Relationship Teams

Relationship Managers

W. Robert Newell, President Bob is President of Franklin Street Partners. In addition, he leads the marketing and business development efforts for the firm. He retired as President of Wachovia Trust Company in January 2009, after 27 years with Wachovia Bank. Bob is past chairman of the Board for IFB Solutions and serves as Chairman of the Investment Committee for the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. Bob is also on the Board of Directors for the NC State Investment Fund, Inc. Bob received his B.A. in Business Administration from North Carolina State University. bnewell@franklin-street.com

Richard P. Blankenship, CFA, Principal Richard is a Relationship Manager with Franklin Street Partners and has been with the firm since November of 1997. He specializes in equity and balanced account management, focusing on both institutional and private investors. Previously, Richard was a Senior Vice President-Portfolio Manager for Bank of America Private Investments. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a member of the North Carolina Society of Financial Analysts and the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute. He currently serves as board member for the Carol Woods Retirement Community of Chapel Hill, Ronald McDonald House of Durham and the board of Advisors of the UNC Chapel Hill Division of Student Affairs. Richard graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has been in the financial service industry for over 35 years. rblankenship@franklin-street.com

M.S. (Brick) Brown, III, CFP®, Principal Mr. Brown, Relationship Manager, joined Franklin Street Advisors in June 2009. He works primarily with high net worth families and regional foundations/endowments. Previously, Mr. Brown served as National Sales Director for Wachovia’s Nonprofit and Philanthropic Services Group, a division of Wachovia Trust. During his more than 27 years with Wachovia, Mr. Brown held a number of leadership positions in the areas of retail banking, corporate banking, and wealth management. Born in 1960, Mr. Brown graduated from North Carolina State University with a BA in Business Management, and in 1992 completed the Young Executives Institute Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. Mr. Brown holds the Certified Financial Planner™ designation. He currently serves as a board member for the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Boys and Girls Club of Wake County (Chair), the North Carolina Outdoor Heritage Advisory Council, and the North Carolina Aquarium Society (Investment Committee). He also serves on the Investment Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. bbrown@franklin-street.com

Joseph B. Fox, IV, CFA, CFP®, Principal J.B. is a Relationship Manager with Franklin Street Partners, developing and implementing client specific portfolio strategies for institutional and high net worth clients. Prior to joining the firm in 2007, J.B. was a portfolio manager at Capital One Asset Management, LLC, following several years as an analyst within Capital One Private Client Group where he provided due diligence and research for strategic business initiatives and client investments. He began his career at JPMorgan Private Bank, focusing on wealth management for high net worth individuals. J.B. holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation, is a Certified Financial Planner™ professional, and graduated with honors from Duke University with a degree in Economics. jfox@franklin-street.com

Andrew E. James, Principal Drew is a Relationship Manager with the Family Office division of Franklin Street Partners and has been with the firm since 2002. He works closely with high net worth families in a variety of wealth management roles, ranging from portfolio management to lifestyle management. Drew received his undergraduate and MBA degrees from the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. He is very active in the community and serves on the Advisory Board of the UNC School of Social Work. djames@franklin-street.com

Charles O. Mahaffey, AIF®, Principal Chuck is a Relationship Manager with Franklin Street Partners. He focuses on advising high net worth individuals and families, as well as foundations, endowments and institutional clients. Prior to joining Franklin Street, Chuck was most recently a client advisor and investment consultant with Greenbriar Consulting, LLC. He was also with Wachovia Corporation for 25 years, serving as a Senior Vice President with Wachovia Asset Management in portfolio and relationship management positions. He also was the Philanthropic Investment Director of Wachovia Trust Company, responsible for managing nonprofit and trust client assets. Chuck received his Bachelor of Science from East Carolina University and completed the Young Executive Institute Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. He holds the Accredited Investment Fiduciary designation. cmahaffey@franklin-street.com

