MEET OUR ASSOCIATES
American Lifestyle works with many specialists in various fields - all of whom are necessary to help our firm perform well for our clients. While we certainly agree that everyone (administrators, investment traders, compliance officers, market strategists, economists, forecasters, marketing specialists, IT specialists, wholesalers, etc.) are very important and very special, it would be impossible to list everyone. Having said that, here are a few people, staff and also independent professionals, who are key to creating the positive impact that is needed for the wellbeing our clients:
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Daniel W. Donihue, MSFS, LUTCF, CES, CEP, CLTC, CAS, CSA, BCE
~ Founder & CEO / Managing Partner / Investment Advisor Representative / Financial Advisor / Insurance Agent
ABOUT DAN...
In 1998, with a passion for helping others, Dan began his career in the financial services industry and founded American Lifestyle. In 2002, after building a successful practice in Washington, he relocated to Southern California. Since that time, his practice has continued to grow in Washington, California, and many other states all over the country.
A big believer in formal and informal education, Dan has earned a number of esteemed designations relating to insurance and financial services including Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow (LUTCF), Certified Estate & Trust Specialist (CES), Certified Estate Planner (CEP), Certified in Long-Term Care (CLTC), Certified Senior Advisor (CSA), Certified Annuity Specialist (CAS), Board Certified in Estate Planning (BCE), and in 2004 he completed his Master Of Science Degree In Financial Services (MSFS). Additionally, Dan has completed specific advanced financial education with Retirement Analyzer Academy and American Equity University. To this day, Dan continues to regularly travel to financial conferences, attend financial webinars, and read financial books.
Dan has been the recipient of many prestigious financial-related awards, over the years, including Gold Eagle (from American Equity), Agent Of The Year (from Partners Advantage), Founders Club (from Fusion Capital Management), and Top Gun (from Pacific Estate Group).
Dan specializes in helping his clients preserve capital, reduce risk exposure, increase returns, increase income, and reduce taxes. He's devoted to assisting retired and pre-retired Americans in protecting their assets and ensuring that their money works for them. Over the years, he's used his knowledge and experience to help hundreds of families with sound solutions to a large variety of financial issues. Additionally, Dan periodically volunteers time to provide Christian financial stewardship counseling for anyone who may need assistance with anything from family budgeting to estate planning to charitable gifting.
Outside of his work, Dan enjoys many activities including spending time with family, running, soccer, hiking, biking, boating, snowboarding, traveling, and reading. Dan and his wife, Stayci, are happily married and have two sons and a daughter - Harrison, Riker, and Liza. They're a family of music lovers and they have a studio in their home where they enjoy performing, writing, and recording music. Dan and his family reside in Castaic, Califorina. They attend Higher Vision Church and Real Life Church and they also love to watch church services on YouTube from Christian Faith Center (with Pastor Casey Treat) - their former church from Seattle.
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Stayci R. Donihue
~ President / Partner
ABOUT STAYCI...
Stayci has been instrumental in the development and building of American Lifestyle from the ground up. She has always worked hard and has given all the necessary support to make the firm successful - even in the beginning times when it seemed like nothing would come together easily. Having the gift of gab, she's been able to help in ways that only she could do.
As a full-time mom, Stayci stays very busy but continues to stay involved in Dan's practice and assists him wherever needed. Currently, her job encompasses a little bit of everything. She works when and where she's needed in order to make sure clients are well taken care of and the firm runs smoothly. She manages the office, plans events, coordinates activities, and is responsible for helping to make all major decisions that will affect the future of the firm.
On the side, Stayci enjoys all kinds of outdoor activities including hiking, biking, boating, and, like her husband, has a history of heavy involvement with soccer. She is a certified Intermediate Referee, team manager, and a player. She very much enjoys activities that her whole family is able to participate in.
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Elizabeth C. Donihue
~ Vice President / Executive Assistant / Office Manager / Financial Advisor / Insurance Agent
ABOUT LIZA...
After completing a one-year certification at Higher Vision Leadership School, Liza joined forces with American Lifestyle on June 28, 2016 as an executive assistant. From her very first day, she brought a youthful exuberance to the team. Quickly realizing her potential, within a few months, Liza was back in school, again, to begin her studies to become an insurance and financial advisor.
