Travis Shepherd has been in the finance industry since 2007. He specializes in guiding pre-retirees and retirees through today’s financial landscape. Licensed in securities, he takes a fiduciary approach, ensuring that his advice aligns with his clients’ best interests. Travis emphasizes holistic retirement planning, empowering clients to make informed decisions both before and during retirement. He is committed to helping them navigate the complexities of their financial futures.
(225) 791-7011 | shepherdwealthsolutions.com
Parker joined Prostatis as a Paraplanner in 2024, following four years of experience at a leading wirehouse. A Maryland native, he graduated from Seton Hall University in 2018 with a degree in History and Eastern European Studies. His interest in the financial sector was sparked by his studies of former Eastern Bloc economies. Parker holds both Series 7 and 66 licenses.
Outside of work, he enjoys traveling, skiing, and spending time with friends, family, and his dog, Maggie.
Email: parker@prostatisfg.com
Nilufar joined Prostatis in July 2024 as part of the marketing team. She is a graduate of Liberty University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and entrepreneurship. Nilufar has about two years of experience working in digital marketing and social media management and three in administrative support.
Nilufar is a first-generation immigrant and the first in her family to graduate college. Outside of work, she loves to spend time with her family and attend her brother’s soccer games and tournaments. Nilufar enjoys reading, cooking, and traveling, especially visiting family and friends back home in Uzbekistan.
Email: nilufar@prostatisfg.com
Brandon joined the Prostatis team in August 2024 as a Client Services Associate. With three years of experience in the Accounting and Finance field, Brandon brings a diverse wealth of knowledge to the team.
Brandon graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2022 with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting. He holds his Series 7 license and is actively working towards obtaining his Maryland Life and Health Insurance license and the Series 66.
After spending most of his life in southern Virginia, Brandon was allured by the DMV area for the professional and social opportunities and settled down in Maryland with his wife. During his free time, you will find Brandon participating in active, outdoor events, local running festivals, hosting friends and family, and spending quality time with his wife, two dogs, and cat.
Email: brandon@prostatisfg.com
Divi joined Prostatis in January 2024 as part of the marketing team, while additionally assisting Jessica with administrative duties during tax season.
She has experience with graphic design from Anne Arundel Community College and three years of experience with social media and digital marketing. Divi is assisting with client events as well as other marketing campaigns.
Outside of work, Divi enjoys spending time with her partner, Kevin, trying new foods, and working on various artistic projects such as scrapbooking and costuming.
Email: divi@prostatisfg.com
Jessica Smeby joined Prostatis in 2021, as our Client Relations Coordinator. Striving to provide our clients with the best experience, she is the first face you will see when you walk through our door in Hanover. Jessica is the person who keeps all those tax preparers, folders, documents, vaults, portals, emails, electronic filings, signatures, faxes, mail and all the other moving parts involved in tax season together. Outside of work, Jessica enjoys traveling and spending time with her family. She is truly loving the adventure of being a new mom!
Email: jessica@prostatisfg.com
Vanessa Pruett-Urie joined the Prostatis team in October 2023.
With a distinguished career spanning more than two decades in the financial services sector, Vanessa has emerged as a seasoned professional with a wealth of experience and a stellar track record.
Vanessa’s success is not just in numbers but also in the relationships she fosters. Specializing in advisor support and client care, Vanessa has cultivated strong, enduring connections. She ensures the firm’s clients are well-informed and confident in their financial decisions.
Vanessa’s journey in the financial services industry is a testament to her expertise, dedication, and client-centric approach. Her comprehensive understanding of strategic investment choices and personalized client engagements sets her apart as a trusted professional in the field.
When Vanessa isn’t at work, she enjoys spending time with her husband Dan and their twin boys, Ryan and Nathan.
Email: vanessa@prostatisfg.com
Dominic joined the Prostatis team in October 2023 as our Marketing Coordinator.
He has about five years of experience working in the marketing and communications fields doing many different types of work, including digital design, filmmaking, video editing, and social media management. At Prostatis, Dominic leads and supports various administrative campaigns in digital marketing as well as print marketing.
Dominic graduated from Towson University with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and electronic media and film.
Outside of work, Dominic likes to watch movies, attend concerts and local theatre productions, spend time with his partner Deionte, and sing with the Baltimore Men’s Chorus.
