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Staff

    Executive Management

    Rob Carpenter
    President & CEO

    Robert Carpenter leads the team at BWFA that is dedicated to improving the financial lives of its clients. As President and CEO, he is responsible for overseeing all areas of the firm, Investment Management, Financial Planning, Tax Advisory Services and… Read More


    Joseph Manfredi, MBA
    Chief Operating Officer

    Joseph Manfredi is Chief Operating Officer of Baltimore-Washington Financial Advisors, Inc.  Joe is privileged to work with the firm’s clients as a lead advisor to coordinate all BWFA capabilities when helping clients with financial planning, investment, and tax advisory services…. Read More


    Wealth Management and Planning

    Townsend Hornor, Jr. (Sandy), CEPS
    Managing Director of Wealth Management, Executive Committee

    Sandy Hornor is an experienced financial professional with over 30 years in the industry. Sandy works with individuals, families, organizations, and companies to define their long-term wealth management objectives; he assists with the implementation of solutions and techniques to meet… Read More


    Thad Ismart, CFP®, ChFEBC, CEPS
    Senior Financial Planner

    Thad Ismart is a Senior Financial Planner with Baltimore Washington Financial Advisors (BWFA). In this role, Thad prepares, presents, and implements comprehensive financial and retirement plans for BWFA’s clients. Thad is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ® professional, a Chartered Federal… Read More


    Lawrence M. Post CPA, MST, CFP®, CIMA®
    Senior Tax and Planning Advisor

    Larry Post is a financial professional dedicated to serving the needs of individuals and families. Prior to joining BWFA, Larry held various positions in Hawthorn, PNC Family Office, PNC Wealth Management, and was a partner with a CPA and financial… Read More


    Tyler Kluge, CFP®, CPWA®, CDFA®, CEPS, ChFEBC℠
    Financial Planner

    Tyler joined BWFA in 2016 and currently serves as a Financial Planner. He supports the firm’s Investment Management, Financial Planning, and Client Service Teams. He is very proud and excited to work with clients and their families to help plan… Read More


    Joseph DePatie, CFA, CFP®, CDFA®
    Associate Financial Planner

    Joe is an Associate Financial Planner with BWFA. Joe is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA) Charterholder, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ® professional and a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA®). He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Maryland. Joe has… Read More


    Matthew Smiler, ChFC®, EA
    Tax Advisor, Associate Financial Planner

    Matthew joined BWFA in 2019 as a Tax Advisor and financial planner. He is a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and an Enrolled Agent (EA). Matthew holds a B.S. in Business from Towson University and has worked in the accounting and… Read More


    Tyler Cunningham, CFP®, CEPS
    Associate Financial Planner

    Tyler became a part of BWFA in 2021, taking on the role of an Associate Financial Planner. In this capacity, he provides support to our investment management, financial planning, and client services teams. Prior to joining BWFA, Tyler gained valuable… Read More


    Terrence Jones, MBA, CIMA®, CRPC®, CEPS
    Wealth Management Associate

    Terrence Jones serves as a Wealth Management Associate. Before joining BWFA, Terrence spent 10 years in various client-facing positions at T. Rowe Price and is currently pursuing the Certified Financial Planner designation. Terrence holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC®),… Read More


    Asset Management

    Rob Carpenter
    President & CEO

    Robert Carpenter leads the team at BWFA that is dedicated to improving the financial lives of its clients. As President and CEO, he is responsible for overseeing all areas of the firm, Investment Management, Financial Planning, Tax Advisory Services and… Read More


    Joseph Manfredi, MBA
    Chief Operating Officer

    Joseph Manfredi is Chief Operating Officer of Baltimore-Washington Financial Advisors, Inc.  Joe is privileged to work with the firm’s clients as a lead advisor to coordinate all BWFA capabilities when helping clients with financial planning, investment, and tax advisory services…. Read More


    Chris Kelly, CPA, CFP®, M.Accy
    Financial Advisor, Senior Relationship Manager & Executive Manager

    Chris is a Financial Advisor and Senior Relationship Manager whose expertise includes comprehensive financial planning and investment portfolio management and strategy. He is a member of the firm’s Executive Management Committee, as well as the Investment Management Committee. Chris is… Read More


    Joseph A. Caputo, CFP®, CEPS
    Senior Relationship Manager, Chief Information Officer & Executive Manager

