How We Work
David W. Johnston, CFP®
David Johnston is the Partner, Wealth Management Advisor of OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®. Dave built the firm around the fundamental belief that a proper financial plan begins with risk management, infuses innovative, enhanced diversification within an investment portfolio, and provides for an efficient transfer of wealth to the next generation.
Dave’s exceptional communication skills allow him to explain, without all the industry jargon, how various aspects of clients’ wealth management and financial planning coordinate.
Education:
- The College of New Jersey, 1996, BS Finance
- CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP®)
- Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®)
- Certified Wealth Strategist (CWS®)
- Registered Employee Benefits Consultant (REBC®)
- Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®)
- Registered Health Underwriter (RHU®)
- Series 6 (Investment Company Products/Variable contracts Limited Representative)
- Series 7 (General Securities Representative)
- Series 63 (Uniform Securities Agent State Law Exam)
- Series 65 (Uniform Investment Advisor Law Exam)
- Life and Health Insurance licenses
Community Involvement:
- The College of New Jersey, School of Business, Adjunct Professor
- The College of New Jersey Foundation, Board Member
- Stanton Ridge Golf & Country Club, Advisory Board Chairman
- Flemington Business Improvement District, Past President
- Prevention Resources, Past President
- The College of New Jersey Alumni Association, Member and Former Board Member
- The College of New Jersey Football Alumni Chapter, Board Member
- Leadership Hunterdon, Class of 2013
Personal:
- I reside in Flemington, New Jersey, along with my wife, Jennifer, and our three children.
- I am a proud member of the River Dell Regional High School Athletics Hall of Fame (soccer), and I earned All-America honors as a placekicker for The College of New Jersey football team.
- I am a Liverpool FC supporter and a lifelong fan of the New York Football Giants.
- Most importantly, I captain my Over-40 Armada FC men’s soccer team.
- Outside of finance and my sporting interests, I am a Revolutionary War reenactor who’s taken my “sailing and rowing” investment philosophy to the next level as part of the boat crew charged with rowing George Washington across the Delaware River each Christmas.
This article was created by David Johnston while operating under First Allied Securities as a broker/dealer and First Allied Advisory Services as a registered investment advisor, prior to joining LPL Financial and Bleakley Financial Group, LLC.
The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. All indices are unmanaged and may not be invested into directly.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. (CFP Board) owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, CFP® (with plaque design), and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.
Adam K. Johnston, CFP®
Adam K. Johnston, CFP®
Adam oversees the administrative, technological, and operational aspects of the firm’s investment advisory and risk management divisions.
In addition to Adam’s operational role, he also functions as the firm’s paraplanner, assisting in nearly every step of the financial planning process. Adam’s responsibilities include assisting with portfolio analysis, presentation construction, and the coordination and implementation of solutions.
Education:
- Graduated Ithaca College 2000, BS Finance
- Series 7 (General Securities Representative)
Personal
- Adam and his wife, Laura, reside in Somerset County, New Jersey, with their twins, Andrew and Madeline.
- In his spare time, Adam enjoys studying history, economics, and philosophy all while keeping up with the latest trends in technology.
Karen Pollock
Karen Pollock
Karen is primarily responsible for client service matters and helps facilitate the new client onboarding and orientation process. Often functioning as a client’s initial contact, Karen also coordinates meeting times and assists in the implementation of the firm’s communication strategy.
Prior to joining Amwell Ridge, Karen had similar responsibilities as the office manager of another independent financial planning firm.
Education:
- Graduated from Rutgers University 2001, BA Biology
Personal:
- Karen lives in Flemington, New Jersey, with her husband, Jason, and their two children: Tyler and Connor.
- Karen enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, skiing and being at the beach.
Jennifer Johnston
Jennifer Johnston
Jen oversees many of the day-to-day operations of our office, ensuring it operates smoothly and efficiently. Additionally, Jen coordinates all aspects of the firm’s special events and speaking engagements, including public seminars, webinars, conferences, and client appreciation functions.
Education:
- Graduated from The College of New Jersey 1995, BS Elementary Education
- Earned Master of Arts, Science Education from Fairleigh Dickenson University, 2006
Personal:
- Jen lives in Flemington, New Jersey, along with her husband, Dave, and their three children: Colin, Abbey and Erin.
