Allen Harris, founder and owner of Berkshire Money Management (BMM), is a 20-year professional investment management veteran. His knowledge and expertise led to the founding of BMM in 2001, to help people achieve a common goal—make money with investments while protecting those portfolios in the most serious of downturns.
Allen’s experience spans the powerhouse of Smith Barney (now known as Morgan Stanley) to CIO of a boutique investment advisory firm, to founder of the 16,000-paid-subscriber Navigator Newsletters property (now sold). Throughout his career, Allen has skillfully guided clients through challenging periods—recessions, bear markets, technology and commodity bubbles, and the Great Recession of 2008. Despite these obstacles, Allen and BMM not only helped clients stay on course with their retirement plans, but also helped them to both capitalize on return opportunities and risk control strategies. Beyond his professional work, Allen is passionate about the well-being of animals. He is an avid supporter of spay and neuter efforts, shelter fundraisers, and animal rescue. He has personally fostered scores of pets in his own house as he tried to find them “forever homes.” Dedicated to community engagement, Allen is also a strong supporter of both economic revitalization and the arts in the Berkshires. Past initiatives include support of First Fridays Artswalk, Shakespeare in the Park, and Taste of the Berkshires. Additionally, Allen and our BMM team also contribute generously to enriching the holiday season for local families. Allen earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics, Finance and Accounting from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA).
Stacey has been co-owner of Berkshire Money Management since its founding in 2001. Today, as Chief Engagement Officer, she works closely with the Operations team to coordinate events, lead projects, and oversee property management and development. She is a strong voice in directing BMM’s annual charitable contributions to important causes in Berkshire county.
Before helping to launch BMM, Stacey earned a BS in Business Administration from Westfield State, trained in management at KB Toys, served as an administrator for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, worked in the Education Center of General Electric, and opened the first branch office in Naples, FL, for Dion Money Management.
Stacey is passionate about animal rescue. In addition to her role at BMM, she volunteers as Manager of the Community Cat Program – a Trap Neuter Return (TNR) program for feral and stray cats – at Berkshire Humane Society. Stacey served as President and Executive Director of Berkshire Animal Dreams until 2021, when she oversaw its merger with Berkshire Humane Society.
When she isn’t crushing it at BMM or working in the field with feral cats, Stacey enjoys volunteering once a week at a local food pantry delivering groceries to senior citizens, watching movies and spending time with her furry babies.
Connect with Scott Scott C. Little, CEPS®, BFA™
Vice President
Scott has been with Berkshire Money Management since the company’s infancy, working successfully to help clients. He is dedicated to building lasting relationships and delivering personal, professional service that his clients can rely on.
Scott earned his B.S. in Business Administration and Economics at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA). A self-described family man and Berkshire local, he graduated with honors and was inducted into the Greek honors societies Alpha Chi and Delta Mu Delta for excellence in Business.
Scott has passed the Series 65 exam and is an Investment Advisor Representative, licensed in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He also has earned CEPS® (Certified Elder Planning Specialist) and BFA™ (Behavioral Financial Advisor) designations. Ask him about his most proud accomplishment, however, and he will say it’s his family: his wife, Julie, and their adorable little girl, Abbey. Scott’s Catholic faith is the cornerstone of his life. Prior to the pandemic, his family delivered meals to a senior housing development (Julie had transitioned to working in the kitchen to prep the meals). He also supports charitable causes like Operation Smile, which helps children born with a cleft palate who can’t afford the corrective surgery, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Scott and his family reside in Adams, MA.
Born and raised in Pittsfield, Peter joins Berkshire Money Management with 30 years of investments and wealth management experience. Previously associated with UBS Private Wealth Management and Wells Fargo Advisors, he possesses the ability to create trusting and lasting relationships with families, entrepreneurs and corporate executives. He is highly regarded on our team for his knowledge, persistence and commitment to clients.
Peter resides in Pittsfield with his wife Sheila, a registered dental hygienist with Dr. Paul Gamache, D.M.D. Peter’s oldest daughter, Tara, is an alumnus of UMass Amherst and is an executive recruiter living in Las Vegas with her husband Brian, a Chief Master Sargent in the Air Force, and their three children Cailyn, Tierney, and Elise. His other daughter, Audra, graduated from Springfield College and is an Occupational Therapist working with special needs children for the Annapolis school department. She lives in Crofton, MD with her husband Wes, a Cybersecurity Specialist for the Defense Department, and children Ava and Derek and Labradoodle, Jax.
Peter has two twin sons, Patrick and Christopher. Patrick recently graduated from George Washington University and lives in Pallisades, CA, where he is a software engineer for Raytheon. He will graduate in December 2020 with a Masters in Computer Engineering from Georgia Tech. He and his fiancée, Anna, plan to marry in December 2021. Patrick’s twin brother, Christopher, graduated in May from Georgetown University. Chris recently bought a house in Annapolis, MD, and lives with his fat bulldog Chloe and works for Deloitte.
