Meet Our Team

Jim Brogan, MBA

Jim Brogan, MBA, is a well-known financial educator, author and radio talk-show host. Jim was named the 2011 National Advisor of the Year by Senior Market Advisor Magazine, the industry’s leading publication for advisors specializing in serving the retirement phase of life.

Jim is President and Founder of Brogan Financial and serves as its Chief Investment Officer, monitoring and managing all client investment portfolios. He is a Certified Estate and Trust Specialist (CES) and a Certified Retirement Financial Advisor (CRFA). After earning a B.S. in music education at The University of Tennessee in 1991, Jim went on to earn an MBA from The University of Tennessee in 1994.

Jim is an educator and has been gifted with a unique ability to communicate simply and effectively. By equipping his clients with knowledge, they can make informed and prudent decisions to impact their quality of life.

Jim is certified by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) to provide Continuing Professional Education (CPE) for CPAs. He also teaches adult education courses at The University of Tennessee and Pellissippi State Community College.

Each weekend, Jim hosts “More Living with Jim Brogan,” East Tennessee’s leading resource for retirement planning. This interactive radio talk show can be heard each Saturday morning from 9-10 a.m. on NewsTalk 98.7 FM, WOKI.

Jim is a lifelong East Tennessean who is committed to serving the community. He serves on the Advisory Council for The University of Tennessee’s Department of Finance, as well as on the Board of Directors for the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra.

Jim currently resides in the Knoxville area with his wife, Dee Dee, and their two daughters.

Dee Dee Brogan

Dee Dee Brogan, wife of Jim Brogan, serves as an integral part of Brogan Financial as she provides visionary leadership. She oversees client events throughout the year and passionately creates experiences for clients to enjoy. Additionally, she serves as a member of the creative and marketing teams.

Dee Dee directly impacts the client experience by crafting the environment and hospitality guests receive each time they interact with Brogan Financial. Together, the Brogans work hard at creating an exceptional experience for clients.

Dee Dee and Jim founded Brogan Financial together in 2001. She is a native of Columbia, South Carolina and earned a degree in music education from Columbia College. The couple married in 1993 and have two daughters.

In the community Dee Dee is well known for her singing talent. She released a Christmas album in November 2011 entitled, “Dee Dee Brogan, December Five & Twenty.” She has toured and sung with Glenn Draper and The Junaluska Singers at many Billy Graham Crusades and international events. A personal highlight for Dee Dee was singing twice at The White House at Christmastime. Today, Dee Dee regularly sings at The University of Tennessee basketball games and in local venues with her band. She loves playing for Knoxville in its hottest new venue, The Open Chord, as well as performing for private parties and events. Dee Dee is working hard with her producer and band to release another record next year.

Eric Smith

Eric recently joined Brogan Financial as our COO to lead our skilled team of professionals, and to execute the visionary and strategic plans of Jim and Dee Dee Brogan and their organization. He serves as the conduit between the financial advisors and the operational team to ensure a seamless operation, while creating a culture of servant leadership with the end result being impeccable client service. Eric’s ability to see things from a 30,000 foot level allows him to understand the owners’ desire for growing a multi-generational company with a deep seated focus of creating a legacy centered around excellence.

Prior to joining Brogan Financial, Eric had a thirty-year career dedicated to the maritime industry, where he was an officer of a publicly traded worldwide shipping company and a large maritime holding company, along with many other roles throughout his career. Eric’s extensive experience with corporate operations lends itself to leading our team as the COO. Additionally, his business experience with two IPO’s , mergers & acquisitions, growth strategy, and strategic planning will be a tremendous asset to the future growth of Brogan Financial.

Eric holds a BS degree in marine engineering from Maine Maritime Academy. He has previously held board seats with several companies and industry organizations. Eric is a native of Florida. However, he has lived in eleven states and four of them twice. He and his wife, Pam, have four daughters and have relocated to Knoxville from Tampa, Florida.

Theresa Muller

Theresa serves as Chief Compliance Officer for Brogan Financial, a position she’s held since 2013, and as a Senior Consultant with Oyster Consulting LLC, a leading service provider to the financial industry. She is an accomplished compliance professional specializing in regulatory compliance and risk management for investment advisers.

As CCO, Theresa is responsible for ensuring Brogan Financial’s conformity with the regulatory requirements for registered investment advisers and our fiduciary duty to clients. She is responsible for the development and monitoring of the firm’s compliance program, including policies, procedures, internal controls and code of ethics.

Theresa has been with Oyster Consulting since 2013, serving clients with a focus on registered investment advisers, hedge funds and funds of funds. Prior to joining Oyster, Theresa was Vice President of Compliance and Paralegal for Wealthcare Capital Management LLC, a billion-dollar registered investment advisor in Richmond, Virginia. Theresa spent nine years in various legal and compliance positions with Ivy Asset Management, a former New York-based fund of hedge funds and subsidiary of the Bank of New York Mellon.

Theresa earned her BBA from James Madison University. She also holds a certification in paralegal studies from Hofstra University – University of Continuing Education in New York.

Jim Kraeske

Jim Kraeske began his financial services career in 2006 with a move to Knoxville from Nashville. He joined Brogan Financial in the spring of 2009 as a Financial Advisor. Jim’s commitment to intimately knowing his clients provides him with a great ability to connect and understand their greatest concerns. He is loyal and dedicated to making each financial plan unique in serving each client’s best interests.

