Meet the Team

Matthew Riesenweber is the CEO of Cornerstone Wealth Strategies where he provides clients with invaluable financial guidance as a wealth advisor. Matt began investing at the young age of 11 and has worked as a financial advisor since 2003. He has a passion for the financial success of everyone he has the opportunity to work with, guiding clients toward confident financial futures and successful retirements.   Education: Matt graduated from Abilene Christian University with a bachelor’s degree in Finance and has since continued his education by earning the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification. The CFP® certification requires professionals to complete extensive training and have a deep understanding of the complexities of the current financial climate. Financial professionals who have earned their CFP® are held to rigorous ethical standards and are an essential resource to those seeking financial guidance.   Interests: Matt Riesenweber is an active and dedicated member of the Tri-Cities communities. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin counties. When not working, Matt and his wife, Deidre, love traveling, golfing, church activities, cheering on the Seahawks and playing with their daughter Kaylee and son Will. Matt also enjoys dabbling in his winery venture, Market Vineyards.

As Chief Investment Officer and Wealth Advisor for Cornerstone, Matt works with clients to help them pursue their financial goals. Also, he is involved in all aspects of managing our client’s financial needs and has extensive experience in investment analysis, portfolio construction and analysis, and maintaining and creating client relationships. Matt and Matt have worked together since 2007.

 

Education: Matt graduated from Utah State University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Master of Business Administration.

 

Interests: Matt is married to Nicole and has two beautiful girls, Addison, and Logan. When away from work, they enjoy spending time with their family and friends and traveling back to their alma mater where Matt was a 4-year letter award recipient and a co-captain for the football team. Matt is actively involved in our Tri-Cities community where he gives generously of his time and resources to various charitable organizations.

Beau Ruff is President and Director of Planning where he presides over day-to-day operations and assists clients with invaluable guidance in the areas of estate planning, business planning and taxation strategy. Coming from Leavy, Schultz, Davis & Ruff, P.S.* in 2016, Beau is passionate about supporting the unique financial and business needs of Cornerstone’s clients and focuses on advanced financial planning at Cornerstone.   Education: Beau graduated from Gonzaga University with a BA in Biology and a minor in religious studies. He went on to receive his Juris Doctor from Gonzaga University School of Law and then his Master of Laws in Taxation from University of Washington School of Law.   Military Service: After graduating law school, Beau joined the U.S. Army as an attorney in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. He served for four years, including a year-long deployment to Iraq for which he was awarded the Bronze Star. During his time in the army, he also focused his talents in providing estate planning for soldiers, retirees, and their families. Beau continues to serve in the Army Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel in the J.A.G. Corps.   Interests: Beau was born and raised in the Tri-Cities area and continues to be an active member of the community. He grew up working for his father at Ruff’s Giant Burgers. Beau is also a columnist for the Tri-City Area Journal of Business, The Senior Times, and Inspired Living Magazine. Beau is married to Diana, and they have two young children.   *Licensed, not practicing. Leavy, Schultz, Davis & Ruff, P.S. is not affiliated with Cornerstone Wealth Strategies or LPL Financial.

Joel is a Senior Wealth Advisor at Cornerstone and has been in the financial industry since 2002. At his previous firm, he worked his way up from a financial advisor role to a Regional Vice President role, ultimately managing the offices and staff of the western half of the country. Joel excelled at finding creative solutions to not only help clients achieve their financial goals but also to bring in and manage quality advisors to the industry. Joel joined Cornerstone in 2020 and as a wealth advisor, he brings with him a wealth of knowledge, experience, and passion for helping clients.   Education: Joel graduated from the University of Saint Mary in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management.   Interests: Joel has lived in the Tri-Cities community since 2005. Much like the rest of the Cornerstone Wealth Strategies team, he is an active member of our community. He is currently a Board Chair for Columbia Industries and an active member in his church. In addition to his work in our community, Joel enjoys spending time outdoors with his family, whether it is hunting or spending time on the river wake surfing. He and his wife, Melanie, have three amazing children, Nicole, Nathan, and Brandon.

Cameron is a Wealth Advisor, has been in the finance industry since 2008 and joined Cornerstone in 2020. He works with individuals and families as well as small business owners to help them pursue financial freedom through individualized financial planning. Cameron sees the financial planning process as the backbone for the client/advisor relationship. He is focused on helping his clients pursue their goals through education and ideas in order to help them realize their future options. As Trader, Cameron also assists the team with investment analysis and portfolio construction, as well as the processing of trades and money transactions for our clients.

 

Education: Cameron earned his Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Utah in 2008 and worked in the banking field until he became a licensed financial advisor in 2012.

 

Interests: Cameron was born and raised in the Tri-Cities. He is married to Jamie, and they have four wonderful children, Evelyn, Cassidy, Caleb, and Clara. Cameron is an active member in his community and his church. He enjoys being outdoors as much as possible with his kids, whether he is skiing, mountain biking or taking pictures with his drone.

Tyler is a Wealth Advisor and Financial planner for the team.  Tyler started in the finance industry in 2014, and his latest tenure was with one of the largest investment firms in the nation.  He served a large client base and specialized in all aspects of financial planning, working to put client goals and preferences first.

 

Education:  Tyler graduated from Southern New Hampshire University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Finance and has since continued his education by earning the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification. The CFP® certification requires professionals to complete extensive training and have a deep understanding of the complexities of the current financial climate. Financial professionals who have earned their CFP® are held to rigorous ethical standards and are an essential resource to those seeking financial guidance.

