Our Team

Ryan Wempe, CFP®

President & CCO

E-Mail: rwempe@thefinplangroup.com

About Me

I grew up in a small farming community in northern Saskatchewan, Canada.  My parents and four sisters still reside in Canada.  My parents supported my desire to play hockey instead of take over the family farm, and after many years playing hockey in freezing cold ice rinks I was given the opportunity to play college hockey for St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin.   During my time at St. Norbert, I was given an internship by Lon Mishler to work for his firm, Financial Planning and Information Services, Inc.  The first day I met Lon, he told me he wanted to groom someone to take over the business and carry out his philosophy as he felt this was in the best interest of the clients versus selling the business to a stranger whom may sell products.  After graduating from college Lon Mishler gave me an opportunity to work with his firm full time and the rest, as they say is history.  I always wanted to be a business owner and enjoy working with people and helping them, along with a strong interest in finance from a very early age.  My wife and I currently reside in Howard, Wisconsin with our three children.  We are extremely blessed and thankful for the people in our lives.

Schedule a Time to Talk

Education

I graduated in June of 2002 with a four year degree in Business Administration from St. Norbert College.  Completed the Certified Financial Planner CFP® Certification in January of 2006 and completed my Masters in Science – Personal Financial Planning – through the College for Financial Planning in August of 2010.  I am a member of Financial Planning Association (FPA) of Wisconsin and National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA).

Role in the Firm

In addition to being a partner in the firm and helping run the overall business, I am one of our advisors and the Chief Compliance Officer for the firm.  As an advisor, I assist clients in creating and implementing financial plans focused on investments, retirement, tax planning and discussions on various other financial topics.  As compliance officer I am responsible for making sure our office procedures are followed and that we as a firm are up to date on all regulatory requirements.  I love what I do so going to work is pretty easy and helping people through the various phases in their financial life is very rewarding.

Outside of Work

My wife and I are very active and our children are following this trait.  We enjoy running to kids activities and watching our children develop each and every day.  We also like wine!  In our spare time, my wife and I enjoy cooking and dining out, walking, golfing, skiing and snowshoeing.  We try to visit family often since we are both away from family and strive to make sure our children stay in touch with grandma and grandpa.  I am a big supporter of St. Norbert College Hockey and stay involved with the program through various commitments. 

Dan Budinger, CFP®

Vice President

E-Mail: dbudinger@thefinplangroup.com

About Me

I grew up in the beautiful city of Marquette, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in a family that encouraged acceptance and education.  In addition, I played many sports, mainly hockey, and like most kids, I dreamt of someday playing in the NHL.  As it turns out, my path led me elsewhere. As I grew older, I realized how right my parents were in saying that education never ends and therefore through my experiences, I created a passion for learning.  I am most satisfied and motivated through helping others and feel blessed doing so as a Financial Advisor and business owner.  I have worked at Financial Planning & Information Services, Inc. for over nine years and my prior work experience includes over ten years in the financial services industry where I had extensive training in investments, portfolio construction, insurance, annuities, retirement planning, corporate operations, compliance, and estate planning.

Schedule a Time to Talk

Education

• 1994 – Bachelor of Science from Northern Michigan University, major Finance and minor Mathematics.
• 2006 – Certified Financial Planner™ designation
• 2010 – Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
• I am a member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) of Wisconsin.

Role in the Firm

As a partner I am involved in all business decisions.  As a fiduciary my daily focus involves all facets of financial planning whether it is helping clients with retirement planning, debt counseling, insurance needs, investments, or tax planning.  Any recommendation is objective and in the best interest of each client.  In addition, I am responsible for efficiencies in day to day operations.

Outside of Work

I am married to Gretchen and we have four children, two girls and two boys who are extremely active and keep us busy.  As a family, we enjoy many outdoor activities which include biking, boating, spending time at the family cabin, golfing, fishing, hockey and most importantly spending time with family and friends.  Over the years, I have spent countless hours coaching youth hockey in Upper Michigan and the Green Bay area.