Liza is a great student of the insurance and financial services industry. She's constantly continuing her education by taking classes, attending conferences, reading books, and asking questions. She brings many great things to the table, but also does an excellent job of utilizing our huge, built-in support network of experts to help her in her own practice.
In her free time, Liza enjoys writing, playing, and recording music, playing soccer, and working out at the gym.. She's very active and enjoys all kinds of outdoor activities.
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Brian Wesbury, BA, MBA
~ Chief Economist
ABOUT BRIAN...
Brian began his career in 1982 at Harris Bank in Chicago. Former positions include Vice President and Economist for Chicago Corporation and Senior Vice President and Chief Economist for Griffin Kubik, Stephens & Thompson.
In 1995 and 1996 Brian served as Chief Economist for the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress. The Wall Street Journal ranked Brian the nation's #1 U.S. economic forecaster in 2001, and USA Today ranked him as one of the nation's top 10 forecasters in 2004.
Brian Wesbury is Chief Economist at First Trust Advisors L.P. He was a member of the Academic Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago from 1999-2007 and has been a regular attendee of the Economist Roundtable Luncheon at the Chicago Fed since 2007. In 2012, he was named a Fellow of the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, TX, where he worked closely with its 4%-Growth Project. His writing appears in many magazines, newspapers and blogs and he appears regularly on Fox, Bloomberg, CNBC and BNN Canada TV.
Brian received an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a BA in Economics from the University of Montana. McGraw-Hill published his first book, The New Era of Wealth, in October 1999. His second book, It’s Not As Bad As You Think, was published in November 2009 by John Wiley & Sons. In 2011, Brian received the University of Montana’s Distinguished Alumni Award. This award honors outstanding alumni who have “brought honor to the University, the state or the nation.” There have been 267 recipients of this award out of a potential pool of 91,000 graduates.
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Robert Stein, BA, CFA
~ Deputy Chief Economist
ABOUT BOB...
Bob is Deputy Chief Economist. He is responsible for forecasting and analyzing economic indicators as well as writing economic commentaries.
Prior to joining First Trust, Bob was Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy at the U.S. Treasury Department. While there, Bob was responsible for briefing the Secretary of the Treasury on U.S. macroeconomic developments and formulating policy proposals. Day to day, he was responsible for leading a team of twenty economists conducting in-depth economic analysis and research.
Between 1996 and 2002, Bob was chief economist for the Senate Budget Committee on Capitol Hill and an economist for the Senate Banking Committee and Joint Economic Committee. Prior to his tenure on Capitol Hill and the Treasury Department, Bob was a journalist for Investor’s Business Daily where he covered the economy and authored many front-page stories.
Bob received a BA in both Economics and Government from Georgetown University. He is also a CFA Charterholder.
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Robert Carey, BS, CFA
~ Chief Market Strategist
ABOUT ROBERT...
Robert has over 3 decades of experience as an Equity and Fixed-Income Analyst and is a recipient of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana with a B.S. in Physics. He is also a member of the CFA Society of Chicago and the CFA Institute. Mr. Carey is Chief Market Strategist at First Trust Advisors L.P., which manages or supervises approximately $130 billion in assets.
Robert has appeared throughout the United States and Canada as a guest on television and radio programs. These programs include: Bloomberg TV, CNBC and on Chicago’s WBBM Newsradio 780’s Noon Business Hour. He has been quoted by several publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The Wall Street Reporter, Bloomberg News Service, and Registered Rep.
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Ryan J. Borer, AAMS
~ Founding Partner / President / Chief Strategy Officer
ABOUT RYAN...
Ryan began his career in the financial services industry in 1993 gaining experience as a registered rep, a wholesaler, and a manager. As a founding partner of Fusion Capital Management, Ryan's has expanded upon his personal and professional experience and operational success to deliver a streamlined platform to Fusion's clientele.
Since the founding of Fusion, Ryan has developed RIA Simplified™ - a comprehensive consulting solution that offers two distinct platforms for firms and breakaway brokers looking to add fee based solutions to their practice. RIA Simplified™ was designed to eliminate the headaches of implementing an entirely new operational system to an organization.
