Meet your dedicated crew.

Brent Wertz is the Managing Partner at Deep Blue Investment Advisors. Brent provides strategic leadership for the company and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the firm’s investment process. He heads implementation of the firm’s investment strategies and portfolio risk management. He serves on the firm’s investment and credit committees.

Brent started Deep Blue based on his experience serving as a consultant to special taxing districts throughout the State of Florida assisting these districts in bond offerings, assessment allocation, and collections as well as assisting District Managers with treasury management.

Brent is a graduate of Virginia Military Institute with a Bachelor of Arts in economics. Brent received his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Tampa.

David Jang is a Managing Partner at Deep Blue Investment Advisors responsible for directing the firm’s marketing, business development and client advisory services. His strategic vision and long-time relationships have resulted in the firm’s meteoric rise in assets under management/advisement from less than $1 billion in 2015 to $10 billion in 2022. He serves on the firm’s executive, investment, and credit committees. David’s investment advisory experience, coupled with his client-focused approach, enables him to work with each entity’s investment team and tailor advice to meet their unique investment goals, objectives and adherence to all applicable state investment statutes. His ability to understand and assess the multi-layered components affecting local governments enables him to provide valuable insight to the firm’s treasury management, investment management and consulting clients. David routinely speaks at Florida’s government associations, chapters, annual conferences and various CPE seminars, customizing his discussions to locale, current economic conditions and the challenges that face Florida’s entities.

Prior to joining Deep Blue Investment Advisors, David spent 12 years working with Florida local government clients and 32 years overall in investment advisory services.

David earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He earned the Association of Financial Professionals (AFP) designation of Certified Treasury Professional (CTP). David is a Registered Investment Advisor with the Florida Office of Financial Regulation.

Benjamin Streed is the Chief Investment Officer. As CIO, he is an integral component of our firmwide commitment to attract and retain industry leaders who will better service our clients and local communities. His focused efforts to build out our front, middle, and back office will position us for continued growth.

Before becoming CIO, he served as CFA Director of Fixed Income for several years. In this role he worked with investment professionals to deliver comprehensive, custom, diversified portfolio management strategies for separately managed accounts, consulting clients, and the U.S. Fixed Income Trust local government investment pools. Benjamin will continue directing the Portfolio Management team and serving on the firm’s investment and credit committees. He will further develop as a thought leader in the investment space — attending industry seminars and speaking engagements to educate our clients and prospects.

Prior to joining Deep Blue, Benjamin served as a fixed income portfolio strategist with Wells Fargo Private Bank. There, he was a member of the investment strategy committee and the strategic and tactical asset allocation sub-committees. He has also served as an investment analyst and portfolio manager where he focused on providing unique investment solutions for high-net-worth families.

Benjamin earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with a focus on finance from Emory University and a Master of Science in finance (MSF) from Georgetown University where he graduated as class valedictorian. He is a CFA® charterholder and frequently volunteers his time with the CFA curriculum advisory committee and the Georgetown MSF alumni council.

Frederick Berretta is Managing Director of Business Development at Deep Blue Investment Advisors. He has thirty years of global asset management experience, with twenty-five years at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. While there, he led the strategic launch, product development, and sales for the institutional short-term fixed income and money market business, leading it to become one of the most successful liquidity investment platforms in the industry with more than $250 billion in assets under management, serving corporate, government, municipal, educational, and non-profit clients.

Following his career at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Frederick led global sales and strategy for an institutional liquidity investment Fintech subsidiary of BlackRock.

Frederick is a graduate of Wake Forest University with a Bachelor of Science in business and finance.

Suanne Lee is the Director of Administration and Finance and is responsible for day-to-day office operations and administrative functions including contract administration, finance, payroll, human resources, information technology and records management.

Suanne brings a diverse finance and operations background to Deep Blue Investment Advisors having worked in several different industries, both public and private, with expertise managing areas such as accounting, payroll, purchasing, capital assets, contract administration, records management, logistics, and warehouse operations and logistics.

Prior to coming to Deep Blue Investment Advisors, Suanne spent the last 10 years as the Director of Internal Services with Monroe County School District.

Suanne received a Bachelor of Science in business administration and management from Saint Leo University.  Suanne also holds CPPO, CPPB, and FCRM industry certifications.