Rachel Brown, CFP®

Vice President

E-Mail: rbrown@thefinplangroup.com

About Me

I grew up in Appleton, WI.  My husband and I are high school sweethearts.  We met at age 15 and recently celebrated our 20th anniversary.  I was fortunate enough to be able to be a stay at home mom for about ten years.

Schedule a Time to Talk

Education

While my children were small I decided to pursue higher education.  I started working on an Associate’s Degree in Accounting at Fox Valley Technical College, which I obtained in 2006 and decided to keep on going.  I earned my Bachelor Degree in Accounting from Silver Lake College in 2009.  I began working for Lon Mishler in February of 2008 as a part-time tax preparer and was hired on full time soon after.  He offered me wonderful flexibility as a new working mom and incredible career opportunities.  I was encouraged to pursue a Certified Financial Planner CFP® Certification, which I completed in June of 2011 through the College for Financial Planning.

Role in the Firm

I am a partner in the firm. I manage the tax department along with advising our clients on their accounts.

Outside of Work

My husband and I have two children – a son in college and a daughter in high school – that we love to spend time with whether it be camping “up north” or hanging out at home.  We enjoy trout fishing together on the Little Wolf River.  I love to read and am a huge fan of Stephen King.  We also love to take long walks with our dog, Murphy, and have recently discovered a passion for travel.

Brock Becker CFP®

Associate Advisor

E-Mail: bbecker@thefinplangroup.com

About Me

I grew up in the small town of Pardeeville, WI with my parents and younger sister. My life was consumed by sports when I was in high school, whether it was my own events or going to support my sister, we were busy year around. My parents, grandparents and family added to my love of athletics with their support and I could always count on them to be in attendance. My love of football carried over to college where I was fortunate enough to play at St. Norbert College.  It was at St. Norbert where I encountered the opportunity of an internship at Financial Planning and Information Services, Inc.  I spent a year and a half interning which included helping for two tax seasons with FPIS.  Upon graduation I accepted a position at a firm where I worked in tax and audit for almost a year. I realized that I love having more direct interaction with clients and being able to help people.  This is what brought me back to FPIS. I was fortunate enough to be welcomed back by Ryan, Rachel, Dan and the entire FPIS staff and I am very excited to be back!

Schedule a Time to Talk

Education

I graduated from St. Norbert College in May of 2016 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in accounting.

Role in the Firm

My role in the firm is assisting the advisors in preparing asset allocation and rebalancing recommendations for the clients. Along with this I also generate client reports for portfolio reviews and compose letters of recommendations to our clients.

Additionally I research financial topics and analyze investments.  I also assist with other operational tasks as needed.

Outside of Work

I enjoy spending time with my wife whenever I have free time. We both enjoy sports and going to sporting events together as well as watching movies, working out together, and spending time with family and friends, which are a huge part of both of our lives. We stay very busy and there is never a dull moment! Fall will forever be my favorite season as this means a lot of hunting and football.

Jake Vande Voort

Financial Planning Assistant

E-Mail: jvandevoort@thefinplangroup.com

About Me

I was born and raised just minutes south of De Pere, in the small farming community of Greenleaf.  Even though I was not raised on a dairy farm I was around cattle on a daily basis with my grandfather who was a cattle dealer his whole life.  For it was the time spent with him who instilled my strong interest in finance at a very young age.  Whether it was looking through the Wall Street Journal or the local newspaper business section, I always yearned to learn more.  However; I spent the majority of my school summers all the way through high school and a short period afterwards working for my Father’s small construction business.  After high school I pursued a career as a machinist where I worked for a few years running a vertical milling center. I then attended Fox Valley Technical and upon graduating I was given the opportunity to work for Financial Planning & Information Services, Inc.  I enjoy working for FPIS and helping clients with questions as well as growing with the business.  I currently reside in Combined Locks with my wife and two young girls.

