Eight local wealth management advisors among best in the nation
Bert Ponder, Robert J. Leverte III, Doug Justice, Benny Varzi, Mark Wazevich, Mark Linenberg, Kurt Jones, and Bob Kurtz Merrill Lynch advisors, were named to the 2021 Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” list.
Ponder joined Merrill Lynch after earning a degree from Washington & Lee University in 1983. With 38 years in the financial industry, Bert is Managing Director with Ponder Jowers & Associates. He is an active member of the Atlanta community and works with many charitable organizations including: Executives for Egleston/ Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Washington & Lee Atlanta Alumni, Northside Methodist Church Finance Committee, Boy Scouts of America, Atlanta Junior Golf Association, The First Tee at East Lake, and Fugees Academy Board of Directors.
Leverte joined Merrill Lynch in 2006 and is a Senior Vice President with The Leverte Group. He resides in Atlanta and holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Villanova University and an MBA in finance from Pepperdine University. This is the fourth year in a row Robert has been recognized on the Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” list.
Justice joined Merrill Lynch in 1979 and is a Senior Vice President with Justice & Associates. After his grandson was born with Down Syndrome in 2014, Doug started researching the world of disability and was surprised to find that nearly one in five Americans is living with a disability. His work as an advisor with an aging population and discovering this list of vast disabilities led Justice to get his designation as a Chartered Special Needs Consultant® (ChSNC®) – one of only 405 nationwide who have this designation.
Varzi joined Merrill Lynch in 2009 and is a Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager with The Varzi Group. Varzi resides in Marietta and earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Kennesaw State University. Varzi also holds Certifications of Portfolio Management from The Babson School of Executive Education in Boston, DePaul University in Chicago and The University of Chicago Booths School of Business.
Wazevich joined Merrill Lynch in 2002 and is a Senior Vice President with Merrill Global Corporate & Institutional Advisory Services (GCIAS). He is a graduate of Cleveland State University and resides in North Atlanta. He is an active supporter of the Chhorn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, as well as the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
Linenberg is a Senior Vice President Senior Financial Advisor with 20 years experience with Merrill Lynch. This is the fourth time he has been named to this list. He takes a holistic approach to clients’ financial needs and works diligently with them to find appropriate strategies and solutions.
Jones joined Merrill Lynch in 2007 and is a Senior Vice President Wealth Management Advisor at his firm, Jones & Associates and this is the first time he has been named to this list. He provides a broad range of wealth management services. His passion is to add value to every phase of each client’s financial lives by helping them successfully achieve their most meaningful financial goals.
Kurtz is a Senior Vice President Wealth Management Advisor at his firm, The Kurtz Group and this is the first time being named to this Forbes list. He currently resides in Chamblee, and is an alumni of Marist and the University of Notre Dame.
Merrill holds the No. 1 position of all firms, with 1,319 total advisors recognized on this list, including 1,168 Financial Advisors (FAs) and 151 Private Wealth Advisors (PWAs). This marks the fourth consecutive year for Merrill in the No. 1 spot.