Our Team

AVI K. PAI, CFP®, CRPC®, AWMA℠

FOUNDING PARTNER

P: (949) 222-6400 EXT. 102
E: AVI@PWMG.COM
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Avi is a co-founder and managing partner of Provence Wealth Management Group, one of the most reputable wealth advisory firms in Southern California. Avi started his career at American Express Financial Advisors (now Ameriprise) as an Advanced Financial Advisor. In 2005, Avi also became an Advisor Coach where the firm leveraged his financial planning and analysis skills to mentor other advisors and build complex financial plans for their clients. In August 2007, Avi decided being independent would allow him to focus more on his clients over a firm’s goals and left for LPL Financial and to help found Provence Wealth Management Group. Avi’s passion for helping people is always present when creating or reviewing financial plans.

Since 2015, Avi was ranked in the top 7% of LPL Financial’s registered representatives. As of 2020, Avi has been in the top 4%. Over his career, he has also received countless accolades including:

• 2011 OC Metro’s Top 40 Under 40
• 2012 – 2022 Five Star Wealth Manager (featured in Orange Coast Magazine)*
• 2015 Financial Times’ 2015 Top Financial Advisers (FT 401 Ranking May 2015)**
• 2016 Distinguished Instructor Award – University of California, Irvine (Division of Continuing Education)
• 2018 – Investment News “40 Under 40”

Since 2006, Avi has also been teaching at UC Irvine’s Division of Continuing Education in their Personal Financial Planning Program.

Avi graduated from UC Riverside with a bachelor of science degree in computer science and received his Certificate in Personal Financial Planning from UC Irvine. Additionally, he has earned the designations of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC®) and Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (AWMA®). He holds the FINRA Series 7 with LPL Financial and Series 66 held with LPL Financial and Provence Registered Investment Advisors.

Avi and his wife reside in Orange County; they have two adorable little children and a dog. Avi enjoys a vast array of music (performing, listening and enjoying it live), theater, movies, international and domestic travel, and a good glass of wine or a unique craft cocktail.

*Five Star Professional, a third-party research firm, identified pre-qualified award candidates based on industry data and nominations it may have received from various industry firms and individuals in the surrounding area of the candidate. Self-nominations were not accepted and candidates do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list. Award candidates were evaluated against objective eligibility and evaluation criteria including, but not limited to:
1.    Credentialed as an investment adviser representative.
2.    Actively employed as a credentialed professional in the financial services industry for a minimum of five years.
3.    Favorable regulatory history review: (1) has not been subject to a regulatory action that resulted in a license being suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine; (2) has no more than three settled or pending customer complaints filed against them (excluding dismissed complaints) with any regulatory authority or through Five Star Professional’s consumer complaint process; (3) has not individually contributed to a financial settlement of a customer complaint; (4) never filed for personal bankruptcy; (5) never been convicted of a felony.
4.    Accepting new clients.
The inclusion of a candidate on the final list should be not construed as an endorsement of the candidate by Five Star or any other organization. Each year, Five Star Professional finalizes the list award recipients to be no more than 7 percent of the eligible candidates in the advisor’s area. The Five Star award is not indicative of the advisor’s future investment success and may not be representative of any one client’s experience. Further, there is no guarantee that the selected advisor will be awarded this recognition by Five Star in the future. For more information on the Five Star award and the research/selection methodology, go to www.fivestarprofessional.com.

DAVID MCKENZIE, ESQ., CPFA

RETIREMENT PLANS – PRACTICE LEADER

P: (949) 476-4585
E: DMCKENZIE@PROVENCEGROUP.COM
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David leads the Retirement Plans Division at Provence Group, a sister organization of Provence Wealth Management Group.  David is responsible for overseeing Provence’s retirement plan consulting services and open architecture investment solutions for plan sponsors.

David McKenzie is a retirement plan attorney with over twenty-five years of experience. Specializing in both qualified and nonqualified retirement plans, David’s primary focus is helping plan sponsors meet their retirement plan obligations and addressing fiduciary liability concerns.  He has extensive experience in resolving qualification issues in 401(k) and other retirement plans.  He also has successfully negotiated favorable outcomes with both the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Labor.

Prior to joining Provence Group, David was a Senior Manager with Ernst & Young, LLP and Deloitte & Touche, LLP in their Employee Benefits practices.  He worked in the Orange County, Las Vegas and Los Angeles offices.

David is a Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor, indicating he has demonstrated knowledge and expertise in the area of retirement plans.

David is a past President of the Orange County Ernst & Young Alumni Association and has been a speaker at various venues, including law firms, accounting firms, and professional organizations.  He also consults with CPA firms during their audits of 401(k) plans.