Colin J. Bates Colin is an Associate Relationship Manager with Franklin Street Partners. He joined the firm in January of 2016. Colin works within the Family Office group performing roles ranging from portfolio organization to lifestyle management. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and MBA from the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. Colin spent six seasons playing professional baseball within the Washington Nationals organization after spending four years as a member of UNC’s varsity baseball team. cbates@franklin-street.com

Joshua C. Turner Josh is a Relationship Manager at Franklin Street Partners. Prior to joining Franklin Street in 2016, he worked at UBS Financial Services, Inc. as a financial advisor specializing in corporate retirement accounts and high net worth solutions. Josh received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Trust & Wealth Management from Campbell University in 2014 and an MBA from Auburn University in 2018. jcturner@franklin-street.com

Stephen F. Bishop Jr. Stephen is a Marketing and Investment analyst at Franklin Street Partners. Prior to joining the firm in February 2021, Stephen worked as both a portfolio manager and research analyst for Jolley Asset Management, LLC. From 2013 to 2018, he worked as an investment analyst at a single-family investment office in Richmond, Virginia, where he conducted due diligence on investment opportunities in private equity, hedge funds, and equities. Stephen held various positions from 2008 to 2013 with The Nottingham Company, a mutual fund and hedge fund administrator. He graduated from North Carolina State University in December 2006 with a B.S. in Business Administration and Finance.

Michael Monahan Michael is a Marketing and Investing Analyst at Franklin Street Partners and joined the firm in July 2022.  He previously worked in the banking industry at State Employees’ Credit Union.  He graduated with honors from North Carolina State University in December 2021 with a B.S. degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance.

Client Portfolio Strategists

Roger C. Eubanks Roger is Senior Client Portfolio Strategist with Franklin Street and has been with the firm since 2002. During his tenure with the firm he has been involved with the management of in‐house and externally managed equity and balanced portfolios for wealthy families, foundations and endowments to address their specific needs and asset allocation strategy. With over 20 years experience in the industry, Roger previously worked for Paine Webber and UBS Financial as a Financial Advisor, focusing on wealth management for high net worth investors. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Johns N. Ellington, CFA Johns is a Senior Client Portfolio Strategist with Franklin Street Partners and has over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry.  Prior to joining the firm, Johns worked at BB&T as a Senior Vice President providing both investment management and investment advisory services; in this capacity, he served institutional, high net worth and plan sponsor clients. Johns also spent seven years at Bank of America in the area of corporate finance/banking. Johns graduated with a BA in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received his MA in Economic and Political Development from Manchester University in England; he also earned his MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.  Johns holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and formerly served as a board member on the CFA Society North Carolina.

Matthew K. Inman, CFA, CFP® Matt is a Senior Client Portfolio Strategist and Alternative Investment Analyst with Franklin Street Partners and has been with the firm since 2014. Matt was previously a Trust Officer and worked with client relationships in which the Trust Company was named in a fiduciary capacity. He graduated with honors from Campbell University with a BBA in Trust and Wealth Management and a minor in Financial Planning. Matt also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and is a Certified Financial PlannerTM professional.

Client Service Associates

Lori A. Bowers-Lennard Lori is a Client Service Associate with Franklin Street Partners and has been with the firm since 2000. Prior to joining Franklin Street, Lori began her career in the Trust Department at Barnett Bank in Jacksonville, FL. Following her time with Barnett Bank, she moved to North Carolina and began work in the Trust Department at Central Carolina Bank (CCB) in Durham. Lori has over 30 years of experience serving clients in the financial services industry.

