Meet The Team

The oldest of three boys, Chris was born in York, PA.  After a seven-year stint living in Cocoa Beach, Florida, Chris’s family settled permanently in Chambersburg, PA, where Chris played sports all seasons of the year including baseball, basketball, soccer and volleyball.  Chris’s career path was deeply impacted at age 8 when his grandfather, then Vice President of Kelly Tires, purchased Chris his first share of Chevron Texaco stock.  This single transaction created a passion to learn about the stock market, and Chris still treasures the memories listening to his grandfather trade options when they vacationed each summer at his cottage in Long Beach Island, NJ.

After graduating from Chambersburg High School in 2001, Chris went on to play soccer at Elizabethtown College where he graduated in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with concentrations in Finance and Management.  Having grown up in his Dad’s commercial tire business, Chris worked in the family business for two years before joining Northwestern Mutual in 2008 as a financial advisor.

Chris’s greatest passion is building relationships. He is most energized when he is spending time with friends, both old and new, while enjoying nature, fishing, golfing or playing sports.  In addition to learning about the lives of other people through autobiographies, Chris delights in opportunities that allow him to mentor, coach and share what he has learned through study and his own life experiences.

If Chris could choose to spend a day his favorite way, he would get up early to enjoy coffee and hit the gym before having breakfast with his wife, Mary, and his daughters, Amarah and Onida.  After a morning of fishing, they would play 18 holes of golf after lunch followed by dinner out.  Getting his license to sail the Caribbean is at the top of Chris’s bucket list followed closely by travel to Hawaii, New Zealand and the Mediterranean.

Jay was born in Iowa and grew up in Arkansas and Missouri. He first learned the value of hard work and entrepreneurship from his parents. Jay’s dad was a chiropractor and small business owner, and his mother remodeled houses. Jay’s claim to fame is winning third place in the lip sync competition at the Yellville, Arkansas Turkey Trot festival. His song of choice was “Peggy Sue” by Buddy Holly. Jay later moved to Branson, Missouri, the country music capital of the Ozarks. While living in Branson, Jay continued to grow in his work ethic and entrepreneurial skills as he served in many roles at a Mexican restaurant owned and operated by his mother.

After graduating from Branson High School, Jay attended Southern Methodist University, in Dallas, Texas, where he met his wife, Katie, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2003. Jay found his passion for finances through a Crown Financial Ministries Bible Study at Highland Park Presbyterian Church. He decided to combine his love for people and finances and went in search of a career change.

In 2006, Jay joined Northwestern Mutual in Dallas before moving to the Harrisburg and Mechanicsburg offices. Jay has earned his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification, Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®) designation and holds his FINRA Series 6, 7, and 63 registrations.

In 2018, Jay was named to the Central Pennsylvania Business Journal’s Forty under 40 class. He is actively involved at West Shore Free Church in Mechanicsburg and enjoys coaching basketball at Covenant Christian Academy. Jay has been married to Katie for 17 years, and they have two children, Bethany and Karis. He enjoys playing sports and spending time with his family. Jay’s favorite book is John Bunyan’s, The Pilgrim’s Progress.

Matt is a native of Williamsport, PA, where his first job was mowing grass for the founder of Little League Baseball, Carl Stotz. Matt attended Williamsport High School (Go Millionaires!) and graduated from Lycoming College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance and Economics. An internship with Northwestern Mutual in the summer of 1998 was Matt’s first exposure to financial services. Matt’s love for building personal relationships and connecting people led him back to Northwestern Mutual in 2006. Since his return, Matt has earned his Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) certification, Registered Employee Benefits Consultant (REBC) and Registered Health Underwriter (RHU®) designations, as well as his FINRA Series 6, 63, 65 and 7.

In 2016, Matt was named to the Central Pennsylvania Business Journal’s Forty under 40 class. Matt is a member of West Shore Free Church where he has served as the Treasurer and Member on the Elder Board, Co-Chair of the Stewardship Committee and as a leader of the Preparing for Marriage Ministry. In 2020, Matt joined the Board of Directors for the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet.

Matt and his wife, Minta, met at Lycoming College and live in Dillsburg with their children, Julia and Zach. In his free time, Matt enjoys all types of athletic and outdoor activities. He particularly loves fly-fishing the streams of the Cumberland Valley, coaching his kids’ sports and spending time with his family at their cabin in the mountains of Tioga County. Matt’s dream job would be a fly fishing guide as it would allow him to combine his love of people and fishing.

