Collaborative, Advisor-Focused, Growth-Driven

James J. Spinelli embarked on his tech journey as a developer before joining Comcast Corporation. At Comcast, he was involved with capital forecasting, nurtured key relationships, and built financial information systems. After his time at Comcast, James embarked on a new venture, founding Great Valley Advisor Group with a singular focus: to create a robust platform for advisors aspiring to become business owners. He is also deeply passionate about FinTech and founded AdvisorBOB© to aid advisors in navigating compensation complexities.

James holds a B.S. in Information Systems with a Minor in Information Technology, and an M.S. in Information Science (MSIS) from Penn State University. He furthered his education with an M.S. in Finance (MSF) from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. During his time at Penn State, he was also a member of the Penn State Nittany Lions Varsity baseball team.

James resides in Malvern, PA with his wife Devon and their four children: Kieran, Saylor, Scarlett, and Serafina. When he’s not working, James enjoys time with friends and family, whether it’s at the beach, deep sea fishing, playing golf, coaching youth sports, or cheering on the Phillies. Actively involved in community initiatives, James serves as the president of Berwyn-Paoli Little League, fosters dogs through To Love a Canine Rescue, Inc., helped coach multiple teams for the Phillies Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities Program, and sits on the board of The Kyle Ambrogi Foundation.

Ryan graduated from Villanova University with a Bachelor’s in Accountancy and complemented his studies with a stint at The London School of Economics. His professional journey began in New York City, where he worked for a large investment bank, earning his Series 7, 63, 24, and 55 licenses currently held with LPL Financial.

As the firm’s Chief Financial Officer, Ryan Todd embodies a comprehensive skill set crucial for steering the company toward success. With a strong accounting background, Ryan makes sound financial decisions vital for the organization’s stability and growth. He fosters a culture of innovation and creativity, encouraging novel ideas to keep the company ahead of industry trends.

Beyond the office, Ryan’s passion for running has seen him conquer marathons, including the Boston Marathon. Rooted in Chester Springs, PA, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Tara, and their three children. As a Certified Public Accountant, Ryan brings a unique perspective to fostering connections between financial advisors and CPA affiliates, enriching the services offered by Great Valley Advisor Group.

*Great Valley Advisor Group and LPL do not provide tax advice or services. Please consult your tax advisor regarding your specific situation.

Michael J. Dedda is a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and has worked in the financial planning field for over 18 years. He is also a Registered Representative with LPL Financial.

Michael earned his B.A. in Finance from Villanova University and received his ChFC certification from the American College. Michael has established himself as a trusted advisor to businesses and individuals by creating relationships to foster better outcomes for business owners and employees.

Todd Cipperman serves as General Counsel at Great Valley Advisor Group, overseeing all legal, regulatory, and compliance matters for the firm and its’ advisor network.  Todd brings over 30 years of legal and compliance experience in the investment management, financial services, and fintech industries.   

As General Counsel at GVA, Todd advises the executive team on legal risk related to business and strategic initiatives, ensures the firm satisfies all regulatory requirements (SEC, FINRA, fiduciary duty), and provides counsel to the firm’s Chief Compliance Officer and Compliance program. His leadership includes both strategic initiatives and day-to-day regulatory matters, offering GVA advisors the insight needed to navigate an evolving financial landscape.  

Todd is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School and Cornell University, and his prior experience includes private legal practice on Wall Street, representing both buy and sell side clients in investment management and capital markets transactions.  Additionally, he is the author of the book The Compliance Advantage: Ten Must-Know Trends to Protect Your Investment Firm. 

Todd Cipperman is solely an employee of Great Valley Advisor Group, and not affiliated with LPL Financial. 

Cheryl has extensive experience with cash management, product testing, product development, and workforce training. Her main responsibilities include monitoring branch offices to ensure the business is processed within FINRA & SEC guidelines. Cheryl provides training on policies, procedures, and best practices to ensure the business is processed smoothly. She performs periodic audits of business written by branch offices and for the RIA documenting her results.

Prior to joining our team, Cheryl spent several years in banking where she served as Vice President of Cash Management Operations leading teams that supported global sales and product suitability for Cash Managers at Fortune 500 companies. In addition, she managed a WorldLink Operation in Buffalo and US Dollar Pooling through London as well as controlled disbursements and wire transfer departments in Delaware and New York.

Cheryl has a Paralegal Certificate, and a B.S. in Business and Accounting and has completed coursework toward her JD-MBA at Widener University. She holds a Certificate in Personal Nutrition, is certified as an Advanced Sports and Exercise Nutritional Advisor, and is working toward a Certificate in Diet and Weight Loss.

