Mike oversees human resources and business management. He serves as a resource for the NPAG team, allowing them to stay focused on providing the best client experience possible. Mike also assists with keeping the firm functioning efficiently through items like hiring, compliance, and administration.  

Mike joined the Next Phase Advisory Group team in June of 2024. Prior to this role, he has spent time in leadership roles with municipalities including the villages of Oak Park and Glencoe. Mike joined NPAG after leaving his most recent role as Director of Business Operations at the Chicago Blackhawks – Fifth Third Arena, where he spent seven years overseeing a 125,000 sq ft. NHL practice ice rink facility.

Mike was born and raised in Edison Park in the northwest part of Chicago. He attended Illinois State University and currently resides in Park Ridge. Mike and his wife Mandy have two children, Easton and Aria, who both attend the local grade school, and a Labrador puppy named Ruffle. Mike’s passions outside of work revolve around his kids and sports. Mike coaches his children’s soccer, baseball, and flag football teams and himself enjoys playing hockey, softball, and golf.  

Jennifer handles our client portfolio development and plan implementation. She also conducts research for plan updates, client reviews, and conducts plan maintenance. In addition, she handles the day-to-day operational procedures with Kevin.

Jennifer joined Northwestern Mutual in 2002. She is FINRA Series 7 & 63 registered. Prior to joining the team in 2007, she supported the Investment Operations department for the Agency. She graduated from MacMurray College with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Management.

Jennifer was born and raised in the Western Suburbs, where she currently resides. She enjoys working out and traveling when time allows.

Karl graduated from Illinois State University in 2018 with a degree in Finance. He has worked in the Financial Services industry for the last 5 years and has a background in Insurance and Wealth Management. He is FINRA Series 6,7, 63, & 65 Registered, Life & Health and Property & Casualty Insurance Licenses and recently became a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional.

Karl was born and raised in Naperville and now resides in Aurora with his wife, Jess, and their cat, Meredith. They recently got married in July of 2022. Jess is a Special Education teacher at Metea Valley High School in Aurora. Both she and Karl are involved with the Special Olympics of Illinois program.

Karl spends his free time golfing, watching movies, and spending time with his family. We are excited that Karl has joined the team and can’t wait for you to meet him.

Aline handles the Insurance Operations and Workflow for Next Phase Advisory Group as well as assists clients in the application and underwriting process of all insurance products. She is currently Life and Health Insurance licensed.

Aline joined Next Phase Advisory Group in November 2019 and has a previous background of running a successful sales and marketing office.

Aline enjoys working out and traveling any chance she gets and has a young daughter who keeps her busy with her extracurricular activities.

Katy oversees day-to-day operational procedures with the firm, handles general account administration, new client enrollment and insurance underwriting.

Katy graduated with a degree in Psychology from Dominican University, and she has been a part of the Northwestern Mutual family since 2007.

Katy resides in Western Springs with her husband Pat and daughter Rose. In their spare time, Katy and her family are active members of their parish. She enjoys fitness and spending time with family and friends.

Cheryl is the main point of contact to schedule time to meet with Mike or Carm. Her responsibilities include scheduling client and prospective client meetings, managing the distribution of client communications and coordinating client appreciation events.

Cheryl has been with Northwestern Mutual since 2013 and joined the Next Phase Advisory Team in 2020. She brings over 20+ years of marketing and client services experience to the team.

Cheryl graduated with degrees in Advertising and Marketing from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and lives in Naperville with her husband and two sons. She enjoys volunteering in her community, reading, fitness and is a "foodie" who loves to cook and explore new restaurants throughout the city.

Lora has been with Northwestern Mutual since 2005. She began part-time as an Associate Financial Representative while her children were in school. She currently holds her FINRA Series 6 and 63 registrations, as well as IL Life, Health, and Long-Term Care Insurance licenses. She joined Next Phase Advisory Group in November 2019 as the Client Services Associate. Lora earned both her B.A. in Economics and MBA in Marketing at the University of Cincinnati.

Lora is also a Notary and is available to assist Clients with this service.

Lora and her husband, Jim, reside in Batavia where they raised their 2 adult sons. As a family, they enjoy their timeshare in Cabo San Lucas and fostering dogs for local rescues. Lora enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, as well as playing pickleball and competitive tennis.

Sally handles our Investment client accounts and tailors their plans to meet their personal Investment needs. She processes account changes and updates. She guides our clients through the onboarding process and aggregating their financial information.

Sally joined Northwestern Mutual in 2001. She is Series 7, 9, 10 & 63, Life, Health & Variable Insurance licensed. She graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. She has been working in the securities and advisory planning services since graduation.

Sally and her husband, Mike live in Naperville, IL with their son, Jake, and their daughter, Jordan.

Jennifer has been with Northwestern Mutual since 2015. She works in Investment and Client Service handling the operations and service aspect of new and existing investment accounts. She has attained her Series 6 investment license and is Life, Health & Variable Insurance licensed. 

Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she received her B.A. in Vocal Performance and Business from University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. Prior to her career in investment operations, Jennifer toured worldwide for twenty years as a professional musical theatre actress.

Personally, Jennifer lives in Wheaton. She enjoys travel, books, theatre, great food and every minute she can spend with her daughter.

Kristin has been with Northwestern Mutual since May of 2023. She currently holds FINRA Series 6 and 63 registrations, as well as Illinois Life and Health Insurance licenses.

Her role includes assisting in investment account maintenance and new account openings, as well as preparing materials for client meetings.

Kristin received a BS in Biology from Elmhurst College (now University). She has previous office administrative experience in educational and medical settings.  

