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News/November 2, 2020

Welcome to the Team

Strategic Welcomes Three New Associate Advisors

Utica, NY, November 2, 2020– Strategic Financial Services, Inc. (“Strategic”), an independent, Central New York-based wealth management firm, has added three new Associate Advisors to its team. They were chosen to be part of Strategic’s Advisor Development Program, where they will develop the critical skills necessary to guide clients toward their financial objectives. They’ll also be working to become CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ – CFP® professionals.

The Associate Advisors were selected from a large field of candidates after multiple interviews with the Strategic team. They include

Sophia Tsoupelis

A graduate of Providence College in Rhode Island with a B.S. degree in finance, Sophia was a wealth management intern at Merrill Lynch in Utica, NY and a corporate actions income and tax intern for Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., a financial services firm in Boston, MA.

Kyle Dempster

Kyle Dempster 1

With a B.S. degree in mathematics from Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, NY and an MBA from Utica College, Utica, NY, Kyle comes to Strategic after serving as a financial aid counselor for six years at Utica College.

Cody Carnaya

Cody Carnaya

Cody attended SUNY Plattsburgh where he received a B.S. degree in ecology. Most recently, he worked at Equitable Advisors in Syracuse, NY, where he passed his NYS Life & Health, SIE & Series 7 licensing exams.

“We’re excited to welcome these talented individuals to the Strategic team,” said Alan Leist, III, Strategic’s CEO. “They’re sharp, enthusiastic and committed to our mission of helping our clients live a great live through goal-based, comprehensive financial planning backed by tailored investment strategies.”

Strategic created the Advisor Development Program as part of its broader succession plan to ensure the firm remains independent, not associated with a large, national chain as is common these days. By hiring and training quality associates, Strategic is well-positioned for continued growth and ready to meet the changing demands of its clients.

In business since 1979, Strategic has grown to a team of 33 professionals servicing over 1,000 clients totaling $1.4 billion in assets. Areas of focus include Investment Management, Financial Planning and Corporate Retirement Plans.

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