Ken Couch is the Director of Texas Business Development and Client Advisory Services for Deep Blue Investment Advisors. In 2019, Ken joined the firm and was tasked with launching and growing the firm’s Texas practice. His knowledge of local governments allowed Ken to grow assets from $0 to over $2.7 billion in less than 5 years.

His focus is on client service and business development. Ken services Texas local governments with fixed income investing of operating funds, reserve funds and bond proceeds and strategizes with clients to identify short- and long-term investment options.

Prior to joining Deep Blue Investment Advisors, Ken has worked with various governmental entities encompassing counties, cities, school districts, universities and colleges, and special districts.

Ken earned his bachelor’s degree in applied arts and sciences from Texas State University and holds FINRA Series 6 and Series 63 licenses. Ken also provides investment training sessions and seminars for his clients, as well as the various associations and organizations throughout Florida and Texas. He is a member of the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), Government Finance Officers Association of Texas (GFOAT), Government Treasurers’ Organization of Texas (GTOT) and Texas Association of Business Officials (TASBO).

Fritz Curtis is the Director of Florida Business Development at Deep Blue Investment Advisors. He has thirty-five years of asset management experience including both on the investment side as well as the distribution side. Most recently, he served as Executive Director for Morgan Stanley Investment Management for 17 years distributing liquidity, fixed income and equity products to clients.

Prior to his various sales distribution roles, he served as Senior Portfolio Manager for AMR Investments and Fidelity Investments, respectively. He managed short-term liquidity funds, state specific funds as well as separately managed accounts.

Fritz is a graduate of Baylor University with a BBA in Finance and Information Systems and an honors graduate of the University of Dallas with an MBA in International Management. He is a CSRIC charter holder, a CFA Investment Foundations certificate holder as well as a CAIA Fundamentals of Alternative Investments certificate holder.

Dominick Cristofaro is a Director of Client Advisory Services. He is responsible for developing and servicing client relationships, including cities, counties, special districts, and other public entities.

Prior to joining Deep Blue Investment Advisors, Dominick spent 8 years with the District School Board of Pasco County where he served as Treasurer and Director of Finances Services. Prior to Pasco County, he has a wide array of investment experience including financial advising, managing institutional portfolios, and
trading.

Dominick received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Connecticut and his Masters in Business Administration from the University of Hartford.

He currently holds a FINRA Series 65 license.

John Scott is a Client Advisory Associate at Deep Blue Investment Advisors. John plays a key role in supporting the Client Advisory team, specializing in cultivating new and existing client investment relationships with an emphasis on separately managed accounts and Florida Fixed Income Trust (FL-FIT) investment pools.

Before joining Deep Blue, John dedicated fourteen years to teaching mathematics. He transitioned into the wealth management sector as an Operations Analyst at Members Trust Company, where he honed his account management and client service acumen. His background in education paired with these skills makes him a valuable and dynamic asset to our team.

John holds a Bachelor of Science degree in secondary mathematics education from St. Petersburg College.

Dan Marro is a Portfolio Manager. In this role he conducts market research, devises and implements strategies, and executes trades for separately managed accounts and US Fixed Income Trust local government investment pools, constructing portfolios that fit client needs. Dan was previously a fixed-income trader for Raymond James, where he oversaw trading flow for foreign debt — managing both a proprietary book as well as order flow for high-net-worth individuals and institutional accounts. This role also saw him discuss market strategy with fellow advisors, helping them formulate portfolios for their clients. Dan graduated from Stetson University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance with a minor in statistics. He has been a CFA® charter holder since 2015.

Grant Presson is a Client Service Associate. He provides customer service to investors in everyday functions, such as onboarding and new client administration, as well as supports the client advisory team. He also serves as a client advocate by providing a “high touch, high value” experience, to address client needs.

Prior to joining Deep Blue Investment Advisors, Grant worked for 3 years at Psychological Assessment Resources, where he honed his customer service and product marketing skills.

Grant graduated from the University of South Florida with a Bachelor of Science in finance.

Jeff Harvey is the Director of RIA Operations. In this role, he is responsible for the oversight of middle- and back-office operations and reporting, as well as interdepartmental processes, procedures, and protocols. Jeff is instrumental in supporting the Deep Blue leadership team with strategic planning, improving operational efficiency to maximize our client, vendor, and employee experience.