Kristin currently lives in Oakbrook Terrace where she spends much of her time with friends and rewatching favorite tv shows. She also enjoys reading, puzzles, and traveling.

Allison joined Next Phase Advisory Group in February 2022. She assists in our Investment Operations including client account maintenance and updates, as well as account openings.

Prior to joining the team, Allison spent four years working in several roles to ensure the safety of both municipal and bottled drinking water. She has a Bachelor of Science in Biology with an emphasis in Microbiology from Western Illinois University. Allison currently holds her FINRA Series 63 and 7 registrations, as well as Illinois Life and Health license.

Allison and her husband, Ricky, reside in the southwest suburbs with their cat, Dorian. In her free time Allison loves to read, play video games, golf and experiment with cooking new dishes.

Elizabeth has over seven-years’ experience in establishing and maintaining relationships with clients.  Elizabeth started with Northwestern Mutual in 2017 as a Financial Representative Intern where she developed a passion for the impact the company has on the communities it reaches.  From there, she transitioned to an internship coordination role, a marketing role, and a recruiting role, before accepting her current position of Client Service Associate, where she feels most impactful.  Elizabeth is FINRA Series 6 and 63 registered.

Elizabeth currently resides in Woodridge with her fiancé and kitty cat, Stormi.  In her free time, she enjoys spending time outside with family and friends, as well as volunteering with the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Foundation. 

Michelle joined the firm in 2019 and brings 16 years of experience in the investment and insurance service industry to her role. She currently manages the planning and client services areas and enjoys collaborating with clients to help them meet their goals.

Michelle earned a degree in mathematics and is licensed in both life and health insurance. She’s also a notary public and is available to help clients with this service.

She and her husband Mark live in Western Springs. She continues to be proud and amazed by her adult children and is cherishing her new experiences as a grandparent. In her free time, Michelle loves spending time with family, travel adventures and reading.

Cody joined Next Phase Advisory Group in February 2021. He aids in our investment client’s account maintenance and updates and works to create comprehensive plans to aid our clients in achieving their financial goals. 

Prior to joining the Team, Cody spent half a decade working as a restoration ecologist in the Lake Bluff area.  He has a Bachelor’s degree in Biology with an emphasis in Ecology from Loyola University Chicago.  Cody is Series 7 and 63 registered with FINRA, as well as Illinois Life and Health licensed.

Cody and his Wife, Michelle, reside in the western suburbs with their Siberian Huskies, Maple & Oakley. Cody practices a wide range of hobbies from gardening to Martial Arts and enjoys continually learning new skills.

Erin aids in our Investment Clients’ account maintenance and trading. She also designs comprehensive financial plans to support our clients in achieving their financial goals. Behind the scenes, Erin prepares all materials for client reviews, as well as supports the new account process.

Erin joined Northwestern Mutual in January 2019 as an intern, while earning her bachelor’s degrees in finance and economics from North Central College. Upon graduating, she served as a Financial Representative before joining Next Phase Advisory Group in May 2020. She currently holds her FINRA Series 6, 7 and 63 registrations, as well as IL Life, Health, and Long-Term Care licenses.

Erin resides in Aurora with her fiancé, Nick and rescue dog, Finn. In her spare time, she enjoys watching hockey, spending time outdoors fishing and attending concerts.

After graduating from Loyola University-Chicago and working in the non-profit sector for several years, Lisa joined Northwestern Mutual in 2017. She is Life, Accident & Health, and Long-Term Care insurance licensed and completed her FINRA Series 7 registration. She is an Illinois Public Notary and is available to assist clients with this service.

Lisa was born and raised in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, where she currently resides with her husband, Jason, and their four children. As a classically trained soprano, Lisa stays active singing at various churches and for events throughout the year. She enjoys baking, reading with her children, and going on early morning family walks with a latte in hand.

Joe joined Northwestern Mutual in 2021. His role is to help lead the firms Marketing initiatives and create and maintain an excellent customer experience and high level of service for all Next Phase Advisory Group clients and prospects. He believes in building long and mutually successful relationships.

Joe has a BA in Marketing and an MBA in Finance from Benedictine University in Lisle, IL and has prior financial planning, sales, and marketing experience in previous roles. 

As a resident of Lemont, Joe is married to his wife Nicole and has two daughters. When not at work, he enjoys working out, listening to music, following his favorite sports teams, and spending as much time as he can with family and friends.

Rachael started with Northwestern Mutual in 2018 and joined the Next Phase Advisory Team in 2024. Rachael is the main point of contact to schedule time to meet with Tom and Dave. Her responsibilities include scheduling client and prospective client meetings, as well as assisting with the firms marketing initiatives.   

Rachael graduated from California State University of Northridge as a Student-Athlete with a Bachelor’s in Finance with honors. While working for Northwestern Mutual Rachael has obtained her Life, Accident and Health License and earned a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from Grand Canyon University.  

Rachael moved to Illinois in 2024 from California with her two cats Misty and Kristofferson. She enjoys spending time outside in nature running or hiking, singing, reading, and cuddling with her kitties.

Barbara started at Next Phase Advisory Group in July 2023.  As a Client Service Associate, she works with clients to open a variety of new accounts and is available to answer client questions.

Barbara has worked in the finance world for over 20 years. Working with clients and attention to detail are areas of strength for her.  Professionalism and client confidentiality are of the upmost importance to Barbara. 

Barbara lives in the western suburbs with her husband of 20 years, their three children, two rescue cats & a dog. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her family and traveling, especially to warm destinations with a pool!