Born in Pittsburgh, Pat’s family moved to West Virginia when he was eight years old. Pat grew up in Bridgeport, a town of 4,000 people, nestled in the hills of north central West Virginia where he learned the good values of faith, hope and love, along with charity and integrity from his loving parents.

After graduation from West Virginia University, Pat began working for a Fortune 500 steel manufacturer in sales. In 1981, he was transferred to Lancaster, PA. After a brief career at Willow Valley Associates, Pat began his career with Northwestern Mutual in 1987, where he has earned the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®) and Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®) designations and his FINRA 6 & 63 registrations.

Pat met his wife, Chris, in Lancaster and they married in 1984. They have three children: Brendan, a CPA who graduated from Duquesne University; Erin, a physical therapist with degrees from West Virginia University and Neumann University; and Patrick, a graduate of Cabrini University working in the film industry.

Outside of family and work, Pat enjoys civic and charitable volunteerism, travel and reading. His volunteerism has included St. Anne's Catholic Church and School, the Order of Malta, and Lancaster General Health, along with many other organizations over the years. Pat has been blessed to travel to many countries. Some of his favorite trips include multiple pilgrimages to Lourdes, France, two treks along the Camino, the Holy Land, Italy, Ireland, and Malta. Pat enjoys inspirational readings. His favorite author is Thomas Merton, an intellectual and spiritual giant. Two of Pat’s personal heroes from his lifetime are Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II.

As Associate Partner and Chief Financial Planning Officer, Ronnie directly contributes to the firm’s strategic direction and supervises the Planning Team with oversight of plan analysis and portfolio management. An avid learner, Ronnie challenges the InTandem Financial team to always be growing in financial industry knowledge and to embrace advances in technology.

Born in Lancaster and raised in Berks county, Ronnie joined Matt’s and Jay’s team in January of 2014 after participating in Northwestern Mutual’s Internship Program and graduating from Messiah College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance.

Since joining the team, Ronnie has earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification, Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®), Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®), and Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP®) designations. He also holds his FINRA Series 7 & 63 registrations. In 2022, Ronnie earned the coveted Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.  The CFA designation is globally recognized and attests to a charter holder’s success in a rigorous and comprehensive study program in the field of investment management and research analysis. 

Ronnie and his wife, Paige, live in Ephrata and enjoy frequenting the dog park with their canines, Koda and Willow. Ronnie enjoys coffee, music, listening to books and podcasts, and trips to the beach. His favorite book is Mere Christianity by his favorite author, C.S. Lewis. Ronnie and Paige love to spend time with family and friends around the table sharing great food and playing board games. They are both active in their church leading worship and serving in the Bible Club ministry for first through sixth graders.

As Associate Partner and Chief Experience Officer, Traci managers the firm’s workflow, leads the Implementation Team, and oversees the InTandem Financial brand including internal and external service standards. Traci is a self-proclaimed “worker bee” and delights in serving InTandem Financial’s team and clients by solving problems so vision and goals become reality. She loves to plan meaningful client events because quality time together is her favorite way to build and grow relationships.

Traci came to Northwestern Mutual with more than eleven years of experience in financial services and brings a strong customer service background that was developed in the banking industry. Traci has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and has earned her FINRA Series 6, 63 and 65 registrations.

Traci met her husband, Dwayne, on the muddy banks of the Youghiogheny River 25 years ago, and they are the parents of two teenagers, Kimberly and Jason. Traci loves to dabble with art, listen to music, and take long car rides with her family especially if the destination has sand and sunshine. In her free time, Traci serves on the Board of Directors at Wildheart Ministries, delights in supporting her children’s activities, having spontaneous date nights with Dwayne and spending time with the family dogs, Daisy and Molly. The Keiffers attend West Shore Free Church and dream of retiring in Coastal South Carolina someday. One of Traci’s favorite quotes is “If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit”.

As Associate Partner and Chief Operating Officer, Minta serves as practice manager overseeing the daily operations of InTandem Financial. In addition, she meets with select individual clients and equips our business clients with solutions for their employee and executive benefit planning. Minta is operating in her sweet spot when she’s bringing order to chaos, and her true native language is Excel.

Minta is named after her great-grandmother, but she has never met another person face to face with her name. Minta has known since she was 18 years old that she wanted to work in financial services, and this desire led her to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance at Lycoming College. While at Lycoming, Minta traveled the world with concert choir and sang a solo in the White House.

Before joining Northwestern Mutual, Minta's financial acumen includes fourteen years of experience in commercial banking. She joined Matt's team as a Financial Advisor in 2014 to oversee client service and growth of the practice. She has earned her FINRA Series 7, 6, 63 & 65 registrations.