Jeff brings with him 30 years of experience in wealth management operations. Prior to joining DBIA, Jeff spent 10 years in FinTech in various capacities — including business development, project management, and portfolio accounting software design as a solutions architect. Preceding his tenure in FinTech, he served for over 20 years as a leader in various operational positions for RIAs, hedge funds, outsourcing service providers, and large sell-side institutions.

Jeff earned a Bachelor of Science degree in economics and finance from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a Master of Business Administration degree in investment finance.

Vito is responsible for analyzing market trends, economic indicators, and interest rate movements to formulate investment strategies with the portfolio management team within fixed income securities. This role involves assessing risk and providing recommendations to optimize returns while considering factors like credit quality and duration.

Additionally, this role will be responsible for communicating insights to clients, the business development team, client advisors, the management team, and stakeholders in portfolios and staying abreast of market conditions to adapt strategies accordingly.

Before joining Deep Blue Investment Advisors, Vito worked at Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan, and Berkshire Bank specializing in investment analysis, performance tracking and forecasting, and market research.

Vito graduated from the University of Albany with a Bachelor of Science in business administration and accounting. Vito currently holds FINRA Series 65 and SIE licenses.

Tim is responsible for analyzing business processes, identifying opportunities for improvement, and ensuring regulatory compliance. The position’s responsibilities may include gathering and documenting requirements, conducting feasibility studies, and collaborating with stakeholders to define project scope. This position will also assist in technology implementations, solutions architecting, and data analysis and provide insights to enhance overall business efficiency and effectiveness within the regulatory framework of the RIA industry.

After completing his education, Tim worked for 2 years at Bryn Mawr Trust, where he worked in the Deposit Operations department.

Tim is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics and political science.

Liz Gonzalez serves as the Director of Reporting. She oversees client reporting including vendor relationships, production of marketing materials, and communication between departments. She manages delivery of all reports to clients and is responsible for onboarding accounts with the firm’s vendors and establishing data feeds to the appropriate custodians.

Prior to joining Deep Blue Investment Advisors, Liz spent 24 years with a financial firm performing several roles throughout her career spending the most time working with Investment Advisory Services. Most recently, Liz led a research team of high performing and skilled individuals whose primary focus was on data analysis, process improvement, and creating alignment across teams and departments.

Liz graduated from National Louis University with a Bachelor of Science in management. She is a certified trainer: Train the Trainer – Langevin Learning Services.

Courtney Hislop is the Senior Reporting Analyst for Deep Blue. She is responsible for developing and providing reporting for separately managed accounts, consulting clients and both the Florida Fixed Income Trust (FL-FIT) and Texas Fixed Income Trust (TX-FIT) local government investment pools.

Before joining Deep Blue, Courtney served with Charles Schwab where her role as research specialist provided opportunities to advance and streamline many of the processes the team performs.

Courtney studied at the University of Florida and currently holds a FINRA 63 license.

Connie Viado ensures the advisory firm complies with relevant regulations and industry standards in her role as Compliance Analyst. As Executive Assistant, Connie provides administrative support to the managing partners of Deep Blue Investment Advisors, the US FIT Board of Trustees and Officers of the trust as it relates to the business of the Trust.

Connie brings a consistent track record of administrative support for high-level professionals and C-suite executives. Her prior experience includes, among other things, serving as an Office Administrative Manager, a Board Administrator and corporate event planner. Connie’s diverse background not only includes working for an Investment Management Firm, but also with Legal and Real Estate firms, as well as for City Government.

Prior to joining Deep Blue, Connie was the Executive Assistant to the President and COO at the corporate headquarters of Allied Trust Insurance Company. Additionally, she provided administrative support to their Executive Team, Board of Directors and Shareholders.

Connie earned her Juris Doctor from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law and received a Bachelor of arts degree in history from the University of San Diego.

Liz Albert-Ramos is an Administrative Assistant. She assists with the day-to-day office operations and administrative management while maintaining meticulous records. With her support, Deep Blue Investment Advisors maintains our commitment to exemplary client service.

Liz brings over 20 years of experience to her role at Deep Blue — spanning auditing, securities, operations, compliance, and regulatory management. Before joining our firm, Liz spent a decade with Citigroup/Citibank as both a regulatory analyst and executive assistant for CAOs, managing directors, and directors.

Liz received her Bachelor of Science in business administration from Fordham University. She completed her master’s degree in compliance at the New England College of Business and Finance.