Santa Barbara, CA 1424 State St Office

Brittney Louise Bell is a financial advisor at Merrill with seven years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Merrill since 2010. The firm, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering a range of model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.

John Hepp is a Wealth Management Advisor affiliated with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He began his career as a financial advisor in 1994, following nearly 15 years as a client of Merrill Lynch. In 1996, he co-founded The JJD Group alongside two other financial advisors, bringing together diverse expertise in wealth management disciplines to assist clients in navigating complex financial matters. Over more than four decades, including 28 years with Merrill Lynch, John has focused on helping clients pursue their financial goals by providing wealth management services that address risk management, future planning, retirement, asset and liability management, wealth transfer, and other financial strategies. His approach emphasizes personalized care, flexibility, and clear communication, treating clients as individuals and fostering long-term relationships. John holds the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designations. He earned his High School Diploma from Greendale High School. Outside of his professional responsibilities, he is involved with the Red Cross of Santa Barbara and enjoys a variety of personal interests including baseball, football, golfing, hiking, music, skiing, spending time with family, swimming, tennis, and traveling.

Joshua Timpe is a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, specializing in serving high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals and their families. His expertise encompasses a wide range of financial services including equity compensation services, legacy planning, liquidity management, personal retirement planning, portfolio management, small business strategies, women and wealth, tax minimization, and retirement income. Joshua holds professional designations as a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), bringing a comprehensive understanding of complex financial situations. He attained his High School Diploma/GED from Santa Barbara City College. Outside of his professional role, Joshua is involved in community organizations such as Mission Scholars, Santa Barbara Rugby Football Club, and the Santa Barbara Young Professionals Club. His personal interests include adventure sports, camping, hiking, music, pickleball, reading, running, spending time with his family, traveling, and watching movies.

William Walters is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He specializes in providing financial advisory services to clients, leveraging his expertise to support their wealth management needs. He holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Virginia. Further details about his professional experience, areas of expertise, personal interests, or community involvement have not been provided.

Clayton Gibson is a Wealth Management Advisor based in the Santa Barbara office of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Since joining the firm in 1998, he has focused on asset strategy and liability management, working closely with clients to create customized financial strategies. He also provides access to Bank of America Private Bank trust and estate planning services and real estate financing through Bank of America. Clayton's areas of expertise include college education planning, family wealth management strategies, legacy planning, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, philanthropic planning, portfolio management services, tax minimization, and retirement income. He actively participates in estate-related matters by serving as a direct point-of-contact with clients' attorneys. Additionally, he tracks market conditions to keep clients and his team informed. He holds a bachelor's degree in business finance from Oregon State University and the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) designation. Clayton is also a member of the Investments & Wealth Institute® (The Institute). Outside of his professional work, he spends time volunteering with organizations in the community and enjoys biking, boating, and scuba diving.

Josh Macaluso is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. In his role, he works one-on-one with clients to develop personalized financial strategies aimed at pursuing their long-term goals. He leverages insights from Merrill and banking solutions from Bank of America to create flexible wealth management plans tailored to individual needs. Josh holds a Bachelor's Degree from San Diego State and a Doctorate from Santa Barbara College of Law. He is also designated as a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). Beyond his professional responsibilities, Josh participates in community volunteer activities, reflecting the Merrill tradition of community involvement.

John Spruill is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where he co-leads The Gamberdella - Spruill Group. He has built his career advising military officers and their families, focusing on complex financial and estate planning issues. Since joining Merrill Lynch in 2009, John has held various roles, including Senior Portfolio Advisor and Retirement Benefit Consultant, leveraging his expertise to provide personalized investment strategies and retirement planning guidance to his clients. John holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology from Florida State University and an MBA in Financial Planning from California Lutheran University. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certificant and has earned the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor® (CPFA®) and Retirement Benefits Consultant (RBC) designations. He is also a member of the Santa Barbara Estate Planning Council and holds multiple FINRA registrations and insurance licenses. Before his financial advisory career, John served five years as a weather officer in the United States Air Force, achieving the rank of Captain. He is an Eagle Scout and actively volunteers with organizations such as the Boy Scouts of America and the Ventura County Rescue Mission. John lives in Oxnard, California, with his wife, Karyn.

