Helping Clients Stay the Course

Tommy Doerfler is originally from Raleigh, North Carolina and graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a Business Administration degree with an emphasis in finance.

Tommy initially moved to Nashville in 2003 because of his passion for music. Two years after living his dream in music, he decided it was time to hang up his drumsticks and choose another career. Since money wasn’t something he had a lot of knowledge of, he decided to redirect his passion towards a subject that was personal to him. During the time he spend traveling and playing music, he became interested in learning what to do with his hard-earned dollars, and how to invest in his career and save for the future. This interest soon became a passion that led Tommy to enrolling at MTSU to learn everything he could about personal finance. Tommy wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted to do with his knowledge until he did a summer internship with Southwestern Investment Group and realized that he could use his knowledge to assist people that did not understand wealth and who wanted personal assistance. It was his passion for learning about personal finance that led him to assist others with the same concerns he had as a musician. Along with helping clients build and preserve their wealth, Tommy also enjoying spending his free time with family and friends, watching soccer, and being outdoors.

Thomas has received his Series 7, Series 66, Life, Health and Annuity Licenses, his Certified Public Accountant License, and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. He is registered with Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Thomas is focused on helping his clients build wealth through Comprehensive Financial Planning with a specialty in fee-based* professional money management, tax planning strategies, and exceptional customer service.

*Clients should periodically re-evaluate whether the use of an asset-based fee continues to be appropriate in servicing their needs. A list of additional considerations, as well as the fee schedule, is available in the firm’s Form ADV Part II as well as the client agreement.

Originally from Florence, Alabama, Daniel earned a double major and graduated with honors from the University of Alabama. He spent four years working at Merrill Lynch before transitioning to Southwestern Investment Group. He loves being part of a group because he feels clients can be served better by a group than by an individual.

Daniel enjoys working in a culture where everyone has the same objective: serving others and helping families uncover financial problems they might not have known they had.

Daniel serves as an Ambassador for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. He was also recognized as one of Nashville’s Top 30 under 30 in 2017.

When he’s not in the office, Daniel loves spending time with his wife, Kendal, grilling out and fly fishing on the Caney Fork.

Melissa Evans has a Finance degree from Western Kentucky University and an Accounting degree from the University of Memphis. As an associate paraplanner, she handles preparation for meetings, provides analysis on paraplanning, and manages the review meeting schedule.

After a Raymond James recruiter contacted her, Melissa decided to join the Southwestern Investment Group team. She likes that the work environment is friendly and that everyone is always willing to help one another become better at what they do.

When she’s not in the office, Melissa enjoys spending time with her three children and two cats. She also likes to work out and ride her bike.

Kelly Stevens, a Franklin native, graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 2016. She began her time with Southwestern Investment Group as the Office Coordinator before joining the Lighthouse Wealth Team as a client services associate.

Working mostly behind the scenes, Kelly maintains and updates account information, coordinates team events, and keeps the team within compliance. Her favorite part of the company is how warm and welcoming everyone is. “You will never meet a stranger in the office,” she says.

Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her fiancé and doing small projects around their home.

Rich Smith started his career with Southwestern/Great American Inc. selling books part-time with Southwestern and paying his way through Taylor University in Indiana. After college, Rich joined the company full-time as a sales representative. He quickly moved into a leadership position with Great American and developed the largest organization in the company. He served as divisional Vice President and was recently inducted as a Charter Member into Great American’s Hall of Fame. In his 39 year career with the company, he has also served as a Corporate Board Member of Southwestern/Great American Inc.

In January 2006, Rich made the decision to leave Great American and follow his passion in the area of personal finance to join a sister company, Southwestern Investment Group, as a Raymond James financial advisor. He quickly distinguished himself there becoming a member of the Leadership Board and a Senior Vice President.

Rich has received his Series 7, Series 66, and Life and Annuity Insurance Licenses. He is registered with Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Rich’s focus is helping his clients build wealth through Comprehensive Financial Planning with a specialty in fee-based* professional money management, tax planning strategies, and exceptional customer service.

Rich has been married to Rhonda, a middle school principal at Christ Presbyterian Academy, for 37 years. They have three children who are all married and live in the Nashville area, along with grandchildren. Besides spending time with family, Rich enjoys watching sports, reading, and playing golf.

*Clients should periodically re-evaluate whether the use of an asset-based fee continues to be appropriate in servicing their needs. A list of additional considerations, as well as the fee schedule, is available in the firm’s Form ADV Part II as well as the client agreement.

Neither Raymond James Financial Services nor any Raymond James Financial Advisor renders advice on tax issues, these matters should be discussed with the appropriate professional.