THE ULPG TEAM
Our Upstate Legacy Planning Group team includes strong, dedicated professionals who share an unwavering commitment to working in our clients’ best interests. Relying on decades of combined industry experience and an impressive array of designations and credentials, our advisors offer unique perspectives and thoughtful solutions tailored to meet your needs. Our goal is to help you develop lifelong financial security by offering proactive, forward-focused strategies.
John B. Tripoli MBA, CLU®, CFP®
Co-Founder and Private Wealth Advisor
John Tripoli and Brett Smith cofounded Upstate Legacy Planning Group in 2019. Today, they are building one of the fastest growing ensemble practices in the country. John specializes in assisting families with tax-efficient, multi-generational wealth planning.
John is also the Managing Director of the three Northwestern Mutual Upstate SC offices. John and his family moved to Greenville, SC by choice in 2004, and he built his practice from the ground up in a new community. John was recognized as the “2005 New Advisor of the Year” for the Northwestern Mutual Charlotte network office and is a lifetime member of MDRT (Million Dollar Round Table) The Premier Association of Financial Professionals®.
John served as the 2018-2019 Northwestern Mutual Managing Director Association President, while simultaneously leading his office group to be the #1 District Office in Lives and New Clients in 2019. He has helped more than 120 new advisors get started in the financial industry, many of whom he personally recruited. In 2014, he won the Northwestern Mutual Foundation’s Community Service Award for Greenville’s Center for Development Services. John is a frequently requested speaker across Northwestern Mutual and industry platforms.
John is a proud Jayhawk/University of Kansas graduate with a degree in Journalism and University of Phoenix graduate where he earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA). He has earned his Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) and Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®) designations.
Prior to working in the financial industry, John was a director of business development for a technology company in Southern CA where he assisted with their IPO and multiple acquisitions. He also worked for DuPont across multiple states in various business development roles.
John is married to his wife Kelli, and they have two children.
Associations and Memberships
- Northwestern Mutual Managing Director Association (President 2018 - 2019 and Current Member)
- Greenville Estate Planning Council (President 2017 and Current Member)
- United Way of Greenville County (Board of Directors 2017 - 2022)
- United Way of Greenville County Tocqueville Society (Chair 2016)
- American Heart Association Upstate Heart Ball (Executive Committee 2015 - 2017)
- Center for Development Services (Board Member 2012 - 2015)
- Greenville Chamber Leadership Greenville (Class #36 graduate)
Brett G. Smith MBA, CFP®
Co-Founder and Private Wealth Advisor
Brett Smith MBA, CFP© is one of Northwestern Mutual’s experienced advisors and is a Co-Founder and Private Wealth Advisor of Upstate Legacy Planning Group. As a Business and Estate Planning Specialist, Top 50 Northwestern Mutual Fee-Based Planner, and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ™ professional, Brett predominantly works with high-income/net-worth individuals and business owners desiring comprehensive financial planning and advisory services to grow/steward assets for themselves and/or future generations. Since 2012, Brett has been helping professionals and families realize their dreams by helping them make great decisions with their resources. In addition to his MBA and CFP©, Brett also holds his FINRA Series 7 and 66 registrations. He is the recipient of the 2016 and 2017 Million Dollar Roundtable, 2008 V-Twin Industry Leader of the Year, 2007 Powersports Business Industry Leader, and 2004 La Crosse Area Development Corporation President’s Award.
Brett is a 1994 West Point graduate and served in the XVIII ABN Corps at Fort Bragg, NC where he increased productivity by more than 80 percent and realized savings over 72 percent as the manager of a condemned building demolition program and earned recognition from Forces Command as the most efficient of all United States Army bases. He received his masters from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business MBA Program with concentrations in Finance and Strategic Management. During his time as President of his family-owned company, S&S Cycle, Brett grew the business from 40M in revenue to 90M in revenue and was an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2005. His experience regarding the challenges of owning/leading a closely-held family business prompted him to pursue this career to help others in similar situations.
