-year Air Force veteran. After having their first child, his family moved back to Des Moines to be near family and start a new career. R.J. found a calling to be a financial professional at Thrivent where he can help clients find financial clarity. He provides financial education and advice to individuals, families and business owners, as well as seminars for organizations and churches. R.J. received his Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Air Force Academy, his MBA from the University of Iowa and holds Series 7 and 66 securities licenses.

R.J. is married to Emily, and they have three children: Isla (10), Jack (7) and Audrey (2). They are members of Central Presbyterian Church in Des Moines. In his spare time, he has hung up his cleats from Air Force rugby days, but R.J. enjoys playing any sport his kids get involved with and going for family bike rides along the river.

Alicia’s responsibilities include greeting clients, answering phones and providing service to clients from our Belmond office. She has an associate’s degree in business administration from Hamilton College.

Alicia has been married to her husband, David, for 18 years and they have two children, Nate and Lily. Her interests include pending time with family, camping, nature walks and reading.

Lon enjoys helping his clients define their personal and financial goals, then crafting strategies together to help achieve those goals and monitor progress along the way. He has been with Thrivent for more than 31 years and received his Bachelor of Science degree from Iowa State University.

Lon has been married to his wife, Denise, for 35 years. They have five adult children and one granddaughter. In his free time, Lon enjoys family gatherings, travel, gardening and spending time at their cabin in West Okoboji. He volunteers at his church, by helping his neighbors, and completing Thrivent Action Team events.

Kristin provides client support and is the first point of contact for client questions, transactions, account changes and more. She has worked at Thrivent since 2015 and supports Pathway Wealth Advisors in all aspects of client service, and enjoys coming alongside clients and the team by supporting them in many ways. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Iowa in 2003.

Kristin is married to Nick, and they have two children: Madilyn and Logan. Kristin serves as the treasurer of the PTO at her children's school and is involved in an annual fundraiser that benefits John Stoddard Cancer Center. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, attending her kids' activities, reading, crafting and enjoying the outdoors.

Tara joined Thrivent in 2019 and has worked in the financial industry since 2005. She works remotely and specializes in investments and paraplanning. Tara studied accounting and business management at North Iowa Area Community College. 

Tara and her husband, Cam, have been married for 10 years. They live in Mason City, Iowa, with their children and dog. Tara attends Grace Church and has a passion for serving youth, combating food insecurity, and animals. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, walking her dog, traveling, spending time with family, reading and taking drives in her convertible.

Gail manages the Ames office, helping greet clients and assisting with service transactions. She has been with Thrivent for 16 years. Gail has been married to her husband, Rob, for 43 years and they have one daughter, Lacy. In her free time, Gail enjoys sewing, camping and restoring a 1958 VW Bug.

Brenna handles all client service-related items, including answering phones, meeting prep and supporting the client experience. She has been with Thrivent for six years and received her Associate of Applied Arts degree from Hawkeye Community College.

Brenna is married to Josh, and they have two dogs, Rossi and Kado, and a cat, Leo. Brenna loves to be outdoors with their dogs, fishing with Josh, or spending time with their families. She is also involved in supporting the community of small-town Belmond.