After high school, Tyler joined the US Navy where he served as an Aviation Mechanic.  He specialized in maintaining a constant state of readiness for an S3-B Viking squadron qualifying flight status, so he could be anywhere at a moment’s notice.  He served in two tours during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, earning three Navy Achievement medals and two-time Sailor of the Year for his peer group.

Interests: Tyler was born and raised in the Tri-Cities.  He has lived across the nation, mainly Florida in the Navy and Arizona with his recent planning firm. He enjoys being active in the community and likes to make a difference.  He has a German Shorthaired Pointer he has to keep busy. He enjoys the outdoors, CrossFit, anything with water, cooking and entertaining with friends and family.

Winette is the Operations Consultant for the team. She is responsible for keeping the varied aspects of the business running smoothly in order to provide our clients with prompt, accurate and efficient service. Our clients can always count on her professional, friendly, and caring demeanor, as well as her go-the-extra mile attitude to make their experience with us enjoyable and positive. Winette has worked with Matt since 2004.

 

Education: Winette holds the Series 7 registration through LPL Financial, the Series 66 registration through both LPL Financial and Cornerstone Wealth Strategies and the WA State Insurance License.

 

Interests: Winette is the mother of three adult sons and has been blessed with seven wonderful grandchildren. She and her husband, Steve, enjoy traveling, gardening, participating in church activities and spending time with family.

Joelle is an Operations Specialist and has been with the team since 2008. She brings over a decade of industry knowledge to assist both clients and the team. In addition, our clients particularly enjoy Joelle's "sparky" personality and quick personal service.

 

Education: Joelle earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Independent Studies from Central Washington University and her Master’s in Counseling Psychology from Saint Martin’s University. She also holds the Series 7 registration through LPL Financial, the Series 66 registration through both LPL Financial and Cornerstone Wealth Strategies, and the WA State Insurance License.

 

Interests: Outside of work Joelle enjoys golf, reading and spending time with her husband, Tim, and their three collegiate daughters.

As a Client Service Specialist, Nicole is responsible for maintaining client communications, organizing events, scheduling client meetings with our wealth advisors, and helping clients access their online resources. Nicole joined the team in 2014 and excels in customer service and assisting our Spanish-speaking clients when necessary. With her background in teaching, Nicole is able to educate our clients on a variety of topics in a fun and enthusiastic manner.

 

Education: Nicole earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. In addition, she earned teaching degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

 

Interests: Nicole enjoys scuba diving, camping, hiking, and skiing with her husband, Richard, and their two adult children.

Katie joined the Cornerstone team in October 2016 and is our Operations Team Lead. Katie’s interest in financial planning, along with her CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ credentials, makes her a perfect fit for assisting the team in building financial plans in Wealth Vision. She’s our go-to person for employer plan maintenance, insurance quotes, and various other administrative responsibilities.  In addition, she helps manage the day-to-day tasks of running the business. This includes helping the advisors strategically implement more efficient processes and be on the forefront to finding new capabilities we can offer to our clients. She also helps train, mentor and provide overall support to new and existing team members.

 

Education: She graduated magna cum laude from Washington State University Tri-Cities with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 2011. To further her education in the financial sector, Katie obtained her CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation in 2016. She also holds the Series 7 registration through LPL Financial, the Series 66 registration through both LPL Financial and Cornerstone Wealth Strategies, and the WA State Insurance License.

 

Interests: Katie enjoys working on DIY home projects and gardening. She keeps busy by spending time with her family & friends (including her dog, Toby), and she is always planning her next travel adventure. Katie loves to play tennis and enjoys being a part of the Tri-Cities community.

Melissa joined the Cornerstone Team in August of 2018. She came to us with 10 years of client service experience in the financial industry. As our Administrative Team Lead, she helps manage the day-to-day tasks of running the business. This includes helping the advisors strategically implement more efficient processes and be on the forefront to finding new capabilities we can offer to our clients. She also helps train, mentor and provide overall support to their new and existing team members.

 

Education: She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from Eastern Washington University in 2004.

 

Interests: Melissa enjoys spending time with her family and friends, especially with her four nieces. She also loves traveling, camping, and spending time working in and around her house.

Ana Carson is the first friendly face you will see when you come to our newly renovated office. Ana came to us from a social services background in 2021, which has given her a unique opportunity to serve her community and she hopes to bring those skills to our clients here at Cornerstone. She is excited to become part of the Cornerstone family and is proud of Cornerstone's participation in the community. As a Client Service Specialist, she is responsible for handling front office reception, scheduling client meetings with our wealth advisors, and assisting in other administrative duties.

 

Education: Ana earned a Bachelor of Arts in Community Health from Whitworth University.

 

Interests: Ana is married to her husband, Jeremy, and they have one young son, James. After she completed her degree, they moved back to the Tri-Cities area where their families are based. Ana enjoys reading a good book, snowmobiling, water activities, walking along the river, and spending time with family, especially now that they are so close!

Education:  Emily graduated from Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.  She also holds the Series 7 registration through LPL Financial and the Series 66 registration through both LPL Financial and Cornerstone Wealth Strategies.

Interests:  Emily is married to her husband Cade, and together they have 7-year-old twins. As a family they love traveling, playing or exercising outside, and catching movies together at the movie theater.  Emily also loves being in the kitchen. Whether she’s creating something new or whipping up an old recipe, cooking is one of her favorite things to do.