Gary L. Wardein,
CIMA®
Senior Vice President, Wealth Management
For over four decades, I have guided families through the process of planning for and achieving their lifetime financial and investment goals, laying the foundation for the lives they want to lead and the legacy they want to provide for themselves, their children and their grandchildren. Along the way, many close and lifelong friendships have been built with the families I am privileged to work with every day.
A native Californian, I was a small business owner prior to my career as a financial advisor, which began with Merrill Lynch in 1978. The experiences that I have enjoyed throughout my career, along with the greatest joy of my life – raising a family with my wife, Kathy – form the foundation for the values I bring to Trailhead Wealth Partners of Raymond James.
Our team’s philosophy is defined by the principles depicted in the book “Cowboy Ethics,” known as “The Code of the West,” which you can see here on our philosophy page. If there were to be an 11th principle added to the 10 listed within the code, I believe it would be “always do the right thing.”
Every member of our team lives by a shared set of values and beliefs. It is how we conduct business at Trailhead Wealth Partners, and it is the only way we know how to do the very best we can for the families we partner with so that they may achieve their personal and financial goals. And it is how we intend to continue serving in the future.
I am a senior vice president and wealth manager with Raymond James as well as a Certified Investment Management Analyst®. This designation requires extensive experience and education and demands strict adherence to stringent ethical requirements.
Along the way, I was the founder of the Firecrackers Softball Club in 1990. For the past 30 years, this organization has been recognized for the values and principles that we established as the club’s foundation and that all members of the organization believe in and practice, on and off the field of play.
In 2004, I handed the reins over to a carefully selected management team who helped build the club during the first 15 years. Under their leadership, the Firecrackers went on to become the premier organization of its kind with over 200 teams nationwide and thousands of participants each year. On the field, the club has achieved multiple national championships and the young women in the program have realized dreams of college educations and international competition, including the Olympics. This experience helped to reinforce the passion that drives me and our team at Trailhead Wealth Partners to provide the tools and guidance that help the families we are fortunate to work with achieve their own goals in life, both financial and personal.
Kathy and I have been married since 1975 and together we have raised three children and share seven grandchildren. We live in Ramona, California, own and ride horses, love baseball and NASCAR, and enjoy working on our property.
Investments & Wealth Institute™ (The Institute) is the owner of the certification marks “CIMA®” and “Certified Investment Management Analyst℠.” Use of CIMA® and/or Certified Investment Management Analyst℠ signifies that the user has successfully completed The Institute's initial and ongoing credentialing requirements for investment management professionals.