David McKenzie received his law degree from Southwestern University School of Law and his Bachelors Degree from California State University at Long Beach.

David and his wife, Michelle, live in Irvine and have two college age children and two lovable dogs.   David’s hobbies include weightlifting, playing hockey and an occasional round of golf.

COURTNEY STRAND

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

P: (949) 222-6400 EXT. 105
E: COURTNEY@PWMG.COM

Courtney started her career at Provence Wealth Management Group in July of 2013 as a client services associate and has since become our operations manager. She handles much of the daily transaction processing and is responsible for office operations including compliance tasks. She attended Saddleback College from 2012- 2013 where she received a certificate of achievement in administration.

Courtney has over 10 years of experience in customer service and strives to answer all requests in the most efficient manner possible. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outside, playing with Dewey, her rescued terrier mix and cooking.

FINA L. SNEED, CFP® 

INVESTMENT ADVISOR REPRESENTATIVE

P: (949) 222-6400 EXT. 103
E: FINA@PWMG.COM
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Fina Sneed is a financial advisor and Certified Financial Planner, CFP® at Provence Wealth Management Group. She started her career in the financial services industry in 2007 after graduating cum laude from the University of California, Irvine. 

Fina has spent the last fourteen years establishing herself as an experienced professional in solving complex financial planning cases. She focuses on supporting business owners and families with ongoing tax, investment, and wealth transfer needs. In addition, as a leader in the advisor community, Fina specializes in helping business owners integrate their personal planning goals with their corporate retirement programs. 

Fina is more than just a typical numbers-focused advisor. She knows that a relationship with money is highly emotional and continually empowers her clients to develop a healthy connection with their wealth. She also has a great love for people and establishing genuine relationships, both personally and professionally. Fina believes in the importance of patience and careful attention to detail to ensure that her clients are set up for success. 

Fina received the NAPFA Student Scholarship in May 2010 and the Ameritrade Conference Scholarship in January 2013. She is a first-generation Mexican-American of a hard-working family that greatly values their culture and deep roots. Today, Fina is married and lives in Aliso Viejo with her husband, Stephen, and daughter Sofia. She enjoys outdoor activities, travel, cooking, good food, and a good glass of wine. Habla con fluidez el Español.

STEPHANIE HAMMELL, MBA, CFP®

INVESTMENT ADVISOR REPRESENTATIVE
P: (949) 222-6400 EXT. 107
E: STEPHANIE@PWMG.COM
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Stephanie is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ of Provence Wealth Management Group with investment securities offered through two Fortune 500 companies, LPL Financial, the largest independent broker-dealer in the nation*, as well as Charles Schwab, the second-largest asset manager in the world. Her specialization is in providing guidance to business owners, corporate executives and their families on the conjunction of their corporation’s retirement plans and their personal tax reduction, investment management, wealth transfer and legacy goals.

Ms. Hammell’s academic credentials include holding her FINRA Series 7 registration with LPL Financial and Series 66 with Provence Wealth Management Group as a securities agent and Investment Advisor, her Accident, Life and Health Insurance License with the state of California and Washington, her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and her M.B.A. with a specialization in Finance. She is also a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®). The designation required completion of a rigorous 2 year program at the University of California, Irvine and testing in the proficiency of complex tax, investment, estate, insurance, and corporate retirement planning strategies. She is a part of 23% of women who are certified, and 5.6% of all CFP® candidates in her age bracket in obtaining the designation.

Ms. Hammell’s financial advice has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Huff Post, Business Insider, Yahoo! Finance, and U.S. News and World Report. She also was featured in Orange Coast Magazine as a 2022 Five Star Wealth Manager, and is regularly a speaker in her financial field of expertise to other attorneys, CPA’s, insurance, and banking professionals.

Ms. Hammell is passionate about making strides in the community. She is a Financial Educator and Employment Mentor for the Youth Employment Service (YES), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization teaching young adults the skills needed to secure meaningful employment to improve their professional career. She passionately believes that inherent in every person is the ability to succeed and thrive in life, given the right tools and training to empower them towards their greatest future. Ms. Hammell regularly attends events in the Analytical Psychology space that sponsor continuing education for practicing psychology professionals through the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. Ms. Hammell has also been a guest lecturer at her Alma Mater on the topic of behavioral finance and the implications of the driving forces of human motivation within financial decisions.

In her spare time, Stephanie can be found reading, exploring the outdoors, practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, traveling, experiencing new cultures, snowboarding, and spending time with loved ones.