Eric Parnell is the Chief Market Strategist for Great Valley Advisor Group. Eric applies his expertise in finance and economics to manage multi-asset portfolios, mitigate risk, deliver advice that promotes informed decision-making, and facilitate investors achieving their short-and long-term investment goals. He leads the GVA Asset Management platform overseeing the management of asset allocation models for GVA advisors and their end clients. Eric also provides economic, market, and investment related analysis and communications to the GVA network of advisors and clients as well as the broader financial media. Eric has appeared on CNBC, CNN, Money Matters TV, NPR-Marketplace, Seeking Alpha, and CFA Magazine.

Eric has more than 25 years of financial and investment experience. Prior to joining GVA, Eric was the Founder and Director of Gerring Capital Partners, a Registered Investment Advisor serving clients nationwide. Eric also previously served as the Director of Investment Communications for SEI Investments and as an Economist at Moody’s Analytics. Eric is also an active member of the CFA Society of Philadelphia and the Global Interdependence Center.

Beyond his investment work, Eric is a Visiting Scholar in Business & Economics at Ursinus College. He served as a full-time faculty at Ursinus from 2014 to 2023 teaching courses in finance, investments, economics, and research methods. Eric also launched the Finance Scholars program at Ursinus to prepare students to take the CFA Level I Exam after graduation. Prior to teaching at Ursinus, Eric was a full-time visiting professor at West Chester University in the Department of Economics & Finance from 2005 to 2014. He was a five-time recipient of Outstanding Faculty Honors during his time at WCU.

Eric is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Charter holder. He holds an MS Finance from Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business. Eric also graduated Magna cum Laude from Dickinson College with a BA Economics and a BS Mathematics and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Eric lives with his wife Sherry and two sons Finn and Rowan in Glenmoore, PA. He is also an active marathon and half marathon distance runner.

Stef joined the GVA Marketing team in 2022, and in her current role as Director of Marketing oversees all website, social media, video, podcast, external marketing, event planning, and advisor marketing programs.

Stef has been involved in marketing and advertising since graduating from Columbia University in 2006. She began her career agency-side at Ogilvy and Digitas in New York. Then, after relocating to Pennsylvania, Stef led the digital team at a medical publishing company for 8 years, producing content and videos for world-class brands and surgeons worldwide.

Stef lives in Berwyn, PA with her husband and their three young sons – and five chickens.

Eric Hough joins Great Valley Advisors as Director of Asset Management, specializing in Alternative Investments. In this role, he will oversee portfolio strategy, manage fund investments, and build lasting investor relationships. With extensive Wall Street experience and deep expertise in alternative assets, Eric is well-positioned to deliver meaningful value to clients while advancing the firm’s long-term growth initiatives.

Eric earned his Bachelor of Science in Finance, magna cum laude, from Providence College in 2002. He began his 15-year Wall Street career at Credit Suisse Securities USA, where he served as a Portfolio Manager in the firm’s internal multi-manager hedge fund division, Systematic Strategies Group. There, he successfully managed a $4 billion Index Arbitrage strategy and a $100 million Long-Short Event Driven Opportunistic portfolio.

In 2019, Eric founded Scire Capital Partners LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor focused on delivering customized investment solutions for high-net-worth families.

Based in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, Eric lives with his wife and three young sons. Outside the office, he enjoys coaching youth baseball, basketball, and flag football. When he’s not on the sidelines, he’s working on his golf game and cheering on his beloved Boston sports teams, much to the good-natured dismay of his Philadelphia neighbors.

Michelle is responsible for administering and overseeing the daily operational functions related to the firm’s Hybrid and RIA divisions. Through her excellent project management skills, Michelle helps Great Valley Advisor Group (GVA) strengthen relationships both inside and outside the firm walls to help us deliver tailored solutions to our independent advisors and advisory firms. Additionally, Michelle is part of GVA’s transition team onboarding Hybrids or IFAs and is the point of contact for the firm’s detailed and process driven New Advisor Transition Excellence program.

Michelle also supports GVA advisors with Compliance requirements, communicating alerts surrounding procedures and guidelines with audits conducted by our Broker-Dealer and the SEC. Michelle is a wealth of knowledge and is passionate about helping our advisors run a smooth practice thereby providing multiple opportunities for them to best serve their clients and operate as a fiduciary.

Prior to joining GVA, Michelle spent 16 years with U.S. Wealth Management in the Operations & Compliance department as the Director of Operations.  Her responsibilities consisted of operations & compliance support, onboarding new advisors, branch exam support, insurance payouts, and office management of the corporate office.