    Joseph Caputo joined BWFA in September of 2012 as the firm’s Chief Information Officer and Sr. Relationship Manager. He has obtained over 15 years of financial and investment management-related experience. Prior to joining the firm, he worked for notable local,… Read More


    Max Pflugrad
    Associate Financial Analyst

    Max Pflugrad started with BWFA as an intern during the summer of 2021. He graduated from Towson University with a B.S. in Business, and is currently pursuing his CIMA certification. He is excited about his new role as an Associate… Read More


    Saman Alfatemi
    Associate Financial Analyst

    Saman Alfatemi joined BWFA in June 2025 as an Associate Financial Analyst. Prior to joining full-time, Saman had worked as an intern for BWFA since the summer of 2024. He graduated from the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School… Read More


    Tax Services

    Lawrence M. Post CPA, MST, CFP®, CIMA®
    Senior Tax and Planning Advisor

    Larry Post is a financial professional dedicated to serving the needs of individuals and families. Prior to joining BWFA, Larry held various positions in Hawthorn, PNC Family Office, PNC Wealth Management, and was a partner with a CPA and financial… Read More


    Matthew Smiler, ChFC®, EA
    Tax Advisor, Associate Financial Planner

    Matthew joined BWFA in 2019 as a Tax Advisor and financial planner. He is a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and an Enrolled Agent (EA). Matthew holds a B.S. in Business from Towson University and has worked in the accounting and… Read More


    Brian Murray
    Tax Advisor

    Brian joined BWFA in 2019 as a Tax Advisor. He is currently working to achieve his Enrolled Agent Certificate. He spent the previous 12 years working at BDO USA in a variety of roles, including the last five years in… Read More


    Ann Garczynski, CPA
    Associate Tax Advisor

    Ann Garczynski is an Associate Tax Advisor with BWFA. She is a graduate of the University of Baltimore with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Accounting. She is a native of New York City and began her career as… Read More


    Yuan Zhang, EA
    Tax Associate

    Yuan Zhang is a Tax Associate at BWFA and also an Enrolled Agent. She graduated from the University of Maryland where she earned her BS in Accounting. Prior to joining BWFA, Yuan was a staff accountant in a regional CPA… Read More


    Lex Ruygrok, CPA, Esquire
    Tax Consultant

    Lex started his career in the tax department of Deliotte & Touche where he became a tax manager specializing in employee benefits and retirement plan consulting.  He subsequently became a partner in a small local accounting firm where he focused his… Read More


    Tiffany Thurston
    Tax Associate

    Tiffany Thurston is a Tax Associate and registered tax preparer for BWFA. With a professional journey beginning in 2014, she has excelled as a bookkeeper and staff accountant, accumulating three years of specialized experience in taxation. Tiffany also serves as… Read More


    Sarah Lu
    Client Associate

    Sarah earned her undergraduate degree in Corporate Finance and Accounting from Bentley University. She then earned her master’s degree in Financial Management from Boston University. Sarah grew up in Shanghai, China, and came to the U.S. in 2018 to pursue… Read More


    Dylan Ruygrok
    Tax Associate

    Dylan joined BWFA’s tax team in 2024. He is a proud graduate of Bowling Green State University, where he earned bachelor’s degrees in finance and marketing. Before joining BWFA, Dylan worked as a Senior Credit Analyst on a Commercial Lending… Read More


    Emily Burditt
    Tax Associate

    Emily joined BWFA in 2024. She earned her B.S. in Accounting from Wesleyan College. Emily started her career in public accounting in 2018 and gained valuable experience preparing individual & business tax returns. Outside of work, Emily enjoys spending time… Read More


    Business Services

    Brian MacMillan
    Managing Director M&A

    Brian MacMillan joined BWFA in May 2013 and is the Managing Director of Mergers and Acquisitions. He is a graduate of Salisbury University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. Brian attended the Management Development Program… Read More


    Client Services

    Meghan Manas, CEPS
    Director of Client Services, Executive Manager, Notary Public

    Meghan is a BWFA Executive Manager and Certified Elder Planning Specialist (CEPS). Serving as the firm’s Director of Client Services, she supervises all aspects of the client experience including those which impact new client relationships. Additionally, Meghan oversees client education… Read More


