Matthew Veldman is a Senior Financial Advisor with BSK Wealth Management at Merrill. Matt works closely with individuals, families, and businesses to design and implement customized strategies to advance their goals and long-term aspirations. He sees his role as that of a financial coach and educator, providing clients with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their lives and legacies. He is particularly adept in wealth transition, pre- and post-retirement strategies, cash-flow analysis, income generation strategies, and defined contribution plan design and administration.

Committed to consistent outreach and service, Matt provides tailored advice to small businesses, supporting owners and entrepreneurs in the creation, evaluation, and maintenance of their 401(k) plans. In this role, he is passionate in advancing employee education, helping people take concrete steps toward a more secure financial future. He believes strongly in clear communication, explaining investments in an approachable manner and developing family-specific strategies that account for each client’s timelines, risk threshold, and preferences. Matt strives to instill both insight and confidence in the clients he serves, supporting them in their path toward financial independence and stewardship.

Matt joined Merrill in 2015. Previously, he was a professional football player with the NFL from 2012 through 2014, playing tight end with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Detroit Lions, and Washington Redskins. He earned his B.A. from North Dakota State University.  He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner and holds the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor, CPFA designation. Within Merrill, Matt is a Senior Portfolio Advisor, who can help clients pursue their objectives by managing on a discretionary basis custom investment strategies, selecting from a wide range of Merrill model portfolios and third-party investment strategies.

Matt and his wife Sarah live in Hugo, Minnesota, with their two sons.

Philip Bruneau is a Senior Vice President and Senior Consultant with BSK Wealth Management at Merrill. Phil works with individuals, couples, families, and businesses, helping them chart a clear and realistic path toward their financial goals. With more than thirty years at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, Phil draws on the knowledge and insight that only experience can provide. His approach is highly personalized, collaborative, and supportive. A clear communicator, he prides himself on explaining strategies and tactics in concrete terms so that clients can grow in their own abilities as stewards of their financial lives and legacies.

Phil is adept in integrated wealth management, unifying and streamlining multiple areas of a client’s financial framework. His areas of focus include portfolio construction, cash-flow analysis, wealth structuring, retirement planning, insurance, and access to lending through Bank of America, N.A. By striving to optimize these parameters, Phil directs a deeply customized approach that reflects each person’s unique circumstances. He believes strongly in the value of long-term planning, laying the groundwork for consistent habits that can help clients transcend life’s uncertainties. Moreover, he takes great satisfaction in unwinding the complexities that significant wealth can entail, adding clarity, comfort, and direction.

Phil joined Merrill in 1990. Previously, he was a defensive tackle in the NFL and USFL, playing with the Kansas City Chiefs, Arizona Outlaws, and Oklahoma Outlaws. He also worked in his family’s ranching business in Montana, providing him with first-hand insight into the challenges and satisfactions that business owners can encounter.

Phil earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from the University of Central Oklahoma after spending the majority of his college years at Montana State University. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner and holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor designation and the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor, CPFA designation.

Phil and his wife Kelly have three adult children, Marlow, Lauren, and Bronson. Phil’s four granddaughters provide him and his family with much joy. Outside of the office, Phil is active with Rotary International and has volunteered extensively with youth sports programs. His hobbies include wood working, cycling, golfing, reading, and following college football.

Jon Yocum is a Relationship Manager with BSK Wealth Management at Merrill. He works closely with individuals, families, and businesses to design and implement customized financial strategies to help advance their goals and long-term aspirations. He thrives on listening to your story; hearing your goals and dreams, and working with you to find a path that helps you reach those goals. Jon is particularly adept in wealth transition, pre- and post-retirement strategies, cash-flow analysis, income generation strategies, and risk mitigation.

With a background as an owner in family businesses, Jon provides tailored advice to small and mid-sized businesses, supporting owners and entrepreneurs in the creation, evaluation, and maintenance of their holistic wealth management plan. He driven by a passion for delivering excellent service and helping you pursue your goals, explaining investments in an approachable manner and developing family-specific strategies that account for your timelines, risk threshold, and preferences.

Jon joined Merrill in 2019. Previously, he was an independent IT consultant to small businesses. He earned his B.A. from Gustavus Adolphus College.

Jon and his wife Kirsten live in Grant, Minnesota, with their son and daughter.

Kim Jadwin is a Senior Relationship Manager with BSK Wealth Management at Merrill. Kim is responsible for the smooth functioning of the team, overseeing consistent and methodical processes designed to optimize the client experience. A strong communicator, Kim is adept in fostering a highly attentive and responsive environment that prioritizes each client’s long-term well-being. Her areas of focus include team management and operations, client meetings and ongoing communications, objective implementation and assessment, and process review and refinement. Kim also connects clients to dedicated specialists within Merrill and Bank of America, facilitating in-depth advice and guidance that can help clients advance meaningful progress toward their goals. Committed to each client’s success, Kim enjoys developing close relationships with the individuals and families she serves, forging lasting ties that span multiple generations.

