Bowling Green Park Plaza, KY Office

James Jefferson is a CFA® charterholder with over 31 years of industry experience. He has worked at Robert Baird & Co. since 2019 and was previously with Hilliard Lyons for 21 years. Jefferson serves on the finance committee of Christ Episcopal Church and holds several roles with local organizations including the Inter-modal Transportation Authority and the Salvation Army of Bowling Green. He is part of The DDK Group within Robert W. Baird & Co.’s Private Wealth Management department, which provides financial planning, portfolio management, and brokerage services to individuals, corporate clients, pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes a range of investment strategies and emphasizes ongoing manager research and tax management.

Monica Taylor is a CFP® with 23 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Robert Baird & Co. since 2019. She has prior experience at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC and JJB Hilliard W.L. Lyons, LLC. Outside of her advisory role, she has been involved as a co-owner of a seasonal children’s consignment sale business and serves on the advisory board and marketing committee of the Women's Fund of South Central Kentucky. She is part of The DDK Group within Robert W. Baird & Co.’s Private Wealth Management department, which provides comprehensive financial planning and portfolio management services to individuals, corporate clients, pensions, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes a mix of manager-traded and model-traded strategies, tax management, and internal research, including the use of artificial intelligence, to deliver client advice.

Hearne Harralson is a financial advisor at Robert Baird & Co. with a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Baird in 2025, he worked at Edward Jones and First Southern National Bank. Before his career in finance, he spent 13 years in the education sector. He is part of The DDK Group, a team within Robert W. Baird & Co.’s Private Wealth Management department that serves individuals, corporate and business clients, pensions, profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of financial planning, portfolio management, and advisory services supported by internal research and a combination of manager-traded and model-traded strategies.

Jacob Gaebler is a financial advisor at Robert Baird & Co. with five years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. His prior work includes positions at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, and U.S. Bancorp Investments. He serves as Treasurer and Major League Commissioner on youth baseball boards in Warren County. He is part of the DDK Group within Robert W. Baird & Co.’s Private Wealth Management department, which provides services to individuals, corporate and business clients, pension plans, and charitable organizations through a range of portfolio management, financial planning, and brokerage solutions.

Desmond Stock is a Series 66-credentialed advisor with Robert Baird & Co., bringing one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Baird Private Wealth Management, he served in the U.S. Army, 101 Airborne, 2BCT, Viper Company from 2016 to 2019. Outside of his advisory role, he has been involved in the management of Prestige Night Club & Lounge since 2019 and works part-time as a rideshare driver. The DDK Group at Robert W. Baird & Co.’s Private Wealth Management serves individual, corporate, pension, and charitable clients with a range of financial planning and portfolio management services. The firm combines manager-traded and model-traded strategies, internal research including AI tools, and offers municipal advisory services, overseeing approximately $394 billion in regulatory assets as of the end of 2025.

Shannon Vitale is a financial advisor at Robert Baird & Co. with 36 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked at Robert Baird since 2019, previously spending over three decades at J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons, Inc. Vitale serves as a trustee and board member for several community organizations, including roles with the WKU Foundation and The Women’s Fund of South Central Kentucky. She is part of The DDK Group within Robert W. Baird & Co.’s Private Wealth Management department, which serves individuals, corporate and business clients, pensions and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of financial planning and portfolio management services, combining manager-traded and model-traded strategies with ongoing research and monitoring.

Melissa Steele is a financial advisor with Robert Baird & Co. and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. She has 31 years of industry experience, including roles at Robert Baird & Co. since 2019, JJB Hilliard W.L. Lyons LLC since 2013, and Master One Tax Service since 1997. She is part of The DDK Group within Robert W. Baird & Co.’s Private Wealth Management department, which serves individuals, corporate clients, pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of services including financial planning, portfolio management, and custody and brokerage services, utilizing manager‑traded and model‑traded strategies alongside tax-management and direct-indexing capabilities.

Jacqueline Keltner is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 designation, with 17 years of industry experience. She has been with Robert Baird & Co. since 2019 and has held roles at J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons, LLC and Argi Investment Services, LLC among others. She is also an author, contributing to the publication "Finding Your Financial Advisor." Robert Baird & Co. is an institution serving individuals, corporate and business clients, pensions, profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations through its Private Wealth Management department. The firm offers a variety of financial planning and portfolio management services, including separately managed account programs and tax-management capabilities, supported by internal research and investment professionals.

Gwen Reynolds is a financial advisor at Robert Baird & Co. with 26 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Robert Baird & Co. since 2019, with prior experience at J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons, Inc. dating back to 2001. The DDK Group, part of Robert W. Baird & Co.’s Private Wealth Management department, serves individuals, corporate and business clients, pensions, profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of financial planning, portfolio management, and brokerage services, utilizing a combination of manager-traded and model-traded strategies supported by internal research and technology.

Matthew Garrett is a CFP® professional with 17 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Robert Baird & Co. since 2019. He has also worked at J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons, LLC since 2006. Outside of his advisory role, Garrett serves as a deacon and finance committee chairman at Edmonton Baptist Church, where he participates in budgeting and financial oversight. Robert Baird & Co. is a large institutional firm offering a range of wealth management services to individuals, corporate clients, pensions, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a variety of portfolio management strategies and emphasizes ongoing manager selection and research, including the use of artificial intelligence in client advice.

Gena Gooding is a financial advisor with Robert W. Baird & Co., holding a Series 66 designation and five years of industry experience. She has been with Baird since 2019 and previously worked at the College Heights Foundation for six years. Outside of her advisory role, Gooding provides part-time bookkeeping services and is an owner/member of Cave Country Yurts & Lodging LLC. She is part of the DDK Group within Baird’s Private Wealth Management department, which serves a broad client base including high net worth individuals, corporate clients, pensions, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management strategies, supported by internal research and various managed account programs.

Jacklyn Cassady is a CFP® with eight years of industry experience, currently advising at Robert Baird & Co. since 2022. Her prior roles include positions at Origin Financial and Levine Group, LLC. She also serves as a community instructor at Texas Tech University, teaching Financial Counseling and Consumer Credit. Robert Baird & Co.’s DDK Group provides wealth management services to individuals, corporate clients, pensions, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, and tax-managed strategies supported by internal research and ongoing manager oversight.

Kelsey Cooksey is a financial advisor at Robert Baird & Co. with seven years at R W Baird and three years at Hilliard Lyons, totaling ten years of industry experience. She holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses. The DDK Group, part of Robert W. Baird & Co.’s Private Wealth Management department, serves individual, corporate, pension, and charitable clients with services including financial planning, portfolio management, and custody. Baird employs a mix of SMA strategies, tax-management, and internal research tools, managing approximately $394 billion in regulatory assets as of December 31, 2025.

Shawn Perry is a CFP® with 26 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Robert Baird & Co. since 2019. He also maintains a role at JJB Hilliard WL Lyons LLC, where he has worked since 2013. Perry is the author of *Finding Your Financial Advisor*, contributing over 10 hours per month to this work. He is part of The DDK Group within Robert W. Baird & Co.’s Private Wealth Management department, which serves individuals, corporate clients, pensions, profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of services including financial planning, portfolio management, and custody and brokerage, utilizing proprietary research and a combination of manager-traded and model-traded strategies.