Prior to joining Modern Wealth Management, Chad served for nearly 21 years in the United States Marine Corps as a senior executive advisor. Retiring from the Armed Forces in May of 2021, Chad joined the Modern Wealth Management family as Chief of Staff, later being promoted to Chief Operating Officer, and now filling his current position as VP, People & Operations. His education includes a Master of Business Administration and Master of Military Studies.

When he is not working, Chad enjoys spending time with his family, going to the lake, hunting, and attending sporting events.

Fun fact: Chad knows every word to “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel.

What are your job duties?
My main job duties are trading, billing, and compliance.

Would you be willing to briefly outline your career prior to arriving at Modern Wealth Management?
I worked at American Century prior to working at Modern Wealth.

What is your favorite thing about working at Modern Wealth?
The people and the culture.

What appealed to you about working at Modern Wealth?
The culture.

What’s the most important thing in your life?
Family.

What’s your favorite thing to do with your family?
Having meals and spending time with them.

What are some of your favorite hobbies?
Golf, sports, and spending time with friends and family.

What is a fun fact about yourself that people might be surprised to learn about you? If you can’t think of a fun fact, tell me your favorite movie or restaurant. 
One of my favorite movies is Uncle Buck.

Fun Fact

Maria can say the alphabet forwards AND backward.

Nicole Bittner is the head of growth operations at Modern Wealth Management, where she is responsible for managing organic growth channels and delivering qualified prospects to the firm’s advisory teams.

Before joining the Modern Wealth team, Bittner served as the vice president of strategic partnerships and commercial engagement at Goldman Sachs, where she facilitated successful lead generation, client conversion, and pipeline management by overseeing ongoing partnerships for financial advisors.

Bittner earned her MBA from the Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business. She earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing and management from Northeastern University.

What are your job duties?
I meet with clients and advisors to determine clients’ estate planning needs. Then, I coordinate meetings with attorneys to facilitate all that. I also facilitate the life insurance application and placement process. I also assist with various other tasks and projects that clients request.

What is your favorite thing about working at Modern Wealth Management?
The work-life flexibility because I have kids that are at the age where they’re doing anything and everything. That allows me to be here but to be there for them as well. I can also work from home when I need to.

What appealed to you about working at Modern Wealth?
I didn’t want to be in a sterile, quiet environment. I wanted to be in a place where you can interact with clients and staff, to share in the ups and downs of the people that you work for and work with.

How has working at Modern Wealth  helped fulfill your life?
It’s fulfilling to make a difference in other people’s lives. We get to check the boxes for what needs to be done for them financially and to be responsible for their families, and help them live their one best financial life.

What’s the most important thing in your life?
My family always comes first.

What’s your favorite thing to do with your family?
We like to travel and frequenting new eating establishments.

What are some of your favorite hobbies?
Being outside, spending time with family and friends, and going camping. We travel a lot during the summer and enjoy being at the lake, boating, camping and being with family and friends relaxing.

What are your job duties? 

Ensuring the client experience is first class while coaching and mentoring a team that delivers the same type of service throughout the lifetime of the clients journey

Can you briefly outline your career prior to arriving at Modern Wealth Management?

I spent 21 years in banking. Twelve years of that on the business development and sales side and nine years of it building and developing a client services department for a now $2 billion bank.

What is your favorite thing about working at Modern Wealth?

The team aspect of the culture, you really feel apart of a family here at Modern Wealth.

What appealed to you about working at Modern Wealth? 

Smaller group of individuals that are working together to work with our client’s so they can live out their financial dreams.

What’s the most important thing in your life? 

My faith. Without that, I am not sure I would have been able to be the person I am today.

What’s your favorite thing to do with your family? 

Watch KU basketball with a cold beer.

What are some of your favorite hobbies? 

Sports, traveling, cooking, baking, and reading.

With over 14 years of client service experience, Liz’s unsurpassed commitment to customer service has catapulted her as overseer of client account processing, paperwork, balances, statements, checks, and all other client service related affairs in Detroit.

Liz is a Michigan Notary Public. Her interests include cooking, softball and spending time with her friends, family and pets.

Favorites:
Favorite Book: The Notebook
Favorite Restaurant: Anything Italian
Favorite Sport: Wrestling I guess….that’s what I watch the most
Favorite Actor/Actress: Mark Wahlberg / Kristen Wiig
Favorite Weekend Destination: idk…I don’t really have one

What are your job duties?

I do a variety of administrative tasks—greeting clients and prospects, offering beverages/and fresh-baked cookies.

What is your favorite thing about working at Modern Wealth?

Interacting with clients/prospects/coworkers. Building relationships.

What appealed to you about working at Modern Wealth?  

Knowing I would be working with people.

How has working at Modern Wealth helped fulfill your life?

