Leadership

Darcy has over 25 years of family office experience. Darcy oversees corporate services for Okabena Company, including its provision of services to Okabena Investment Services, Inc. and Boulder Bridge Trust Company. This includes budgeting, financial and tax planning, audit oversight for corporate entities, and managing the IT, Client Accounting, HR, and Office Administration functions.

Prior to joining Okabena in 1993, Darcy worked for Ernst & Young where she was a Senior Tax Consultant. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and earned a BS in Accounting from the University of Minnesota and an MBA from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.

Tom has over 15 years of experience in the investment industry and has oversight responsibility for OIS’ client service function. He works closely with the investment and family office teams in a number of capacities, primarily focusing on the needs of taxable, multi-generational families of wealth, their trusts and foundations. He also supports the tax-exempt clients of OIS.

Tom joined Okabena in 2017 from Doran Advisors, a consulting firm he founded to provide oversight to foundations, endowments, and other non-profits. Previously, he was a Senior Consultant at Jeffrey Slocum & Associates and a Principal with the Cherry Tree Family Office Group working with individuals and non-profits. He presently serves on the boards of two Twin Cities-based foundations.

Tom received his BA from Boston College and earned his MBA from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Jim has over 20 years of wealth management experience. Jim joined Okabena in 2014 and is responsible for all aspects of the business and for guiding the strategic direction and growth of Okabena Company and its subsidiaries. Prior to joining Okabena, Jim was President/CEO–Minnesota for The Northern Trust Company and led all aspects of the company’s wealth management business in the region. He also held senior positions in the Investment Department at American Express Financial Advisors after beginning his career at Deloitte & Touche in Chicago. Jim is also the President of Okabena Investment Services, Inc.

Jim received his MS in Accountancy from DePaul University and his BA in Economics from Williams College. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) – inactive.

Courtney has over 15 years of wealth and estate planning experience and provides comprehensive financial planning services to individuals, foundations and multi-generational families. She works with clients to address the financial, social, and personal aspects of their wealth, including net worth analysis, estate planning, debt procurement, risk management and tax planning and analysis. Before joining Okabena Company in 2021, Courtney was a Director and Relationship Manager at Abbot Downing, a division of Wells Fargo providing wealth management services to ultra-high net worth families and foundations. Prior to that, Courtney practiced as an estate planning attorney for 12 years in Chicago and the Twin Cities. Courtney currently serves on the board or the advisory committee of several Twin Cities-based nonprofits.

Courtney received her BA magna cum laude in Political Science from Purdue University, her JD cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School, and her LL.M. in Taxation with honors from Northwestern University.

Jim joined Okabena in 1985, with primary responsibilities for client tax preparation and compliance. In 1993, Jim was elected Vice President of Tax and Estate Planning, directing the tax and estate planning for clients of Okabena Company. He has over 25 years of family office experience.

In 2001, Jim was promoted to Senior Vice President of Okabena Company and Head of Client Relationship Management. His current duties include oversight of the administration of the company including: tax/estate planning, accounting/systems, budgeting, and custodial and client relationship management. He is President of Boulder Bridge Trust Company and oversees its fiduciary responsibilities.

Prior to joining Okabena, Jim worked in public accounting with the firm Larson, Allen & Weisher. Jim received his undergraduate and MBA in business taxation from the University of Minnesota and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Jim is a member of the Wealth Management Financial Officer Group of The Northern Trust Company.

Leslie has over 20 years of tax and family office experience. She oversees all aspects of the tax compliance and planning process for clients of Okabena and Boulder Bridge Trust Company. In addition, Leslie assists with wealth transfer and estate planning matters for Okabena clients. Leslie is an officer and director of Boulder Bridge Trust Company where she is actively involved in executing the company’s fiduciary responsibilities.

Before joining Okabena in 2005, Leslie spent over eight years at KPMG LLP where she was a Senior Manager in the Personal Financial Planning practice. Leslie received her BA in Business Administration and History/Political Science from Jamestown College and her JD from William Mitchell College of Law.

Steve has over 25 years of investment legal and compliance experience and is responsible for OIS’ legal and compliance functions. Before joining OIS in 2018, Steve had significant law firm and in-house experience working with institutional investment managers, wealth management firms and advisers to private investment funds, including having served as general counsel of Cornerstone, US Bancorp Asset Management and Investment Advisers, Inc.