A Central Pennsylvania Business Journal 2023 Women of Influence honoree, Minta currently serves on the Board of Directors for Bethesda Mission, the Lycoming College President's Leadership Council and is a Leader of the Preparing for Marriage Ministry at the West Shore Evangelical Free Church in Mechanicsburg. Minta and her husband, Matt, live in Dillsburg with their children, Julia and Zach. Although her favorite season is summer, her favorite kind of day is a quiet Saturday watching football with family and friends.

As Growth and Marketing Associate, Ryan supports the firm’s marketing initiatives and client events in a myriad of ways including graphic design, writing, and social media management.

A 2023 graduate of Messiah University with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and a minor in Sports Management, Ryan came to InTandem Financial in January of 2023 to complete an internship, and we offered him a job to keep him on the team. Ryan’s favorite college course was Strategic Management because it stretched his perspective on many ideas, especially the way he views the world. 

When Ryan isn’t at work, he loves visiting coffee shops to spend time with friends or to pass the time reading a book while sipping on a latte. His favorite book is Book of Basketball which highlights the greats of the sport and their impact on the game. Ryan enjoys playing basketball, as well as watching it played professionally. His dream is to work in the NBA in the front office of a team or for the league itself.

Ryan’s future ambitions include starting his own family and traveling the world to experience different cultures. His favorite quote is by Abraham Lincoln, “The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.”

As Associate Private Wealth Advisor, Heather plays a major role supporting our West Chester clients and advisors through client service, case preparation and internal workflow management.

Heather grew up in Schnecksville, PA, and graduated from West Chester University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Finance.  While at West Chester, Heather studied and completed her internship abroad in London, UK for a semester through Richmond, the American International University.  Some of Heather’s favorite classes included Investments, Economics of Health Care and Research Methods since these subjects allowed her to apply what she learned in the classroom to the real world.  An avid learner, Heather has earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^TM certificate and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®) designation and holds her FINRA Series 7, 6 and 63 registrations.

Although Heather enjoys reading nonfiction books, exercising, and doing puzzles, her ultimate relaxation is cooking dinner while sipping a glass of wine.  If she could spend an afternoon doing anything she wanted, she would head to a brewery that has food trucks because “there is nothing better than good food and good drinks with the people you love!”

One of Heather’s favorite quotes, “Keep the earth below your feet,” comes from one of her favorite songs by her favorite band, Mumford & Sons.  When life feels crazy and out of control, this quote reminds Heather to stay grounded and to be present in the moment.

Heather finds great joy volunteering and helping in her local community.  Currently, Heather serves as President of the Rotary Club in West Chester.  

As Associate Private Wealth Advisor, Ben is responsible for taking the raw data provided by our clients and creating the first draft of their personal financial plan. Together with the Financial Planning Team, Ben participates in plan reviews and fund research and analysis, in addition to monitoring incoming deposits to the firm. 

Ben was born and raised in Lititz where he attended Warwick High School before going on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Bloomsburg University.  Ben knew he wanted to become a financial advisor after participating in Bloomsburg’s Investment Club.  The club was given a donation from an alumnus and tasked with managing a stock portfolio to match or beat the S&P 500.  The money they managed and invested was then used to fund scholarships for business students.  This hands-on experience collaborating with other students sparked Ben’s interest in investing and portfolio management.  Coupled with his passion for relationships and his desire to work with people, Ben’s career decision was an obvious choice.  Ben holds his FINRA Series 7 and 66 registrations and has earned the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC®) designation.

As a lover of American History, Ben enjoys learning how events in the past have led cultures and communities to become what they are today.  If he could go anywhere in the world for 10 days, Ben would like to hike and fish for salmon and steelhead in the untouched landscapes of Alaska and take a helicopter ride to get a glimpse of the massive herds of caribou during their migration season. 

In his spare time, Ben likes to watch collegiate and professional sports, try new recipes with his wife, Hannah, and take trips to camp and fish in places he has never visited before.  If Ben had a free afternoon, he would spend it doing a multitude of things:  reading, taking a hike, watching a sports or historical documentary, and making something delicious to eat!

As the Director of Insurance Operations, Dione manages all insurance applications for the InTandem Financial team. In addition to preparing insurance proposals, she completes individual applications with our clients and follows the application throughout the process. When you call our office, you can expect to hear Dione’s friendly voice offering to serve you.