Peter graduated from Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA. A former Big Brother, he has volunteered for numerous local initiatives and has coached youth soccer and basketball. On weekends, Peter can be found on his bike or hiking the Appalachian Trail. He has recently earned his Certified Senior Advisor designation (CSA®) as well.
Connect with Zack Zack Marcotte, CFP®, AIF®, AWMA®, CRPC®, RMA®, MS, Personal Financial Planning
Director of Financial Planning
Zack is a “once in a lifetime” employee. Horatio Alger has nothing on him. Commonly referred to as “Zack of all trades,” this young man is equally at home with a screwdriver as he is with a pen in hand.
Born and raised in the Berkshires, Zack began working at Berkshire Money Management during his senior year of high school. During the next 11 years, he has witnessed and participated in the building of our firm from startup to success. His tech-savvy and versatility make him an important part of the Berkshire Money Management family. Zack’s time working side-by-side with BMM’s professionals has provided the kind of on-the-job training that no college ever could and led to his desire to become a financial advisor. Zack takes continuing professional education very seriously, racking up five credentials, including the Certified Financial Planner™, the golden standard in Financial Planning. Like so many American success stories, Zack began in the mail room, worked his way through operations, the compliance department, and as a financial advisor. Now he oversees BMM’s Financial Planning department. Recently, Zack earned an MS in Personal Financial Planning. In his free time, Zack enjoys wood working, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and venturing into the wilderness with his dog, Dexter. Zack joined the Foundation for Financial Planning, offering free financial plans for domestic abuse victims, cancer patients, and wounded veterans.
Dexter Marcotte
Connect with Natalie Natalie Wheeler
Chief Operating Officer
Prior to joining Berkshire Money Management, Natalie was the Director of Office Operations at Atlas Private Wealth Management for nine years. During her time at Atlas, Natalie helped spearhead organizational goals and procedures to ensure that all general office and personnel operations ran smoothly across multiple offices. Her professional versatility provided all employees with the necessary tools, training and resources they needed to be successful. Natalie also managed employee benefits and all human resource questions and concerns.
Natalie has always had a passion for leading team members to be efficient, productive and effective. Natalie currently resides in Southern Vermont with her children Tre and Gianna and fiancé Ryan. Natalie is a member of the American Legion Auxiliary Post 29. In her free time, you’ll find her playing frisbee with her four-year-old black lab, Sofia, playing a round of golf, participating in the color run or climbing obstacles at an inflatable 5k. Natalie is excited to bring her multiple years of office operations to BMM.
Tina Archambault
Client Care Specialist
As part of our Client Care Team, Tina assists with client onboarding, scheduling, account servicing, and more in our Dalton Office. She has more than 25 years’ experience in customer service and 16 years’ experience in financial services and wealth management, and she’s a notary, too.
Prior to joining Berkshire Money Management, Tina was a Wealth Management Operations Specialist at Berkshire Bank, where she worked with IRAs, trusts, and investment and estate accounts. She is a graduate of Berkshire Community College.
Tina grew up in the Berkshires and lives in Pittsfield with her husband, Dean. She has three sons. When she’s not brightening the BMM office, Tina enjoys working out, cooking and baking, and spending time with her husband, children, and, most of all, her grandchildren.
Brenda Bailly
Client Care Specialist
When you visit our Great Barrington office, it’s Brenda who first greets you. In addition to giving clients a warm welcome, she uses her organizational skills to assist our clients, helping meet their needs as part of our Client Care Team.
Brenda has more than 24 years of experience in financial services and wealth management operations. Before joining the BMM team, she was a Wealth Management Senior Operations Specialist at Berkshire Bank, where her responsibilities included client care, opening and closing accounts, audit assistance, system configurations, and more.
Brenda was born and raised in the Berkshires and lives in Great Barrington with her husband and two daughters. When she’s not helping clients at the office, she enjoys spending time with her extended family.
Connect with John John Bielski
Supervisor of Capital Trading
John Bielski joined Berkshire Money Management as the company’s chief trader and all around go-to guy. Some of us have worked with him before in another life and really admire his experience, grace under pressure, and meticulous attention to detail.
“Johnny,” as he likes to be called, has more than 20 years of experience, including those rough-and-tumble times of the Dot.Com boom and bust at the beginning of the century, as well as the 2008-2009 Financial Crisis. He keeps the stress level down by staying active and fit. On his time off, he enjoys spending time with family and friends and taking the kayak or boat out for a nice day of fishing on the nearest pond or lake. He has competed the Rugged Maniac, as well as a the Firefighter Combat Challenge with a few other BMM team members. Johnny is a DIY warrior, tackling landscaping and house projects with pride (and a little trial and error). He has passed his Series 65 and is a registered investment advisor (RIA). More importantly, he and his partner Kaila are animal advocates, so they fit right in with the Berkshire Money Management family. His dream is to travel to Hawaii and explore the many natural wonders there.
