July 3, 2025

Sample Blog 2

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Carson Violanti

Sales Support Administrator

Born and raised in northern Maryland, Carson Violanti joined the Mid-Atlantic Financial Group as a Sales Support Administrator for the Baltimore and Delaware Regions in 2025. In this role, Carson provides operational and administrative support to the Regional Directors, contributing to the success of financial professionals throughout the region. With a background in client service and a passion for helping others, Carson brings organization, dedication, and a collaborative spirit to her work.

Outside of the office, Carson enjoys making sourdough bread, staying active through CrossFit, biking, and walking her dogs along the NCR Trail. She also loves traveling, often taking weekend trips to Washington, D.C., and spending time in Deep Creek during the winter months. Closer to home, Carson enjoys visiting local breweries and wineries with family and friends.

Carson and her fiancé, Tyler, at a local market where she sells her homemade sourdough — a special snapshot of their shared passion and support as they prepare for their next chapter together.

Leah Wheeler

Leah Wheeler

Sales Support Administrator, Greater Baltimore & Delaware Regions

Leah is the newest member of the Sales Support Administrator team, bringing a unique background that bridges social work and data analytics. She began her career in social services and developed into an experienced data analyst. Leah is excited to bring her unique skill set and community-driven mindset to her new role supporting the Mid-Atlantic region.

A published researcher, Leah has successfully leveraged grassroots networks to strengthen community partnerships and support the development of sustainable initiatives.

Outside of work, Leah has been married for 11 years to her husband Jonathan and they have two daughters who attend school in Baltimore County. Leah remains deeply involved in her local school district and community—she serves on the PTA’s executive team, chairs the Spring Action Committee, and volunteers her skills as a data analyst at the local school level.

Leah looks forward to bringing her passion for service, data driven decision-making, and community engagement to her new role- and to growing alongside the sales support team as she serves the Northern Mid- Atlantic Firm.

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Leah, her husband John, and their daughters Ava and Alina enjoying some quality family time at a backyard BBQ.

McKenzie Seyferth

McKenzie Seyferth

Sales Support Administrator, Virginia Region

Born and raised in Northern Virginia, McKenzie Seyferth began her career in the administrative field as the Operations Manager for a behavioral center supporting children with autism. She joined Prudential Advisors in 2022 as a Sales Support Administrator for the Mid-Atlantic Financial Group, where she supports the Regional Director in the Virginia Region. McKenzie brings dedication, organization, and a client-focused approach to her work.

Outside of the office, McKenzie is an avid runner who has completed several half marathons and finished her first full marathon in October. She lives with her fiancé, Tommy, and their cat, Mooshi. Together, they enjoy hiking, exploring new breweries, and spending time with friends and family.

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McKenzie and her fiancé, Tommy, captured during their engagement photo shoot — a beautiful moment marking the start of their next chapter together.

Loren Means

Loren Means

Sales Support Administrator, DC Metro Region

Loren joined Prudential Advisors in 2022 as a Sales Support Administrator for Prudential Advisors, Mid-Atlantic Financial Group. In this role, she provides strategic and administrative support to the Regional Directors in the D.C. Metro Region, contributing to the success of financial professionals across the area. Loren’s focus includes recruiting initiatives, coordinating trainings and events, and delivering comprehensive support to the leadership team to help drive performance and organizational excellence.

Loren deeply values the culture within the Mid-Atlantic Financial Group and appreciates the leadership team’s hands-on approach, collaborative spirit, and commitment to excellence. She takes pride in contributing to a team that prioritizes growth, innovation, and shared success. Loren is especially passionate about advancing the Firm’s philanthropic initiatives and community outreach efforts, reflecting her dedication to creating a meaningful impact both inside and outside the organization.

Outside of her role at Prudential, Loren enjoys traveling, spending quality time with her family, and cheering on her favorite hometown teams—the Baltimore Orioles and Ravens. Most importantly, she enjoys staying active with her husband, Brig, their two dogs, KC and Tucker, and their cat, Lucky.

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Loren and her husband Brig proudly supporting their favorite teams — the Ravens and the Broncos. A friendly rivalry that proves team spirit runs deep on both sides!

Nicole Smith

Nicole Smith

Senior Business Support Specialist

Nicole joined the Mid-Atlantic Financial Group in 2023 and currently serves as the Senior Business Support Specialist. In this role, she leads the Firm’s support team, ensuring seamless day-to-day operations, while partnering closely with the Managing Director and Associate Managing Director on strategic initiatives. Nicole plays a key role in planning and executing all firm-wide events, where her strong organizational skills and sharp attention to detail help create meaningful, memorable experiences for the advisors.

