ERIC WALTON

Eric Walton joined Spence Asset Management in 2000. As the President, Mr. Walton oversees the growth and development of the firm, oversees day-to-day operations, and manages personnel. He is also responsible for coordinating the management of the firms investment committee and managing institutional/ individual marketing activities.

 

He earned his Bachelor's Degree from New Mexico State University in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance. In 2005, Mr. Walton became a partner in Spence Asset Management.

 

In addition to various boards and committees served on within the community, Eric is proud to be the President of the Spence Asset Management Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the company. He chairs the committee responsible for all grant giving from the Foundation.

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SHEILA WALTON, CFA

Sheila Walton joined Spence Asset Management in 1996 and is the co-creator of the investment philosophy of the FOCUS Equity product. She sits on the firm's Investment Committee where she is responsible for formulating investment ideas using fundamental analysis and extensive due diligence.

 

Mrs. Walton is a licensed principal and supervises all compliance monitoring and procedures. She acts as the firm's Chief Financial Officer, supervising portfolio accounting, billing and performance reporting. Mrs. Walton also handles the retail equity trading for the firm and monitoring of retail accounts.

 

Mrs. Walton attended the University of Colorado at Boulder and New Mexico State University. She graduated with honors from New Mexico State University with a degree in Economics and a Minor in English. She continued her education during a three-year study of the Chartered Financial Analyst program. She completed the program and was awarded a CFA charter in September of 2004. In 2005, Mrs. Walton became a partner of Spence Asset Management.

 

Sheila is also a member of the Spence Asset Management Foundation grant committee.

SCOTT KOZNEY, CFA

Scott Kozney joined Spence Asset Management in 2007. Mr. Kozney sits on the firm's Investment Committee where he is responsible for formulating investment ideas using fundamental analysis and extensive due diligence. He performs institutional trading activities and a multitude of support activities.

 

Prior to joining the Spence Team, Mr. Kozney spent five years with Cordillera Asset Management, where he served a variety of roles including Head of Trading, Senior Research Analyst, and Mid-Cap Portfolio Manager. Previously, he gained experience at Unicom Capital LLC, a hedge fund based in Denver, Colorado. There he launched his career serving as an equity trader.

 

Mr. Kozney earned his Bachelor of Science in Finance with a minor in Economics and Accounting from the University of Colorado at Boulder where he graduated with top honors, Summa Cum Laude. Mr. Kozney was awarded his CFA charter in August of 2007.

Patrick Grooms, CFP, MBA

Patrick Grooms serves as a Financial Advisor and is registered as an Investment Advisor Representative. In addition to assisting individual and institutional clients, he is the newest member of the Investment Committee, joining the Spence Asset Management team in 2016.  He assists the investment committee in formulating investment ideas as well tactical allocations based upon market conditions.

 

Patrick brings a diverse financial background to the team. He started his career as an intern with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management then left the financial services industry to be a business analyst for Los Alamos National Labs. After relocating back to Las Cruces, Patrick became a financial advisor with Edward Jones and then US Bancorp.

 

Patrick earned a Bachelor Degree from New Mexico State University in 2006. Graduating with honors, he majored in Finance, Human Resource Management and has a minor in Economics.  He then went on to further his education and earn his MBA from NMSU in 2008.

Scott Lieberwirth

Scott Lieberwirth serves as a Financial Advisor at Spence Asset Management.  Scott serves as a relationship manager, focusing on client engagement and coordinating client investment objectives with financial plans.  He joined Spence Asset Management in September 2020.

 

Scott brings unique experience to the team.  He previously served as a Division I Head Men’s Golf Coach for 17 years; his responsibilities included donor engagement and fundraising for operating and recruiting budgets. His experience in program administration, donor development and social media are all valuable assets to Spence Asset Management.

 

Scott earned a Bachelor Degree from New Mexico State University in 2000. Graduating with honors, he majored in Marketing.  Scott and his wife, Heather Essex have one daughter.

MARCO RODRIGUEZ

Marco Rodriguez serves as a Financial Advisor at Spence Asset management, focusing on client engagement and coordinating client investment objectives with financial plans. He joined Spence Asset Management in April 2022.

