Your Personal Team
Advisors | Team Leaders | Operations Associates
David Van Benschoten
Partner, Chief Investment Officer
David joined The Advocate Group in 2010 after more than 25 years with General Mills. At General Mills, David was the Treasurer, Chief Investment Officer and Vice President for the consolidated organization. David is a fixed income authority having personally managed in excess of 2.5 billion dollars of fixed income securities and derivatives for the General Mills Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution retirement plans. He and his team also managed the managers of approximately 4.5 billion dollars of equity securities within the two plans. Through his stewardship and skilled long-term portfolio management/analysis, General Mills and its employees enjoyed consistently successful investment performance in both the Pension and the 401(k) plan.
In between his retirement from General Mills in 2007, and joining the Advocate Group, David was head of Fixed Income at Somerset Asset Management in Minneapolis, MN. David has a BS in Economics, from Bethel College, and an MBA from The University of Minnesota.
Life Focus:
Outside of business, David is also very active in the community where he serves on the following boards:
- The Children’s Theatre Company – Investment Committee
- The Baptist General Conference Pension – Investment Committee
* Investment advice offered through The Advocate Group, LLC.; a registered investment advisor.
* IFA not affiliated with TAG Financial Services, Inc.
Phillip Barnhill, CLU®
Partner, Financial Advisor
Phil graduated in 1977 from Hamilton College in Clinton, NY with a BA in Economics. His lifelong interest in the changing patterns of world economies has been of great assistance to the development of the firm’s investment management philosophy.
Phil’s entire 30+ year working career has been dedicated to the financial services industry. The combination of growing up in the home of a senior corporate officer (Phil’s father was the 16-year CEO of Allianz Life US) and advising senior officers at General Mills for the past 10+ years, has given Phil a keen understanding of the unique financial and family dynamics of highly successful corporate officers. Today, well over 90% of The Advocate Group client base are officers of local companies heavily compensated with equity compensation.
Life Focus:
Phil is an avid inline skate marathoner and can be seen looping lake Harriett and Lake Calhoun throughout Minnesota summers. With roots in Big Sky Montana, Phil and his family are avid skiers, snowshoe and hiking fans, fly fishermen, and horsemen. Phil’s legacy will be to care for the families of The Advocate Group employee team because doing so will in turn best fulfill his commitment to serving our many client families across multiple generations.
Top 5 Strengths:
Futuristic, Activator, Achiever, Relator and Learner
*LPL Representative is registered in the following States:
AR, CA, CO, FL, GA, IA, IL, KS, MI, MN, MO, NJ, NY, OH, PA, WA, WI
Rick Lueck
Partner, Financial Advisor
Rick graduated from Pillsbury College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biblical Studies. Before entering the financial service industry, he worked for fourteen years with a family holding corporation providing management for multiple businesses. In 1998 Rick entered the financial service industry and in 2000 Rick and Phil Barnhill formed The Advocate Group after working together on a large estate planning case the previous year. Rick’s primary focus has been working with individuals in clarifying what matters most and developing and monitoring comprehensive strategies to help them reach their goals and objectives. As a Partner and Financial Advisor of The Advocate Group, Rick has the responsibility of managing client relationships and providing oversight of the planning division of the firm.
Life Focus:
When Rick gets away from work, he enjoys spending time with his family, working within his church community, biking, walking and is an avid reader of history.
Top 5 Strengths:
Context, Responsibility, Empathy, Includer and Belief
*LPL Representative is registered in the following States:
AR, CA, FL, GA, IA, IL, KS, MI, MN, MO, NJ, NY, OH, PA, WA, WI
Echo Huang, CFP®, CPA
Partner, Financial Advisor
Echo was born and raised in China, where she received a degree in Accounting at age 17. She left her job at the Bank of China to come to the United States by herself in 1992 and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Winona State University in 1995 with a Bachelors of Science in Accounting. She received her CPA license in Minnesota in 1996 and CFP® certification in 2001.
Echo joined The Advocate Group as a Partner in 2005. Previously, she started her own financial services practice with LPL Financial in 2003 after working at RSM McGladrey, KPMG and West Publishing Company. Her extensive experience in tax and stock option planning for executives and business owners provides the background to meet the unique objectives of each client relationship.
She has served on the Board of Financial Planning Association-MN Chapter and Alumni Board of Winona State University.
Life Focus:
Away from work, Echo is an advocate for the orphans in China whose parent(s) have died of AIDS. She serves on the Board of China AIDS Orphan Fund, a charity she helped create in 2003. Echo cherishes spending time with her husband, Dan, and their daughter, Nina and enthusiastically practices ballroom dancing and piano.
Top 5 Strengths:
Maximizer, Achiever, Activator, Learner and Significance
*LPL Representative is registered in the following States:
AR, CA, IL, MN, NJ, NY, OH
Michael Corrigan, CFP®
Financial Advisor
Michael graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. Prior to joining The Advocate Group in 2007, he guided clients through financial planning and investment solutions at another regional firm. Just before that, he serviced local and national accounts for a large investment institution.