Nicole takes pride in being part of an organization that is deeply committed to excellence, continuous improvement, and meaningful growth. She is inspired by the Firm’s forward-thinking culture and its dedication to empowering both Advisors and team members to reach their full potential. She finds deep satisfaction in seeing the success of the Advisors, other members of the Leadership Team, and in watching the energy and camaraderie that come to life at firm events.

Outside of work, Nicole lives in Baltimore with her husband—who is also an Advisor at the firm—and their Corgi, Stella. She loves spending time with friends and family, being outdoors, and traveling to new places.

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Nicole and her husband, Nathan, celebrating their wedding day alongside their beloved corgis, Stella and Malibu — a perfect day made even more special with their furry family by their side.

Zoya Burgess

Business Development Manager

Zoya Burgess is the Business Development Manager for Prudential Advisors in the Mid-Atlantic region, where she leads financial professional recruitment efforts and cultivates strategic partnerships to drive firm growth. With eight years of experience in recruiting, Zoya previously held roles at Capital One and Amazon, where she specialized in talent acquisition and workforce development. She earned her degree from Marymount University in 2018 and was raised in Northern Virginia, where she continues to build strong professional and community ties.

Outside of work, Zoya is the oldest of four sisters and embraces her role as both a big sister and stepmom. She lives in Virginia with her husband, Samuel, and their two boys, Samuel III and Elijah. On weekends, she enjoys taking Pilates classes, spending time with family, hanging out with friends, and exploring new restaurants in the area.

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Zoya and her husband Sam celebrating their beautiful wedding day — a moment they’ll cherish forever.

Tom McElwee

Tom McElwee

Regional Director, Greater Baltimore & Delaware Regions

As Regional Director for the Mid Atlantic Financial Group of Prudential Advisors, Tom leads a growing team of over 50 financial advisors across the State of Delaware and the Greater Baltimore Region. With a career rooted in leadership, Tom is passionate about empowering advisors not just to grow their businesses—but to grow personally and professionally.

His leadership philosophy is grounded in coaching, integrity, and meaningful relationships. Tom brings a forward-thinking approach to the evolving financial advisor career landscape, especially during this transformative period of partnership and growth with LPL Enterprise. His vision is bold yet clear: to help establish the most recognized and respected financial services firm in the Mid-Atlantic.

Outside of work, Tom shares his life with his fiancée Tara, teenagers Kade and Lexis, and their two dogs, Bentley and Jules. Deeply connected to the special needs community, Tom supports Tara in her role as Executive Director of Main Street Connect, an inclusion-focused movement where people of all abilities thrive together. A former college and semi-pro hockey player, Tom has traded in his skates for golf clubs—but his competitive spirit remains just as strong.

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Tom and his fiancée, Tara, at The Old Course at The Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Virginia — home to the oldest first tee in continuous use in the United States.

Vanessa Echeverria

Vanessa Echeverria CFP®, BFA™

Regional Director, Greater Baltimore & Delaware Regions

Vanessa Echeverria is Regional Director of the Mid-Atlantic Financial Group at Prudential Advisors, where she leads a growing team of financial professionals with 10 years of industry experience. She began her career as a Financial Advisor at Ameriprise Financial in Minneapolis, quickly earning recognition as a top performer and being promoted to mentor other advisors. As a Regional Manager, she has had great success in coaching advisors on client acquisition, net flows, and marketing strategies.

In 2021, Vanessa took on a Director role in Boston, where she led over 400 independent advisors across New England. There, she focused on growth initiatives, capacity expansion, competitive transitions, and succession planning. At the same time launching the Young Advisor Network to support early-career professionals. Vanessa most recently served as President of Stoneford Advisors, a boutique family office serving professional athletes. Her diverse background equips her to help advisors build future-ready, high-performing practices.

A proud dual citizen of Ecuador and the United States, Vanessa is fluent in Spanish and passionate about bringing more diverse talent into financial services. Earlier in her journey, she supported international missions across Central and South America—experiences that continue to shape her servant leadership style and global perspective.

Now based in White Marsh, MD, Vanessa enjoys travel, fitness, all things sport related and exploring with her blue Shar-Pei, Pacha.

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Vanessa and her dog, Pacha, cheering on the runners at the Boston Marathon — sharing the excitement together every step of the way!

Brady Bassford

Brady Bassford

Regional Director, DC Metro Region

Brady Bassford is a Regional Director at Prudential Advisors and has extensive experience in the wealth management industry. With over 10 years of experience and seven years in a senior leadership role, Brady has helped shape the Mid-Atlantic Financial Group into a highly recognized financial planning practice.

Brady’s leadership is defined by his ability to recruit, develop, and mentor seasoned financial advisors. He is deeply committed to helping advisors grow successful practices while delivering meaningful retirement, wealth management, and insurance solutions to clients. His approach blends strategic insight with a hands-on coaching style, creating a culture of performance, accountability, and continuous learning.

