How does a Texas girl who arrives in Montana in 1984 with plenty of sandals and sundresses survive a season she’d never experienced – winter – and go on to become the Managing Director of our Billings Wealth Management group? 

Her story is one of serendipity and her extreme intelligence certainly had something to do with it as well.

Why financial planning?

No one should be surprised that Brenda, president of her children’s elementary school PTA, was interested in offering meaningful programs for parents well beyond bake sales and fundraisers.

At the suggestion of a few of her Investment Club members, Brenda invited Barbara Burg to a PTA meeting to present a program on how to save for your child’s higher education. Ms. Burg, who held the certification of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, delivered an excellent program to the PTA parents on the importance of basic financial planning.

This struck a cord with Brenda who was so intrigued by the idea of financial planning that, after the talk, she began a 24-month course of study for her CFP^®. With her youngest in Kindergarten, Brenda had 2 ½ hours each day to study and, of course, once the children were off to bed, she studied long into the night.

After completing her course study, Brenda went to work for DA Davidson part-time. As her children grew, her job responsibilities increased and changed over the years.

How did she find her way to Stockman Wealth Management?

In 2013, noticing a help wanted ad in the Billings Gazette that seemed to be written exactly for her qualifications, Brenda applied with the encouragement of her husband, Pat. She quickly answered, admitting she may not have even spell checked her responses. At the time, Ron O’Donnell was ready to move Stockman Asset Management in a new direction. Along with Eric George, the three planned a 30-minute coffee interview which turned into a two-hour meeting. The rest is history.

The Crux of Financial Planning

Today, Brenda manages the Billings office. She leads the team knowing that the work done for clients is not so much about actual dollars and cents but rather about the psychological and emotional nature of money. An individual or family financial plan, while based on money, holds so much more than a dollar amount. The peace of mind and security that can be given to clients is truly at the heart of what financial planning is all about. Goals that are put in place and worked on over years and decades offer peace of mind knowing that a firm foundation supports your individual plan.

Outside of Work

Over the years, Brenda has embraced living in Montana’s four seasons, especially winter. She can be found hanging out with her husband most weekends at their cabin in Red Lodge. They love hiking, skiing, fishing and her new found warm-weather sport of mountain biking. She humbly explains she is horrible and her whole family is scared she will injure herself. When asked about her proudest achievement, Brenda explains (and Pat agrees) that the pinnacle is raising three wonderful humans, all independent and making their own contributions to the world. There is no greater satisfaction than that!

To put together your personal financial plan, please contact us at any of our Stockman Wealth Management offices in Billings, Helena, Missoula or Kalispell.