Meet Our Team

Nathan Harness

Program Director

“Teaching and mentoring students have paid greater dividends than any bank account I have ever owned. Financial planning provides clarity and process to the lives of those we serve. It has been inspiring to see the Aggie core values come to life through helping others discover their best financial life.”

Jeanie Izurieta

Program Manager

“Helping students attain their goal of becoming a financial planner and navigate the transition from college student to working professional is my passion.”

Nick Kilmer

Lecturer

“Teaching financial education at Texas A&M gives me the opportunity to influence the financial security and freedom of the next generation of the Aggie family; I can’t imagine a job more rewarding.”

David Roach

Lecturer

“The Texas A&M Financial Planning Program is truly special. It sets up our students for their own financial success and allows them to embody the core value of selfless service by helping others achieve their financial goals. I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of something so valuable.”

Marissa Lepper

Assistant Professor

Scott Halliwell

Assistant Professor of Practice

“It’s truly hard to express how blessed I feel to get to use my decades of professional experience to help develop future Aggie financial planners and financially ready future military leaders. The work is simply amazing, and the people I get to do it with are even better!“

Emily Pyle

Program Coordinator

“I enjoy my focus in communicating the message of our program, because it gives me the opportunity to invite people into a vision I believe in. Not only is the financial planning profession one that empowers people to live well and to serve, the people in this program have done the same for many, myself included.”

Allan Riggs

Visiting Lecturer

“While helping people make smart choices with their money is important, there is so much more to good financial planning. Teaching and equipping Aggies to be thoughtful and critical thinkers about their finances at early ages can have a dramatic impact of their achieving financial independence. It gives me great pleasure to see the meaningful impact our teaching is having.”

Jim Whiddon

Visiting Lecturer, A&Mbassador Advisor

Visiting Lecturer

“Financial planning is commonly thought to be about maximizing wealth but wisdom dictates that ‘neither poverty nor riches’ lead to a satisfying life. My hope is students gain wisdom for life through the Texas A&M Financial Planning Program.”

Chris Field

Visiting Lecturer

Visiting Lecturer

“Over two decades ago, I walked in your shoes as an ambitious Aggie pursuing a career in financial advising, however the program at Texas A&M didn’t exist. Today, I’m grateful to Dr. Nelson for pioneering the Financial Planning program and to Dr. Harness for the vision and leadership in transforming it into a thriving initiative. I feel blessed to contribute to the industry’s future evolution through teaching the next generation of Aggies in financial planning.”

Visiting Lecturer

“I enjoy teaching about financial planning because it’s like solving a puzzle – except the pieces keep moving and changing shape, and you never quite know if you’re getting the whole picture until the end. It’s like a never-ending game of financial Tetris.”

Visiting Lecturer

“I love helping others, and I think one of the most impactful ways to help someone is by teaching them. In my practice, I want my clients to be well educated about the decisions they face, and in the classroom I want to equip the students to be able to do the same.”

Visiting Lecturer

“The financial services industry has given me the opportunity to be a meaningful part of the lives of many. Not just clients, but also staff and industry colleagues as well. I enjoy sharing the knowledge I’ve learned in both the academic and practical settings with students eager to become future leaders in an industry that has given me meaning and satisfaction for almost two decades.”

Visiting Lecturer