Our Team
RICHARD E. KAPLAN, CFA, PRINCIPAL, CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER
As Chief Investment Officer, Rick is responsible for Investment Advisor and Portfolio Management services. Rick manages separate equity portfolio accounts on behalf of individuals and foundations. Prior to founding Legacy Asset Management, Rick was a portfolio manager for a private investment group, where he specialized in value stock investing.
Rick is a graduate of the University of Alabama, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the School of Business. He holds an MBA in Finance from Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. Upon completion of his graduate studies, Rick entered the Credit Training Program at Texas Commerce Bank/Chase Bank of Texas, and was placed as a Trust Officer in the Institutional Trust Office before being promoted to Credit Analyst for the Investment Management Group. Rick is a CFA charter holder and a member of the Houston Society of Financial Analysts. Rick is involved in the Houston community, as he serves on the Board and Finance Committee for the Houston Area Women's Center. He also serves as Treasurer and sits on the Executive Committee and the Board of The Shlenker School.
JOSEPH R. BIRKOFER, CFP®, PRINCIPAL
As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM and a Registered Investment Advisor, Joe helps clients concentrate on financial planning and asset allocation. In addition, Joe heads up the firm's Retirement Plan consulting practice, working with plan sponsors to improve investments, communications and streamline administration. Prior to founding Legacy Asset Management, he served as a Trust Officer with Texas Commerce Bank.
An active member of the community, Birkofer serves as a board member of The Periwinkle Foundation and the St. Anne's School Foundation, and is a member of Goodwill Industries' Business Advisory Council. Joe teaches Employee Benefits and Retirement Planning at Rice University's Certified Financial PlannerTM program. He regularly provides commentary for national media including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Money Magazine, CBS Market Watch, and locally for the Houston Chronicle, the Houston Business Journal, and local radio and television shows. Joe earned his B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and his M.B.A from the University of Texas at Austin.
JILLIAN NEL CFP®, FINANCIAL PLANNER
Jillian provides comprehensive financial plans and risk analysis for clients of the firm. She also supports the Retirement Plan consulting practice as an additional advocate and resource for plan administrators and participants. Jillian uses her comprehensive planning skills in employee one-on-one sessions and financial planning seminars. Jillian joined Legacy Asset Management, Inc. after a six year tenure at Lincoln Financial Advisors.
With a keen interest for providing clients and businesses with comprehensive financial planning, Jillian pursued the CFP® certification beginning in August 2010 through Rice University's CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM certification program and just recently passed the exam this July. Jillian has the Series 7 & 66 securities license, is licensed as a General Lines Insurance Agent for the State of Texas and is a member of the Financial Planning Association. Jillian received a B.S. in Business Administration from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Jillian is also a native Houstonian and an active member of her church.
DENNIS HAMBLIN, INVESTMENT ADVISOR, RETIREMENT PLAN CONSULTANT
Dennis' background in Qualified Retirement Plans dates to the 1980's, when he was a partner in a Third Party Administration firm. He brings to bear this extensive administrative and regulatory background in his professional practice. Additionally, he was also a Regional Account Executive with Manulife for several years. His experience at Manulife gave him insights into plan investment management, plan enrollments, and the fee structure of various retirement plan platforms. He lives in Houston with his wife and three children. Dennis has both the Series 6 and Series 66 securities licenses.
ANNETTE RYBISKI, CLIENT SERVICES ASSISTANT
Annette came to Legacy Asset Management in 2002 having compiled five years of investment industry experience in client services. Annette is responsible for providing a high level of customer service while facilitating new account setup and maintaining existing account administration. She brings many years of diverse business experience to the firm, having excelled in computer programming and sales. Annette is very active in her church and stays involved with many other community activities. She graduated from Texas Woman's University with a Bachelor of Science.
JANET MASCIO, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Janet is the first point of contact for Legacy Asset Management and her position is managing incoming calls, assisting clients, and the day to day support of the office and her colleagues. Although being a life long resident of Houston, she lived in Colorado for ten years and upon her return joined Legacy Asset Management in 2003. Having worked in multiple industries, she has acquired strong customer service skills throughout her working career. Janet has been involved in numerous organizations and volunteered in her community in both Texas and Colorado.
MELISS
A RODRIGUEZ, CLIENT SERVICE TEAM
Melissa provides excellent customer service to clients and qualified plan participants and supports management with administrative duties, research and a diverse set of responsibilities. She is a skillful and dedicated team member with over 14 years of client service experience in the financial industry. She has worked for several other reputable financial companies including H&R Block and has a background in federal tax law. She is currently pursuing an associate's degree at the Houston Community College and will soon pursue a degree in Finance at the University of Houston.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and
