A North Carolina native, I lived in the Atlanta area from the age of three until the Spring of 2014 when I relocated to Colorado. After graduating from the University of Georgia in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science in computer science, I began my technology career at the business telecommunications division that IBM formed in 1984 through its acquisition of ROLM Corporation and then subsequently divested to Siemens in 1992. During my 10 years at IBM and Siemens, I established a proven track record first as a talented systems engineer and then in my final year as one of the top sales representatives in the nation.
Eager to return to a more hands-on and and consultative role, I left Siemens in 1995 to establish myself as an independent consultant by launching my first business, TeleScapes, Inc., where I specialized in the acquisition and implementation of high-end telecommunications systems typical of a large office or complex call center. Along the way, I built a roster of happy clients that included AIG, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia, The Coca-Cola Company, GE Capital, GE Energy, Novartis, Shaw Industries and Siemens Energy & Automation.
After five years at the helm of TeleScapes, I was recruited by a former colleague who had ascended the ranks at Davox Corporation – now part of Aspect Software, Inc – to fill a newly created position as an overlay sales specialist to help their front line sales force effectively position a new product architecture that Davox was about to bring to market. A year later and soon after the “dot-com” bubble had burst, the new product architecture was shelved, and my position with Davox was eliminated.
Inspired by my late father’s fierce dedication to the stock market and all things financial, in 2002 I embarked on a new business venture and began building a full service financial advisory practice first as an employee of American Express Financial Advisors and then as an independent franchisee of Ameriprise Financial. During my 10 years as a full service financial advisor, I provided fee-based advice and guidance to individuals, couples and small business owners who needed my help with a variety of financial planning matters such as income and expense management, protection planning for death and disability, investment advice, tax planning, retirement planning, estate planning and small business consulting. Additionally, I sold both commissioned-based investment and insurance products as well as wrap fee-based investment advisory services. In 2006, I began the coursework required to become a CFP® professional, and in 2009 I passed the CFP® Certification Examination and obtained my CFP® professional certification.
In late 2011, I began making plans to relocate to the Denver area, and in late 2012 I completed the sale of my financial advisory practice to Sean Carroll of Bryant, Carroll and Associates, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. located in Atlanta. Ahead of putting my house up for sale, I took some time off from working and became quite the handyman as I completed a series of home renovation projects. I sold my house in the East Cobb area near Atlanta in early 2014 and moved to Colorado that April. After settling in the Belmar area of Lakewood with my two boxers, Greta and Gunther, I decided to once again create a new business and developed the concept that evolved into KevWorks!