Experience our truly team based approach.

Channel Wealth

Justin Anderson, CFP, CLU, CRC

Wealth Advisor / Partner

Justin and his ensemble team at CHANNEL Wealth specialize in helping clients to navigate and plan for life’s transitional financial events. Their practice focuses on comprehensive financial planning and assisting clients who are transitioning assets in retirement, divorce, inheritance or the sale of business. 

Mr. Anderson graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2001, where he obtained his B.S. in Business/Economics, with an emphasis in accounting. He went on to acquire his CFP® accreditation from the American College.  Justin is active in the Santa Barbara community where he previously instructed students in finance at Santa Barbara City College. In addition, he is Treasurer/Finance Committee Chair for MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation. 

Justin also participates in the UCSB Alumni Association, and the Financial Planning Association.  Justin says he is proud of “The collaborative spirit of the CHANNEL Wealth team, which is essential for helping our clients reach their financial goals.”

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Dawnielle Brownell

Director of Operations

As Director of Operations, Dawnielle Brownell is responsible for managing the operations team and the overall client experience at CHANNEL Wealth. Her main focus is to ensure our clients’ needs are met in the most efficient way possible. She specializes in creatively troubleshooting problems should they arise. Overall, Dawnielle is passionate about improving the quality of life for CHANNEL Wealth clients by providing a stress-free experience while working towards their financial goals to lead a life of financial confidence and independence.

Dawnielle received her Bachelor’s Degree from the California State University, Chico. She brings over 10 years of seasoned operational experience in the financial services industry to the CHANNEL Wealth team and is currently pursuing her FINRA Series 7 and 66 securities licenses. Additionally, Dawnielle is also a member of several operational advisory boards focused on collaborating with our industry partners to improve their processes, to in turn allow us to provide the white glove service our clients have come to know and expect.

When asked about CHANNEL Wealth, she explains, “One of the many reasons I love working here is seeing our client’s dreams come to fruition as a result of the financial plan we have customized to fit their needs, goals, and lifestyle.”

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Sandra Linares

Client Services Representative

Sandra Linares joined our Operations team in 2019 and is responsible for the onboarding of our new clients as well as supporting all our existing relationships. Her experience includes over 10 years in the medical field as a medical billing specialist. Sandra studied Business Administration and Accounting at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She is bilingual as she is a native Spanish speaker.

Sandra was born in Guatemala but moved to Santa Barbara with her family at the age of nine. After moving away for a few years for school and living in San Luis Obispo, she has enjoyed being back in the same town as her family and friends. In her free time, she enjoys baking and cooking as well as talking walks at the beach. She is part of her church community, volunteering to teach the young children at their Sunday school. Sandra spends as much time as possible making memories with her loved ones.

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Justin Pollack, RICP

Wealth Advisor / Partner

Justin specializes in retirement planning and income strategies, and designs custom solutions and investment advice specific to each client’s financial situation. Prior to joining CHANNEL Wealth, Mr. Pollack spent 15 years as a Financial Advisor and Branch Manager for AG Edwards, Wedbush Securities, and most recently AmeriFlex.

Mr. Pollack earned his Bachelor’s degree from UC Santa Barbara, where he majored in Sociology. Mr. Pollack holds the following FINRA securities licenses: Series, 7, 9, 10, 31 and 63, his California Life Insurance license, and is a

Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP)

When asked about his clients Justin replied, “Each client’s situation is unique and I tailor each strategy to meet that need, from retirement to college planning. My client relationships are built upon a foundation of trust, which is the cornerstone in developing life-long relationships."

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Maxwell Phillips, AIF

Wealth Advisor / Partner

Maxwell Phillips primarily works with clients who are facing transitional events – loss of loved one, change of career, sale of a home, sale of business, or other sudden windfalls. He enjoys helping clients make educated decisions for their financial well-being. He specializes in combining his personable communication style and advanced planning techniques, to provide clients with a financial road map through retirement.

Max received his education at UC Santa Barbara where he majored in Economics. Max holds the following FINRA securities licenses: Series 6, 7, 63, 66, in addition to his California Life Insurance license.

When asked about his clients Max says, “No two are alike and each day at CHANNEL Wealth is different, which makes my work enjoyable and challenging. It’s rewarding to work with people and educate them on ways to help them as they strive toward their goals. I’m honored and humbled by their trust in me."

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Stacie Schuck

Office Manager

Stacie Schuck is our delightful Office Manager and is trusted with providing our clients with the best possible experience. Stacie was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri and later moved to Arizona where she spent 8 years in an accounting firm. Stacie also has 16 years of experience as a legal assistant. She recently moved to Santa Barbara where her husband was recruited for the job of Head Baseball Coach at Santa Barbara High. She is also a California Public Notary.

Stacie loves spending time watching ball games that her husband coaches around town. Another favorite pastime of hers is walking on the beach with her 160 pound Newfoundland, Scout. When she’s not busy with her work and family life she enjoys antiquing, music and reading. Stacie feels incredibly lucky to now work and live in the city where she previously enjoyed vacationing.

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Chris Snowden, MBA

Wealth Advisor / Partner

Christian Snowden specializes in working with clients who are in transition, such as those navigating career changes, business succession or retirement.  His experience in running and working with small businesses provides insight into some of the challenges that people face while preparing for retirement.

