Our Team

Mary Lyons*

The Wealth Woman

Mary began her financial career as a young girl. A second-generation financial advisor, Mary’s fascination with investment planning started at dinner conversations with her parents, understanding wealth as a tool rather than an end goal. As Mary grew up, so did her interest and expertise. Today, Mary is recognized as part of the nation’s top 1% in the industry and has been a recipient of the Chairman’s Council Award (top 10 producers with American United Life Insurance Company®) for the past ten years.

With the recognition Mary has earned, she teaches her ideas and methods at national conferences, consults with the industry’s best, and trains advisors in top firms across the United States.

The world and the financial situation shifts and changes every day. The financial strategies that worked for your grandparents and parents no longer work today. The financial plans you made last year, even last month, may need updating. What drives Mary is creating a strong financial portfolio that’s right for you and your family, working with you to meet financial goals while adapting to whatever the world throws your way.

State Licensure

Insurance: FL, IN, LA, MI, NC, NM, NV, OK, SC, TX

Securities (FINRA Series 7 & 66): TX

Eric Alexander*

Financial Advisor

Before becoming a financial advisor, Eric had a career as an industrial engineer focusing on improving supply chain efficiencies. He enjoyed the people and the challenge of making systems faster, more efficient. However, he felt something was missing. Eric didn’t feel he was making a significant impact on individual lives, just making numbers better than before.

Eric took the opportunity to leave behind work as an industrial engineer and use the skills and mindset he had developed to make real, impactful change for those around him. Change that would leave a person and family’s life enriched for decades. Eric never foresaw himself doing that in (what he thought at the time) was the outmoded financial planning industry. But, an early mentor helped him see creative people were trying new and better strategies to improve lives.

For the past decade, Eric has put his tenacity, intelligence, and creativity to work creating financial plans for clients to grow their wealth, achieve financial goals, and provide a better life for themselves, their children, and their grandchildren. That means creating financial plans creative and flexible enough to weather an economy that is always moving, changing, and growing more complex. This is the change he hopes to be a part of for the next 30 years.

Cheryl Stagner

Director of Insurance Management

Cheryl brings over 25 years of Administrative experience within the Life/Disability/Health Insurance Industry. She has filled various roles to include New Business Case Management/Field Underwriting, Implementation of Product Management, and oversees the administration of Policy Service and Licensing/Contracting.

Before joining Benchmark Income Group™, Cheryl’s tenure was with Personal Economics Group. A few years prior to that, she acted in most of the same roles with Guardian Life Insurance Company, and all led under the same General Agent. She goes back as far as 1994, where she started as an Administrative Assistant for Life & Health Insurance with Met Life & Mutual of Omaha.

She uses her organizational skills to ensure smooth underwriting processes and also provides excellent attention to detail in many areas. At the same time, she effectively represents herself in the Life & Financial Planning world. She’s been known to be recognized as the “Underwriting Guru.”

She works very closely with her General Agent. She prioritizes a vision to create collaborative relationships with agents while demonstrating her ability to work without close supervision and to exercise individual judgment and problem-solving in a professional area.

Cheryl says that Benchmark Income Group™ is different because the team has worked together for a long time, shares a common vision for excellence, and has never grown too big not to know each client personally.

Since her move from Austin, Cheryl has been a resident of Frisco, Texas since early 2020. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her daughter, exploring the outdoors, and crafting. She hopes to open her own Etsy shop one day!

Meghan Cutsumbis

Financial Professional

Meghan is passionate in teaching young people how they can do life better and with much more efficiency. "Be the person you needed when you were younger" is the quote that real guides Meghan and how she moves through the world. She is most energized by working with creative types, change-makers, and ambitious young professionals. Her goal is to disrupt their way of thinking about money and educate them on a 21st century way of approaching personal finances! But she also enjoys working with anyone who is eager to learn!

Meghan joined Benchmark Income Group™ from the retail industry, where she led several teams as a Buyer and held positions in both planning and allocation at a Fortune 500 retailer. Here, she won 21 different awards and honors for financial and personal performance, including being identified as an “out of the box” thinker. She also spent time as a buyer at a retail tech startup and many years as a professional makeup artist. Most recently, Meghan’s innovative way of thinking and problem solving led to her being sought out by the wholesale vendor community to work as a consultant.

