Financial planning is personal. Your goals may involve retirement, investments, taxes, a business, your family, or several of these at once. That is why the people behind your plan matter just as much as the plan itself.
At Hilltop Wealth & Tax Solutions, clients have access to advisors, client service specialists, accountants, bookkeepers, payroll specialists, and tax strategists who work across different areas of their financial lives. The Hilltop Wealth team brings together more than investment guidance alone. Our financial professionals can help connect planning, taxes, accounting, and ongoing support so clients have a coordinated place to turn as needs change.
Meet the Advisors Helping Clients Plan Ahead
Hilltop’s advisory group includes experienced professional advisors with backgrounds in retirement planning, investments, tax planning, and long-term financial strategy.
Erik Brenner, CFP®, President, CEO, & Private Wealth Advisor, has more than 30 years of experience in financial planning. After the sale of his family business, he moved into the financial services field and later founded Hilltop Wealth & Tax Solutions. Today, he combines firm leadership with personalized planning for select clients.
Cliff Hawkins, ChFC®, MS, NSSA®, Partner & Private Wealth Advisor, joined Hilltop in 2020 after 15 years in the field. His work centers on financial planning, tax strategies, and transition planning, with a strong focus on helping clients prepare for retirement and other major life changes.
Elizabeth Foley, CFP®, CRPC®, Private Wealth Advisor, works closely with clients to clarify their goals and build personalized strategies. She has a particular interest in supporting women as they build wealth and make financial decisions during personal and economic transitions.
Matthew Aurenz, ChFC®, NSSA®, Private Wealth Advisor, helps clients work through complex financial decisions tied to their values, goals, and family legacy. During his time at Hilltop, he has expanded his planning knowledge, earned financial designations, helped establish the firm’s tax department, and worked with estate planning solutions.
Tareq Jallaf, MBA, Private Wealth Advisor brings a strong investment and finance background to client planning. His work combines investment guidance, tax planning, and long-term strategy, while emphasizing meaningful relationships and individualized support.
Tyler Bolla, CFP®, B.S., Private Wealth Advisor, helps individuals and families organize their finances and make thoughtful decisions about the future. He has a particular interest in helping people through transition periods, when financial choices may carry added questions or uncertainty.
Ashleigh Riewe, Private Wealth Advisor, began her work with Hilltop in client service and account operations before moving into an advisory role after passing the Series 65 examination. She is also pursuing CFP® certification and brings both planning knowledge and hands-on operational experience to client relationships.
The Client Service Team Behind the Planning Process
A financial plan involves far more than meetings with an advisor. Hilltop’s client service group supports the daily details that keep client relationships organized and responsive.
Tawny Holcomb, Director of Client Services, oversees the support team and assists Hilltop’s advisors. Her work centers on organization, team coordination, and the many behind-the-scenes details involved in serving clients.
Kim Crews, AFC®, Client Relationship Manager, has a background in finance and a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership. As an Accredited Financial Counselor®, she brings financial knowledge and a people-first approach to supporting clients through changes in their financial lives.
Jennifer Whitmer, Accountant/Operations Specialist/HR, has been with Hilltop for more than a decade. Her wide-ranging responsibilities include accounting, cash flow, accounts payable and receivable, employee benefits, HR, onboarding, and operational support.
Marla Schafer, Paraplanner, supports advisors with case analysis, financial plan construction, planning software, scenario analysis, and client service. Her history with the firm goes back to childhood, followed by internships during high school and college and a full-time role after graduating from Murray State University with a finance degree.
Kyle Van Liere, MBA, Paraplanner, handles many of the technical and administrative details involved in building and maintaining financial plans. He analyzes information, prepares reports, attends client meetings, and helps advisors develop personalized strategies.
Taylor Nichols, Marketing & Business Development Manager, leads events, communications, marketing, and business development. Her role helps Hilltop build connections with clients, prospective clients, and the communities the firm serves.
Brenner Ullery, Administrative Assistant, provides administrative support within client services. Her work helps the team stay organized while giving clients attentive service throughout their relationship with Hilltop.