Darin Mast is a Managing Director and Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, currently leading a team headquartered in Santa Barbara, California. He began his career in financial services in 1998 at Merrill Lynch's downtown Houston office and has remained with the company throughout his career. Darin co-founded Vicknair Mast Taylor (VMT) Wealth Management, contributing to the team's recognition on several national rankings including Forbes' #1 ranking for High Net Worth Teams from 2022 to 2025 and Barron's Top 250 Private Wealth Management Teams list during the same period. Individually, he has been named to the Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors list annually from 2018 through 2025. Darin manages personal wealth and financial strategies for a select group of clients, including families, retirees, business owners, and Fortune 500 executives nationwide. His client focus areas include family wealth management strategies, legacy planning, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, philanthropic planning, individual and corporate investment strategy, tax minimization, and retirement income. He coordinates wealth management objectives alongside clients' external advisors such as attorneys, tax professionals, and insurance experts. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rice University, where he was a four-year letterman on the men's tennis team. Darin maintains his interest in tennis and lives in Santa Barbara with his wife and three children. He is affiliated with the organization Friends of Fleming Park. His professional designations include CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP), Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (AWMA), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA).

Timothy Jou is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and a member of the JJD Group, a multigenerational team based in Santa Barbara. He joined the JJD Group in 2018 and provides personalized support to clients, assisting with a broad range of services including college education planning, family wealth management strategies, retirement planning, philanthropic planning, portfolio management, tax minimization, and retirement income. Tim works closely with clients to help them navigate complex financial decisions and build long-lasting relationships that often span multiple generations. Tim holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of California System and has earned several professional designations including Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). He is part of a team that collectively has over 100 years of experience and multiple professional credentials that support comprehensive financial and retirement planning. Outside of his professional role, Tim enjoys cooking, playing various sports such as soccer, volleyball, golf, and running, and spending time with family and friends. He is involved with community organizations including the Foundation of Shared Impact, Impact Circles, OWN Academy, UCSB Investment Advisory Committee (previously held), UCSB Residence Hall Association, and UCSB Volunteer Income Tax Assistance.

Donna Weidl is a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where she has worked since January 2009. She serves as a lead relationship manager, assisting clients by managing both sides of their balance sheets and focusing on insurance, annuities, long-term care planning strategies, and explaining the roles of Social Security and Medicare in retirement. Donna works with a variety of client focus areas including personal retirement planning, legacy planning, philanthropy, education planning, socially responsible investing, and transition planning related to divorce. Donna holds a bachelor's degree in Global Business from California State University Channel Islands and a high school diploma from San Marcos High School. She has earned multiple professional designations, including CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP), Certified Private Wealth Advisor (CPWA), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA), Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). Outside of her professional role, Donna resides in Santa Barbara and participates in community organizations such as Old Spanish Days and the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara. Her personal interests include boating, cooking, fishing, golfing, hiking, photography, skiing, spending time with family, traveling, and practicing yoga.

Jimmy Vo is a financial advisor with Merrill in Santa Barbara, CA, holding a Series 66 designation and 12 years of industry experience. He has been with Merrill and Bank of America since 2014. Outside of his advisory role, he assists with administrative tasks at his wife's medical practice, Perfect Pathology Medical PC, where she is a physician. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary investment strategies to individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Kyle Feighner is a financial advisor at Merrill with 28 years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. He has worked at Merrill since 1998 and Bank of America, N.A. since 2009. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Sandra Courser is a financial advisor with Merrill based in Santa Barbara, CA, holding a Series 66 designation and over 21 years of industry experience. She has been with Merrill since 2000. In addition to her advisory role, she serves as a notary in Woodland Hills, California. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary strategies for a range of individual and institutional investors.

Jonathan Dardashti is a financial advisor with Merrill in Santa Barbara, CA, holding a Series 66 designation and eight years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at Bank of America, N.A., Axa Advisors, LLC, and California State University, Northridge. He has been with Merrill since 2016. Merrill, along with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary investment strategies for a range of client types including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutions.

James Landeros serves as a Resident Director at Merrill, where he specializes in wealth management strategies tailored to significant financial milestones such as career changes, liquidity events, and equity compensation scenarios. His approach emphasizes aligning timelines, executing tax-aware investment strategies, and comprehensive estate planning to support long-term financial freedom and flexibility. He holds a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation and earned a degree in Organizational Communication from SBCC. Fluent in English and Spanish, James is actively involved in professional and community organizations, including serving as an Executive Committee Member for TEDx of Santa Barbara and participating in the Santa Barbara Young Professional Club and United Way's Young Leadership Society. His community involvement extends to supporting initiatives like TEDx and Transition House.