Studying abroad in Hong Kong and China, while attending Indiana University, ignited Meghan’s passion for international travel. She appreciates adventure vacations, and has gone from scaling a volcano in Bali to snorkeling in underground caves in Tulum! Last summer, she spent just over a month in Greece to explore her heritage and see first hand the village where her family grew up. Meghan is living her dream life and you can too!

Nathan Grant

Financial Professional* and Executive Assistant

Nathan's number one goal is to impact others through creative solutions to preparing for the ups and downs of life. He loves connecting with people who value faith, fun, fitness, finance, and friends!

Nate's goal is to help as many households and individuals as possible—working primarily with young professionals, young couples, medical professionals, small- to mid-size business owners, and overall nice people.

As a student athlete, Nate learned the importance of a solid game plan and how proper preparation can prevent poor performance. He's here to help you prepare so that you can spend more time living and less time worrying! 

Kelly Lookadoo

Financial Professional

Kelly Lookadoo is a dedicated professional with a passion for financial strategy and social impact. A graduate of Samford University, she started her career in the music business in Nashville, which led her to working for one of the leading speakers bureaus in the nation.

She made the move to Dallas in 2008, managing online communities before transitioning to Director of Community Impact for Treasured Vessels Foundation, where she helped grow fundraising over 200% in three years and developed some of the largest partnerships that aided the advancement of the Foundation.

Kelly is an accomplished business development professional with an ability to build and maintain relationships, a strategic mindset for making long-term organizational impact, and an unparalleled talent for communicating complex ideas in simple terms.

Kelly is a devoted wife and mother of two children, and three bonus children.

Tracey S. Dean*

Financial Advisor

With Tracey, financial planning is less about crunching numbers and more about creating a life you love. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional, she brings clarity to the chaos, helping women (and those who love them) build financial lives that are thoughtful, strategic, and unapologetically aligned with what they value most.

Her first lesson about money wasn’t in a classroom—it was as a young girl, trying to get her dad to write a child support check to her mom. That experience left an imprint: money isn’t just about math. It’s about power, stability, and the ability to protect the people you love. That early moment sparked a lifelong mission to not just understand wealth, but to help others build it with purpose.  

Grounded in deep experience in tax planning and risk management, Tracey created The Tracey Method — a practical, personalized approach that goes beyond investing to address inflation, longevity, and all of life’s “what ifs.” Her signature framework empowers women to own their financial future with confidence, creativity, and a solid plan. 

Tracey’s journey is as inspiring as it is resilient. After surviving a near-fatal car accident and learning how to walk again, she became the first in her family to graduate college (Westminster University)— proof that grit and purpose can change everything. That experience shaped her mission: to help others live more intentionally, with their money and their mindset. She loves education and completed her certification as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional in 2023 & 2024. 

She lives in Salt Lake City’s Millcreek area with her partner Sherri and their rescue husky, Moxie. She’s a proud bonus mom to Erin and Sarah and recently stepped into her favorite new role — grandma to baby Steele. Off the clock, she loves reading personal development books, traveling, digging in the garden, playing pickleball and golf, discovering the best local eats — and helping LGBTQ+ and allied business owners in Utah thrive. 

Ready to design a financial life that supports your biggest dreams? You’re in the right place.  

Nate Chesley

Financial Professional

Nate believes it’s important to bring clarity and creativity to an industry not typically known for these qualities. For over 20 years, he's built his career by focusing on key fundamentals, making what can be an overly complex undertaking into something understandable and approachable for clients.

Nate's experience covers retirement solutions, federal benefits, insurance, tax efficiency, guaranteed income, and estate preservation. It’s Nate's goal to help people navigate their future in the most efficient way possible. With a strategic mindset, Nate's approach to financial strategies offers new ways for people to think about making, growing, and protecting their money through methods that make sense.