 

Marco began his career at Raymond James as an Investment Strategy Analyst. For over a decade, he was responsible for leading research efforts on portfolio management, asset allocation, equity selection and investment strategy development. He later transitioned into compliance and wealth management roles with Wells Fargo Advisors and Charles Schwab. Most recently served as Director of Customer Success for Finhabits, a robo-advisor startup in NYC.

Marco earned a double Bachelor's degree from The University of Texas in Finance and International Business in 2008.

JON STIRLING

Jon Stirling joined Spence Asset Management in 2021 and serves as a Financial Advisor.  Jon serves as lead advisor for Spence Asset Management’s Denver office and oversees the growth and development of the firm’s client engagement in Denver.  He is a member of the investment committee and assists in vetting investment ideas as well as input in tactical allocations in varying market conditions.

 

Prior to joining Spence Asset Management, Jon spent three years as a Wealth Management Advisor and Director of Client Relations at Northwestern Mutual.  Previously, he worked for Option One as Head of Trade Operations and Blue Fire Capital family office.

 

Jon earned a bachelor’s degree from Ferris State University in 2005.  He majored in Professional Golf Management and Marketing.

CARRIE NESTLE

Carrie Nestle joined Spence Asset Management in early 2006. As head of operations, Ms. Nestle handles day-to-day office management. She assists in many compliance functions and offers clients immediate assistance for service requests and questions. She also oversees the firm’s billing and performance reporting systems.

 

Mrs. Nestle graduated from Wisconsin Tech with a degree in Finance. She began a career in the financial services industry in 1981 at Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 1982, she was transferred to Houston, Texas and joined National Business Analysts, an affiliate of New England Financial. In 1993, Mrs. Nestle transferred to El Paso, Texas with New England Financial.

Danica Perez

Danica Perez joined Spence Asset Management in 2021.  She is a member of our client service team and works directly with clients, addressing a wide range of administrative and operational requests.  She is committed to providing an exceptional level of service for every client interaction.

 

She brings a unique level of expertise to Spence Asset Management with a decade of client service experience.   Danica spent the last several years as a paralegal to lead partners in family law and transactional law.  She provided assistance and communication to a group of attorneys as well as interaction with clients.  She has a broad depth of understanding in estate planning, probate and real estate.

JOLIE Tixier

Jolie Tixier joined Spence Asset Management in 2022.  She earned her bachelor’s degree from New Mexico State University in Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management in 2006, and a master’s degree from European University in Business Administration in 2007.  She previously served as the Director of Board and Donor Relations at the NMSU Foundation; her responsibilities included leading a team that oversaw fund compliance and utilization, and donor relations and stewardship.  Mrs. Tixier is also a certificated protocol officer from The Protocol School of Washington.

Mrs. Tixier strengthens our compliance division immensely as well as our operations team. She is ready to help with all client requests, she assists in billing and performance reporting and works to ensure Spence Asset Management is adhering to all regulatory requirements.

James Spence co-founded the firm in 1992. Mr. Spence is the co-creator of the model and strategy Spence Asset Management follows in managing the equity positions at the firm. From his decades of experience navigating the markets, he assists in formulating tactical and asset allocation decisions within the firm’s investment strategy.

 

Mr. Spence graduated with honors from New Mexico State University, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Individualized Studies. He started in the investment industry in 1983 with Quinn and Company. At the time, Quinn and Company was the only New Mexico-based member of the New York Stock Exchange. As a result of a merger, Mr. Spence joined A.G. Edwards and Sons. In 1992, he left A.G. Edwards and Sons to form Spence Asset Management, formerly known as Lord, Spence and Associates.

JAMES SPENCE, Chairman Emeritus

 

LAS CRUCES OFFICE | 3529 Foothills Rd., Las Cruces, NM 88011 | 575.556.8500

DENVER OFFICE | 3300 East 1st Ave., ste. 200, Denver, co 80206 | 720.399.0855

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The information contained herein is for informational purposes only without regard to any particular user’s investment objectives, risk tolerances or financial situation and does not constitute investment advice, nor should it be considered a solicitation or offering to investors. To determine if investment in a Separately Managed Account with Spence Asset Management is an appropriate investment for you please call 1.800.230.1840.

 

Investment Advisory Services are offered through Spence Asset Management, a federally registered Investment Advisor. Investment Advisory Services offered through RIA of Spence Asset Management, a Registered Investment Advisor to all residents of the United States.