He began his financial career in the capital markets working in alternative investments in the Managed Futures space followed by more traditional investment management at UBS Financial Services, Inc.  Prior to this, Chris was national sales manager for his family business Snowden Vineyards in Napa Valley, California. He holds an MBA in Finance from The George L. Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University, a Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology from UCSB and holds FINRA Series 3, 7 and 66 licenses.

Chris serves on the board of trustees for the Friendship Paddle and Montessori Center School.

Chris is passionate about working with people and crafting sound strategies to help them along their journey to financial well-being. He enjoys getting to use his technical background and people skills to educate his clients to build their financial confidence.  His upbringing in his family’s vineyard gave him “A farmer’s outlook in life: humility, integrity, a collaborative work ethic, diligence and responsiveness to surrounding conditions, all of which translate to my work as financial planner.”

He views his clients as “Smart, thoughtful people who appreciate the advice offered by CHANNEL Wealth. As for my colleagues, they are collaborative, highly motivated people who are constantly honing their professional skills in order to serve their clients.”

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Maria Vallejo-Meza, RICP

Financial Paraplanner

Maria Vallejo-Meza has been in the financial industry since 2013, after studying Business Administration and Economics at Santa Barbara City College and CSU Channel Islands. Her experience includes bi-lingual 401(k) participant education, and operations team management. She currently holds the FINRA Series 6, 7 and 63 securities licenses as well as the Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP®) designation and has obtained a California Insurance License.

Maria was raised in our beautiful Santa Barbara from the age of two. She is grateful to be bilingual and enjoys music and poetry in both Spanish and English. Maria makes it a point to dedicate some of her free time to educating our local communities on finance, and volunteering lunch hours to kids’ summer programs. She believes in being a helpful hand whenever possible, especially when she is passionate for the cause at hand. She loves traveling because she feels it gifts her with the opportunity to experience some of the many beautiful cultures around the world. India, Cuba, Peru, and Mexico top her list of favorite countries visited. Lastly, Maria thoroughly enjoys her occupation, and spending time with her adored friends and family.

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Brett Weichbrod, MBA

Wealth Advisor / Partner

Brett earned his B.S. from the University of San Diego in business and finance and completed his master’s in business, with a finance emphasis, from Pepperdine University. His experience includes over 6 years working for Pacific Investment Management Company (PIMCO), where he worked with institutional investors building fixed income portfolios and custom bond strategies. He began his career in Newport Beach at Canterbury Consulting, where he built a sound foundation in analyzing and providing recommendations within small corporate retirement plans and nonprofits. 

Since 2015, Brett has enjoyed living and working as a wealth advisor in the Santa Barbara area. During this time he has developed a passion for educating and working with individuals and nonprofit organizations alike. “The team atmosphere along with the independent firm structure at CHANNEL Wealth lends itself to thoughtful and customized solutions for families and institutional organizations.”  In addition to working with the nonprofit community, Brett also sits on the board of Girsh Park, Santa Barbara Executive Roundtable, and Domestic Violence Solutions.  He maintains his CA insurance license and the Series 7, 65, and 63.

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Ross Anderson, CFP, CFF, CMFC

Wealth Advisor

Ross and his ensemble team at CHANNEL Wealth specialize in helping clients to navigate to and through life's transitional financial events.  His practice focuses on comprehensive financial planning for families, individuals and businesses.  

Mr. Anderson graduated from UC San Diego in 2001.  He went on to acquire his CFP (Certified Financial Planner) accreditation along with his CFF (Certified Financial Fiduciary) designation.  He also holds FINRA Series 7 and 66 licenses. Ross is active in the Orange County community, serving as the Chair of the Foundation Board for Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and on the executive committee of his ProVisors group.  

When asked about his clients Ross replied, "I love that every client has their own unique goals and challenges and are at different stages in their lives.  It is rewarding to be able to empower them to make smart financial decisions so they can live their best life."

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Ross Anderson, CFP, CFF, CMFC

Joseph R. O'Flaherty

Chief Investment Officer / Wealth Advisor

As Chief Investment Officer, Joe leads portfolio management, trading, research and market analysis for the firm’s advisor teams and clients.  In addition, Joe collaborates to deliver comprehensive financial planning to client families and their related businesses.

Joe brings 20 years of extensive experience and deep analytical skills in security selection and portfolio construction. Most recently Joe worked as portfolio manager for Nuveen’s International equity division where he developed a retail and institutional fund, growing from $1mln in seed money to $4.5bln in assets.  Prior to Nuveen, Joe began his career with Howard Capital constructing portfolios for high-net-worth clients.

Joe received his M.B.A from Graziadio School of Business at Pepperdine University, and a B.A. in Political Science at U.C. Santa Barbara.  Joe is a registered investment advisor with US Security and Exchange commission.  Joe lives in Santa Barbara with his wife and two children.  When he’s not working, Joe coaches AYSO teams, skis, attends UCSB games as a proud Gaucho and competes in Ironman triathlon races for fun.
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Scott Teter

Wealth Advisor

Scott Teter has been providing investment advisory and wealth management services to his valued clients since 1987. He has devoted his professional career to helping his clients address their investment and retirement planning goals.

Scott finds the collaborative team approach at Channel wealth unique in our industry. We offer solutions to client’s transitional life events. He works with avaried clientele of business professional and retirees with a focus on helping physician’s wealth and financial planning needs.

Scott holds a degree in Political Science with an emphasis in business from University of California at Santa Barbara. He is an Investment Advisor Representative and registered principal, holding the following FINRA securities licenses Series 63, 65, and 24 securities and a California insurance license.

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