Your Personal Team
Advocates | Team Leaders | Operations Associates
Phillip Barnhill, CLU®
Partner, CEO
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 32 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, AZ, CA, FL, GA, IA, IL, KS, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NJ, NY, OH, VT, WA, WI
Rick Lueck
Partner, President
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 President 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, IL, MI, MN, MO, NJ, NY, OH, WA, WI
Echo Huang, CFP®, CPA
Partner
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 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, MA, MN, NJ, NY, OH, WI
Michael Corrigan, CFP®
Senior Consultant
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:
MN
