About Epic Trust Financial Group
Fiduciary advice in YOUR best interest.
We care about people, not just numbers.
Our team is experienced in multiple disciplines working together. Your custom financial plan can encompass taxes and tax planning, risk management/insurance strategy, your business (if you have one), your retirement plan, investments, and estate/wealth transfer solutions. We provide advice that is in your best interest, and as an independent firm, we have relationships with many financial institutions, enabling unbiased advice.
Epic Trust Financial Group is the culmination of locally owned professional service businesses dating back to the 1970s. In 2020, several leading financial service firms merged to create Epic Trust Financial Group in order to provide a comprehensive scope of services to individuals, families, professionals, and business owners up and down the West Coast. The Epic Trust team now has more than 150 years of combined experience.
Jeffery P. Lewis
CEO
Jeff is truly passionate about business, but more importantly about people. He is constantly growing, whether listening to audiobooks or training for his next triathlon. He even learned how to ski at age 30! His mindset of self development motivated him to start his own business, honing in on the community’s need for a trustworthy and caring financial team, and lead him to partnering with two like minded individuals to form Epic Trust Financial Group. He even convinced them that they should make the logo his favorite color, blue. During his decade in business, he has had the opportunity to use his credentials as a CFP as he professionally coached other Advisors and hosted seminars to educate his clients on the tools available to manage their wealth. When he isn’t busy running the business, he spends time with his wife of more than 16 years and his four kiddos. Fun fact: his wife’s first impression of him when they met in 2002 was that he was “super cheesy.”
Nathan Burt
CFO, President of Tax Planning and Strategy | Investment Advisor Representative
Nathan started reading the Wall Street Journal with his Grandpa in the early 90’s and carries on a subscription today. While his formal education and training is in tax accounting, he keeps up on management trends and strategies. Some of his favorite podcasts are “How I Built This and “View from the Top.” Being involved in his own business ownership and development allows him to relate to his business owner clients, looking at their full financial picture when it comes to offering advice. Nathan enjoys cycling, running, and soccer. He stays active with his family and always makes time to enjoy his with his wife and three kids.
Tyson Reil
CMO, President of Insurance | Insurance Advisor
Commercial Lines
Tyson started his own insurance business in March of 2019. His commitment to employing the latest technologies enables him to adapt to his clients’ changing needs. He uses the communication skills that he learned growing up in a family of 15 to serve his clients’ unique needs and help understand their goals. He has such a passion for language that he has learned a total of four languages, including Bulgarian. He is interested in cultural studies of the near east and likes trying their traditional dishes. Using his green thumb, Tyson grows peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers which he loves to use on his Bulgarian street tacos. When he is away from work, he enjoys visiting the Oregon coast with his wife and three kiddos. He’ll catch any superhero movie that’s playing, even if it’s in Spanish (another one of the languages he knows)!
Adalberto Avelar
Staff Accountant
As an entrepreneur himself, Al knows the importance of keeping excellent records. When he isn’t starting a new crepe restaurant (yes, he has one in town!) he dedicates his business know-how to his clients, keeping their books as clean as his kitchen. His familiarity with the tax processes helps him generate reports for his clients that help them not only throughout the year, but when it comes to passing their information to the tax team for preparation and filing. Al even helps his wife with her small business when he is away from the office. He spends his free time trying new smoothie recipes and chasing his energetic kids.
Andrea Vickers
Staff Accountant
Andrea has many years of accounting experience which she employs to help her clients keep meticulous financial records. Her attention to detail and dedication to accuracy makes her a valuable addition to our business accounting team. To keep up with changing best practices, she continues her education with online trainings and is pursuing her Bachelors in Accounting. Andrea enjoys spending her free time outdoors, reading, and geocaching with her family.
Carmen Gonzalez
VP of Operations and Marketing
Wealth Management Team
Working all through school, Carmen finished both her Bachelor and Master’s Degrees, both in Business Administration with a focus on management. She continued to use her ability to work independently to develop and implement procedures that further her team’s client servicing goals. Her love of history and sociology has helped her see the big picture when it comes to investments. She shares her skills to provide excellent client support. As an active part of the community, she dedicates her time to volunteer causes. When Carmen isn’t spending her time finding ways to better address her clients’ needs or helping the community, you can find her outside, enjoying nature with her puppy dog.