Dione grew up in Dover, PA, and is the oldest of three children. She graduated from Harrisburg Area Community College with an Associates Degree as a Paralegal. Dione started with Northwestern Mutual in 1999 and worked for Don Failor for 17 years before joining Matt’s team in 2017. If you ask Dione what she likes most about her job, she would tell you she “loves interacting with our clients”.

Dione and her husband of 23 years, Chad, live in Etters, and Dione delights in her role as Yaya to her grandchildren, Leo and Lane, because the love is completely unconditional. In addition to cooking, gardening, bicycling on rails-to-trails, and rooting for all Pittsburgh sports teams, Dione loves to read. Her favorite book is Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier, with Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy a close second. In the future, Dione dreams of being a full time “dog mom” and having unlimited time to volunteer at her local food bank and soup kitchen, and of course, the local library.

As Director of Client Services, Kaitlyn plays an important role supporting our Lancaster clients and advisors through client service, case preparation and internal workflow management. 

A native of Lancaster, Kaitlyn is a graduate of Conestoga Valley High School and Millersville University with a degree in Communications and a minor in Athletic Coaching. To further her professional skills, Kaitlyn has earned her FINRA Series 6 & 63 registrations.

Depending on her mood, Kaitlyn’s standard order at the coffee shop is a caramel iced coffee or a vanilla chai. Some of her personal interests include traveling and exploring new places, visiting new restaurants and breweries with her husband, Brandon, and going on hikes with their dog, Winston. While she doesn’t have a favorite book, Kaitlyn reaches for fiction, historical fiction and biographies when she wants to relax, and she is trying to read all of the books on Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club list. She self admits her guilty pleasure is watching reality television.

A huge fan of college basketball and all Philadelphia sports teams, Kaitlyn is super competitive!  One of her treasured memories was attending Game 3 of the 2022 World Series in Philadelphia with her sister who won the tickets through the lottery. Kaitlyn recalls, “The crowd was insanely loud and so happy, and we saw the Phillies win! It is definitely one of my favorite memories and one of the top sporting events that I have ever been to, and it was extra special that I got to share it with my sister!”

Kaitlyn’s favorite quote is “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today” spoken by Benjamin Franklin. Her great-grandmother had this quote in her home and lived by this motto, and Kaitlyn desires to emulate her great-grandmother by doing the same.

As Associate Private Wealth Advisor, Cameron serves our clients as a direct contact for financial planning, investments and insurance, and he supports our advisors through case preparation and financial planning strategy.

A native of Northern Virginia, Cameron earned his Master’s in Business Administration and Management from Liberty University. He prefers his coffee black, and you will most likely find him reading an autobiography or fiction. Cameron enjoys hunting, jiu-jitsu, and basketball. If he had an afternoon to spend any way he wants, Cameron would choose to spend it at a lake or beach with his closest family and friends.

When Cameron proposed to his wife, Julianne, he was almost an hour late!  He arranged to surprise Julianne on a romantic roof top in Philadelphia, but he couldn’t find a parking spot.  Despite this hiccup, she said yes, and they have now been married for 7 years and have three children. If they could travel anywhere in the world, Cameron and Julianne would explore the countryside of New Zealand. Cameron would love to fish and hunt there and visit scenes from the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

One of Cameron’s favorite quotes is by Jocko Willink, “Tight on belief, flexible on strategy.  Reorient and adjust.” Cameron believes that everything we do in all areas of our lives must flow from a strong belief system, including family decisions, financial planning and how we spend our time and resources. “If we don’t have a strong belief system, we risk living a life out of alignment with who we are and where we want to be. And since life throws a thousand curveballs, we need to maintain enough flexibility to reorient toward the goal and adjust to compensate for circumstances as they change.”

As Director of Private Wealth Planning, Evan is responsible for ­­portfolio management, investment operations and plan analysis.

After earning a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Shippensburg University in 2010, Evan continues to collect financial services credentials having earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^TM certificate, Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®), Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP®), and the Wealth Management Certified Professional (WMCP®) designations.  In addition, he holds his FINRA Series 7, 6 and 63 registrations. 

One of the activities Evan looks forward to every day is cooking dinner.  He especially relishes the challenge of replicating a meal he has enjoyed eating at a restaurant.  Evan supports local food pantries and has long-term aspirations of giving back to his community through food. 

When Evan isn’t trying a new recipe, his favorite way to spend the afternoon is golfing with his wife, Melissa.  And when they aren’t golfing, you might find them hiking with their dog, Willie, kayaking or snowboarding.  If Evan could take a 10-day vacation anywhere in the world, he would love to bounce through the European countries that border the Mediterranean.  Evan dreams of vacationing in a place where he can snowboard down a mountain one day and play golf the next day with the same mountain in the background. 