    Eve Kennedy, CEPS, GRMS
    Senior Client Relationship Specialist

    Eve Kennedy joined BWFA in 2017 as a member of our Client Services Team. Eve is a Certified Elder Planning Specialist (CEPS) and a Grief Recovery Method Specialist™ (GRMS), certified by the Grief Recovery Institute®. Eve is passionate about making… Read More


    Anna Wilson
    Senior Operations Specialist

    Anna joined the team at BWFA in 2024 as the Sr. Client Operations Specialist, bringing over 10 years of experience in the financial services industry. Prior to joining BWFA, she held several roles within another wealth management firm, but her… Read More


    Zaman Naseer, MFin, CEPS
    Financial Planning Analyst

    Zaman serves as a Financial Planning Analyst on the financial planning track with plans to obtain the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation. She currently holds bachelor’s degrees in economics and biology, along with a Master’s in Finance from the University… Read More


    Faith Chisholm
    Associate Business Analyst

    Faith joined BWFA in 2023 as Associate Business Analyst. She graduated cum laude from the University of Maryland where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the Robert H. Smith School of Business with a minor in French Studies…. Read More


    Terrence Jones, MBA, CIMA®, CRPC®, CEPS
    Wealth Management Associate

    Terrence Jones serves as a Wealth Management Associate. Before joining BWFA, Terrence spent 10 years in various client-facing positions at T. Rowe Price and is currently pursuing the Certified Financial Planner designation. Terrence holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC®),… Read More


    Brandon Pierpont, CEPS
    Senior Client Associate

    Brandon joined BWFA in June 2023 as a Senior Client Associate. Brandon is a Certified Elder Planning Specialist (CEPS). He graduated cum laude from High Point University where he earned B.S.B.A in Finance from the Phillips School of Business. During… Read More


    Lisa Berryman
    Senior Client Associate

    Lisa joined BWFA in April 2025 as a Senior Client Associate.  Lisa graduated from Towson University where she earned a B.S. in Business Administration with a focus in Marketing from the College of Business and Economics. Before joining BWFA, Lisa… Read More


    Raechelle Norton
    Client Associate

    Raechelle joined BWFA in 2019 as a Client Associate. She attended Loyola University Maryland for both undergraduate and graduate school. She has spent time in both customer service and sales positions. She lives in Mt. Washington, Maryland, where she lives… Read More


    Stacy Patterson
    Executive Assistant to the President

    Stacy joined BWFA in 2023 and serves as the Executive Assistant to the President. She strives for excellence and has organizational talents that will benefit the BWFA team and its clients. Her career path has always been customer service-based with… Read More


    Cortney Caronna, CDMP
    Senior Marketing Associate

    Cortney graduated from Towson University with a bachelor’s degree in Communications with a focus in Public Relations & Advertising. She is a Certified Digital Marketing Professional (CDMP). Cortney strives to provide exceptional service to each and every BWFA client and… Read More


    Karaline Johnson
    Senior Marketing Associate

    Karaline joined BWFA in 2024, bringing with her 17 years of experience from the Marketing and Communications Office at Gilman School in Baltimore. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Dayton and a master’s in Publication… Read More


    Jadyn Wynn
    Marketing Assistant

    Jadyn joined BWFA in 2024. She earned her B.S. in Marketing from the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business.  Her role as Marketing Assistant supports the firm’s event planning and digital marketing projects. She has a strong background in… Read More


    Jordan Wygant
    Travel Advisor

    Jordan Wygant is a Travel Advisor for BWFA as of 2024. She has been an independent travel advisor for three years. Her passion for bringing joy to whomever she meets, shows in her work as a travel advisor and in… Read More


CFP – The CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM, CFP® and federally registered CFP® (with flame design) marks (collectively, the "CFP® marks") are professional certification marks granted in the United States by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. ("CFP Board"). The CFP® certification is a voluntary certification; no federal or state law or regulation requires financial planners to hold CFP® certification. It is recognized in the United States and a number of other countries for its (1) high standard of professional education; (2) stringent code of conduct and standards of practice; and (3) ethical requirements that govern professional engagements with clients. Currently, more than 71,000 individuals have obtained CFP® certification in the United States. Individuals who become certified must complete the following ongoing education and ethics requirements in order to maintain the right to continue to use the CFP® marks: • Continuing Education – Complete 30 hours of continuing education hours every two years, including two hours on the Code of Ethics and other parts of the Standards of Professional Conduct, to maintain competence and keep up with developments in the financial planning field • Ethics – Renew an agreement to be bound by the Standards of Professional Conduct. The Standards prominently require that CFP® professionals provide financial planning services at a fiduciary standard of care. This means CFP® professionals must provide financial planning services in the best interests of their clients.