Skilled in advisor development and succession planning, Brady also leads initiatives that drive innovation in training programs, support business growth, and build the next generation of leadership across the firm.

A former college athlete, Brady brings competitive drive and a team-first mentality to every endeavor. He is passionate about professional development and financial education—and believes great leadership starts with empowering others to lead.

Outside the office, Brady enjoys golfing, watching the Baltimore Orioles, and spending time with his wife, Josie, and their mini Goldendoodle, Scooby. He’s an avid reader and proudly claims Seinfeld as his all-time favorite show.

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Brady and his wife, Josie, enjoying a day together at the National Mall.

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Andrew Brancaccio

Regional Director, Virginia Region

Andrew Brancaccio has been with Prudential Advisors since 2010 and has served as the Regional Director for the Virginia Region since 2017. In this role, he has played a pivotal part in building and shaping successful advisory teams, mentoring numerous advisors who have gone on to achieve national recognition.* His leadership is defined by a commitment to growth, collaboration, and excellence across the region.

Andrew graduated from Georgetown University in 2010, where he was a four-year starter on the men’s lacrosse team and earned All-American honors twice for his performance and leadership.


Outside of his professional life, Andrew enjoys spending time with his wife, Kaitlin, and their three children, Kifton, Cannon, and Wilder. In his free time, Andrew enjoys golf, cooking, and gathering with friends and family.

 

*2019 and 2020 Prudential National Firm President’s Trophy award recognizes the top Prudential firm for the year based on factors such as financial professional production, GDC, and retention and new hire growth from prior years.

Andrew, his wife Kaitlin, and their children Kifton, Cannon, and Wilder enjoying quality family time together in beautiful Georgia.

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Ken Furuya ChFC®, CLU®, CMFC®

Associate Managing Director

Ken Furuya is a distinguished professional in the financial services industry with over 20 years of experience with Prudential Advisors. Starting as a financial advisor, he transitioned into leadership in 2008 and currently serves as the Associate Managing Director of the Mid-Atlantic Financial Group since 2018.

In his current role, Ken represents Prudential Advisors across key growth markets in Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, West Virginia, and Delaware. His team is committed to a comprehensive training program that emphasizes comprehensive financial planning, supporting the development and growth of financial advisors and leaders.

Ken’s dedication and achievements as both an advisor and a leader have earned him multiple awards. He and his team have secured back-to-back 2019 and 2020 Prudential National Firm President’s Trophy awards and established a highly recognized financial planning operation.*

Ken is committed to building strong relationships with business leaders in local communities, promoting a culture of collaboration, talent development, and leadership growth. His leadership has been instrumental in developing efficient systems and procedures that enhance customer service and advisor productivity, supporting the 150 financial advisors across the Mid-Atlantic region.

Beyond his professional life, Ken, along with his wife Amrithi and their children Kai and Niam, enjoy exploring different parts of the world, indulging in culinary experiences and have an appreciation for the arts.

 

*2019 and 2020 Prudential National Firm President’s Trophy award recognizes the top Prudential firm for the year based on factors such as financial professional production, GDC, and retention and new hire growth from prior years.

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Ken and his wife, Amee, with their children, Kai and Niam, capturing special memories during their family holiday photo shoot.

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Dustin Corrente

Managing Director

Dustin Corrente serves as the Managing Director of the Mid-Atlantic Financial Group, a role he’s held since 2013. With 24 years of experience in financial services, Dustin began his career as a Financial Advisor with Ameriprise Financial before moving into leadership roles including District Manager and Field Vice President. He joined Prudential in 2012, and under his leadership, the Mid-Atlantic Firm has more than doubled in size—growing from 72 to over 150 advisors and increasing total revenue by more than 400%.

A multi-time award recipient for both his advisor and leadership contributions, Dustin has led his Firm as the 2019 and 2020 Prudential National Firm President’s Trophy winners and built a highly recognized financial planning practice.* He is deeply passionate about leadership development and coaching, with a philosophy rooted in servant leadership and a relentless commitment to high performance. He takes great pride in mentoring Advisors, helping them grow into confident professionals who make a lasting impact on their clients and communities.

Outside the office, Dustin and his wife of 16 years, Elizabeth, enjoy an active life with their two children, Emily and Michael. Elizabeth also runs a wellness and fitness business, Revitaliz Fit. A former collegiate athlete and avid wine collector, Dustin also dedicates time to animal rescue—currently sharing his home with two beloved rescue dogs, Clifford and Hazel.

 

*2019 and 2020 Prudential National Firm President’s Trophy award recognizes the top Prudential firm for the year based on factors such as financial professional production, GDC, and retention and new hire growth from prior years.

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Dustin, his wife Liz, and their children Michael and Emily enjoying some quality family time during a sunny weekend getaway in beautiful Naples, FL.