Our Team

Ryan Wempe, CFP®

President & CCO

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.

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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

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.

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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

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.

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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®, AWMA™

Associate Advisor

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!

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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.

Carl Ekstrom, CFP®

Associate Advisor

About Me

I grew up in a small town outside of Stockholm, Sweden.  I was born and raised there with my mother and father as well as my older sister and younger brother. My passion for hockey brought me to the US where I was fortunate enough to attain a quality education while enjoying my time with the St. Norbert Men’s Hockey team.  I met my wife there and together with our two children we now reside in De Pere, WI.  I’m happy to be a part of a high-quality financial planning firm that puts their clients’ interest first..

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Education

Upon receiving my Bachelor’s degree from St. Norbert College in 2013, I found an interest in the Financial Services industry. This led me to a career founded in 8 years of experience in Financial Planning and Investment Management. I completed my CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® designation in 2019 through the College of Financial Planning. 

Role in the Firm

My role in the firm is assisting the Lead Advisors in various task including Financial Plan preparation and delivery, investment analysis and recommendation, and wealth management analysis and recommendation. 

Outside of Work

My wife, Nicole, and I enjoy spending time with our family in the US as well as Sweden.  We love sports through and through.  Whether we are at Lambeau or in the backyard coaching my kids to play hockey, soccer, and golf, it is a big part of who we are.  I fuel my competitive nature on the local golf courses and enjoy the community we call home. 

Andrew Nagan, CPA

Financial Planning Assistant

About Me

I grew up in the small town of Freedom and have lived in the Fox Valley my whole life.  After school, I worked in the restaurant and grocery business for many years.  Eventually, 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 a chance to grow my professional career.  I have earned my CPA and I am currently studying for the CFP® exam.

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Education

I graduated from UW-Green Bay with a Business Management degree in 2002.  I returned to UW-Green Bay and added Accounting to my degree in 2014.

Role in the Firm

As a Financial Planning Assistant, I assist with rebalancing portfolios, preparing recommendation letters for clients, and join in on meetings to assist with any follow-up.   During the tax season, I also assist in preparing tax returns when time allows.

Outside of Work

I am a very active person outside the office.  My wife and I have two kids who keep us busy through various sports, scouting and other activities.  I enjoy starting my day by going for a run or a bike ride.  We enjoy getting out on the water to go fishing or to just paddle around.  We also like to go camping and visit different state parks throughout WI, upper MI, and wherever else our travels take us.  We try not to end up in the same area twice very often.  As a family, we all love to travel, which has led us to visit many different places throughout the US as well as around the Caribbean.  During the winter, we enjoy snowshoeing, winter camping and snowboarding.

Allison Buchholtz, CFP®, AWMA™, ABFP™

Financial Planning Assistant

About Me

I was born and raised in Greenfield, WI, which is a suburb of Milwaukee. I was active in multiple sports growing up and became solely focused on swimming in high school, which lead me to become a collegiate swimmer at Ripon College. I was very excited to accept a position with Financial Planning prior to graduating college. I have enjoyed learning and growing with the team at Financial Planning and I look forward to continuing to build relationships with our clients. My husband and I currently reside in Seymour with our two dogs. 

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Education

I graduated from Ripon College in 2021 with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Finance and Economics. I recently passed the CFP® exam and I am currently working on completing my experience hours prior to officially receiving the certification. I am also starting a Masters of Science Degree Program in Personal Financial Planning. I am a member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) of Wisconsin. 

Role in the Firm

As a financial planning assistant, I generate reports, rebalance portfolios and compose letters of recommendations for our clients. I assist the advisors in client meetings by organizing and preparing for the meeting, taking notes during the meeting and doing any follow up after the meeting. I also assist the advisors in making investment decisions each quarter. 

Outside of Work

My husband and are avid sports fans and enjoy cheering on Wisconsin sports teams. We love the outdoors and enjoy camping, fishing and going on walks with our dogs. I often travel back home to the Milwaukee area to spend time with family and friends. In my free time I enjoy working out, doing home projects and playing Monopoly. 

Jacqueline Lawrence, CFP®, RICP®

Financial Planning Assistant

About Me

Growing up, I milked cows on my family’s dairy farm in Pulaski, WI. With over a decade of experience in the financial services industry, my prior work includes 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

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Education

I received my bachelor’s of Business Administration and Graphic Design minor from St. Norbert College. In 2018, I attained the Retirement Income Certified Professional, RICP®, designation from The American College for Financial Services. I completed the CFP® Certification Education Program through the American College of Financial Services as well, achieving the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification in 2023.

Role in the Firm

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

Community Involvement

I served on the board of the Estate Planning Council of Northeast Wisconsin and currently serve on the Gift Planning Advisory Council at St. Norbert College.

Professional Associations

• Estate Planning Council of Northeast Wisconsin
• Financial Planning Association (FPA)

Outside of Work

My husband and I enjoy traveling and golfing. A few of my many interests also include gardening, appreciating art and photographing freighters on the Great Lakes.

Jared DeBaker

Financial assistant

About Me

I have lived in the Green Bay area for my entire life and grew up in the small town of Denmark. I graduated from Denmark High School in 2020, and due to the pandemic opted to stay close to home and attended UW-Green Bay. During college, I had the opportunity to work at PCM Credit Union, while also volunteering as a Peer Financial Coach as part of UW-Green Bay’s Personal Financial Planning Association. These experiences over the past three years opened my eyes and motivated me to pursue a career in financial planning after witnessing how many people struggle to live their best lives due to poor money management and an overall lack of a financial plan. 

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Education

I graduated from UW-Green Bay in May of 2023 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in finance, and a minor in Personal Financial Planning. I am highly motivated to earn the Certified Financial Planner™ designation.

Role in the Firm

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

Outside of Work

I enjoy spending time with my friends and family whenever I have free time. Some of my favorite things to do outside of work include: spending time outdoors, golfing, traveling, going to concerts, and working out. As much as I enjoy summer, fall is probably my favorite time of the year due to the start of football season and hunting.

Steven Yungwirth

Operations Specialist

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.

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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

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!

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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.   

Gayle Begotka

Client Relations Specialist

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.

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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

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.

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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

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.

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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!