Evan uses music as motivation and as a tool for changing his mindset.  Depending on the inspiration he needs, he keeps lyrics written out for regular reminders and finds that many loop in his thoughts.  Two of his favorites lyrics that he dwells on frequently are “I’m not in search of greener pastures, I’m going to water mine and grow it faster” and “Smile as you walk by, thinking about the day”.  Both remind Evan to focus on what he can control and to remember how good life is.

As Director of Investment Operations, Jennifer is responsible for delivering concierge service to new and existing clients through client on-boarding and investment servicing.

Born and raised in Mechanicsburg, Jennifer is a graduate of Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School, studied Computer Information Systems at Harrisburg Area Community College and completed the Level One – Certified Minister course from Penndel School of Ministry.  In August of 2021, Jennifer joined InTandem Financial after a dynamic 22-year career in the banking and financial services.

Jennifer loves to learn about the past “because history enables us to develop an understanding of the world in which we live”. When given the opportunity, she loves to travel to explore both the physical properties of our world and the human societies that inhabit it.  Jennifer is completely energized when her mind is challenged, and there is a good problem to solve.

A self-proclaimed Disney fanatic, Jennifer treasures memories of annual trips to Disneyworld with her family and extended family, and she and her husband, David, have been known to book a last minute flight and escape to Disney together for a long weekend.  If she could take a 10-day vacation anywhere in the world, Jennifer would like to visit Germany to experience the memories her parents have shared from her Dad’s years in the Army.

In her spare time, Jennifer loves to serve and minister to those in need, cook and bake, and spend time with her family shopping or eating out.  Her favorite quotation is “Live as if you were to die tomorrow; learn as if you were to live forever” (Gandhi) because “these words inspire us to change the world by changing ourselves”.

As Associate Private Wealth Advisor, Kristy serves our clients as a direct contact for financial planning, investments and insurance, and she supports our advisors through case preparation and financial planning strategy.

A native to the mid-state, Kristy attended Cairn University as a double major in Vocal Performance and Biblical Studies, and although she never envisioned a career in financial services, Kristy came to InTandem Financial with a unique customer service perspective as one of Jay’s clients, affording her the opportunity to relate to our clients as someone who shares in their experience.

In May of 2016, Kristy joined Jay’s team and has earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^TM  certification, the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) designation and her FINRA 7 & 63 registrations. Kristy says, “Watching the relief and satisfaction on a client’s face when we are able to offer them peace of mind and financial freedom through good planning is the greatest reward for the work I do”. 

Kristy lives in Lewisberry with her husband, Sheldon, and their children, Benjamin and Lillian. Kristy feels most at peace when she is surrounded by beauty so she delights in channeling her inner Joanna Gaines and curating a warm and welcoming home where her family and friends gather. When she isn’t capturing the beauty of the Hershey Garden’s through the lens of her camera, drinking excellent coffee with her husband, or supporting Ben and Lilly at West Shore marching band competitions or musicals, Kristy enjoys serving at her church, the 13th LCBC campus located on the Carlisle Pike. If you visit, you will likely hear Kristy using her vocal performance degree singing and playing piano on the worship team.

As Director of Client Development, Deb is responsible for overseeing our group insurance and serves as relationship manager to many of our insurance clients. Deb starts every workday at Starbucks where the staff know her name and have her grande Chai “with six pumps of chai, no water, no foam” ready before she can order it! One of the greatest strengths Deb brings to the team is the energy she generates talking to our clients on the phone. She treats every client like a family member and whole heartedly shares their sorrows and their joys.

Before joining the InTandem Financial team, Deb worked as an Associate Financial Representative for Don Failor for over 32 years. Deb began her career in the insurance industry in 1979 at Connecticut Mutual, now MassMutual. She is an expert in personal life, disability, and long-term care insurance, in addition to group insurance benefits.

Deb lives in Mechanicsburg with her husband, Phil. They have been married for 48 years and have one son, Aaron, and two grandsons, Landen and Preston. Deb is a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Mechanicsburg where she sings in the choir and serves on the Outreach Committee. One of ten children, Deb treasures every moment she gets to spend with her extensive family. Deb loves to travel, skype precious friends across “The Pond”, and visit her South Carolina neighbors at her home away from home. On a Friday night, you will likely find Deb dancing or singing karaoke at the Mechanicsburg American Legion where she is frequently asked to sing “God Bless the USA”.