Michelle resides in Brockton, MA with her husband Brian and their three boys, Jaydon, Joshua, Tyler, and daughter Haley. They are all kept busy at home by “Champ”, their playful and affectionate 7 year old Boxer.

Drew is a Director of Compliance and Operations and a Supervisory Principal at GVA.  He is responsible for reviewing and maintaining oversight of all activity generated from GVA advisors and staff.  He has been involved in the operations/compliance side of the financial industry since graduating from Rider University.  Drew began his career with Fiserv Securities before moving to Wells Fargo and has been with LPL since 2007 and GVA since 2014.  He maintains his series 6, 63, 65, 7 and 24.  Drew has a robust understanding of the back office procedures of the financial industry.

In his spare time Drew enjoys spending time with his family, coaching his children’s sports teams, playing ice hockey and going to the beach.

Kate joined GVA in 2024 and leads our Business Strategy & Advisor Development program. In this role, she works closely with both new and existing advisors, ensuring they maximize GVA’s full suite of resources. Through her outreach efforts, Kate gathers valuable field insights that drive the creation of new programs and tools.

Kate earned her BA from Sacred Heart University in 2004. She began her career at Lehman Brothers (NYC) as a Sales Assistant on the Institutional Equity Sales Desk, managing marketing efforts in the mid-Atlantic region. After two years, she transitioned into an internal role focused on recruiting, training, and development for the Equity division.

Actively engaged in her community and her children’s schools, Kate enjoys volunteering in various capacities. She resides in Wayne, PA, with her husband and two children.

Michael is a graduate of Temple University’s James E Beasley School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctor after studying Economics at Susquehanna University, where he played collegiate Rugby.

As Director of RIA Compliance for Great Valley Advisor Group, Michael is a key player in ensuring that GVA’s compliance policies are managed and executed effectively. As GVA’s community of Advisors grows and the SEC’s requirements change, Michael’s efforts ensure that GVA’s systems, policies, and procedures rise to the occasion.

Michael lives in Malvern, Pennsylvania. An avid gravel cyclist, Michael’s life is split happily between the Office and the Trail. His fiancé and their three cats share his passion for birdwatching.

Jason serves as Director of Retirement Partners for GVA Retirement Consultants and partners with corporate and non-profit executives to improve and manage all facets of their retirement plans.  He has provided independent advice and fiduciary guidance to corporate and non-profit employers since 2004.  His entire 23-year career has been exclusively focused on qualified and non-qualified retirement plans.

He assists plan sponsors in fulfilling their fiduciary duties and improving retirement plan outcomes through a focus on liability control, plan committee and employee education, cost reduction, vendor management, and improvement of plan-related operations.

As an Accredited Investment Fiduciary®, he possesses an extensive knowledge of the investment monitoring and management process.  He is committed to being a lifelong student of the industry and pursuing positive outcomes through rigorous monitoring and service delivery to his clients.

Jason received his B.A. from the University of Delaware and enjoys coaching youth sports and spending time with his family.

Alexandra comes to GVA after more than a decade of experience in the financial services industry, both nationally and internationally, including almost 5 years as Advisory Compensation Manager at NewEdge Advisors. She graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a Bachelor of Science, then earned her MBA in Business Administration, Management, and Operations from Liberty University.

As Manager of Advisor Compensation, Alexandra leverages her MBA and financial accounting skills to design and implement effective compensation strategy and policies, leveraging GVA’s proprietary technology stack to manage advisor compensation across the GVA family.

Alexandra currently lives in New Orleans, and enjoys spending time with her family, cooking and traveling.

Nick joins the GVA Technology team bringing 10 years of experience in the infrastructure and technology field. As Manager, Advisor Technology, Nick oversees the GVA Tech Stack, while also providing additional support to our advisors.

In this role Nick ensures that Great Valley Advisors Group is effectively using our available technology partners, integrations, and contacts. He also actively explores new, potential partners and platforms. Nick’s goal is to equip the GVA Network with the best and most efficient technological integrations and partnerships available – and to do so seamlessly.

Nick graduated from West Chester University with a B.A. in Communications. In addition to his technology background, he also spent a decade in sales. Nick lives in West Chester with his wife, and we are told he does not like being bored! Outside of the office his hobbies include golf, weightlifting, snowboarding, and rooting for all Philadelphia sports teams.

Robert brings over five years of experience in talent acquisition and national recruitment to his role on the GVA Business Development team. Formerly a National Recruitment Manager, he has honed his expertise in full-cycle recruiting, strategic sourcing, and relationship management. His passion for connecting people and opportunities is matched by his commitment to continuous learning and professional growth.

