Meet Mike
As our Senior Wealth Advisor, Mike takes the time to personally get to know our clients, learn their goals and develop strategies to pursue those goals. He believes networking with clients’ income tax, legal, and insurance professionals is vital to determine what is in their best interest to put clients in a position to succeed.
Mike was born and raised in southwest Minnesota, as one of nine children on a dairy farm. It was on the dairy farm that Mike learned a work ethic that has carried him to this day. He began his business career in managing farmer owned grain, feed, and fertilizer cooperatives in southeast South Dakota and southwest Minnesota.
In 1991, Mike changed careers to Personal Financial Advising with American Express Financial Advisors, offering investments, fee-based personal investment planning, retirement planning, and estate planning strategies. In 1997, as an Investment Executive, he joined the Dain Rauscher, Inc. office in St. Joseph, Missouri (now RBC Capital Wealth) to continue to provide his clients the best service and resources.
On March 1, 2002, Mike helped open the first Raymond James Financial Services office in St. Joseph, Missouri. In July 2006, that office became Gertsema Wealth Services, an independent branch of Raymond James over the next ten years. In May 2012, Mike and the Gertsema Wealth Management Group joined Stifel with Mike acting as Senior Vice President/Investment and Branch Manager, where he was recognized annually with membership to the President’s Council or the more prestigious Chairman’s Council.
Mike loves to spend time with his wife of over forty years, Vicki, and his three adult children: Angela, a graduate of Iona College in New Rochelle, New York; Nicholas, a graduate of the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri; and Anthony, a graduate of Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, as well as his eight wonderful grandchildren.
Mike enjoys spending time in his outdoor kitchen, whether it’s breakfast, lunch, dinner, or anything in between – anything to get him outside. When Mike isn’t cooking outside, he is out working in the yard or out walking their two beagles.
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