Exceptional, ambitious, committed, smart, a role model: these are just a few of the words Joe Goetz, co-founder of Athens, Georgia-based RIA Elwood & Goetz Wealth Advisory Group, used to describe his employee Tammy Williams, one of the winners of Financial Planning’s first-ever Rising Stars Award.
“One of her strengths is to infuse humor into her interpersonal communication. That’s a strength of hers, and she has an incredible professional presence. Those are reasons we hired her into the firm as well,” Goetz said.
After hitting a wall in her career in 2017, during which she worked as the head of controlling and processing at automation and engineering services company Andritz, Williams went back to school and decided to do something she enjoyed versus something she was good at but not passionate about.
She ultimately landed on financial planning, which combined two of her interests — planning and money — and earned her doctorate from the University of Georgia.
She went on to start the Foundation for Financial Education Research and Outreach, a nonprofit dedicated to improving financial education and literacy and providing timely financial solutions for low- and middle-income individuals.
People who can’t afford financial literacy training are the ones who need it most, so Williams’ nonprofit provides them with the same level of service and education that a higher net worth individual might receive, tailored to their situation, she says.
“If we’re ever going to close the wealth gap between people of color and white Americans, then we’ve got to get the basics under control. And the first step is to better understand how the decisions you make affect your finances,” she said.
At her nonprofit, she deals with basic components of financial planning, including providing financial literacy and helping students secure financial aid for college.
“I just love to see the students be able to go to college when they feel like they can’t afford it, and just seeing them thrive in life,” Williams said.
In March, she started at Elwood & Goetz, where she focuses on high net worth individuals, such as managing their stock options, among other services.
“She’s really strong in meeting with clients. She’s taken initiative on the 401(k) side of our business as well in terms of wanting to help take that to the next level. That takes a lot of initiative,” Goetz said.
Moving forward, Williams would like to mentor a diverse group of potential advisors to give them a better understanding of a day in the life of a financial planner and partner with universities to improve diversity in the industry.
“We’ve got work to do,” she said.