- In addition to spending time with her growing family, Jen enjoys exercising, cooking and playing on her women’s softball team.
The OnePoint BFG Team
Peter Boockvar
Peter Boockvar
In his role as Chief Investment Officer, Peter leads the team that is responsible for the development, management and oversight of OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners’s investment management program, managing the investment committee, and setting the firm’s overall investment philosophy, global investment outlook and asset allocation decisions. Peter also is the portfolio manager of the OnePoint BFG Global Macro Multi-Asset Strategy and the OnePoint BFG Target Income Portfolio Strategy.
Prior to joining OnePoint BFG, Boockvar was a managing director and the Chief Market Analyst for the Lindsey Group - “ a macro economic and market research firm founded by former Federal Reserve Governor Larry Lindsey. In this role, Boockvar was responsible for global economic & market research at the firm.
Before his time with the Lindsey Group, Peter worked as a macro analyst and portfolio manager for Omega advisors and had previously been a partner at Miller Tabak & Company where he was an equity strategist and portfolio manager.
Peter’s market insights are frequently sought out by industry leaders and for the last 10 years has been a regular guest host and contributor on CNBC programs. He is also regularly quoted in articles for Forbes, Barrons, Bloomberg, CNN Money and a number of other news outlets. Peter graduated magna cum laude with a BBA in Finance from The George Washington University.
Stephen Kuhn
Stephen has served as Director of Investment Research for Bleakley Financial since 2002. Prior to joining the firm, he spent three years working with Alliance Bernstein Research and Management as a liaison between investment advisors and portfolio managers. He also worked as a financial advisor for Northwestern Mutual.
Stephen holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Finance from West Chester University
Steve Kuhn is solely an investment advisor representative of Bleakley Financial Group, LLC, and not affiliated with Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments.
Joseph Geslao, CLU®, ChFC®
Joseph Geslao, CLU®, ChFC®
Joseph has served in his current role at the firm since 2000. He leads a team of analysts who are responsible for creating comprehensive financial plans and investment portfolio. Joseph conducts extensive research on investment and insurance vehicles, estate planning concepts, and market trends. Prior to joining the firm, he worked as a planner for the Prudential Insurance Company and New York Life Insurance Company.
Joseph earned a BS in Accounting from Widener University and an MBA in Finance from Farleigh Dickinson University.
Stephanie Lester
Stephanie Lester
Stephanie works closely with retirement plan sponsors consulting on fiduciary, investment, operational and regulatory issues relating to Bleakley’s retirement plan practice.
Prior to joining Bleakley, Stephanie spent 14 years specializing in retirement in both sales and client services at Unified Trust Company, a national retirement plan record-keeper. Stephanie was also involved in establishing and executing strategic business initiatives for the firm.
Stephanie received a BBA in Finance from the University of Kentucky Carol Martin Gatton College of Business & Economics. She also holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Morehead State University and received the Qualified Plan Financial Consultant (QPFC) credential through ASPPA in 2013.
Stephanie and her husband reside in Central Kentucky and are the proud parents of three children. When she is not working or busy with her children’s activities, Stephanie enjoys traveling, spending time outdoors, and cheering on the Kentucky Wildcats.
Marlene Carpena
Marlene Carpena
Marlene Carpena is a critical piece of Bleakley’s executive committee. She is committed to helping foster a strong culture of growth and collaboration at Bleakley Financial Group.
Marlene specializes in helping our clients navigate difficult life circumstances. She has an extensive background in helping individuals and professionals explore their passions, values, strengths, and core beliefs.
Marlene’s coaching certification came through iPEC, which is an accredited program of the coaching industry’s overseer, International Coach Federation (ICF).
Sjoerd Blankenstein, CFA®
Sjoerd Blankenstein, CFA®
Sjoerd joined Bleakley as an intern in March 2016 and currently serves as a research and investment analyst. He is responsible for investment research, portfolio analyses, investment proposals, trades, and retirement analyses.
Sjoerd holds a Bachelor of Science in Financial Economics and a minor in Mathematics from Caldwell University.
Dante Petullo
Dante Petullo
Bio coming soon!