Ryan is an Accredited Asset Management Specialist designee through the College of Financial Planning and currently holds his Series 65 License. He has previously held his Series 7, 6, 63, as well as Life, Health, and Variable licenses.
Ryan is from Omaha, Nebraska and now resides in the Dallas, Texas area. He is happily married and has four sons - last time we counted!
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Robert Pujia
~ Partner / Chief Operations Officer
ABOUT BOB...
Bob has been working in the financial services industry since 2001 - working both as a wholesaler for ING and John Hancock Funds as well as a financial advisor for PNC Investments.
As Chief Operations Officer at Fusion Capital Management, Bob is charged with multiple duties including day-to-day operations of working with existing and new financial advisors to ensure efficiency and attention to detail on all tickets performed within the Fusion platform.
Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Bob went to school at Penn State University where he earned his bachelors degree in finance. He currently holds his FINRA Series 6, 7, 63, and 66 licenses as well as his Life and Variable Annuity Licenses. He has also held the Certified Fund Specialist designation.
Bob is active in his local Rotary Club and spends much of his free time golfing, fishing, and exercising.
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Randal D. Armour, ESQ
~ Attorney At Law
ABOUT RANDY...
Randy is a graduate of Loyola Law School. In 1997, he began his practice establishing The Law Offices of Randall D. Armour. Over the years, his practice has gain the reputation as being one of the premiere estate planning legal firms in The Santa Clarita Valley. His philosophy has been that, by narrowing the scope of services offered, he can be very skilled in these specific areas of his practice. He believes that, with the constant changes in the law - especially in the areas of estate and tax planning - it's very difficult for attorneys to be proficient in numerous areas of law. For these reasons, his legal practice is devoted exclusively in estate planning and administration.
Randy's specialties include drafting of Wills, Living Trusts, Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts, Charitable Remainder Trusts, Special Needs Trusts, General Durable Powers of Attorney, Advanced Health Care Directives and other vital documents and tools designed to minimize estate taxes, avoid probate, and address disability and healthcare decisions. Randy takes the time to analyze the individual needs and goals of clients and then outline, design, and implement tailored plans which meet those objectives in the most beneficial and cost-effective manner.
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Edward O'Hare
~ Attorney At Law
ABOUT ED...
Edward O'Hare is the founding attorney at O'Hare Law Office. As a skilled probate and estate planning lawyer in Santa Clarita, he takes great pride in providing unique and thorough plans for his clients and their families.
Before pursuing a career in the legal field, Edward served in the U.S. Air Force as a firefighter. In that position, the main goal of the department is actually to prevent fires before they start. He views his role as an estate planning lawyer in much the same way.
Much like his role as a U.S. Air Force firefighter, Ed is ready and able to address any fires that may crop up in relation to estate planning. His responsibility and primary goal is to be proactive and do everything in his power to minimize or prevent those issues from ever coming to pass. Everything he does and every document he drafts is through the lens of preventing future conflicts for our clients and their families before they happen. When a client has certain goals in mind, it's his job to understand how that will play out in reality.
Edward feels that the most rewarding aspect of his job is taking a complicated and stressful situation and helping people find order in the chaos. When a client has a loved one who has passed away, their emotions are often overwhelming. There is nothing more fulfilling than being able to help individuals navigate a complex situation and come out the other side better equipped to move forward.
Ed holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history, and a Doctor of Law degree from Southwestern Law School
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Douglas A. Ridnor, CPA
~ Partner / Certified Public Accountant
ABOUT DOUG...
Doug is a graduate of California State University, Northridge, and has more than 30 years of accounting experience. He has previously served as an audit manager for a regional accounting firm and as the controller of a property management firm. He joined Stern Kory Sreden & Morgan accountancy firm in 2000.
Doug provides accounting, tax, and advisory services to clients. He works very closely with business owners and individuals to help with any and all accounting needs as part of their management team. He, as well as other staff members, are a recourse for one another with respect to the broad areas of expertise represented by the firm. The talented individuals who make up SKSM reflect the values and goals of the company: hard-working, informed, and committed to excellence.