Charlie Burt
Administrator
Tax Team
Charlie has experience working behind the scenes for the accounting team for three decades, starting out working with her husband, Ron, and contributing to the success of his practice. Working on E-Filing and Accounts Receivable, she enjoys using her detective skills to solve issues for clients. As the last eye on tax returns, her scrupulous nature contributes to her success in providing reliable, quality services to our clients. When she isn’t dedicating her keen eyes to client services, Charlie enjoys expressing her creativity while decorating cakes, especially for her grandkids’ birthdays. She takes every chance at traveling, including trips to Europe and driving all around the Northwest to visit her family. Spending time with them is important to her. She even works with some of them!
Cindy Holden
Office Administrator
Cynthia brightens everyone’s day the moment they step into the office. She has enjoyed a career in client facing support roles for many years. She embodies her belief that creating a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere is an integral part of the business for both the clients she serves and the team she uplifts. Her nearly three decades in client care have given her the opportunity to connect with many people throughout the community and have fostered her dedication to providing them with a friendly and genuine experience in our office. When Cindy is away from the office, she continues to participate in the community she grew up in, joining dance classes and attending the occasional painting party. She has stories about her kitty that always garner a giggle and makes a mean meaty lasagna. If she has the chance, she will jump in the car for a good ol’ Sunday Drive with her family, making memories and burning rubber.
Donna Waits
Employer Services Manager
Group Benefits
With her passion for people, Donna has dedicated the most recent part of her career to connecting her community with valuable risk management services. She has provided companies with group benefits for almost two decades. Before that, she held numerous titles, working in the lumber industry, accounting, construction, and even in mortgage as a loan officer. Her experience in different fields has helped her understand her clients and gives her another way to find the pulse of their needs. When she isn’t focusing on her clients, she tends to her chickens and works in her garden. Her homegrown flower bouquets bring a welcome spot of color to the office and always brighten her teams day. If Donna isn’t tending to her land or caring for her clients, she can be found visiting her daughter in Scotland and adventuring through the countryside.
Doraelia A Vasquez Garcia
Financial Client Services Associate
Doraelia, or Dora as she is fondly known, is as friendly as they come. A fast learner, she has been a welcome addition to the financial team. She cares about delivering quality service and building strong, long lasting client relationships. Before joining the team, she practiced Risk Management for almost a decade. Her keen eye for professionalism and dedication to continuing her growth ensures she can deliver an exceptional experience for each person she interacts with, client and coworkers alike. Dora grew up in Washington, but that doesn’t stop her from adventuring. When she isn’t in the office, she expands her world view by traveling the world, visiting places like Mexico, Iceland, Czech Republic, and England. She loves to explore, even if it is through the pages of a book. In between biographies and historical novels, she finds time to raise her baking skills, focusing on perfecting her cake recipe.
Eliza Cole
Administrator
Tax Team
Eliza is dedicated to equitable and personal service for all clients. She has worked in client service positions in various industries, always putting people first. While she had some experience with accounting before joining the team, she has learned so much more and is constantly expanding her knowledge of the industry. The tax preparers may not always be available right away, so Eliza works diligently to field questions and assure clients that, yes, the IRS really is that slow. When she isn’t checking the status of clients tax returns, you can find her watering the strawberry patch at her grandparents’ house or walking her handsome kitty cat. She shares her home with her spouse, her sisters, two feline friends, a million house plants, and all the lil’ buggies that live in their leaves.
Erica Davis
Staff Accountant
Erica is experienced in solving problems and fielding difficult questions. She has on the job training in payroll, client services, and accounting, which piqued her interest in the financial sector and led her to pursue formal education in business. Her education journey lead her to getting a Bachelors Degree in Project Management, even though she couldn’t get enough of her science classes. She polishes her accounting skills with QuickBooks trainings and certifications. Even in her free time she is focused on self development, reading an average of 100 books per year. She won’t miss a chance to enjoy some barbeque and might even bring some veggies from her home garden to the next cookout. Hiking and camping are her go to adventures, but she doesn’t mind a beach vacation now and again.