Nate has been happily married for 27 years and has two young daughters (and a whole hobby farm of animals, including horses, dogs, and cats).  

With his family, Nate loves to ride horses, camp, spend time at the lakes, and enjoy the beauty of Minnesota. Nate is a Midwest native who spent time in North Dakota and Colorado, before returning to Minnesota in 2016 to expand his business and enjoy small town living. 

Ana Hernandez

Financial Professional*

Ana’s passion for helping others led her to the financial industry, where she has become a trusted advisor known for her boundless energy and commitment to making a meaningful difference.

Growing up in a large family, Ana quickly understood how financial obstacles can limit dreams. Ana's background sparked her mission to educate and empower others, showing them that money is simply a tool to achieve what they love most—and that by truly understanding how money works, anyone can turn seemingly impossible dreams into reality.

Throughout her career, Ana has refined her knowledge in offering personalized financial guidance, helping to ensure that each client receives the exceptional care and support they deserve. She is deeply dedicated to supporting her clients and building authentic, long-lasting relationships rooted in trust and respect. Ana treats every client like family, providing a level of personal attention that sets her apart. By working closely with clients, she crafts customized strategies to help them achieve their unique financial goals.  

Outside of her professional life, Ana is a devoted wife and mother of two. She cherishes time spent with her family and has a passion for discovering new experiences. Whether it’s traveling, sampling new cuisines, meeting people from diverse backgrounds, or immersing herself in different cultures, Ana finds joy in exploration and continues to grow both personally and professionally. 

Benjamin Gerald

Financial Professional

Benjamin is a graduate of Penn State and originally hails from Northern Virginia (HTTR!). In 2016, he moved with his family from New York to DFW and now both works and lives in McKinney, Texas. He’s actively involved in his local community and church.

After working for over 10 years in commercial construction as a project engineer, Benjamin realized he had a calling to leverage his problem-solving skills as a financial professional in a way that genuinely helped people. Since 2009, Benjamin has had the opportunity to work with great clients and businesses on their financial strategies in a variety of roles.  

Benjamin believes in three core tenets when it comes to financial solutions: confidence, clarity, and creating a strategy. In addition, he was a successful wholesaler for one of the largest mutual insurance carriers, providing consultation support for agents & advisors in over 20 states.  

He’s been featured as a platform presenter, established speaker, and frequent guest on business podcasts. He leverages all these experiences as a beneficial resource for his clients. With a focus on niche solutions, Benjamin’s primary client focus is business owners and executive compensation, high-net worth individuals, collegiate and professional athletes, and estate strategies for generational legacy wealth. 

If he’s not working, you’ll find Benjamin enjoying time with his family (wife Jamie and their four kids). He’s a coach for his kids’ many different sports teams. He serves on local community boards, is a member of the McKinney Chamber of Commerce, and attends St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. He’s also actively involved in his kids’ PTA, neighborhood civic groups, and volunteers with local charities and networking groups. 

Jennifer Harvey

Financial Professional

Jennifer is a financial professional with a passion for helping people turn their financial goals into real-life dreams. Whether it’s preparing for retirement, growing wealth, protecting what matters most, or creating tax-efficient strategies, Jennifer works with clients—especially women and business owners—to build a clear, personalized paths.

She believes money should be a tool that works for you, not the other way around. That’s why she creates a judgment-free space where clients can talk openly about their hopes, fears, and dreams. Jennifer believes her job is to listen, simplify the complex, and help clients' hard-earned dollars multitask so they can live the life they imagine.  

With over 10 years in financial solutions, and more than 20 with insurance licenses, Jennifer brings both experience and heart to every conversation Clients often tell her that they appreciate her authenticity, making it easy to build trust from day one.  

Jennifer has called Texas home since 2014. When she’s not working, you’ll find her mentoring fellow female entrepreneurs, gardening, or cooking something fresh and delicious. She's also a proud mom of three amazing adults and Yaya to three wonderful grandkids.