Brett enjoys spending time with his wife Robin and their four children. They attend Grace Church in Anderson, SC and Brett continues to serve his alma mater as a member of the West Point society of the Upstate and as a Field Force Team Member for the United States Military Academy. He is also a member of the National Association of Insurance & Financial Advisors and the Experimental Aircraft Association. He and his family are avid supporters of Greenville Drive baseball, and the Clemson Tigers and West Point athletic teams.
Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Tony relocated to the Upstate of South Carolina 10 years ago. He and his wife, Courtney, have 4 children and enjoy going on trips together to the mountains and beaches nearby and watching Chicago Bears football as often as humanly possible, Bear Down.
When he's not hanging with family, he enjoys running half marathons and playing golf. In addition to building his financial planning practice, he gets to seek out and recruit top professionals to join our all-star team in the upstate of South Carolina. He also serves in a leadership role where he has the opportunity to select, mentor and train new financial representatives who are interested in the business by teaching them how to run a business, be professional, and reach for their dreams! Since joining Northwestern Mutual, he has developed a specialty working with physicians, dentists, business owners, and High Net Worth families.
Todd grew up as an Army brat which saw him live in multiple states and two foreign nations before high school. He attended N.C. State University and double majored in Biochemistry and Chemistry with the plan of joining the military upon graduation. The Army however had other plans, so he went to work in Environmental Engineering for the next 5 years managing large Government projects on military bases overseas. Later, he worked at both IBM and Internet Security Systems with a Government vertical focus.
He later went to work in a family owned manufacturing business as an operations director where he was able to increase bottom line profitability by implementing Lean Manufacturing methodologies. This was in large part due to his having earned his Six Sigma Black Belt from the Fisher College of Business at Ohio State. Five years later, he relocated to Greenville and has been with Northwestern Mutual since 2009.
The experiences and insights gleaned from work in multiple industries has benefited his clients by the varying professional experiences he brings to the table. By helping people properly align their resources with their goals, Todd has helped countless clients develop and implement a personalized roadmap to achieving financial security. In his free time, Todd enjoys being a husband and father and being outside as much as possible…. preferably fly fishing or on a mountain bike.
Don S. Clardy CFP®, ChSNC®, MBA, LL.M., J.D.
Partner and Private Wealth Advisor
With over twenty five years of combined experience as a wealth management advisor (2006 – present), investment banker (2004 – 2006) and estate planning/business attorney (1995-2004), Don is passionate about helping business owners, executives, professionals and their families clarify their financial goals and achieve financial security. Based on his diverse background and experience, Don is uniquely qualified to advise clients regarding their investment management, retirement planning, business planning, estate planning, risk management and asset/income protection and distribution needs.
Don earned his Chartered Special Needs Consultant® certification from The American College of Financial Services to more effectively support individuals with disabilities who can benefit from special needs planning. Through both professional experience and personal experience stemming from the challenges faced by his oldest son Max, he understands that families with special needs have unique considerations regarding the life-long care of their loved ones. He is dedicated to identifying and achieving goals for these families and educating them on pathways to help achieve a lifetime of financial security.
Don received his undergraduate degree from Furman University, received his joint JD and MBA degree from the University of Tennessee and earned his LL.M. in Taxation from Georgetown University. Previously, Don was a partner with the law firm of Gallivan, White and Boyd, PA where he specialized in estate planning and business planning. While Don no longer actively practices law, he holds a professional membership with the South Carolina Bar and serves as President of the Greenville Estate Planning Council. Don also served as a board member for the Advanced Institute for Development and Learning from 2015-2021. Don actively supports Furman University athletics. Don is married to Jennifer and has three children Max, Lane and Abe. Don enjoys supporting his kids and attending their school, sports and extracurricular activities.
Designations:
- CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional
- ChSNC®
- LL.M.
- J.D.
- MBA
- CLU®
As Director of Operations, Chris oversees the entire ULPG support team in preparation for client engagement, planning, and support activities. Chris is also an accomplished paraplanner who predominantly specializes in assisting business-owner clients with planning engagements. He is a Florida native and graduate of Furman University with a degree in accounting. Chris enjoys strength training and hiking with his Carolina dog, Sadie.
