Our Team
About Me
Stephen began his investment industry career in 1987 and joined Stifel in 2014, when his team joined with the opening of the first Stifel office in Rochester, New York.
Stephen and his team take a holistic approach to all clients, looking beyond the mandates and offering assistance and guidance to help address all client needs. Stephen has been guiding families and institutions and helping create retirement plans his entire career, bringing years of knowledge and experience. On the private wealth side, the team takes a multifamily-focused approach that is planning based to address family and legacy goals first. The Brown Group works with clients that represent $1.4 billion in assets.
Stephen has been nationally recognized by the following organizations:
- Barron’s Top 1,000 Advisors: 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013
- NAPA’s Top DC Advisor Teams: 2022, 2024, and 2025
He has been a speaker at national conferences for Barron’s and Plan Sponsor.
Barron’s Top 1,000 Advisors, February 9, 2009, February 22, 2010, February 18, 2012, and February 16, 2013, each based on the 12-month period ending September 30 of the year prior to publication, are selected from a pool of over 4,000 nominations each year. Advisors in the Top 1,000 Advisors have a minimum of seven years of financial services experience. Factors included in the rankings: assets under management, revenue produced for the firm, regulatory record, quality of practice, and philanthropic work. NAPA’s Top DC Advisor Teams, March 16, 2023, March 17, 2024, and March 18, 2025, each based on assets under advisement as of December 31 of the year prior to publication. To be considered, teams had to submit responses to an application form, including information about their defined contribution (DC) assets under advisement. All teams with more than $100 million in DC assets under advisement are included in the list. Neither Barron’s nor NAPA receive compensation from the advisors or their firms in exchange for placement on a ranking. The rankings may not be representative of any one client’s experience and are not indicative of the financial advisor’s future performance. Investment performance is not a criterion for selection.
Stephen holds the following industry designations:
- Certified Investment Management Analyst® designation from the Investment Management Consulting Association following coursework completed at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania surrounding complex portfolio construction, investment analysis, and wealth management and passing a qualification and certification exam covering a wide range of in-depth investment topics.
- Chartered Private Wealth Advisor® certification is designed for experienced financial advisors who seek the advanced knowledge and breadth of specialized skills necessary to address the sophisticated needs of high-net-worth clients. To earn the certification, candidates must meet a five-year experience requirement, successfully complete coursework in advanced wealth management strategies, and pass the Investments & Wealth Institute’s examination covering 11 core topics, including applied behavioral finance, charitable giving, estate planning, and wealth transfer.
- Accredited Investment Fiduciary® designation through the Center for Fiduciary Studies, a division of Fi360, gaining a fundamental understanding of the principles of fiduciary responsibility and processes for meeting a defined standard of care and passing Fi360’s AIF® examination.
- Accredited Retirement Plan Consultant designation and Certified 401(k) Professional certification from The Retirement Advisor University in collaboration with UCLA Anderson School of Management Executive Education.
- Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor from the National Association of Plan Advisors.
Active in his community, Stephen is trustee of Nazareth University and a member of the finance committee and Chair of the investment committee. He also sits on the finance committee of Rochester Regional Health Systems. He is also Emeritus Trustee for the Seneca Park Zoo Society and past president and a former treasurer for The Harley School. Stephen plays on a national “old Goat” lacrosse team for Navy and regionally for High Peaks Lacrosse.
About Me
Patrick joined The Brown Group in 2019 as a Client Service Associate before becoming a licensed Financial Advisor in 2025, specializing in wealth and investment planning. He has also earned the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor designation from the National Association of Plan Advisors. Patrick leads the wealth management process for the team, integrating our planning and reporting software as appropriate. Patrick also works on the 401(k) plan side of our practice, providing education and enrollment guidance for plan participants.
Patrick earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Vermont.
About Me
Lisa joined Stifel in 2014 with The Brown Group. She has worked with Stephen for nearly 20 years of her more than 35-year career as a dedicated client service associate. Lisa is the main “operational contact” for the team. She strives to provide top-tier service to clients, addressing their daily operational inquiries and needs. Lisa makes every effort to deliver clear, concise, and timely account-related communication and helps address client requests with a great attention to detail.