Geneva Feldman

Financial Professional

With over 17 years of experience in real estate, Geneva began her journey in 2007 as a single mother determined to build a better future for her family. Today, her children are grown and thriving, and she's proudly built a successful business rooted in service, resilience, and purpose. Guided by a servant’s heart, Geneva is deeply passionate about helping families achieve financial stability. She believes that real estate and financial strategies go hand in hand—and when done right, they can become powerful tools for building wealth and leaving a legacy.

Over the years, Geneva has developed an extensive network and a loyal client base, many of whom she's helped purchase their first homes, investment properties, and everything in between.  

Geneva takes pride in being a trusted resource throughout life’s financial journey. When she's not working, Geneva enjoys traveling internationally and giving back by supporting charitable organizations that uplift underprivileged communities. She's grateful every day for the opportunity to make a meaningful impact.

Holli Powell

Director of Operations

Holli brings over two decades of executive leadership and operational excellence to her role as Director of Operations at Benchmark. With extensive experience supporting C-suite executives across Fortune 500 companies and high-growth startups, Holli focuses on transforming executive visions into tangible results through strategic foresight and operational optimization. 

Previously, Holli founded Leading Out Loud, a successful administrative and operations consultancy serving clients in the SaaS and financial services sectors. Her career highlights include pivotal roles at dynamic organizations like Retrium and Trium Group, as well as serving as Executive Assistant to Jerry Yang, founder of Yahoo, and holding various leadership positions at Yahoo! Inc. 

Holli excels at cross-functional project leadership, talent development, and process optimization. She has consistently delivered organization-wide initiatives on time and under budget while pioneering innovative solutions for virtual engagement and team collaboration. Her blend of strategic thinking, technical acumen, and exceptional communication skills makes her an invaluable asset in driving organizational efficiency and growth. 

Holli is passionate about amplifying leadership effectiveness and fostering strong relationships that drive business success. 

Gabrielle Krylova

Director of Client Experience

As Director of Client Experience at Benchmark Income Group, Gabrielle brings nearly a decade of industry experience from leading institutions such as Goldman Sachs, as well as boutique advisory firms.  

Her passion for people and desire to make a meaningful difference is what drew her to Benchmark. In her role, Gabrielle is dedicated to fostering strong, personal relationships with clients, helping to ensure they meet their financial goals while feeling heard, understood, and supported at every stage of their financial journey.  

She works closely with the advisory team to align service with each client’s financial goals, helping to ensure their needs are not only met but exceeded. Gabrielle’s impact is felt in the trust she builds and the clarity she brings to often complex financial matters. She prioritizes putting clients at the center of everything she does, and fosters a relationship that empowers them to move forward with confidence toward their goals. 

Outside the office, Gabrielle is an avid world traveler, enthusiastic runner, and amateur photographer. Having lived abroad for many years, she brings a global perspective and a rich sense of adaptability and curiosity to both her personal and professional life. She cherishes time spent with her family above all, and finds the most joy in appreciating the small, beautiful moments of everyday life. 

Mariah Wispell

Director of Marketing and Communications

Mariah is a dynamic marketing communications professional with global experience across industry, nonprofit, and media. She focuses on stakeholder relations, brand strategy, and content creation. At Benchmark, Mariah is focused on ensuring top-quality client communications, managing the Benchmark brand, event management, and promoting Benchmark’s advisors as thought leaders in the personal financial space. She has held senior marketing roles at Danish multinational FLSmidth, Australian Thiess Group, and DC-based NGO Search for Common Ground, and previously worked on the editorial team at D CEO. She has led international projects across the Americas, Australia, and Europe, including a multi-language marketing campaign for the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. 

A lifelong learner driven by curiosity, Mariah thrives on building connections and exploring new ideas. She is fluent in Spanish and currently studying Italian. In her free time, she enjoys hiking with her dog Apollo, skiing, traveling, trying out local classes, and reading. Mariah is also a volunteer with the International Rescue Committee, Women of the World, and Utah Global Diplomacy, and currently serves on the Community Relations Committee of the Junior League of Salt Lake City. A native of Dallas, she has called Salt Lake City home since 2022. 

Mariah holds a B.A in International Relations and an M.A. in Journalism from the University of North Texas.