*As reported by Financial Planning Magazine, June 1996-2021 based on total revenue

KARINA RODRIGUEZ

CLIENT SERVICES MANAGER

P: (949) 222-6400 EXT. 109
E: KARINA@PWMG.COM

Karina has over ten years of experience in the financial services industry. Before joining LPL, she served as an Operations Manager at an LPL branch office, with the dual role as a senior sales assistant. She understands the daily operational challenges that clients, their families, and their businesses encounter and is dedicated to managing and guiding a seamless client experience.

Karina is an Arizona native and resident of Surprise, Arizona with her husband, Joseph. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, sports, and exercising.

ALLEY RUIZ

ACCOUNT MANAGER

P: (949) 222-6400 EXT. 104
E: ALLEY@PWMG.COM

Alley is the Account Manager at Provence Wealth Management Group with 6 years of experience. She partners with advisors to support administrative tasks, maintain the client relationship between personal wealth and 401(k) clients, and effectively delegates and manages various workflows amongst the team and supporting team members.

Ms. Ruiz began her career as an associate at a reputable wealth management firm. Her passion for helping clients gain ahold of their financial future led her to obtain the role of Client Services Specialist, where she was able to take on more responsibility in client engagement and satisfaction. Ms. Ruiz then joined Provence Wealth Management Group, where she continued her journey assisting advisors and their clients in complex financial roles. Ms. Ruiz understands the daily operational challenges that clients, families, and businesses encounter and is dedicated to managing great client experiences.

Alley lives in Newport Beach with her dogs, Oso and Ozzy. She enjoys brunch with her friends, boating, camping, off-roading, hiking, and family time. Habla Español.

ALLEY RUIZ

ACCOUNT MANAGER

P: (949) 222-6400 EXT. 104
E: ALLEY@PWMG.COM

Alley is the Account Manager at Provence Wealth Management Group with 6 years of experience. She partners with advisors to support administrative tasks, maintain the client relationship between personal wealth and 401(k) clients, and effectively delegates and manages various workflows amongst the team and supporting team members.

Ms. Ruiz began her career as an associate at a reputable wealth management firm. Her passion for helping clients gain ahold of their financial future led her to obtain the role of Client Services Specialist, where she was able to take on more responsibility in client engagement and satisfaction. Ms. Ruiz then joined Provence Wealth Management Group, where she continued her journey assisting advisors and their clients in complex financial roles. Ms. Ruiz understands the daily operational challenges that clients, families, and businesses encounter and is dedicated to managing great client experiences.

Alley lives in Newport Beach with her dogs, Oso and Ozzy. She enjoys brunch with her friends, boating, camping, off-roading, hiking, and family time. Habla Español.

KARIS JONES

ACCOUNT MANAGER

P: (702) 897-8282
E: KARIS@PWMG.COM

Karis Jones is an Account Services Manager at LPL Financial. She works closely with clients to ensure their business and family goals are met at a high level of customer satisfaction.  She works as a liaison with the advisory team and our clients to identify and maintain their family and business goals, from an operational perspective. 

Karis focuses on the integration of all aspects of operational assistance and account maintenance. She is dedicated to establishing and maintaining thoughtful and expert communication with the goal of sustaining long term client relationships.

Karis is a graduate from The University of Texas at San Antonio where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication. She has over 15 years of experience in customer service and client relations. Karis and her husband, Mike, reside in Las Vegas, NV with their two kids and Chihuahua mix rescue, Gizmo. Karis’s hobbies include yoga, hiking, traveling and an occasional glass of wine. 

KEVIN SHAH, CFP®

PRIVATE WEALTH – PRACTICE LEADER

P: (949) 222-6400 EXT. 106
E: KEVIN@PWMG.COM
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Kevin is a financial advisor and practice leader at Provence Wealth Management Group. With his passion for serving our clients’ best interests, he is responsible for leading and supporting Provence’s private wealth division. Kevin started his career in the financial services industry in 2016 and holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Economics and Political Science from UC Irvine. After graduating in September 2017, Kevin joined Provence as a Client Service Associate to focus on building relationships and serving our client’s most important needs. Throughout his career, he has specialized in working with small business owners, tech-industry professionals, and corporate executives to ensure they can achieve their long-term wealth planning goals. He holds a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) designation alongside the FINRA Series 7 with LPL Financial and Series 66 with Provence Registered Investment Advisors.

Kevin was born and raised in Southern California and currently resides in Orange County. Outside of work you can find him enjoying the occasional round of golf, playing pick-up basketball, traveling to new destinations, reading, cooking new dishes, and spending time with his friends and family. Kevin is also fluent in Spanish.