Our Team

William J. Militello, CIMA®, AIFA®
Managing Principal
(703) 729-8333 ext. 116
wjm@piedmontRIA.com

Bill experienced Wall Street first hand as an institutional equity trader with Knight Capital Markets in New York, and currently serves as the Managing Principal of Piedmont, an SEC registered investment advisor. Bill has consulted for the Securities & Exchange Commission and is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, and received his MBA from Boston University. He is a Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) and a member in good standing with the Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA). Additionally, he is a volunteer with the Evelyn Brust Financial Research and Educational Foundation, where he provides unbiased, professional investment advice on a pro bono basis.

Steven T. Merkel, CFP®, ChFC®
Managing Director
(239) 444-4994 ext. 1131
stm@piedmontRIA.com

Steve is the Managing Director of the Bonita Springs office in Southwest Florida. He has over 16 years experience in private wealth management, estate planning, risk management, tax strategies, and personal financial planning. He holds a BS/BA degree from the Shippensburg State University of Pennsylvania. Steve accomplished 11 years of distinguished service in the U.S. Army serving with the 10th Mountain Infantry Division and later earned an Officer commission through the OCS academy while serving in the Air Defense Artillery Corps. Steve holds the Certified Financial Planner™ practitioner and Chartered Financial Consultant designations. He has been featured and widely quoted in publications such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Consumer Report, Entrepreneur, Investment News, and Financial Planning Magazine. For the past five consecutive years, Steve was voted one of the Best Personal Wealth Managers in Southwest Florida by the Gulfshore Life Magazine. In his free time he enjoys fishing, golf, military history, Miami Hurricane football, and spending time with his wife and their pet rescue mission.

Kevin A. O'Neil, ChFC, AIF®
Senior Vice President
(703) 729-8333 ext. 118
kao@piedmontRIA.com

Kevin serves as a Senior Vice President at Piedmont and entered the financial services industry in 1980. He served as a financial consultant to businesses and high net worth individuals with a concentration in investments, employee benefits and risk management. He is a graduate of Duquesne University; earned his Chartered Financial Consultant designation in 1993 and Accredited Investment Fiduciary designation in 2008.

Mark Mensack, AWMA, AIFA®
Managing Director and Chief Ethics Officer
(800) 453-2056 ext. 131
mdm@piedmontRIA.com

Mark has been investing since 1984 and began his professional services career in 1995. Prior to 1995, he was a Commissioned Officer in the US Army for eleven years where he served in the United States and South Korea. Mark earned a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Scranton and a Master's degree in Philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania. He holds several professional designations including an Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (AWMA) through the College of Financial Planning and the Wharton School of Business; and the Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst (AIFA) designation through the Center of Fiduciary Studies. Mark has also served on the Board of Directors for the USO of Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey; and the Board of Trustees for the West Point Society of Philadelphia.

Brad Smith, CPA, ABV, CVA
Investment Advisor Representative
(239) 992-4232
bsmith@piedmontRIA.com

Brad Smith is the founder of Smith & Co., LLP. He brings over twelve years' experience serving privately held entities and individuals in the following disciplines: financial planning, income and estate tax planning, business tax planning and consulting, IRS representation, forensic accounting, and business valuation services for tax planning and litigation purposes. Brad is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the state of Florida, Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA), Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV), and holds a Series 7 and 66 security licenses. Brad has a BS in Accounting from the University of South Florida and is currently enrolled in the Executive Master of Taxation program at Florida Atlantic University.

Dr. Robert Lovett, CFP®
Director, Senior Portfolio Manager
(703) 729-8333 ext. 131
rdl@piedmontRIA.com

Robert serves as Program Director and Lead Instructor for the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Certification Education Programs at Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers. He is past Regional Director for Florida State University, Certificate in Financial Planning Program, and past Director of The Institute of Financial Studies at Nova Southeastern University. In addition to his academic responsibilities, Dr. Lovett was a United States Delegate to the International Standards Organization developing international practice standards for financial planning. Dr. Lovett has earned a Doctorate in Business Administration, Accounting, and a Master of Science, Taxation, and the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® certification. Dr. Lovett is a member of the Financial Planning Association, the Academy of Financial Services, the Academy of Finance, and Sigma Beta Delta International Honor Society for Business, Management, and Administration.

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