Support Staff
| Reuben Neese | Jean Baley |
| Joel Dresang | John Sylvester |
| Joy Schultz | Karen Miresse |
| Max Hoelzl | Margarita Fitzpatrick |
Reuben Neeseinformation technology director |
When Reuben Neese was 8, he dismantled and repaired his family’s VCR, demonstrating precocious curiosity and a resolve to accomplish what he sets his mind to.
Finances cut short his art school education, but then Reuben applied his curiosity and pluck to the U.S. Army, where he earned specialized training in telecommunications and information technology for the Department of Defense.
While in the Army, Reuben also attended night school, attaining a degree in electrical engineering, later followed by a degree in computer network engineering.
After the military, Reuben became an accomplished graphic artist while building his information technology career, including consulting in law enforcement and the legal and financial industries.
“The Army encourages a heightened attention to detail, patience and respect – all necessary attributes when working in information technology for the financial services,” Reuben says.
Reuben joined Landaas & Company in 2008. He and his wife, Lauren, have a son and daughter.
Jean Baleysenior vice president, chief compliance officerregistered representative, registered investment advisor, general securities principal, municipal securities principal |
Jean Baley is one of a handful of Landaas & Company employees who worked her way up from receptionist and now holds four regulatory licenses.
Jean joined Landaas & Company in 1989 from a large investment bank. Among her duties has been acting as associate producer of the public television show “Dollar Signs,” which Bob Landaas hosted.
“I’ve always respected Bob’s ideas of doing what’s best for the client, not what is best for the firm,” Jean says. “But what is best for the client is best for the firm in the long run.”
Jean grew up in Milwaukee and is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She has a son and enjoys biking, flower gardening, cooking and reading.
Joel Dresangvice president – communications |
Before joining Landaas & Company in 2009, Joel Dresang was an award-winning journalist at such publications as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and USA Today.
Joel first worked with Bob Landaas as a regular contributor to “Dollar Signs,” the weekly public television show that Bob co-hosted. One of Joel’s “For What It’s Worth” segments earned a regional Emmy nomination.
Joel is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and attended the Institute for Mass Communication at the University of the Philippines. He and his wife, Mary, have three daughters and a dog.
John Sylvesterassociate |
John Sylvester has been with Landaas & Company since 2007. He works from Florida and prepares client investment reports for Bob Landaas and other advisors.
John has a degree in business management and technical experience that includes nearly two decades of work with exotic materials, such as those used in the manufacturing of upper-stage rocket engines.
John first met Bob at Millikin University, where they were students.
John is a graduate of Northwood University, in Florida, and of Milwaukee Area Technical College, where he studied computerized machining and metallurgy.
John grew up in Concord, Mass. He and his wife, Pat, have two daughters. John enjoys going to the beach, trying out restaurants and reading.
Joy Schultzcontroller, financial and operations principal |
Joy Schultz has long nurtured an attraction to and aptitude for accounting. While pursuing her college degree part-time, Joy honed her skills as a volunteer tax preparer and worked in bookkeeping for non-profit organizations.
Before joining Landaas & Company in 1999, Joy was an accountant and financial analyst for a large bank whose Milwaukee operations kept shrinking as the bank grew through mergers and acquisitions.
Joy is a graduate of Mount Mary College. She and her husband, Dan, have a daughter, a son and a granddaughter.
Joy is a master gardener and treasurer of the Ozaukee Master Gardeners. She also enjoys photography, cooking and traveling.
Karen Miresseinformation services administrator |
Karen Miresse began working in financial services as a co-op student while in high school in Milwaukee.
Her diligence advanced Karen through positions in administrative, customer service and management support in the trust division of a big local bank. After more than a decade of mergers and acquisitions, Karen left the industry to work in purchasing at a manufacturer.
An opportunity at Landaas & Company gave Karen a chance to return to financial services.
“I wanted to get back to the financial world. That’s where I grew up,” Karen says.
Karen first started with Landaas & Company in 2004 then came back in 2007 after a brief relocation with her family.
Karen and her husband, Dan, have a daughter and a son. Karen also enjoys movies.
Max Hoelzlassociate |
Twenty-five years in radio cast Max Hoelzl as news reporter, sportscaster, disc jockey, flying traffic reporter and program host. From Munising, Mich., to Harrisburg, Pa., Max’s broadcast career brought him back to his hometown, Milwaukee.
Ask how many local radio stations he has worked at, and Max says, “Most of them.”
Max met Bob Landaas during Bob’s appearances on Milwaukee’s “Ask the Expert” radio program. He hosted Bob’s show, “Money Talk” for more than 10 years.
An entrepreneur, Max started Midwest Espresso coffee kiosks in 1992 in the 411 Building. His son, Michael, now runs the business.
Max spends many weekends on his motorcycle exploring the best scenic roads in Wisconsin.
Margarita Fitzpatrickaccounting assistant |
Unlike most people, Margarita Fitzpatrick enjoys paperwork. She likes the diligence of double-checking forms and the precision of processing transactions. She appreciates the necessity of such work in making sure that customers get what they expect.
In college, Margaret found herself fascinated by the details of international trade. She had an internship at a retail company in Mexico verifying that imported items complied with Mexican customs laws.
“It’s very interesting how to import and export, how to do the transactions,” Margarita says. “I like paperwork and I like programs. I like typing and inputting. That’s me.”
At Landaas & Company, Margarita helps shepherd paperwork and deposits from clients so that money movements in accounts are authorized and processed correctly.
Her previous experience includes serving customers as a bank teller and managing a residential cleaning company, where her duties involved training, scheduling and supervising 12 employees as well as bookkeeping and overseeing both payroll and customer service.
Margarita has a degree in international business from La Salle Noroeste University, in Obregon Sonora, Mexico. She and her husband, Erik, live in Waukesha. She enjoys movies, shopping, visiting with friends and hybrid fitness workouts that include cardio exercises and yoga.