Meet Hilltop’s Tax and Accounting Team
Financial planning and tax decisions often overlap. Hilltop’s in-house tax and accounting group gives clients access to team members who work in tax preparation, bookkeeping, payroll, and accounting.
Kimberly D. Williams, MBA, E.A., Partner & Accountant, joined Hilltop Tax Solutions in 2020 and brings more than 15 years of tax and accounting experience. Her background includes roles as a controller, finance manager, human resources manager, city finance officer, and public accountant.
Megan Washington, Executive Administrative Assistant, began working in the tax field in 2019. She assists with client questions, scheduling, tax return processing, bookkeeping support, and accounting support.
Heath White, CPA, Accountant, works with individuals and small businesses on tax preparation and bookkeeping. His earlier career in education influences the way he explains financial topics, while his Hilltop responsibilities include financial statements, payroll, sales tax filings, and individual and business tax returns.
Areta Skwarcan, MBA, Payroll Specialist, has more than 30 years of finance and accounting experience, along with three decades as an adjunct professor. At Hilltop, she focuses on weekly payroll processing and related tax filings while helping clients better understand the payroll process.
Latrice Price, Bookkeeper, brings more than 25 years of accounting experience to her role. Her responsibilities include financial recordkeeping, reconciliations, journal entries, accounts payable and receivable, payroll, expense reports, and related bookkeeping work.
Leisa Webb, Bookkeeper, has worked in bookkeeping, collections, and invoicing and now provides bookkeeping services for Hilltop clients. She focuses on keeping financial records organized and accurate for the people and businesses she serves.
Maria Murphy, Payroll Processor, brings more than 30 years of tax and accounting experience. Her background includes payroll, accounting, accounts receivable, accounts payable, reconciliations, and asset management, and she now focuses largely on payroll processing.
Dominique Williams, Administrative Assistant, helps prepare and process tax returns while answering client questions throughout the tax process. She joined Hilltop after many years in healthcare and brings strong numerical skills, problem-solving, and a relationship-focused approach to her role.
Added Tax Strategy Support
Hilltop also works with two tax strategy partners from The Walters Institute and The Walters Way.
Heath Walters, CPA, Founder of The Walters Institute & The Walters Way works with CPAs, advisors, business owners, and affluent families on advanced tax planning. His areas of work include tax mitigation, Roth conversion planning, business structuring, real estate tax strategies, and wealth transfer coordination.
Edgar Guy Woodliff, CPA, Senior Tax Strategist/Tax Strategy Architect works with business owners, entrepreneurs, and high-income clients on customized tax strategies. He reviews prior tax returns and financial information, conducts due diligence on tax strategies, and collaborates with CPAs and advisors on advanced planning opportunities.
A Team Approach to Your Financial Future
Money decisions rarely exist in isolation. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Investor.gov explains that financial professionals may provide services ranging from investment advice to broader financial planning, depending on their role and qualifications. Investments can affect taxes. Business decisions can influence cash flow and retirement planning. Estate questions may connect to tax strategy and family goals. Having multiple areas of support under one roof can make it easier to see how those pieces relate.
That collaborative structure is at the heart of the Hilltop Wealth team. Rather than expecting one person to handle every detail, Hilltop brings together professional advisors, tax specialists, accountants, client service staff, and support team members who each contribute in their own area.
If you are looking for guidance that considers more than one part of your financial life, connect with Hilltop Wealth & Tax Solutions. Our financial professionals are ready to listen to your goals, answer your questions, and help you build a plan for what comes next.
Hilltop Wealth Solutions (“Hilltop”) is a registered investment advisor with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. SEC registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Additional information about Hilltop Wealth Solutions is available in its current disclosure documents, Form ADV, Form ADV Part 2A Brochure, and Client Relationship Summary Report which are accessible online via the SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure (IAPD) database at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov, using SEC # 801-115255. Hilltop Tax Solutions, LLC, is an affiliate of Hilltop Wealth Solutions that provides tax and bookkeeping services.