Doug is very actively involved in the community. He has served as Lieutenant Governor for Division 16 of Kiwanis International. He is Chairperson of the Granada Hills Volleyball Association and is Treasurer of the Santa Clarita Symphony.
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Brian D. Mann
~ Business Development Officer / Financial Advisor / Insurance Agent
ABOUT BRIAN...
In 1997, Brian began his career in the financial services industry. He is the Business Development Officer for Clarity 2 Prosperity, a national financial services and insurance marketing organization. He is also CEO and Managing Partner of Elite Advisory Group, his own independent retirement planning and wealth management firm.
Brian partners with the best advisors in the country, in order to grow their businesses and achieve sustainable success. He understands the challenges business owners face, and is not satisfied with his own growth unless others have grown in tandem.
Brian strongly emphasizes embracing the best practices of high-performing advisors and pursuing innovative solutions to achieve better outcomes. He enjoys helping others embrace change for the benefit of their customers, teams, and stakeholders.
Brian is the past Chairman of the Board for the National Association for Fixed Annuities (NAFA) and also serves as a member of the President’s Advisory Board for the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation (CMOH). He is co-author of Chicken Soup for the Financial Advisor’s Soul and Chicken Soup for Every Retiree’s Soul.
Brian and his wife Lynnette have a blended family with five children. Their faith is central to their lives and they are very involved with their church and community. He enjoys golfing, skiing, mountain biking and traveling.
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Kalem Mackey, CFP, BPC
~ Partner / Executive Vice President of Insurance Development
ABOUT KALEM...
Kalem Mackey is the EVP of Insurance Distribution at Clarity Insurance Marketing and the founder of Superior Financial Planning, a holistic wealth management firm located in Arvada, Colorado. With more than 20 years of experience as a sales manager, insurance wholesaler, and financial advisor, his professional philosophy is grounded in helping American families realize their financial aspirations.
Kalem also manages both the sales and operations for Clarity Insurance Marketing. In these roles, he works closely with advisors and insurance distribution partners to serve their needs and seeks to provide a world-class insurance platform for holistic financial advisors.
Kalem is a Bucket Plan Best Interest Process® Trainer; he provides coaching and sales support to advisors, assisting them in delivering in-depth, comprehensive solutions. He frequently speaks at C2P and industry events, providing advanced expertise in the areas of retirement income planning and tax management.
Kalem earned his bachelor’s degree from UC San Diego, where he was a 4-year member of the Student Council and Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity. Kalem also served as both an Orientation Leader and Resident Advisor.
Kalem and his wife, Lisa, have two children, Jordan and Alora. A lifelong sports fan, Kalem enjoys rooting for his favorite teams: Kalem also enjoys all the outdoor splendor that living in Colorado offers, like camping, hiking, and winter sports, and rooting for his favorite teams: Lakers, Angels, 49ers, and UCLA.
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Andrew Boron
~ Senior Loan Officer
ABOUT ANDY...
Andy has been a licensed loan officer since 2002 and has been with Augusta Financial since 2005. He works closely with processors and assists clients to make their transactions go as smoothly as possible. Andy is dedicated to his duties and ensures that each loan fits the needs of each client family.
Augusta Financial is a service-oriented, mortgage broker and mortgage banker specializing in residential financing. They have been in business in The Santa Clarita Valley since 1995.
Born and raised in the Santa Clarita Valley Andy enjoys working with clients who are friends and family. Meeting new friends in the community makes his job a satisfying and rewarding occupation.
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Terry
~ Office Dog
ABOUT TERRY...
Terry spent the first year of his life roaming the streets of Southern California with a homeless man. In the year 2010, the homeless man was no longer able to take care of Terry and so he handed over the leash to Riker Donihue who brought him home. It took over a year for Terry to acclimate to the life of a family dog. To this day, he still takes his food, one mouthful at a time, to another room to eat it - we believe he may still worry about going hungry sometimes. It took time, but he's become a very good companion, not only for anyone who happens to be in the office, but for the Donihue family as well. Terry does have a license but he is not a licensed financial advisor. Historically speaking, he has not provided any beneficial financial advice so please use caution when listening to him opine.
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