Felipa Trejo
Insurance Advisor
Personal Lines
Felipa is as dedicated as they come. Even freshly to the team, she connected with clients and became a go-to insurance advisor both to her clients and to her team. She takes special care of the Spanish-speaking members of our community, offering them reliable and friendly Risk Management support. On the weekends you may pass her rocking out to heavy metal on a Harley. She may not look it, but she is one tough lady. After work Felipa enjoys chatting with her grown children and visiting with her neighbors.
Gretchen Hymas
Insurance Account Manager
Working remotely hasn’t stopped Gretchen from being a valuable asset to the insurance team. Another family connection in the firm, she grew up as the oldest of 15 alongside her brother, Tyson. She spent her early adulthood as a domestic engineer, raising five curious kids. Later, she put those management skills to work in an office setting, working with a communications company. Her eagerness to learn and her positivity have been key to her growth within the insurance industry. Always eager to help, she serves her clients with integrity and professionalism while maintaining her lightheartedness. Gretchen lives out of state but makes time to visit the head office to connect with the team. She likes just about any type of yardwork, even weeding! She loves spending time with her grandbabies and chasing them around her garden, soaking up the sun with them.
Jericah Morris
Payroll Specialist
Beginning as a Receptionist and working her way up, Jericah earned a Fundamentals of Payroll certificate. She uses her skills to support clients’ payroll needs and educate them on the most up to date filing requirements and best practices. When she isn’t helping clients, she enjoys spending time with her little one. She takes her love of the season to the next level, practicing her interior decorating skills by upcycling thrifted furniture. Her love of tacos doesn’t stop her interest in nutrition, livening up popular dishes with healthy swaps.
Jessica Burt
Employer Services Manager
Payroll
Even though her favorite class in school was biology, Jessica has dedicated her professional time to providing expert payroll services. Her Associate’s Degree in Business and Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting have prepared her to answer questions for her clients and support them in resolving payroll-related tax issues. Jessica doesn’t think of herself as very fun, but her team disagrees. She is excellent at setting aside her day job to enjoy reading.
Lori A Selby
VP Investment Services, Wealth Management Advisor | Investment Advisor Representative
Lori is hardworking and energetic, both physically and mentally. She has spent her interesting life practicing everything from financial advising to sports coaching. After diligent study, Lori received her PhD from WSU in 2001. She didn’t stop there. She went on to become certified as a Chartered Mutual Funds Counselor in 2015 then earned her CFP four years later. Her favorite formal study has been Mechanical Kinesiology. She uses that knowledge to maximize her sports performance and recovery. Whether it’s skiing, backpacking, swimming, or motorcycling, she is always staying active. To refuel after a long day spent serving her clients and exercising her body, she enjoys a good taco.
Lynesa Whiteaker
Insurance Advisor
Commercial Lines
Having nearly two decades of experience, Lynesa is well versed in providing a superior client experience. She has succeeded in her professional life as she managed business staff and led her team with consistency. She started at Walla Walla High School where she met her now husband, then earned her license in Property, Casualty, and Disability Insurance. She stayed local joining our team to use her insurance knowledge to deliver the quality service the community deserves. Lynesa spends her free time exploring the great outdoors with her family and sharing her love of hiking with them. When she is home from tromping through the woods, she enjoys cooking and baking using the fruits of her backyard garden. Tomatoes anyone?
Marc D Livernois
Wealth Management Advisor | Investment Advisor Representative
Starting out as a paperboy, Marc has worked since his youth. His industriousness has granted him many unique opportunities. In college, he held positions as a radio DJ and college sports reporter. He interviewed two of his biggest sports idols, hockey players Guy Lafleur and Gordie Howe. His love of hockey helped him succeed as a youth travel hockey coach. He graduated from EMU in 1985 with majors in Economic and Public Administration. His interest in economics sparked his career in Wealth Management. Marc was a two time President’s Council appointee with CBSI. During his time with Merrill Lynch, he received his CFM designation in 2005. He regularly blesses the office with his knowledge of trivia and other eruditious information– in fact his wife Sharon often calls him Cliff, referencing the hit 80’s sitcom, “Cheers” (he calls her Carla). They enjoy summers together at the family cabin off Higgins Lake, Michigan.