Steve received his BA with highest honors in History from the University of Notre Dame and his JD cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School, where he served as Managing Editor of the Minnesota Law Review. After law school, Steve clerked for the Hon. Frank J. Magill (dec.) of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

Eric has over 20 years of investment industry experience and previously served as investment Analyst and then Investment Manager with OIS. Eric has deep experience with investment manager analysis and due diligence, asset allocation modelling and taxable and tax-exempt client portfolio construction.

Before joining OIS in 2006, Eric spent six years with Harris Associates LP in Chicago, where he started as an Investment Advisory Department Assistant responsible for processing corporate reorganizations and maintaining the portfolio accounting system. Within a year, he assumed the position of Portfolio Associate for a book of high net worth individuals and their equity portfolios. In 2005, Eric became a Senior Portfolio Associate focusing more on relationship management and employee training aspects.

Eric received his BA in International & Monetary Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and earned an MBA in Finance from the Kellstadt School of Business at DePaul University. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Scott has over 25 years of family office experience, having originally joined Okabena Company in 1993. Scott has oversight responsibility for OIS’ accounting, financial reporting, and audit functions. During his tenure at the firm Scott has served in a variety of roles, which provided him with a broad exposure to fund accounting, performance measurement, financial reporting, external audits, regulatory compliance, and network administration. Prior to his arrival at Okabena, Scott earned his Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation while working in the audit practice of Virchow, Krause & Company.

Scott received his BS in Accounting and Computer Science from Minnesota State University-Mankato and his MBA, with honors, from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.

Dennis leads OIS’ investment function and as such has overall responsibility for the taxable and tax-exempt investment programs. Before joining OIS in 2021, Dennis served as Head of Investment Manager Research - Global Fiduciary Solutions (“GFS”), the outsourced CIO business of State Street Global Advisors, where he built and led a 10-person team across three offices that constructed portfolios and managed accounts for 35 clients with $130 billion in discretionary assets. In addition, Dennis served as one of three Investment Committee members responsible for investment decisions across the 100+ person GFS team. Santos joined State Street as a result of its acquisition of GE Asset Management, which had recruited him to lead its external manager platform in 2012. Prior to GE Asset Management, Santos had over 10 years of investment industry leadership, trading and research experience with a variety of firms including UBS Investment Bank, BGC Partners (part of Cantor Fitzgerald) and Evaluation Associates, LLC.

Santos, a Boston native, received his BS in International Economics from Suffolk University and his MBA in Finance from Bentley College.

Stephanie has over 25 years of diversified financial industry experience and provides comprehensive financial planning services to individuals and multi-generational families. She helps clients with net worth analysis and optimization, cashflow planning, business planning and analysis, estate planning, debt procurement, risk management and tax planning and analysis. Prior to joining Okabena in 2011, Stephanie had 10 years of experience providing strategic and financial advice to small and middle market companies, helping her clients think about and optimize their businesses for long-term success. Before that, Stephanie worked with wealthy families, individuals and executives on wealth accumulation strategies while at Arthur Anderson LLP.

Stephanie received her BS summa cum laude in Accounting from the University of St. Thomas and an MBA from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. She is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive).

Deb has over 25 years of experience in the investment industry and works closely with the investment team in a number of capacities, primarily focusing on the needs of nonprofits, endowments, foundations and other tax-exempt organizations.

Prior to joining OIS in 2012, Deb served as a Senior Consultant at Jeffrey Slocum & Associates for seven years, working extensively with investment committees and the staffs of not-for-profit clients to develop and implement individualized, effective investment policies and portfolios. Her corporate experience prior to joining Slocum included roles as the Vice President and Treasurer of The Valspar Corporation; Treasurer of Imation Corporation; Manager, Benefit Funds Investments at 3M Company, as well as previous positions at The Bendix Corporation and Ford Motor Credit Company. Deb presently serves on the boards of several Twin Cities-based not-for-profit organizations.

Deb received her BA with high honors in Social Sciences from Michigan State University, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She earned her MBA from Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management. Deb holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.