Financial education is a passion of Michael’s. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional – a designation awarded only to individuals who meet specific education, examination, experience and ethics requirements, and he is also a member of the Financial Planning Association.
Life Focus:
The brother of a young adult with autism, Michael has a specific devotion to the special needs community. He serves on the board of directors for two local special needs non-profit organizations, and on the professional advisory board for a third. Michael currently lives in St. Paul and enjoys a variety of pastimes including golf, reading, and running.
Top 5 Strengths:
Maximizer, Futuristic, Responsibility, Developer and Belief
*LPL Representative is registered in the following States:
AR, CA, FL, IA, MI, MN, WI
Michele Barnhill
Partner, Operations Manager
Michele received her Bachelor of Science degree, Magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Syracuse University in 1978 and the degree of Juris Doctorate from William Mitchell College of Law in 1982. After a brief stint in the world of Public Accounting, Michele engaged in the private practice of law, exclusively specializing in estate planning for 20 years which she ran out of her home while raising their three children.
After several requests from her spouse, Phillip, Michele joined the Advocate Group as a Partner in June of 2000 thus launching the multi-disciplined approach to financial planning which has become a cornerstone in today’s practice.
Life Focus:
When not spending time with family and friends, Michele keeps busy on the board of her children’s high school, exercising, knitting and entertaining.
Top 5 Strengths:
Harmony, Developer, Responsibility, Empathy and Communication
Haralds Bondaris, CFP®
Operations Manager
Haralds was born and raised in Latvia and his only career for a long time was in music as a drummer. In 2001, after graduating from Latvian Music Academy and becoming one of the most sought after drummers in Latvia, Haralds made a lifetime decision to move to the United States. Haralds enjoyed the new opportunities to grow as a musician, but he also decided to broaden his horizons and entered business school. This turned out to be another life changing decision, which later opened a door for Haralds to join The Advocate Group, where he is enjoying every opportunity to improve lives of many people.
Haralds currently holds degrees in Finance, Business Administration, and Music Performance, and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner.
Life Focus:
As a professional drummer Haralds is regularly performing around the Twin Cities with some of the best musicians in Minnesota. In his free time, Haralds enjoys spending time and traveling with his family, as well as is actively engaged in karate training and other personal fitness activities.
Top 5 Strengths:
Achiever, Learner, Focus, Futuristic and Ideation
JaneAnn Lueck
Partner, Administrative Assistant
JaneAnn is a graduate of Pillsbury College with an Associate Degree in Administration Science. Before joining The Advocate Group, JaneAnn worked in a computer brokerage firm and later aided in the onset of a new computer brokerage firm.
Life Focus:
JaneAnn has devoted extensive energy and talent to home-educating her three children. With the last of the three closing in on graduation, she may have a little more time for her other passions. When she finds the time, JaneAnn enjoys spending time with friends, reading and sewing.
Top 5 Strengths:
Responsibility, Developer, Empathy, Connectedness and Harmony
Sean O’Hagan
Team Leader
Sean joined the Advocate Group after graduating from St. Olaf College in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Finance. He was brought on to the team to assist in the planning process and is being mentored into the Team Leader role.
Life Focus:
Outside of work, Sean enjoys spending as much time with family and friends as possible. He also enjoys keeping physically active through whatever the ever-changing Minnesota climate will allow him to pursue.
Top 5 Strengths:
Individualization, Achiever, Communication, Woo and Includer
Bobbi Flescher
Administrative Assistant
Bobbi is a graduate of St. Catherine University with a Bachelors of Arts in English Education, but has spent her working life in the world of business. Over the course of her career, Bobbi has managed an Estate Planning Legal Office and has worked with The Advocate Group since 2003. Through her experiences, Bobbi specializes in the office’s business analysis, bookkeeping, and technical writing.
Life Focus:
Outside of work, Bobbi enjoys reading, quilting, bowling, and spending time with friends and family. Bobbi is also a talented baker and shares her gift frequently with her family and colleagues.
Top 5 Strengths:
Connectedness, Communication, Input, Learner and Responsibility
Katie Gjerstad
Administrative Assistant
Katie has over 20 years of experience in security operations, portfolio administration and customer service. Before joining The Advocate Group, Katie previously worked at General Mills for more than 25 years and has assisted David Van Benschoten for most of her career. In 1992, Katie became a Portfolio Administrator at General Mills where she was responsible for the operational administration of nine separate institutional fixed income portfolios for five different entities.
Life Focus:
When Katie is not up at the front desk at The Advocate Group, she enjoys being with her long-time boyfriend, Rod, and her two children, Kyle and Lindsay. She also loves sports, camping, and when weather permits, riding around town on her pearl white Harley.
