The SCG Team

No single advisor can be the best in all areas of financial planning. At Simmons Capital Group, our clients have access to a team of advisors who focus on different areas of planning. As you progress through life and encounter new financial situations, you can be confident knowing your team has an knowledgeable advisor on hand. We focus on helping clients understand financial concepts and investment options, allowing you to make well-informed decisions.

Your financial peace is our mission.

A dad, a pilot, a world traveler, and a volunteer are among the words used to describe Don. He has been married to his better half, Amy, since 1989 and together they have four children. In addition to family, Don’s passions include flying an antique (1948) Aeronca Sedan floatplane, mentoring small businesses in the poorest regions of the globe, and serving as a board member or advisor for numerous charities including IBEC Ventures, Oikonomos, and Northern New York Resources Corporation.

Don is frequently traveling in service trips around the world, focusing on economic and social development throughout developing countries in Central Asia and the Middle East. He serves as a business mentor and coach to small businesses around the world, doing anything he can, from building homes to mentoring businesses in their beginning steps.

In business Don is passionate about helping others to succeed. This is exemplified in how he has served clients for almost 40 years, helping them to build wealth and to fulfill their life purpose whether that’s a comfortable retirement or building a philanthropic legacy that brings flourishing to all of mankind. As can be seen by the team he has built at Simmons Capital, he loves to mentor young advisors, teaching them how to be knowledgable wholistic guides to their clients.

Credentials: More than 37 years serving investors and managing portfolio through good times and bad. Certified Financial Planner Professional; Licensed NYS Life, Health, and Long-Term Care.

Eric has been a passionate business builder and market investor for over 30 years, successfully growing and exiting multiple companies. Over the last 18 years, Eric served as an executive leader and high impact team creator within a multi-billion-dollar private company, driving the development of the company’s private impact investment foundation. Eric manages the Simmons Capital Group team and supports business development efforts.

Jansen’s financial services career has spanned numerous accounting, audit, consulting, and operations roles. Prior to joining Simmons Capital Group, Jansen served as the CFO and COO of a $30B institutional investment allocator fund where he monitored numerous publicly traded and private investment strategies across the globe. At SCG, Jansen oversees portfolio operations and all regulatory compliance efforts.

Credentials: CPA, Series 65 Investment Advisor Representative

Matt Stankus joined Simmons Capital Group in January 2023 after spending several years working in the non-profit space as Director of Communication for an anti-poverty agency. A Communications professional at heart, Matt finds value in connecting with others, sharing information and solving problems; these are skills that he is able to continue leveraging as an Associate Financial Advisor at SCG.

 On the personal side, Matt is married to Jenna, his wife of 10 years, and they share two daughters. Outside of working at SCG, Matt enjoys being active and getting outdoors to explore nature with his family, spending time at his family’s camp in the North Country and hiking in the Adirondacks. Having an entrepreneurial spirit, and a passion for fitness, Matt and Jenna cherish the opportunity to own and operate Hardwired Fitness, a strength and conditioning facility located in Downtown Schenectady.  

Credentials: Financial Planner Qualified Professional (FPQP)

Aaron can be described as a results-oriented strategic thinker with a passion for helping others align their goals with actionable outcomes. Aaron and his wife Kelsie have two young children and hold loyal to their Sunday homemade pizza tradition.  Their family has a long-standing affinity with the Capital Region, dating back to 2015 when he moved to the area to direct a local non-profit, Young Life.

Outside of his work with Simmons Capital Group, Aaron helps serve Young Life staff in New Jersey as a professional development coach and strategist. Along with finance and financial planning, Aaron loves fancy coffee, cooking for his family, and time spent in community.

Ben finished his bachelor’s degree at Roberts Wesleyan College in Spring 2021. During the last two years of his college career, he developed an interest in personal finance and found out that he enjoyed helping his college friends build budgets and think through their finances. Shortly after that, he got a Financial Coach Certification through Ramsey Solutions and over a year of experience working at Simmons Capital Group. During this time, he was hard at work learning the business and studying Finance.

Ben is excited to resume his work here at Simmons Capital Group and help each of our clients reach their personal goals.

Ben loves the outdoors and as of 2021 is an accomplished “Adirondack 46er.” He seeks to continue finding larger mountains to hike each year alongside his work at Simmons Capital Group.

Credentials: Financial Planner Qualified Professional (FPQP), Licensed NYS Life/Health;

Luke joined Simmons Capital in 2024 after having spent the previous decade working in Real Estate and Sales Operations with a global insurance broker; however, his passion for personal finance began many years before then. Described as someone who could make friends with anybody, Luke loves cultivating relationships and serving individuals in the areas of their lives that appear the most daunting. He believes that laughter is truly the best medicine, and that no conversation should be spent without sharing joy together. Although a native of Upstate New York, Luke and his wife of 8 years, Emmi, now live with their two kids and Golden Retriever in Greenville, South Carolina. Outside of his passion for business and finance, Luke also enjoys history, reading, cinema, and finding hidden treasures at garage sales.

Born and raised in the country of Turkey, Zach first began to discover his passion for finance and economics in high school. However, it wasn’t until university that he began to recognize just how well this capacity complemented his desire to help and serve others. As a recent graduate in Economics and Psychology at McMaster University, Zach seeks to utilize both his capacity and desire within his areas of study here at Simmons Capital Group.

Credentials: Financial Planner Qualified Professional (FPQP), Licensed NYS Life/Health

With a career of over 25 years working in the financial industry, Patty offers extensive experience in operations and client services. She works closely with the SCG team and clients assisting with account openings and day to day account maintenance. In her spare time, she enjoys boating, snowmobiling, and spending time with family and friends.

Melanie began her career in the financial industry in banking, eventually finding her happiness in operations and client services.  She loves working with people and believes a positive outlook can help achieve anything. AT SCG, Melanie works closely with Patty and the advisement team to complete all client related daily activities and tasks. She has a passion for creative writing and is well known for having her head buried in a book. Melanie lives locally with her son and enjoys spending her spare time with family and friends.

Christine has over 30 years of marketing experience with 14 of those years in the credit union industry. As Director of Marketing and Client Services, she is excited to help with the growth of Simmons Capital Group. When you call the office, she will help you manage your Black Diamond client portal and can help with any navigating questions or resetting your credentials. In addition, she produces our YouTube Coffee & Cash video series and manages our social media pages, so keep an eye out for our weekly posts.

She loves the outdoors and in her spare time will be in the garden or the woods.