Margaret E. Latta Margaret is a Client Service Associate with Franklin Street Partners. She joined the team in September 2021. Prior to joining Franklin Street, Margaret began her career in financial services in the Trust Department at CCB in Durham for 10 years, where she held various roles. She was also an Estates Paralegal for 14 years, concentrating on Estate Administration. Margaret is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Trust Team

Merlin C. Kreiser, Jr. (Mert), CPA Mert is the Managing Director, Trust Administration, Family Office and Operations at Franklin Street Partners. Prior to joining the firm, Mert held the positions of Director of Trust Operations with Kaspick & Company and Vice President of State Street Bank & Trust, managing trust accounting operations and client relationship functions. Mert has over 35 years of experience in wealth management and holds the Certified Public Accountancy designation. He graduated from High Point University with a degree in Business Administration and Economics.

Kate M. Bacon, CTFA Kate is a Trust Advisor with Franklin Street Partners and has been with the firm since August 2005. She works with client relationships that have named Franklin Street Trust Company as Trustee, Co-Trustee, Executor or Co-Executor. Prior to joining the firm, Kate worked in the Private Client Group with J.P. Morgan and specialized as a Trust Officer in their Palm Beach, FL office. In 2008, Kate received her designation as a Certified Trust and Financial Advisor. Kate graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Economics.

Jill W. Thompson Jill is a Trust Administrator with Franklin Street Partners, having joined the firm in 2015. She previously served as an Operations Specialist with the firm for over 4 years. Jill has over 20 years of experience in the banking industry and began her career with Central Carolina Bank’s Trust Department. Prior to joining FSP, she worked with First Citizens Bank in Commercial Lending. Jill is a graduate of Campbell University with a BBA degree in Trust Management.

Blake Lawson, CTFA Blake is a Trust Administrator with Franklin Street Partners, having joined the firm in 2022. Prior to Franklin Street, Blake worked for Bank of America Private Bank as a Vice President, Specialized Fiduciary Officer III on their National ILIT Team located in Charlotte, NC, where he managed 240+ irrevocable life insurance trusts, and he also served as the primary relationship Trust Officer on various accounts. In 2019, Blake received his designation as a Certified Trust and Financial Advisor. Blake is a graduate of Campbell University with a BBA degree in Trust & Wealth Management and a minor in Financial Planning.

Family Office Team

Merlin C. Kreiser, Jr. (Mert), CPA Mert is the Managing Director, Trust Administration, Family Office and Operations at Franklin Street Partners. Prior to joining the firm, Mert held the positions of Director of Trust Operations with Kaspick & Company and Vice President of State Street Bank & Trust, managing trust accounting operations and client relationship functions. Mert has over 35 years of experience in wealth management and holds the Certified Public Accountancy designation. He graduated from High Point University with a degree in Business Administration and Economics.

Colin J. Bates Colin is an Associate Relationship Manager with Franklin Street Partners. He joined the firm in January of 2016. Colin works within the Family Office group performing roles ranging from portfolio organization to lifestyle management. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and MBA from the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. Colin spent six seasons playing professional baseball within the Washington Nationals organization after spending four years as a member of UNC’s varsity baseball team.

Jeanine M. DeWeese Jeanine is a Family Office Administrator with Franklin Street Partners. She joined the firm in August 2021. Jeanine previously worked with Hope Reins, a local non-profit organization, establishing the organization’s financial and administrative processes. She also spent eight years as a Program and Operations Manager at Kenan-Flagler Business School in Executive Development. She has an MBA from Averett University, a B.A. from California State University, and served in the United States Marine Corps.

Cathy A. Gaughran Cathy is a Family Office Administrator who joined Franklin Street Partners in 2017. She was an Operations Specialist with Franklin Street from 2017 to 2022. Cathy began her career in banking at Marine Midland in NY and previously worked in the education field. Cathy is a graduate of SUNY Binghamton with a degree in Management.

Abigail Keller Abigail is an Administrative Assistant who joined Franklin Street Partners in May of 2022. She graduated from Wake Technical Community College with an Associate in Arts degree. Currently, she is a junior at UNC-Chapel Hill and is a journalism major within the Hussman School of Journalism and Media. Abigail also writes for the Daily Tar Heel and is a member of the Marching Tar Heels.