Cassie Glover joined Northwestern Mutual in 2001. She is an Associate Financial Representative and is licensed in life insurance, disability insurance, annuities and long-term care insurance. She is also securities licensed. Cassie is responsible for client scheduling, assisting with new business underwriting and policyowner questions while delivering superior customer service.
As the Director of Marketing for ULPG, Mallory oversees and enhances the experience our clients expect and deserve. She is instrumental in onboarding our clients and facilitating ongoing touchpoints and events. Mallory has had the privilege of living in all three regions of South Carolina. Originally from Columbia, she graduated from the College of Charleston with a Bachelor's in Political Science and is now settled in Greenville. In her free time, Mallory enjoys cooking and baking, photography, reading as many books as possible, being with family and friends, and anything to do with Harry Potter.
Meredith is John Tripoli’s executive assistant, and she provides operational support for Upstate Legacy Planning Group and the district agency leadership team. She also oversees agency and client events. A graduate of Bob Jones University, Meredith enjoys meeting new people and supporting others. She likes traveling, especially to serve with her church, spending time with family and friends and discipling women.
As a Financial Planning Coordinator & Insurance Associate, Elliott works closely with clients regarding the data input and development of financial plans and assists with insurance product presentations, underwriting, and servicing. A graduate of Clemson University, he enjoys cheering for the Clemson Tigers. Elliott and his wife also enjoy hiking and spending time with friends and family.
Joanne E. Beresheim
Director of Investments and Planning
Joanne has lived in the Upstate for over a decade and joined our practice shortly after moving to Greenville in 2010. Joanne is an Associate Wealth Management Advisor who has earned her FINRA Series 7/63 securities registrations as well as the Life, Variable and Accident/Health insurance licenses and the Long-Term Care licensing. She assists in coordinating Don Clardy’s calendar, prepares customized client financial plans, generates investment and insurance paperwork, underwriting inquiries, portfolio rebalancing, equity research and coordination of client reviews. Joanne enjoys cooking, hiking and outdoor adventures with her husband and two dogs.
Marcus Graham, is an Associate Wealth Management Advisor (AWMA), actively holds his Series 7/63 licensing and is extremely knowledgeable in financial planning, insurance and investment products. Marcus received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Winona State University in 2022. Originally from Minnesota, Marcus is married and has a young daughter. The family enjoys spending time together outdoors and are very active in their church.
As a Financial Planning Assistant, Gregory works to ensure meeting information is accurate and up to date. Primarily assisting John Tripoli with software and client presentations, he also assists with client inquiries regarding investments. He helps keep the team updated on stock options and how clients could potentially leverage employer-based options to maximize efficiency within their plan. Gregory spends his free time outdoors either playing golf or climbing rock walls. He is also an avid motorsports fan keeping up to date with F1 and GP series.
As a Financial Planning Assistant, Jonah helps with the data collection and entry for financial plans. He is licensed in Life and Health Insurance and Long-Term Care and is a graduate of UNC Charlotte with a B.S. in Psychology and Clemson University with a Master of Business Administration. In his free time, Jonah enjoys spending time with family, hiking, cooking, and doing CrossFit.
Addy is a Client Service Associate and has over 10 years of experience with international organizations located in Europe, Middle East & North Africa and the Gulf Cooperation Council. He worked in several sectors such as Economic Development, International Trade & Finance.
Addy has a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Andrea is a Financial Planning Assistant and is licensed in life insurance and long-term care insurance. Originally from Anderson, she is a College of Charleston alumna and has her Master’s in Communication and has finally returned to the Greenville area. In her free time Andrea enjoys spending time with her boyfriend and family, reading books, and learning how to ride dirt bikes.
Brooke is a Client Services Associate striving to provide exceptional client support and experience. She has been with Northwestern Mutual since 2020, while also pursuing her degree in Industrial Engineering + Spanish & International Business from Clemson University which she will complete in 2025. When she is not working or studying, Brooke enjoys playing with her dogs, travelling as much as possible, and working out.