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 M.B.A. from The University of Tennessee in 1994.

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.

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.

Each weekend, Jim hosts “More Living with Jim Brogan,” East Tennessee’s leading resource for retirement living. 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 and strategic counsel on all aspects of the organization. Alongside Jim, Dee Dee helps lead the executive, marketing, and client experience teams. Together, the Brogans work hard at cultivating an exceptional experience for clients and building an organization and presence in the community to serve others with passion, genuineness and excellence.

The Brogans married in 1993 and founded Brogan Financial together in 2001. Dee Dee is a native of Columbia, South Carolina, and earned her B.M. in Music Education from Columbia College. She taught music in the schools for five and a half years before focusing on raising their two daughters.

In the community, Dee Dee is well known as a singer and a songwriter. She has released 3 albums and several singles, and she continues to work producing and writing content. She regularly performs for Tennessee sporting events, fundraisers, festivals, private events, and at local public venues. Currently, Dee Dee is working to create a documentary of her music and her life today. She is also working to launch a podcast later this year.

Dee Dee’s passion is connecting with people. She spends her days balancing her time between Brogan Financial, her family, music, and all the things she loves. As a creative leader, Dee Dee is always working hard at something to be impactful.

Dee Dee makes her home with Jim and their daughters in the Knoxville area. She loves to cook, host parties, travel and spend time with her family.

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 holds a B.S. in Marine Engineering from Maine Maritime Academy. He has previously held board seats with several companies and industry organizations. 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 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 has held since 2013. Theresa is also a Director and Consultant for Oyster Consulting LLC, a leading service provider to the financial industry in Richmond, Virginia.

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.

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 works with us remotely on a daily basis but is onsite in the Brogan office frequently.

Theresa has been with Oyster Consulting since 2013, serving clients with a focus on registered investment advisers. Prior to joining Oyster, Theresa was Vice President of Compliance and Paralegal for Wealthcare Capital Management LLC, a $2 billion company in Richmond, Virginia. Before moving to 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.

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. In the past decade, he’s helped to increase Brogan Financial’s presence in Knoxville.

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.

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.

Originally from Clarksville, Tennessee, Jim lives in Oak Ridge with his wife, Angie, and two daughters. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking and exploring the beauty of East Tennessee with his family. Jim is an amateur landscape photographer and makes time to travel to a bucket-list location yearly.

Peter Saganski

Peter joined the Brogan Financial family in 2013 as a Financial Advisor and brings more than 25 years of financial industry experience. Prior to relocating to Knoxville, Peter was a Director of Equity and Derivative Trading with Deutsche Asset Management in New York City, NY. Peter holds a specialist Certification in Long-Term Care (CLTC). He also 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 retirement 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, CFP®

Aaron is an integral part of Brogan Financial’s advisory & planning team 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 M.B.A. from Western Governors University. Aaron holds his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM mark.

Aaron lives in Knoxville with his wife, Yuh, and their son. He enjoys spending time with family, traveling, and being outdoors. He is actively involved in the community and is a graduate of the 2017 class of Leadership Oak Ridge.

Mandy Brower

Mandy serves on our Executive Team and is the Executive Assistant to Dee Dee Brogan. She also executes all Brogan Financial events. 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.

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.

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

Stacy Hickman

Stacy joined Brogan Financial in 2019 and serves as Client Care Specialist and Executive Assistant. With over 13 years of experience in property management, Stacy loves working with people and getting to know them through the client process. Always positive and enthusiastic, Stacy thrives in a fast-paced environment.

Stacy also serves as Executive Assistant to Jim Brogan, where she assists Jim in managing all aspects of his day and his many responsibilities. She is highly organized and helps coordinate the demands on Jim’s schedule.

Stacy currently lives in Knoxville with her husband, Chris, and their dog. Stacy’s interests include spending time with family and gardening around the house. She loves to shop, visit the beach, adores Autumn and is always excited to spend time with her nieces and nephews.

Sarah Cassell

Sarah currently serves as a Client Care Specialist with over eighteen years of experience in the financial services industry, where she previously worked for a boutique financial services firm in an advisory capacity.

Sarah is a graduate of Lipscomb University where she majored in marketing and fashion merchandising.

Sarah enjoys servicing and connecting with clients while building trust and a meaningful rapport. She strives to provide excellent client 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.

Living in Knoxville with her husband, Don, and their three sons, Sarah’s interests include restoring an almost 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.

Todd has a B.A. in Political Science. After graduating from the University of Tennessee in 2007, Todd moved to Washington, D.C. to work in the United States Senate.

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.

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. He makes it a point to be active in the community and is the defensive coordinator for the West Middle School youth football team.

Haley Wenter

Haley joined Brogan Financial as a Client Care Specialist after spending four years in the financial industry earlier in her career.

Haley attended Austin Peay State University where she studied elementary education. She found the corporate world intriguing and changed career paths, giving her the opportunity to make a difference outside of the classroom.

Haley has an extensive background in administration and hospitality. Her position on the Client Care team is a perfect fit. She loves people and helping clients with any questions or requests they may have. Haley has great organizational skills along with lots of energy.

Originally from Dickson, TN, Haley now resides in Knoxville. She enjoys spending time with her family, as she is one of five children. She enjoys traveling and has visited several counties. When Haley has downtime, she loves to curl up with a good book and her dog, Mr. Jingles.

Jill Wolverton

Jill coordinates Marketing & Communications for Brogan Financial. She works collaboratively on all marketing efforts for the company, including radio, TV, client communications, publications and community events.

Originally from New Mexico, Jill has a degree in Professional Writing and over 15 years of marketing experience, including design and development, social media and event planning. Throughout her career, she has worked for a variety of public, non-profit and private companies, helping to manage their brands and increase industry presence.

Jill lives in West Knoxville with her husband and three boys. She enjoys running, being a mom and shuttling her boys to their countless activities.

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. Larry holds his securities license and is a former financial advisor.

Coming from the Central Coast of California, Larry spent 28 years working in the banking industry as a manager, 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, and enjoys spending time on the weekends with his three grown children. A former professional bowler, he loves playing golf and rooting for his favorite sports teams.

April Dunn

April has returned to the Brogan Financial team as our Front Desk Manager and Executive Assistant after spending several years homeschooling her children and working part-time. The Brogans are thrilled to have her back hosting clients, answering and directing calls, and assisting our team with her expertise. She is the first connection to our clients and does an outstanding job coordinating and managing the on-site client experience.

After graduating from Carson Newman College, April spent her time working in customer service, administration, and management. April takes great pride in supporting our entire team on projects, events, and day-to-day activities that keep our company running smoothly.

April is happy to be able to reconnect with valued clients that she knew previously and to meet new ones. She makes her home in West Knoxville with her husband and two children. She loves to watch her children play sports, visit with friends, sit in the warm sun, and read a good World War II novel.