CFA – A Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) charter is a designation given to those who have completed the CFA® Program and completed acceptable work experience requirements. The CFA Program is a three-part exam that tests the fundamentals of investment tools, valuing assets, portfolio management, and wealth planning. The CFA Program is typically completed by those with backgrounds in finance, accounting, economics, or business. CFA charterholders earn the right to use the CFA designation after program completion, application, and acceptance by CFA Institute. CFA charterholders are qualified to work in senior and executive positions in investment management, risk management, asset management, and more.

CIMA – The CIMA® certification signifies that an individual has met initial and on-going experience, ethical, education, and examination requirements for investment management consulting, including advanced investment management theory and application. Prerequisites for the CIMA® certification are three years of financial services experience and an acceptable regulatory history. To obtain the CIMA® certification, candidates must pass an online Qualification Examination, successfully complete a one-week classroom education program provided by a Registered Education Provider at an AACSB accredited university business school and pass a Certification Examination. CIMA® designees are required to adhere to Investments & Wealth Institute’s Code of Professional Responsibility, Standards of Practice, and Rules and Guidelines for Use of the Marks. CIMA® designees must report 40 hours of continuing education credits, including two ethics hours, every two years to maintain the certification. The designation is administered through the Investments & Wealth InstituteTM formerly known as Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA®).

CEPS – The Certified Elder Planning Specialist (“CEPS”) designation is a professional designation offered jointly between Salem State University and Plan4Life, LLC. The Elder Planning Specialist Training Program is a ten-week online program that deals with all the complex issues that advisors face when providing advice on the issues that aging clientele may face. After completing the courses, there is a final examination requirement that must be completed before receiving the designation.

CPWA – Certified private wealth advisor (CPWA) is a certification given to financial professionals who service high net worth clients. This certification is designed for experienced financial professionals who want to address the financial needs of those with more than a $5 million net worth. To achieve a CPWA designation candidates must meet the prerequisite, education, and exam requirements. All candidates must obtain all the following: • A bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college or have one of the following license or designation: CIMA, RMA, CFA, CFP, ChFC or CPA license. • An acceptable record according to the Investments & Wealth Institute’s Admissions Committee. • Five years of experience in the financial field • Take the Private Wealth Essentials course from the Investments and Wealth Institute to earn 14 credits and take 1 year off of requirement. There are three requirements that CPWAs must meet to keep their certification. These requirements include completion and reporting 40 hours of continuing education credits (includes two hours of ethics) within a two-year period, paying the renewal fee and completing the compliance requirement.

CDFA – The Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA®) Program offered through the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts. The designation is designed to prepare advisors as an expert on the financial aspects of divorce. For many clients, divorce is the largest financial transaction of their lives. The role of a CDFA® professional is to address the special financial issues of divorce with data to help achieve equitable settlements. Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree with three years of on-the job experience or, if no bachelor’s degree, five years of relevant experience. CDFA Designation holders must complete all required courses and pass a final examination that consists of 150 multiple choice questions. There is a continuing education requirement to maintain the designation that includes 30 hours of divorce-related continuing education every 2 years.

ChFC – This designation is issued by The American College and is granted to individuals who have at least three years of full-time business experience within the five years preceding the awarding of the designation. The candidate is required to take seven mandatory courses which include the following disciplines: financial, insurance, retirement and estate planning; income taxation, investments and application of financial planning; as well as two elective courses involving the application of the aforementioned disciplines. Each course has a final proctored exam and once issued, the individual is required to submit 30 hours of continuing education every two years.

ChFEBC - is a professional designation that financial advisors, accountants, attorneys, and others can obtain once they have the right mix of experience, qualifications, and education. These professionals need at least three years of financial services experience. They must also hold one of several securities licenses, be a Registered Investment Advisor or Investment Advisor Representative, have a master’s degree in business, finance, or economics, or hold a specific financial or legal certification. Certification requires an intensive course and a final exam. Candidates learn the ins and outs of the two retirement annuity plans (a.k.a. pensions) for federal employees: the newer Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and the older Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). They also study federal employee life insurance, health insurance, the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), Social Security, and more. Once certified, they must take regular continuing education courses.