Schedule a Time to Talk

Education

I graduated from Fox Valley Technical College in 2007 with an Associated Degree in Banking and Financial Services.  I then attended Lakeland College where I graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.

Role in the Firm

My role in the office is assisting the advisors on many levels.  I am in charge of compiling our monthly client lists and ensuring their portfolio values are up to date on a timely fashion in accordance with their re-balancing schedule.  In addition to this, I also assist our advisors in re-balancing our portfolios and composing our letter of recommendations.  Another role I have is investment research for fund selections.  Lastly, I assist in trading operations for FPIS when our daily trader is out of the office.

Outside of Work

My wife and I enjoy spending as much time as we can with our two young girls.  This means a lot of our time is spent doing things geared around children activities which we wouldn’t trade for anything!  We also enjoy boating with our family and friends during the summer months.  In my spare time I enjoy watching and attending all forms of motor racing.  I especially have a strong interest in AMA Supercross and Motocross.

Andrew Nagan CPA

Financial Planning Assistant

E-Mail: anagan@thefinplangroup.com

About Me

I have lived in the Fox Valley my entire life, and grew up in the small town of Freedom. After school, I worked in the restaurant and grocery business for many years but always wanted to do more. So, I went back to school to further my degree and pursue other adventures, which led me to a seasonal tax position with Financial Planning. After my first tax season here, I was offered a full-time position and now I get to enjoy weekends off for the first time in my working life.

Schedule a Time to Talk

Education

I originally graduated from UW-Green Bay with a business management degree in 2002. I always loved numbers, so eventually I returned to UW-Green Bay and graduated with an accounting degree in 2014.

Role in the Firm

My position involves updating portfolio balances for client updates when they are due. I also assist with anything else that is needed including helping with tax returns.

Outside of Work

I am a very active person outside the office. My wife and I have 2 young kids that keep us busy. I enjoy spending time on the boat either tubing, wakeboarding, or fishing with the family. We like to find new places to explore when we go camping and to visit the U.P. and as well as Wisconsin. We don’t end up in the same area twice very often. We love traveling and have visited almost every state. We also try to get to as many Brewer games as possible each year. During the winter, I enjoy snowshoeing, winter camping, and snowboarding.

Allison Roetz

Financial Planning Assistant

E-Mail: aroetz@thefinplangroup.com

About Me

I was born and raised in Greenfield, WI, which is a suburb of Milwaukee. I was very involved in various sports growing up and I continued my athletic career as a collegiate swimmer at Ripon College. I was very excited to accept a position with Financial Planning prior to graduating. I recently moved to De Pere with my boyfriend and I am enjoying exploring the new area. I look forward to learning and growing with the team at Financial Planning. 

Schedule a Time to Talk

Education

I graduated from Ripon College in May of 2021 with my Bachelor of Arts degrees in Finance and Economics.

Role in the Firm

As a financial planning assistant, my responsibilities include updating portfolio balances for client updates, generating client reports for portfolio reviews, entering and updating account information for new and existing clients, and completing any other operational tasks as needed.

Outside of Work

I am a sports fan and enjoy the outdoors and staying active. I like watching and attending Wisconsin sports games. I enjoy camping, fishing, swimming, and snowmobiling when the weather allows for it. I also enjoy traveling back home to the Milwaukee area to spend time with family and friends. In my free time I like working out, watching movies, and playing Monopoly.

Jacqueline Lawrence, RICP®

Financial Planning Assistant

E-Mail: jlawrence@thefinplangroup.com

About Me

Growing up, I milked cows on my family’s dairy farm in Pulaski, WI. I attended St. Norbert College and pursued my interest in business and art. With over a decade of experience in the financial services industry, my prior work included insurance, annuities, investments, retirement planning for individuals, customer service for corporate sponsored retirement plans and personal trust administration. Getting to know clients as we work together is my favorite part of my job.