Kimberly Campagna
Marketing and Communications Manager
Kimberly brings a decade of creative communications, marketing, and design experience to the BMM team. In her role as marketing and communications manager, it’s her job to make us look good and to let people know what we’re up to.
Kimberly earned her bachelor’s degree in graphic design at Northeastern University in 2011. Three days after graduation, she moved to the Berkshires for a year or two to get her first job under her belt, and a few years later became the Marketing and Brand Manager at the Berkshire Museum, where she was responsible for marketing, PR, design, and social media. During her time at the museum, she added some unique experiences to her resume, including live-streaming a dinosaur’s interstate journey, putting a mummy on Tinder (she learned a lot – perhaps too much – about humanity that day), and working with artists and astronauts. Some are said to be “married” to their work – Kimberly took it a step farther and got married at the museum in 2019.
Kimberly lives in Pittsfield with her husband. Together they enjoy hiking the many local trails, lounging at Onota Lake, cheering on the Pittsfield Suns, digging in their garden, and of course, cooking and baking like it’s going out of style.
Renfri Campagna
Carla Cowdrey
Office Support Specialist
Carla brings more than 20 years of operations and client care experience to the BMM team. A graduate of Taconic High School (class of 2000), she began her career at what was then Berkshire Life Insurance Company, now Guardian Insurance Company of America. Carla has had many roles in that time. Throughout the past nine years, she was an Operations Specialist in Inforce Individual Markets. At BMM, Carla provides general support to visitors, organizes and schedules meetings and appointments, assists with compliance testing, implements policies and procedures, coordinates with IT on all office equipment needs and assists our CEO with daily administrative duties.
When she’s not hustling at the Model Farm, Carla is with her big family– four children ages 19, 16, 11 & 12, her husband Ryan, and Odie, a golden doodle. (“So basically 6 kids!”)
She and Ryan are passionate about remodeling and renovating their home. They also enjoy traveling and watching movies with the kids. Yes, the kids still like to spend time with their folks.
Carla reserves the weekends for baking and taking Odie for walks.
Angela Elzner, FPQP™
Paraplanner
Angela Elzner joins the BMM team as a Paraplanner, having recently completed her certification as a Financial Paraplanner Qualified Professional™. She previously gained experience serving clients at Wellesley Financial, later known as the Bullfinch Group, and Greylock Investment Group. While at Greylock, Angela obtained a securities license and aimed to help her clients meet their financial goals and challenges. Angela attended MCLA, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.
Angela is originally from St. Mary’s, Georgia, and is the single parent of four amazing children. She moved to the beautiful Berkshires twenty years ago and says she and her family are “lucky to make it our home.” As someone who grew up on the water, she tries to spend as much time as possible out on the boat with her family and friends.
Tammy Gaherty
Client Care Specialist
Tammy takes pride in her work coordinating client onboarding, scheduling, and assisting current clients with a myriad of other needs as a part of our Client Care team. She’s also a Notary Public. Prior to joining BMM, Tammy worked for nearly two decades as an administrative assistant with the Dalton Housing Authority.
Tammy is a lifelong resident of the Berkshires and graduate of Monument Mountain Regional High School. She has been the volunteer secretary and president of the Friends of the Lanesborough Public Library and was an active participant there for fundraisers to support library programming. She enjoys hiking, reading (including Tarot cards!), astrology and music. Tammy lives in Lanesborough with her husband Dan and their daughter Tarryn, who is attending Smith College in Northampton, MA. Tammy also has three stepdaughters Callie, Kirby, and Carly.
Connect with Jared Jared Reinstein, CFP®, RICP®, CCFS®
Certified Financial Planner™
Jared comes to Berkshire Money Management with more than a decade of experience as a Financial Planner. He has worked for some of the most reputable firms in the Capital Region, including the Ayco Company (a division of Goldman Sachs), SEFCU Wealth Management, one of the largest credit unions in New York, and Citizens Investment Services, where he established and led a financial planning mindset for the region to showcase a financial planning process for clients.
Jared gained the knowledge and experience to craft and customize a process that helps clients understand their financial needs. His approach to financial planning begins with understanding the priorities of our clients, then helping them (you) navigate the planning process.
While financial planning can be overwhelming, Jared likes to explain to clients that planning is like a puzzle: you must put pieces together and then sometimes, when life happens, you have to rearrange those pieces to adapt and move forward. Jared finds that the best way to maintain relationships with clients is to very open and transparent so that they are informed and can make decisions comfortably.
