Our diverse clientele demands a very broad skill set. Karen Ehmke, founding partner and principal of the firm, is a Personal Financial Specialist. The PFS designation is reserved for a small number of certified public accountants who have undertaken extensive additional training to provide investment and wealth management guidance. This background ideally prepares Karen to tackle your most complex and pressing financial planning matters. After earning her CPA, Karen started her career at Ernst & Young in its Private Client Services department. In that role she served successful families, focusing primarily on executives of Fortune 400 companies. She left Ernst & Young in 2004 to launch Springwood Financial, committed to providing a boutique level of personalized, hands-on service to a small number of clients. Most of her clients have been with her for more than ten years, indicating the power of a good fit. Karen is supported by the extensive resources of the BAM Alliance, a community of 140 independent registered investment advisory firms across the country, with total assets under management of $28 billion. BAM provides systems, trading, and other support services, allowing Springwood to focus solely on client needs and success.