Marco A Garcia
Wealth Management Coordinator
New to Wealth Management but in other financial services, Marco has a decade of experience. He even worked at a branch of a regional bank. He stays active in his career growth, working toward becoming an advisor himself. When he isn’t flexing his professional skills, he flexes his muscles at the local gym. Marco’s athletic nature has him playing on a professional arena football team. He works hard and plays hard, refueling with his favorite pie: pepperoni pizza. Extra cheese, please! He spends his extra time planning upgrades to his car and his exercise routine.
Mark Haynes, CPA
Tax Manager
Supreme Overlord of Candy Bowl Eating
Mark earned first his Bachelors Degree in Accounting then went on to earn his Master’s in Tax and Accounting. Just following his graduation in 2017, he was hired by a nationally known accounting firm to work as a tax staff. He continued to work just as diligently as he had in school and obtained his CPA license in 2019. He jumped at the opportunity to spend 3 weeks in Ghana where he held seminars for small businesses. He was so good at crunching the numbers he ended up being able to build his family’s home, his wife acting as the general contractor while he learned how to use a nail gun. Mark’s knack for measurements comes in handy when in the kitchen where he loves to spend his free time. He enjoys testing out new baking recipes on his family; wife and his little kids certainly won’t complain. His title might not include it, but he really is the king of the office candy bowl.
Mette Warnick
Accounting and Tax Manager
Senior Accountant
Having worked part-time in accounting for nearly all of her adult life, dabbling in many industries’ bookkeeping, she decided to make it official by graduating from Heritage University with her Bachelor of Science in Accounting in 2019. She followed it up by acing her exams and earning her CPA license in early 2022. Mette is enjoying this new chapter of her life. Before starting her career as a Tax and Accounting Manager, she dedicated most of her days to her large family, even working in her parents’ business. She loves nerding out on tax but loves raising her kiddos even more. When she doesn’t have her hands full with her kiddos and her brain full of accounting, she enjoys any good action flick–as long as it has at least one scene where something blows up!
Ron Burt
Tax Principal
Senior Accountant
Ron believes in fostering an atmosphere of trust and competence, mitigating the stress of tax preparation since 1979 when he first started in the business. He passed the enrolled agent exam in 1982 enabling him to practice before the IRS. Starting his adult life serving a two-year church mission in England, he continued to serve his country as a Naval Flight Officer. He employs new technology in his field to serve the evolving needs of his clients. His former company, Tri-Cities Tax and Accounting, which he started in 1987, was one of the very first firms in the area to offer electronic tax filing. Ron uses his talent in woodworking to turn beautiful pens and bowls on his lathe. If you can get him to brush off the sawdust, he might beat you in a 5k race, just as the community saw him do in the 2019 Cable Bridge Run. He even won first place in his age division!
Taiya Anderson
Staff Accountant
Having worked in accounting services and bookkeeping since 1985, Taiya lends her experience within the medical, agricultural, construction, and retail sectors. She has sharpened her skill by taking accounting classes, obtaining QuickBooks certifications, and collaborating with her team to provide quality work for her clients. When she isn’t deep in transactions, she enjoys playing with her puppies and exploring the Pacific Northwest with her husband of nearly four decades.
Valerie Griffith
Group Benefits
Insurance Account Manager
Valerie’s contagious positivity uplifts everyone she interacts with, from clients to coworkers. She uses her personability to relate to clients in authentic ways, developing trustworthy relationships. Clients count on her to connect them with their benefits information and help them understand what they are receiving. Her expertise comes from her over three decades of work within the insurance field. She finds delight in helping her clients understand their benefits and cultivating valuable connections with them. While she enjoys her fulfilling career, she loves her rambunctious grandkids even more. When she is away from the office, Valerie can be found on long car rides along the ocean, taking in the scenery.
Wendy Schell
Insurance Advisor
Personal Lines
Wendy has been an agent in the insurance industry for longer than some of our staff has been able to talk. Originally from Wenatchee, she moved to Seattle where she started her career in insurance, and moved to the Tri Cities twelve years ago. She spends her early mornings painting rocks and playing dice games with her husband. She loves camping and coming up with new recipes to try on her RV road trips. Named after her father, she is inspired by his hard work. Her passion for people enables her to relate to her clients and make meaningful connections while she helps them protect what they love. She is vivacious and energetic, getting up every morning with positivity–you might not know it with how much she loves to wear the color black. Wendy brings a unique perspective to the team and has enough excitement left to wear out her three doggies when she comes home from the office.
