Who We Are

Grace is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® practitioner and has been providing trusted advice to individuals and families since starting her practice in 1994. She offers experience and a deep network of financial resources, alliances and specialists. Her objective is to help build and preserve a secure future for you and your loved ones by providing guidance throughout the different stages of life. Open discussions and a good understanding of your goals, dreams and challenges will ensure your plan is continually working toward your aspirations.

Grace considers Houston to be her hometown and surrounds herself with a wonderful network of family and friends. As such, she believes in giving back to the community. One way she does that is by supporting causes that are important to herself and those closest to her: the American Cancer Society, MD Anderson, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the American Heart Association, the Star of Hope, Houston Hospice, SPCA of Texas, Muscular Dystrophy Association, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the AIDS Foundation, the Lazarus House, her church, etc. Grace is fluent in two languages and is working on learning a third language. She loves to travel and enjoys sampling cuisine from different places. Grace also has passion for the arts and dabbles in abstract painting in her spare time. To stay physically and mentally fit, she works with trainers on self-defense tactics.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Midtown Financial Group, LLC (2009 – Present)
• UBS Financial Services (2000-2009); UBS acquired PaineWebber in 2000
• PaineWebber (1994-2000)
• B.B.A. in Finance and Management, The University of Houston

CERTIFICATIONS & LICENSES

• CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (since 2000)
• Series 7 & 63 Registrations*
• Series 65 Registration Held with LPL Financial* – Investment Advisor Representative
• Insurance Licensed – Life, Health, and Accident & Sickness
• State Licenses: AR, CA, CO, CT, GA, MD, MO, NM, NV, PA, TX, VA, WA, WI, WV

ACCOLADES

• 2020 Five Star Wealth Manager^SM

• 2019 Five Star Wealth Manager^SM

• 2018 Five Star Wealth Manager^SM

• 2017 Five Star Wealth Manager^SM

• 2016 Five Star Wealth Manager^SM

• 2015 Five Star Wealth Manager^SM

• 2014 Five Star Wealth Manager^SM

• 2013 Five Star Wealth Manager^SM

• 2012 Five Star Wealth Manager^SM

* Registrations held with LPL Financial

As seen in Texas Monthly. Award based on 10 objective criteria associated with providing quality services to clients such as credentials, experience, and assets under management among other factors. Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of 2012-2020 Five Star Wealth Managers.

Diane Gardner is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional (CFP®) and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA®). Diane has been in the financial services industry since 1998. She earned her MBA from Youngstown State University in 2001 and her Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration from Slippery Rock University in 1998.  Diane began partnering with LPL Financial in December of 2010.

Diane is proud to serve a variety of clients with wide-ranging goals.  Her personal goal is to provide clients with guidance that can help them understand and better define their financial goals and money management. She prides herself on creating mutually beneficial and respected long-term relationships with her clients and their families.

Outside of her financial planner role, Diane enjoys golfing, traveling, and volunteering on several nonprofit boards.

State Licenses:  AZ, CA, FL, MS, OH, PA, TX, VA, WA,WV

Rhonda Barclay has been in the financial services industry for more than twenty years, initially with a small regional firm and two national, publicly traded firms. Rhonda graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics, and has taken a number of graduate courses at Rice University in financial planning. In 2009, Rhonda became an independent financial consultant, affiliating her professional relationship with LPL Financial.

As an independent financial consultant, Rhonda has access to some of the finest products and advice available - without being driven by any considerations other than her client's best interest. Because it is an independent broker/dealer, LPL Financial doesn't offer any proprietary investment products. Instead, it provides Rhonda and her clients with access to a large array of investment vehicles.

Tina’s career in finance has spanned more than 14 years. She has worked as a senior financial analyst for both private and public companies including Vistage International, LG Electronics and Time Warner Cable. She has been with LPL Financial for five years, first in Financial Planning & Analysis as an Assistant Vice President before moving into her current role with CFO Solutions.

Tina brings financial acumen and a consultative approach to support Grace with budgeting forecasting, P & L analysis and strategic financial planning.

Tina earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with a focus in finance from San Diego State University.

Tina is native to San Diego, California where she resides with her two dogs and enjoys staying active and traveling.

Jay is a Financial Associate with LPL Financial's Business Solutions team and provides comprehensive para-planning support to Midtown Financial Group, LLC. As a key partner, Jay is committed to Midtown Financial Group, LLC's mission and provides detailed data analysis and comprehensive planning strategies to assist clients in pursuing their financial goals. Jay is currently pursuing his CFP® designation.

Prior to joining LPL Financial in 2019, Jay served as a Portfolio Manager and Financial Planner for a financial services firm on the West Coast. He received both his Master of Science in Finance and his Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of San Diego.

Jay enjoys spending time with his girlfriend and dog on road trips and on beach outings. He also volunteers at the Humane Society by walking dogs and socializing with the animals.

LPL’s Financial Planning group is not affiliated with Midtown Financial Group, LLC.

Liz grew up and currently resides in Sugar Land, Texas where she and her husband are raising their three daughters. After an eight year stint at full-time “Momming”, she recently and enthusiastically re-entered the workforce when her youngest child started elementary school. Liz has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology /Pre-Medicine from Baylor University as well as a Master of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Houston/Clear Lake.

Balancing work and family life is her most recent pursuit as she devotes her time as an active parent volunteer at her children's schools as well as to a number of other community programs. As a cancer survivor herself, she also continues to support the causes that are near and dear to her heart including MD Anderson, The Young Survival Coalition, “Hope for Two the Pregnant with Cancer Network” and her Making Strides Against Breast Cancer team, Advisors for A Cure.

Liz's work background was in the field of social services as the Director of Admissions for a United Way Agency that provides residential and vocational opportunities for individuals with special needs/developmental disabilities. She is excited to bring service-centric focus, attention to detail and resourcefulness from her previous experiences to Midtown Financial Group, LLC.

Catherine has an extensive background in the financial services industry. Prior to joining our team, she was a Senior Registered Associate at Morgan Stanley providing concierge level service to clients of both individual advisors and advisor teams. Through her 11 years with Morgan Stanley she navigated the system and procedural changes that took place during the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney joint venture transition.

She spent 10 years working in various roles at Lincoln Financial Advisors, from a smaller branch office in the capacity of Office Manager and IT support, to a Regional Finance position, culminating her commitment as Branch Office Manager in one of the larger branch offices. She started her industry career at a Transamerica General Agency office where she was responsible for all the agency operations and administrative tasks.

Catherine holds Series 7, 66, 6, & 63 registrations with LPL Financial as well as Life, Accident, Health, and Variable Products licenses with LPL Financial.

Catherine enjoys rock carving as well as various other artistic methods of expression and is a huge fan of road-tripping adventures.