Email: dominic@prostatisfg.com
Dawn joined our Prostatis team in 2012 and now manages all of our new prospective clients from radio, television, referral, and workshop presentations. She is the head of the welcoming committee for all new prospective clients joining the Prostatis family. Rest assured that when Dawn is not hard at work, she is spending time with her family or with your fur family, grooming dogs. She spends her free time giving back to the community by providing counsel for people in recovery.
Scott joined Prostatis in February 2024 as an individual income tax preparer. He has over 17 years of combined corporate and individual tax preparation experience. His goal is to provide efficient and educational service for our tax clients, and to help them with planning for their futures.
Scott has a Bachelor of Science degree from Frostburg State University, where he double-majored in Business Management and Accounting. He is a Registered Tax Preparer with the Maryland Board of Individual Tax Preparers.
Scott resides in Frederick, Maryland, wherein his spare time, he enjoys competing with friends on trivia nights, reading up on history, fishing, and working out.
Email: scott@prostatisfg.com
Erik joined the Prostatis team in August 2024 and he supports the financial planning team with client investment services. He studied Finance at the University of Central Florida, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.
Erik currently resides in Orlando, Florida. When he isn’t working, Erik enjoys finding new and exciting food spots, playing pick-up basketball, and watching football with friends. He is an avid Miami Dolphins fan and enjoys debating about almost anything related to sports.
Email: erik@prostatisfg.com
Rosanne Schaeffer joined the Prostatis team in 2014. She is the bookkeeper for the firm and has over 10 years of bookkeeping experience. She is a QuickBooks Pro advisor, proficient in Xero, and has her bachelor’s degree in accounting. In her free time, Rosanne enjoys camping with her family, gardening, and taking part in mud races.
Email: rosanne@prostatisfg.com
Mary recently joined the Prostatis Team in January 2023. She has over 10 years of international experience in the Life Settlement and Financial Services Industry. Her career has allowed her to work and live abroad throughout the years. Her areas of focus have included those such as compliance, asset management, retirement, and succession planning, insurance, and life settlements.
Mary graduated from Towson University with a Bachelor’s degree in Sports Management and Business Administration.
She was part of the NCAA Women’s Soccer Team. In addition, she has been fortunate enough to compete and coach, at all levels both locally and internationally. In her free time she can be found camping and crabbing with her family. She also enjoys boxing, photography, and traveling.
Email: mary@prostatisfg.com
Jerry Linebaugh has been in the financial services industry for nearly a decade. Licensed in the state of Louisiana, he is a fiduciary that supervises the production of plans and advice that are in line with his client’s best interest. Jerry is a member in good standing with the Better Business Bureau, the National Ethics Association, and the Alliance Group.
(225) 664-2565 | gamechangerwm.com
Luke McCarty has been in the financial services industry since 2009. His professional licenses and designations include Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC®), life, health, and variable annuities in the state of Florida. Luke also holds FINRA Series 7 and Series 66 licenses.
(321) 253-2016 | mcphersonfg.com
Arthur McPherson has been in the financial service industry for over 30 years. He is a board member of the Financial Independence Council, which provides education in an effort to make financial security a cornerstone for families. Arthur’s professional licenses and registrations include life and health insurance, variable annuities, and FINRA Series 7, 63, and 66 licenses registered in several U.S. states.
(321) 253-2016 | mcphersonfg.com
Robert joined the Prostatis team in 2023 as a Client Services Associate, having more than eight years of financial services experience. He supports Katherine and the planning team with ongoing client investment services and case design for new and existing clients. Robert is an Honors graduate of UMBC with a bachelor’s degree in financial economics and international business.
Rob loves to travel extensively – especially to visit family overseas – and speaks several European dialects. In his spare time, Rob enjoys being a film buff, exercising at the gym, and getting together with friends and family on the weekends.
Email: robert@prostatisfg.com
Brianna Lutz joined Prostatis in December 2022 as a part-time tax administrative assistant. She assists Jessica with preparing tax folders, documents, portals, emails, electronic filings, signatures, faxes, and all the moving parts involved in tax season.
Usually, you will see Bri in our Hanover office, and occasionally at our Towson location. Outside of work, Bri enjoys hiking and the peaceful relaxation of the mountains.