 

Kim joined Merrill in 2000, initially working in the Stillwater office before moving to BSK Wealth Management in 2015. Previously, she spent more than ten years with Piper Jaffray. Kim attended the University of Minnesota Duluth, where she studied Business Management.

 

Originally from the North Shore of Lake Superior, Kim now lives in Stillwater, Minnesota, with her husband Ken. They have two adult children who are both married & three grandchildren. In her free time, Kim enjoys going to estate sales, cooking for family and friends, gardening and participating in a variety of outdoor activities.

Barbara Chelgren is a Registered Senior Wealth Management Client Associate with BSK Wealth Management at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Organized and precise, Barb is highly skilled in addressing clients’ needs. Her tenure with the firm has provided her with in-depth knowledge of its processes and capabilities, heightening her ability to connect clients to the resources that can help advance their goals. Her areas of focus include client on-boarding, account maintenance, question resolution, customized reporting, and facilitation of brokerage and banking services. Closely attuned to the needs of each client and family, Barb enjoys developing personal relationships that attest to her commitment and dedication.

 

Barb has worked at Merrill since 1998. She earned her B.S. in Finance from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.

 

Barb and her husband Coy have two daughters. In her free time, Barb is an active volunteer with Can Do Canines, which raises and trains future assistance dogs, as well as the Sandwich Project, which provides food to the homeless. Every holiday season, she also organizes support for a local family in need.



*Banking products are provided by Bank of America, N.A. and affiliated banks, Members FDIC and wholly owned subsidiaries of Bank of America Corporation.

Jess Douglass is one of our newer members of the BSK Wealth Management team, starting at Merrill 2021. Ready to put customers first, she has been in the customer service industry for eight years and enjoys building relationships to more deeply understand client needs. Jess works hard to finish tasks accurately and efficiently.

At an early age, Jess understood the impact of financial education on families and communities. In order to be a part of that, she earned her B.S. in Finance at Minnesota State University Moorhead, while also obtaining certificates in Corporate Finance, Investments and Bank Management. Jess works one on one with our clients to help ensure their service needs are met as well as fostering strong relationships moving forward. It is important to her that she has a positive impact on our clients’ experience with BSK Wealth Management and Merrill.

Jessica resides in Mounds View with her husband, Jonathan and their new son, Henry. They have two rescue dogs: Walker (Texas Ranger) and Millie, who keep them active. In her free time, she enjoys working with her hands from crafting projects to woodworking. She also enjoys game time with family and friends.

Jessica Freiermuth is an important member of the BSK Wealth Management Team, supporting clients in all areas of service, including account administration.  She is dedicated to her role and provides clients with prompt, personalized attention and the highest level of service. Cheerful and enthusiastic, she enjoys spending her day connecting with clients and assisting them in any way she can.

Jessica began her career with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in February 2018. No stranger to the important work of client administration, she accumulated over twelve years of experience in administrative support positions before joining Merrill. She received her double Bachelors’ degrees in English and Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio.

Jessica, her husband, Mike and their daughter Felicity, reside in White Bear Lake. In her free time, she enjoys hosting family and friends for game nights, as well as expressing her creative side through crafts and card making. An avid reader, she is especially partial to the British classics such as Persuasion, Vanity Fair, The Picture of Dorian Gray and Jane Eyre.

Tajesha brings more than 15 years of experience in client service.  She is dedicated to continually make improvements in our day to day service model in an effort to bring you the most efficient and effective service. She will work with you to fulfill your day to day transactional needs, which is the back bone of our organization. 

Tajesha began her career with Merrill in 2017 and joined our team in the fall of 2020 in the Wealth Management Client Associate role. She prides herself in the relationships that she fosters amongst colleagues and clients. Resourceful and organized, Tajesha is committed to bringing you the best of the BSK Wealth Management experience that you have come to expect from our team.


Tajesha lives in West Saint Paul with her two sons and enjoys watching movies and event planning in her down time.

Kathy began her career with Merrill in 2015 and joined the BSK Wealth Management team during the pandemic off 2020. Kathy loves to rise to the challenge of providing excellent service using technology as a catalyst to ensure your experience is personal even when we are not able to meet face to face.  You can find her spending most of her time helping our clients with scheduling as well as driving our business operations.

Kathy lives in St. Louis Park with her husband, Randy. They have 2 grown children and 2 grandchildren. She enjoys spending time with friends and family and being outdoors.