I’m an extrovert. This job allows me to be me. It’s so fun to get paid to do what comes naturally.

What’s the most important thing in your life?

My adult children, Simon and Emma

What’s your favorite thing to do with your family?

Spending time together, eating great food, drinking red wine, and having deep meaningful conversations.

What are some of your favorite hobbies?

Abstract pour painting on canvas, glass, wood. live music, decorating.

Jennifer Kucemba joined our team in 2019 as our Director of First Impressions. She is the friendly person (and voice) that will most likely greet you when you enter or call our Troy office.  She enjoys spending time on the phone with each client.  Getting to know their lifestyle and hear their stories is such a treat for her. Adding her own touches to the conversation and building relationships makes her day!

Jen is married, has two daughters and one (furry) son!  When not at work she loves spending time at home with her family, tending to her flowers and making her house a home. She is also very busy providing dancing, singing and acting lessons for her two girls who shine on the musical theatre stage!

Favorites:

Favorite Book: Love all children’s books – Roald Dahl especially (Would love to publish her own someday).

Favorite Restaurant: Camp Ticonderoga

Favorite Sport: Musical Theatre

Favorite Actor/Actress: Robert Downey Jr./Maggie Gyllenhaal

Favorite Weekend Destination: Discovering small towns anywhere in Michigan, finding new restaurants, and antiquing while there!

Since 2009, Juls Cook Tramposh is the friendly voice our clients have heard when scheduling appointments/reviews with their Modern Wealth Management Advisor. Focusing on the clients and the relationships she has built for the past 9 years, Juls has also helped bring fun and excitement to our retirees (or soon-to-be-retirees) lives by starting and running the Modern Wealth Management Travel Club which has traveled to Greece, Spain, and Australia amongst other various destinations. Additionally, Juls leads the Art and Tasting Club which meets approximately once a month to explore the local cuisine and fine arts events happening in Kansas City

When Juls is not at work, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling in their Retro 66 Shasta camper, fly fishing, and relaxing with their two French Bulldogs, Ava Harlow, and Olive Monroe.

Fun Fact

I belong to a Scooter club of 15 gals and we scoot all around KC exploring sites, markets, and great restaurants! We can find a parking spot anywhere.

Jason Hale joined the Modern Wealth Management team in March 2015 as an Administrative Assistant. Jason has been working in the financial industry for the past 11 years in the banking venue before expanding his career into wealth management firms. A native of Kansas, he attended Emporia State University after high school. He worked at Disney World in Florida, started his career in wealth management in Houston, and eventually found his way back to Kansas City. In his spare time, Jason enjoys remodeling the interior of his house as well as landscaping.

Fun Fact

I like to go kayaking and fishing.

What are your job duties?

I help our advisors prepare for their upcoming client meetings by reaching out to our clients to collect the background information needed for analysis. I then meet with the advisor to go over the analysis and any updates needed to the financial plan. I also build financial plans for our prospective clients.

Can you briefly outline your career prior to arriving at Modern Wealth Management?

Modern Wealth Management is the first company that I’ve worked at within the financial sector. I started working here immediately after graduating from my master’s program. I worked in daycare and as a nanny to put myself through school.

What is your favorite thing about working at Modern Wealth?

My favorite thing about my job is that every day is different. Every financial plan I work on is individualized to that specific client or prospect, so I’ve gotten to learn so much about different elements of the financial field through my role here.

What appealed to you about working at Modern Wealth?

Coming from working in childcare, I was really excited about the potential of a job that would provide me with added flexibility and a better work-life balance. Additionally, I was excited to get experience working in finance.

How has working at Modern Wealth helped fulfill your life?

I find it really fulfilling to know that the work I’m doing is part of a process that helps others to feel more secure in their finances and gives them peace of mind.

What’s the most important thing in your life?

I would say the most important thing in my life would be my faith, with my family being a close second.

What’s your favorite thing to do with your family?

I love getting to travel to new places with my family and go sight-seeing.

What are some of your favorite hobbies?

I really like to draw in my free time. I also enjoy reading and writing.

What is a fun fact about yourself that people might be surprised to learn about you? If you can’t think of a fun fact, tell me your favorite movie or restaurant.

My favorite place that I’ve ever travelled to would be Florence, Italy. I’m hoping to go back sometime soon.

What are your job duties?

I keep everyone happy and try to make the advisors’ lives easier. I prep and process paperwork, help clients get logged into our software, coordinate estate planning meetings with our attorneys and advisors, and other behind-the-scenes tasks to ensure efficiency with the client experience.

Can you briefly outline your career prior to arriving at Modern Wealth Management?

I started working at Modern Wealth Management right after college.

What is your favorite thing about working at Modern Wealth?

I love making people happy and making their lives easier. I also enjoy talking with clients and hearing their life stories and cool trips they have taken.