A proud graduate of West Chester University with a B.S. in Public Health and Health Science, Robert blends his healthcare background with a strong foundation in sales and recruiting. His career has been defined by his ability to build lasting relationships—both with new sales leads and internal teammates—while managing the full recruitment lifecycle, from sourcing and interviewing to onboarding and payroll coordination.

At GVA, Robert focuses on expanding his impact in business development, leveraging his recruiting acumen to drive growth and foster meaningful partnerships.

Outside the office, Robert lives in West Chester and enjoys golf, tennis, snowboarding, and cheering on his beloved Phillies and Eagles.

As Chief Executive Officer of AdvisorBOB, Colton oversees the compensation of more than 6,000 advisors, and has led the charge in growing AdvisorBOB’s fintech presence. AdvisorBOB has been included in Michael Kitces Financial AdvisorTech Solution Map and services multiple Forbes Top 100 Registered Investment Advisors.

With the AdvisorBOB, Compensation Consultant role, Colton is responsible for GVA’s situational and data analysis to identify and implement a simplified compensation process. Colton contributes to the firm through compensation, reporting, and anything advisor technology-related.

Colton is a Cum Laude graduate from West Chester University with a bachelor’s degree in finance and additional studies in Computer Science.

Colton lives in West Chester, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Kennedy, and two dogs. In his spare time, Colton enjoys spending time with friends and family either on the golf course or at the beach.

Colton Pence is not affiliated with or endorsed by LPL Financial and Great Valley Advisor Group.

Kaela is an Associate on the Business Strategy team, where she specializes in data analytics and reporting. Known for her strong, tempo-driven work ethic, she builds custom dashboards and reports that bring visibility to all aspects of GVA and support firmwide strategic initiatives. Kaela excels at turning data into actionable insights, helping drive smarter decisions across the organization and delivering value to both the Business Strategy team and GVA’s advisor community.

Before joining the Business Strategy team, Kaela spent nearly two years interning and working full-time on the GVA Asset Management team. There, she created Orion comparison reports, onboarded clients, produced performance reports, and built the GVAAM dashboard. This role provided her with valuable experience in the financial industry, sharpened her attention to detail, and sparked her passion for data analytics and reporting.

In 2024, Kaela graduated magna cum laude from Ursinus College with a BA in Finance and a minor in Management Studies. While at Ursinus, Kaela was captain of the women’s soccer team, CEO of the Ursinus College Investment Management Company, and a member of Omicron Delta Epsilon. She also holds three school records in women’s soccer: goals against average, shutouts, and save percentage. Her leadership roles and athletic achievements shaped her into a highly motivated individual who consistently strives to exceed expectations.

Outside the office, Kaela enjoys weightlifting, running, and spending time with friends and family on the beaches of Avalon, NJ.

After graduating from Penn State University with a B.A. in English, Mike began his career in business-to-business technology sales, learning how to close deals and, most importantly, developing thick skin. He then took on an operations and management role at a marketing firm, where he recognized a gap in the company’s capabilities and began to teach himself to design, code, and build websites while handling the day-to-day company operations and managing client relationships.

Discovering his passion for design and technology and building up a web design and UX work portfolio, Mike spent the next six years at Comcast, fulfilling various roles on the Digital and e-commerce teams, from UX designer to front-end developer to his final role as a Senior Art Director. After transitioning into management consulting, he was on the road for three years, working with enterprise-level companies such as Microsoft, Aon, and Vanguard and expanding his skill set from digital and web to organizational strategy and management.

Combining his experience across various industries with an opportunity to serve small and medium-sized companies, Mike founded Advsry, a digital strategy consulting firm, in 2019. He resides in Berwyn, PA, with his wife Cara and daughter Bryn. He spends his free time on the golf course, enjoying espresso martinis and stressing about Philadelphia sports.

Nick joined GVA in 2024 as Senior Trader on the GVA Asset Management Team. In this role Nick oversees trading functions, such as new account setup, portfolio rebalancing and monitoring, daily report reviews, and managing various trading workflows.

Nick comes to GVA with 10+ years in the investment industry. He graduated from Fordham University in 2014 with a BS in Finance, and a concentration in Alternative Investments. He began his career in the private wealth management space before making a transition into portfolio management. Nick has spent the last 5-years overseeing risk-based model portfolios and acting as a resource for participating advisor networks throughout the United States.

Nick lives in Philadelphia, PA, with his wife and daughter.

Kevin is a Chartered Special Needs Consultant® and Retirement Income Certified Professional® serving as GVA’s insurance specialist. He collaborates closely with financial advisors to create tailored insurance plans that help clients protect their assets, secure their futures, and manage life’s uncertainties. From life insurance and disability coverage to long-term care and estate planning, Kevin utilizes a diverse portfolio of products to deliver personalized solutions.