Jim holds the Certified Income Specialist (CIS) designation from the Institute of Business and Finance. He also holds a B.S. in business administration from The University of Tennessee and is a former small business owner.

Originally from Clarksville, Tennessee, Jim lives in Knoxville with his wife, Angie, and two daughters. In his spare time he enjoys hiking and exploring the beauty of East Tennessee with his family.

Peter Saganski

Peter joined the Brogan Financial family in 2013 as a Financial Advisor and brings more than 20 years of financial industry experience. Prior to relocating to Knoxville, Peter was a Director of Equities and Derivatives with Deutsche Asset Management in New York. Peter holds a B.S. in business administration and finance from The University of Maine, where he graduated in 1989.

Peter is fiercely committed to serving his clients by formulating and implementing plans to meet their unique objectives and greatest needs. He views his role in the lives of his clients as an advocate to support them with their financial concerns and goals. Always willing to listen and help, Peter has an outstanding reputation among our clients with whom he works.

Originally from Chatham, New Jersey, he currently resides in Knoxville with his wife, Jenny, and their two daughters. Peter enjoys the outdoors, home renovation projects and spending time with his family.

Aaron Buck, MBA

Aaron joined Brogan Financial’s advisory & planning team in 2018 and serves as a Financial Advisor. In his role, he supports the development and delivery of customized financial solutions to our clients. Focused on building strong, long-term relationships, Aaron enjoys helping clients identify and achieve their financial goals.

Prior to joining Brogan Financial, Aaron served as an independent financial advisor in the Knoxville area. He holds a B.S. in Accounting and an MBA from Western Governors University. He is actively involved in the community and is a graduate of the 2017 class of Leadership Oak Ridge.

Aaron lives in Knoxville with his wife, Yuh, and their son. He enjoys spending time with family, traveling, and being outdoors.

Sarah Cassell

Sarah currently serves as a Client Care Specialist with over eighteen years of experience in the financial services industry. She enjoys servicing and connecting with clients while building trust and a meaningful rapport. She strives to provide excellent customer service with a warm, welcoming, and positive attitude. Sarah is a fantastic team member and works incredibly well with others to support and deliver the kind of quality service that Brogan Financial values and executes as its standard.

Sarah is a graduate of Lipscomb University where she majored in marketing and fashion merchandising. Living in Knoxville with her husband, Don, and their three sons, Sarah’s interests include restoring a nearly century old historic home, gardening, and playing tennis. She is a very active volunteer at First Presbyterian Church helping teach Sunday School and volunteering on the wedding and flower committee. Sarah loves music, nature, family, and appreciates the beauty of living in East Tennessee.

Todd Love

Todd joined Brogan Financial in early 2019 and serves as a Client Care Specialist with over 6 years of experience in the financial services industry. He enjoys interacting with clients, helping them and their families achieve their individual financial goals. On a typical day, Todd may be answering client calls, opening accounts, processing distributions and transfers, and performing general account maintenance.

After graduating from the University of Tennessee in 2007, Todd moved to Washington DC to work in the United States Senate. Since returning to Knoxville, he makes it a point to be active in the community. He regularly coaches a local rec league basketball team and is the defensive coordinator for the West Middle School youth football team.

Todd and his wife, Amber, live in West Knoxville with their daughter. He enjoys playing tennis, spending time with his family, and cheering on the Vols.

Larry Womack

Larry serves as a paraplanner supporting Brogan Financial’s Advisory and Client Care teams. He works closely with our financial advisors to prepare and maintain client files and perform investment research.

Coming from the Central Coast of California, Larry spent 28 years working in the banking industry as a commercial lender and credit administrator. His detail-oriented nature and background in finance allows Larry to efficiently assist clients and staff.

Larry makes his home in Maryville with his wife, Cindy, and their two dogs. He enjoys spending time with his three grown children, playing golf and rooting for his favorite sports teams.

Christy Gentry

Christy joined Brogan Financial in 2017 and serves as Administrative Assistant. She has the privilege of greeting and hosting clients and guests as they visit the Brogan Financial office, and enjoys helping them feel very much at home.

Christy brings a diverse background, with experience in executive administration and office management, legal, human resources, as well as customer and client relations. She conveys a warm and approachable personality, giving detailed attention to everyone with whom she comes into contact.

Raised just east of Knoxville, Christy is actively involved in the community, serving on non-profit boards to support high schools and Tennessee Volunteer athletics. She enjoys her family, dogs and cats, church, collegiate sports, working out and outdoor activities.

Mandy Brower

Mandy serves as Executive Assistant and Event Planner. She brings an enormous amount of energy as she works tirelessly to ensure that Brogan Financial, as well as Dee Dee and Jim Brogan, maintain order and organization to effectively serve clients, employees and the community. There is never a problem with Mandy, only a solution, and she is committed to helping Brogan Financial fulfill its vision of serving East Tennesseans’ life and retirement planning needs.

Mandy began her career managing her family’s small retail business. Originally from Jasper, Tennessee, Mandy moved to Knoxville where she graduated from The University of Tennessee in 2009, earning her B.S. in enterprise management with a collateral in marketing. She has a background in retail, management and commercial insurance and surety.

Mandy lives in West Knoxville, and in her free time she enjoys sports, traveling, the outdoors, crafting and spending time with family and friends.