Schedule a Time to Talk

Education

• 2007 - Bachelors of Business Administration and Graphic Design minor, St. Norbert College 
• 2011 - WI Life and Health License
• 2018 - Retirement Income Certified Professional®, RICP®, The American College 
• I’ve served as a Board Member on the Estate Planning Council of Northeast Wisconsin since 2018.
• I am a member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) of Wisconsin.

Role in the Firm

As a Financial Planning Assistant, I assist with rebalancing portfolios and preparing letters of recommendations for clients.

Outside of Work

My husband and I enjoy travelling and spending time with our family. A few of my many interests include appreciating art, photographing freighters on the Great Lakes and gardening.

Steven Yungwirth

Operations Specialist

E-Mail: syungwirth@thefinplangroup.com

About Me

Aside from being away for a few years during college, I have lived in the Appleton-Green Bay area for my entire life. My wife’s family is all from the area as well so together we are 100% Wisconsin. After graduating in 2014 I worked in post-closing for Associated Bank’s mortgage department for two years until I was hired on with Financial Planning. My wife and I currently live in De Pere with our dog, Tucker, and our cat, Apollo.

Schedule a Time to Talk

Education

Previously attending UW – Fox Valley for general education credits for a couple years before transferring, I graduated from UW – Eau Claire in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics. I am always learning, however, and have learned to code in VBA to develop Microsoft Excel macros to assist in our work process. I am also currently attending NWTC and working towards an Associate’s degree in Software Development.

Role in the Firm

My goal is to make sure all of our processes are running efficiently and smoothly, ensuring a seamless experience for our clients. This is achieved by delving into each facet of our operation, discovering improvements, and implementing solutions – some of which involve programs I have developed. Ultimately, I hope to leave no stone unturned and make my mark on every branch of our business. I also assist our compliance department by completing tasks and providing data that is reported to regulatory firms, and our rebalancing team by providing backup; making trade recommendations and rebalancing our clients’ portfolios if the need arises.

Outside of Work

My wife and I love traveling and try to take a big road trip yearly, although in between these we often enjoy going to Chicago or Minneapolis to visit friends and family. In the summer we like spending as much time outside as we can, whether this includes camping, hiking, or simply taking our dog to the dog park. We are both huge Packer fans and will always watch the games, although I am more of an avid football fan and usually end up watching football for the whole day. I also enjoy playing guitar, piano or kicking back with a movie or video game.

Kayla Cooney, EA

Tax Associate

E-Mail: kcooney@thefinplangroup.com

About Me

I was born and raised in Green Bay, WI. Wanting to stay close to home for college, I chose to go to St. Norbert College for my post-secondary education.  During my last year at St. Norbert I was given the opportunity to intern with Associated Bank in the IT department.  While not my major, Associated Bank gave me a first look into the corporate world.  After graduating, I accepted a position at Thrivent Financial in Appleton as a service representative in the life insurance area.  I worked there for about 2 years before deciding that it was time to move more into my field of study (Accounting).  In December of 2015, I accepted the position with Financial Planning as a Tax Associate and have not looked back!

Schedule a Time to Talk

Education

I graduated from St. Norbert College in 2012 with a degree in Accounting and a minor in Economics.

Role in the Firm

I joined FPIS in December of 2015 as a tax associate, right in time for tax season.   I prepare clients taxes and amendments to previous tax years.  Also, I prepare and analyze tax estimates for different tax planning scenarios.

Outside of Work

I enjoy spending time with my family and friends.  My sister and I get along great, so we love going out for dinner to catch up and chat about anything and everything.  In my down time, I usually can be found either reading a book or watching a movie.   

Jada Vandevelde

Tax Associate

E-Mail: jvandevelde@thefinplangroup.com

About Me

I grew up on a farm in Suring, WI with my mom, step-dad, and younger sister. It was in my small hometown that I learned the value of hard work and dedication. During high school, I was a student teller at our local credit union. Not only was it my time there, but also my business teachers who inspired me to continue my education in accounting.

Schedule a Time to Talk

Education

I graduated from St. Norbert College in May of 2022 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Finance. I am currently continuing my education in efforts to obtain my CPA license.