What appealed to you about working at Modern Wealth?

Working with my dad and helping serve people.

How has working at Modern Wealth helped fulfill your life?

I find joy in helping and serving others.

What’s the most important thing in your life?

My family and my cute niece

What’s your favorite thing to do with your family?

Being on the boat all day in the Florida Keys or on the Saint Clair River.

What are some of your favorite hobbies?

Surfing, being active outside, baking, and decorating sugar cookies.

What is a fun fact about yourself that people might be surprised to learn about you? If you can’t think of a fun fact, tell me your favorite movie or restaurant.

I can juggle. My favorite restaurant is Seasons 52 and favorite movie is Pride and Prejudice .

What are your job duties?

My job duties range from completing the morning alerts every day to working on client paperwork for RMDs, Roth conversions and model changes, to assisting with servicing the annuity accounts.

Can you briefly outline your career prior to arriving at Modern Wealth Management?

I worked for recruiting firms in the health care IT and engineering sectors.

What is your favorite thing about working at Modern Wealth?

I really enjoy the small business and family atmosphere that we provide for our staff and our clients as well.

What appealed to you about working at Modern Wealth?

Being able to help people in a way that helps them feel more secure about their future.

How has working at Modern Wealth helped fulfill your life?

Working at Modern Wealth shown me that it is possible to work hard, do a good job, and have a great work-life balance

What’s the most important thing in your life?

Spending time with loved ones and family.

What’s your favorite thing to do with your family?

Spending holidays together where the whole family can be in town.

What are some of your favorite hobbies?

Record, cassette, and movie collecting. I also enjoy going to concerts, bowling, surfing, and working on cars.

What is a fun fact about yourself that people might be surprised to learn about you? If you can’t think of a fun fact, tell me your favorite movie or restaurant.

I am an avid heavy metal fan and will take almost any opportunity to see live music.I enjoy almost any movie. One of my top movies is Moon.

What are your job duties?

• Responsible for accurately generating all account paperwork for prospects and clients using a combination of DocuSign and paper forms and collaborating with advisors on complex requests.
• Following up with clients or other financial firms on status or issues with account transfers
• Responsible for the new account processes, including – working with operations assistant and billing team to ensure updates to client fees are processed correctly and with the necessary forms.
• Manage a queue of paperwork requests, follow up with clients, and alert the sales team of any issues.
• Monitor incoming and outgoing transactions within investment accounts.
• Process client service requests and client review prep as assigned by sales teams.
• Ensure fields in Salesforce are completed as needed.
• Process incoming deposits
• Work in financial planning software to make updates as needed.

Can you briefly outline your career prior to arriving at Modern Wealth Management?

I was working with attorneys, helping our clients file for bankruptcies for five years. Then, I worked for franchise advisors for Ameriprise Financial for 12 years prior to coming to Modern Wealth Management.

What is your favorite thing about working at Modern Wealth?

The ability to talk with the clients, to get to know them, and to help them with their needs. I love talking to them about their families and learning what they are doing with their lives today. It feels so nice to be able to give them the assurance that they are in good hands with our team.

What appealed to you about working at Modern Wealth?

To be a part of a team that is making a difference in our clients’ lives. Helping them fulfill their dreams for their future. All while fulfilling my dreams for my future.

How has working at Modern Wealth helped fulfill your life?

It has allowed me to apply my talents, interests, and values to my work. Providing financial support and stability for my personal needs.

What’s the most important thing in your life?

My family, friends, and my dogs.

What’s your favorite thing to do with your family?

Spending time together golfing or skiing with them.

What are some of your favorite hobbies?

Golfing, skiing, riding my bike, reading, and loving my four dogs.

What is a fun fact about yourself that people might be surprised to learn about you? If you can’t think of a fun fact, tell me your favorite movie or restaurant.

In March 2018, I broke both of my legs and cracked my sternum in a skiing accident. In April 2019, I went to Colorado skiing for the first time. It was EPIC!

Fun Fact

Paul enjoys camping and hiking whenever possible.

Nanette Marx has been with Barber Financial group since 2000, making her one of our longest and most treasured employees. With her 18 years of experience, she is the only employee that has held a position in every department at Modern Wealth Management. Her knowledge and experience make a positive impact on our firm every single day. Today, she serves as the Operations and Marketing Assistant where her exceptional organizational skills are really able to shine. You may even get to see her welcoming you to one of our many workshops!

Not only is Nanette OUR office mom, but she is also the proud mother to Dickie, Katie (married 2 years to Mike), Maggie, and Allie, and just recently became a new grandmother to baby Mikey. Married to her husband Richard for 28 years, Nanette loves spending time with her family, taking vacations as often as possible, making t-shirt blankets for her children, and scrapbooking.