Jared is a Certified Financial Planner™ and a fiduciary. He has also recently earned his Retirement Income Certified Professional® designation from the American College of Financial Services. He is a graduate of SUNY Plattsburgh, where he earned his Bachelor’s in Communications.
Outside the office, you can find Jared doing outdoor activities with his wife, Colleen, and his two boys, Jack and James. He lives in Saratoga County, NY and is excited to be part of the fast-growing Berkshire Money Management team.
Connect with Lauren Lauren Russo, CEPA, FPQP™, CVB
Financial Advisor
Lauren is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Resource Economics, concentrating in Managerial Economics, as well as a Psychology minor. She worked diligently to be able to graduate one semester early and to begin her career here.
Lauren has always had a passion for business and a knack for numbers, so a career in finance seemed like the perfect fit. She wanted a fulfilling career where she can directly work with, and help, people and families. She has observed that very few advisors identify as female, and that the industry itself lacks a large share of the populations’ perspective. This may account for female investors feeling neglected or not heard. Having this unique role as a female advisor has inspired Lauren to connect with other young women considering a career in finance.
Lauren is working on accumulating the education and experience required to sit for the CFP exam in the coming years. She and her fiancé are new homeowners in Pittsfield, MA. Fitting to the BMM nature, the selling point was the fenced in yard for their pup Penny.
She grew up in Pittsfield and is thrilled to stay local and take advantage of BMM’s philanthropic ways to give back to the community. Lauren is a proud aunt to four, and loves spending free time with her family. She dreams to use her newfound financial skills and previous business management knowledge to one day open a nonprofit organization in the area.
Holly especially enjoys helping clients to navigate retirement and protect their families’ futures through thoughtful estate and Medicare planning. She is passionate about sharing her financial knowledge with the community and looks forward to hosting open office hours in Great Barrington starting in Fall 2022.
Holly has a Certified Estate and Trust Specialist designation from the Institute of Business and Finance, a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Fitchburg State University, and master’s in Finance from the New England Institute of Business at Cambridge College and is an alumnus of the Berkshire Leadership Program. She is currently studying for the CFP exam.
Prior to joining the BMM family, Holly was a dual employee for Lee Bank and October Mountain Financial Advisors where, among other things, she handled trusts, estates, and private banking.
Originally from the Worcester area, Holly enjoys exploring the Berkshires and learning more about the place she now calls home. In her free time, she enjoys reading, practicing yoga, hiking with her three-year-old black lab, Milo, and her husband, Adam. They also enjoy golfing, or eating at one of the many amazing restaurants here in the Berkshires.
Chelsea Smith
Client Specialist Leader
Chelsea leads our hard-working Client Care Team. In her role as Client Specialist Leader, her focus is strengthening her team through coaching, development of new standards and practices, and leadership by example in providing exceptional client service.
Chelsea is a veteran customer service professional and notary public and has an associate degree in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Business Administration from Berkshire Community College. Before joining the BMM team as a Client Care Specialist in 2021, she held positions as an administrative assistant and financial services representative/assistant branch manager in the banking industry.
Chelsea grew up in Dalton and is the proud daughter of Michael Fahey (owner of Fahey Concrete Forming). “I have been going to work with him since I could swing a hammer,” she says.
Today, Chelsea lives on 100 acres in Peru, MA, with her husband (Ryan), daughter (Rylann), and German shepherd (Maverick). They are making plans to build their “forever home” on the property. Chelsea loves all the Berkshire seasons (including “the dreaded snow” season) and enjoys snowmobiling, relaxing by Ashmere Lake, running, and hiking.
Connect with Nate Nate Tomkiewicz, CRPC®
Financial Advisor
Nate Tomkiewicz is Berkshire Money Management’s 6th graduate of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA). He has earned the nickname “Stay-late Nate.” Nate graduated a semester early from MCLA’s business program, while working and learning at BMM. He is a testament to “growing our own” and began his career here as an intern when he was just 19 years old.
Nate is skilled at identifying opportunities within 401(k), 403(b) and 457 plans, particularly for hospital employees. Once terrified of public speaking, Nate now loves the opportunity to present and educate those looking for guidance on how to build their retirement. Nate has a series 65 like the rest of the advisors at BMM, and his area of focus is in retirement planning. Nate has earned the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor designation (CRPC®) from the College for Financial Planning, and is now working towards his CFP® designation.
Born and raised in the Berkshires, Nate loves outdoor pursuits, especially snowmobiling, fishing and golf. In addition to these hobbies, he also enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling and taking dogs on hikes.
Fun fact: In college, Nate’s snowmobile was worth well more than twice what his car was, despite the fact that Massachusetts winters don’t always deliver snow!