Role in the Firm

I began as a tax intern for FPIS in January 2021. I have now joined the team full-time as a Tax Associate, where I will continue to prepare tax returns, but also increase focus on amendments and tax planning for our clients

Outside of Work

I spend the majority of my time outside of work with my fiancé, Sydney, and our cats, Toast and Oscar. I enjoy finding new local greenhouses and coffee shops to frequent. My hobbies include reading, drawing, disc golfing, and hiking.   

Gayle Begotka

Client Relations Specialist

E-Mail: GBegotka@thefinplangroup.com

About Me

I grew up traveling the states as my father was in the army.  We moved here in 1980 and I have not left the De Pere / Green Bay area since.  I am married and have two daughters in high school, so my life is busy!  I worked in customer service at Humana for 8 years and in the IT department for 3 years.  I have a strong investment in improving processes and integrating technology where it makes sense.

Schedule a Time to Talk

Education

I have an Associate degree in Marketing.

Role in the Firm

I am an administrative assistant and the face that you see when you walk in the door! Greeting clients and answering the phones is my main duty, along with making sure client information is current and accurate and files are in good order so that the advisors have the proper information.

Outside of Work

With my daughters both in high school (one a freshman, one a senior), I feel like I am going in two different directions.  My husband and I are very involved in our church and various ministries that support our parish.  My hobbies include pilates, gardening, walking, and getting together with the neighbors for some social time on the weekends.

Hannah Coenen

Client Relations Specialist

E-Mail: hcoenen@thefinplangroup.com

About Me

I was born and raised in the small town of Kaukauna, Wisconsin but currently live in Appleton, Wisconsin with my two cats, Hickory and Apollo. I am very close with my family and like to spend a lot of my free time with them. I started at FPIS doing a tax internship in 2020. I came back as a seasonal preparer in 2021 and was told about an open position with the company so I applied and haven’t looked back since.

Schedule a Time to Talk

Education

I graduated from Fox Valley Technical College in 2018 with an Associate Degree in Accounting. I then studied 100% online at Rasmussen College where I completed my Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting in 2020.

Role in the Firm

As a Client Relations Specialist, my main role is to greet clients and answer the phones. Along with this, I also aid in the portfolio updating process by preparing reports and contacting clients to get up to date financial data. Another role that I have in the firm is making sure that client information is current and accurate and that files are in good order so that the advisors have the proper information. During the tax season, I prepare tax returns for clients.

Outside of Work

When I am not at work, I like to spend time with family and friends. When the weather allows, I like to go hiking, fishing, and camping. I also enjoy playing cribbage and watching tv shows and movies with my boyfriend in my spare time.

Sheila Van Rossum

Client Services Specialist

E-Mail: svanrossum@thefinplangroup.com

About Me

I grew up on a small farm in Freedom, Wisconsin with my parents and three older brothers. Growing up, my brothers and I were very active in sports. Sometimes it seemed like sports were our only escape from the cows and fieldwork. After I left for college, my parents sold the cows and both got day jobs. I do not miss farming, but I appreciate the experience of growing up on a farm.  I currently live in Greenleaf, Wisconsin with my fiancé. I occasionally still get my hands dirty by helping him in his business of doing home remodeling and in his cabinet shop.

Schedule a Time to Talk

Education

I graduated in May of 1998 with a four year degree in Business Administration from UW – La Crosse.

Role in the Firm

I have been with FPIS since 2005. I do all the trading for the client accounts. I also do all the billing and proof the updates before they are sent to the clients. Although I do not have as much client contact as I used to, talking with clients is still one of my favorite parts of the job.

Outside of Work

I love to travel. My fiancé and I love to do day trips around the state. We enjoy the different sites around our state, especially when driving just to see the fall colors. We are always looking for somewhere new to explore. I also am a big sports fan. I love watching my nieces and nephews in their sports whenever I get the chance. Fall is my favorite time of the year because it means it is football season. Go Pack!