Before joining GVA, Kevin worked as a Financial Planner at a leading financial advisory firm in Conshohocken, PA, where he focused on wealth management, insurance strategies, retirement income planning, business succession, and special needs planning.

Kevin holds a B.S. in Finance from Temple University. Outside of work, he enjoys golfing, coaching baseball, and traveling. He resides in Havertown, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Kelly.

Evan is an Associate on GVA’s Asset Management Team. He specializes in investment research and has a passion for finance and economics. Evan uses his strong work ethic and financial literacy to help manage GVA’s multi-asset portfolios, mitigate risk, and help coordinate wholesaler relationships.  

In the Spring of 2024, Evan graduated as valedictorian from Ursinus College with a BA in Finance and a minor in Management Studies. Evan took part in Finance Scholars and was a CEO of the Ursinus College Investment Management Company. Evan was also inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Epsilon during his time at Ursinus. Outside of his coursework, Evan was captain of the men’s golf team and worked on a year-long honors project focusing on the stock-bond correlation and how macroeconomic variables affect the relationship between the two asset classes. 

Prior to joining GVA full-time, Evan interned with GVA’s Asset Management team! During his time as an intern he focused on equity research, and shadowing wholesaler and advisor meetings. Under the guidance of the GVAAM team, Evan gained quality professional experience in the finance and asset management industry. 

Outside of Finance and Economics, Evan enjoys golfing, watching Formula 1 racing, going to Sixers games, and traveling with close friends and family. 

Lori has been in integral part of Great Valley Advisor Group’s Client Services team since 2022. In her role as Client Relationship Manager she assists with various client service needs, taking the initiative to respond promptly to client requests and find solutions to any needs in a timely manner.

Lori graduated from East Stroudsburg University, then began her decades long career in the accounting and wealth management industries, including as a private industry staff accountant, a tax accountant, and various client and administrative support roles in the finance industry. The knowledge she gained in these positions is invaluable and enhances her ability to provide an elevated service experience for GVA clients.

Lori lives in Glenmoore, Pennsylvania with her husband Brian and their four children. In her spare time, Lori enjoys spending time with friends and family, cooking, watching her children play sports, and going to the beach!

Ivette spent 19 years with Gaines Financial Group as the Operations Manager. Her responsibilities consisted of operations & technical support, advisors and client support, branch exam support, onboarding new advisors, advisor compensation, and management of the office. She has a B.A. in International Business and Marketing from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL.

Ivette is proficient in both English and Spanish and resides in Boynton Beach, FL with her husband and children. The family enjoys the Florida weather spending time boating, fishing, dirt bike riding, and mountain biking in their free time, and traveling during the summers visiting family & friends.

Tomoko is responsible for billing advisory accounts managed by advisors and also handles the full array of operations tasks.

Tomoko previously worked as a New Business Analyst at Ocean State Financial Services, a Met Life Affiliated firm, where she handled all lines of business including Life Insurance, Annuities, Brokerage, and Mutual Funds. She has a B.S. in Communication from Suffolk University in Boston, MA.

Meghan Cavanaugh works with the GVA Asset Management team, assisting advisors with account opening, account maintenance, and reporting.  She began working in the financial industry after graduating from Penn State University with a BA in Business Management in 2005. She spent the first leg of her career at a boutique investment firm based out of Radnor, PA, working with retail and institutional clients. She moved to LPL Financial in 2014 to take on an administrative and operational role.

Meghan resides in New Hope, PA with her husband and three children.  During the summers, Meghan and her family enjoy spending time in the Outer Banks, NC, and Sea Isle, NJ.

Tess Vaughan has provided top-notch administrative and operational support in the financial services industry for over 20 years. For the past two years, she has dedicated her time to the Gaines Financial Group (Boca Raton, FL), where she supported a team of 14 in-house advisors. Tess has thrived in this space starting with back-office support and growing professionally to create and deliver reports to both client and management. In her role at Great Valley Advisor Group, Tess helps support the advisor network by providing back-office support and creating streamlined solutions.

Tess has lived in Boca Raton for 26 years; she enjoys endurance sports, creating resin art, and spending time with her husband and son.

Niki began working at Great Valley Advisors in April 2025. She comes to us with more than two decades of experience in the financial industry. She has held positions ranging from processing new accounts to helping create a new internal website for advisors.

In addition to her financial background, she loves riding dirt bikes, graphic design, and has recently begun learning to play the guitar. Niki is also a Notary in the state of Pennsylvania.