Email: bri@prostatisfg.com
Carolyn joined the Prostatis Tax team in 2018. Following more than 20 years of experience in the field of human resources, she decided to expand her knowledge base. Her desire to help others is now focused on our tax clients. Carolyn graduated from the University of Phoenix with a bachelor’s in business management and a master’s in business administration. Carolyn is registered with the Maryland Board of Individual Tax Preparers as an authorized tax preparer.
In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending time with her family.
Email: taxes@prostatisfg.com
Iva joined Prostatis Financial Advisors Group in 2019 as a seasonal tax preparer. With over 20 years of tax preparation experience, her desire is focused on helping our tax clients. She has a bachelor of arts in accounting and is a Certified Maryland License Tax Professional. Iva is registered with the Maryland Board of Individual Tax Preparers as an authorized tax preparer.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, dancing, learning new things, traveling, and being part of her community.
Email: taxes@prostatisfg.com
Brian joined Prostatis in 2018 as a client service assistant. He supports Katherine and the planning team with the new client onboarding, transfers, and ongoing client services. Brian studied applied mathematics at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He currently resides in Glen Burnie, Maryland, and when he isn’t working, enjoys gaming, music, and spending time with his family.
Email: brian@prostatisfg.com
Adrienne is one of longest-employed member of the team at Prostatis Financial. She helps Michael and Ryan run the business and is dedicated to serving our clients. She oversees all our offices and is available for our clients’ questions regarding taxes and estate planning. Adrienne is a Maryland-licensed tax professional and personally believes in providing exceptional customer service that exceeds our clients’ expectations. Adrienne has 20-plus years of experience in the customer service arena and holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology. When she’s not busy at work, she is at home scrapbooking, playing tennis, or spending time with her family.
Derrick has started working with the company in 2022 as our Client Service Associate. Most of his professional career has been dedicated to helping clients achieve financial objectives such as saving for and living comfortably in retirement, building education savings, and more. He loves working for a mission driven company that puts their clients’ needs first, and helping clients achieve their short – and long-term financial goals through sound financial planning strategies.
His areas of focus include asset management, estate planning strategies, retirement planning, and income strategies. He earned a bachelors degree in political science from Towson University, and is working towards a master’s degree in personal financial planning.
He is originally from the Washington DC area, but now he resides in Annapolis, MD. In his free time, he enjoys exercising, playing sports, being outdoors, and traveling.
Cierra joined Prostatis in 2014 as our Client Relations Coordinator and now works with our team overseeing compliance.
She resides in South County, MD with her husband and son, Brayden. Summer nights by the bay, grilling outdoors, and monthly game nights are a few of their favorite ways for spending time together as a family.
Email: cierra@prostatisfg.com
Lawrence joined the Prostatis team in 2020 as a paraplanner. He supports Katherine and the planning team with ongoing client investment services and case design for new and existing clients. Lawrence graduated from Salisbury University with a bachelor’s in communications and business management. When not at work, he enjoys boxing, basketball, sartorialism, and spending time with his family.
Steve will provide support for our clients. Steve comes to us with an extensive banking background as a client service representative. In the past, he spent time training and coaching new bank employees. Steve also has a background in sports media, public relations, and marketing.
Steve is a graduate of UMBC where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications. He resides in Cockeysville, MD with his wife Beth, and two sons; Gavin and Connor. He enjoys fishing, golfing, spending time with family, and traveling. Steve is also a big college basketball fan and lifelong fan of the Maryland Terrapins basketball team.
Faisal Magsi is the newest member of the Prostatis team, bringing nearly eleven years of experience in Financial Services and Investment Management. His professional experiences have allowed him to develop strengths in equity and fixed income investments, wealth management, and financial planning. Faisal completed his MBA with a concentration in Finance in 2014 from Montclair State University and is currently pursuing his CFP designation.
After spending most of his life in the greater New York City area, Faisal relocated to Maryland to settle down with his amazing wife, Rabiyah. When he’s not in the office, Faisal enjoys spending time outdoors, watching football and boxing, perfecting his grilling skills, exploring new restaurants, and spending time with his family and friends. He is excited at the opportunity in getting to know you and helping you reach your financial goals.
