Our Strategic Partners

Dlyan Timple is an Analyst in Insurance Marketing for our partner, Valmark Financial Group. In his role, Dlyan works to create quality long-term care and life insurance solutions. Dlyan earned his Bachelor’s in Finance from Kent State University. He also holds his Series 7 and 24 registrations, Ohio Life, Health and Variable Licenses, as well as FINRA Securities Industry Essentials.

James Dawson is the Director of Life Settlements for our partner, Valmark Financial Group. James is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the life settlement business. This includes establishing and implementing new processes and procedures, directing and facilitating the sale of policies from the initial offering through the formal case submission and acting as an escalation resource for complex and technical life settlement issues. He works to find ways to simplify the life settlement transaction process and improve efficiencies. Above all, Mr. Dawson is passionate about delivering the best possible experience for our clients. Mr. Dawson earned a BBA in Financial Planning from the University of Akron, graduating Summa Cum Laude. He also holds Ohio Life, Health, Accident and Variable licenses, Series 7, 24 and 66 registrations and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional.

As the Vice President of Underwriting for our partner, Valmark Financial Group, Lauren Ballantine is responsible for the technical assessment and negotiation of underwriting offers and serves as a contact for all new life business and underwriting. She is an advocate and escalation contact through every stage of the underwriting process, working to anticipate potential issues, identify the most appropriate carrier and negotiate the best possible underwriting outcome. She earned a BA in Biology and Art from the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University, where she received the President’s Scholarship and made the Dean’s List. Mrs. Ballantine is a Fellow of the Academy of Life Underwriting (FALU), a board member of Twin Cities Association of Home Office Underwriters (TCAHOU), and holds Minnesota Life and Health Licenses.

Michael McClary is the Chief Investment Officer of both Valmark Advisers, Inc. and Valmark Financial Group. His primary responsibility is coordinating all investment management solutions for Valmark Advisers, Valmark Wealth Solutions and Valmark Institutional, including TOPS®, TOPS® Strategic Allocation Portfolios, TOPS® Managed Risk ETF Portfolios, Valmark ACCESS™ and ACCESS™ Plus solutions. He is a nationally recognized expert in institutional portfolio management and RIA companies. He has more than 14 years of senior-level experience in financial management. Mr. McClary was named by EFTReport as one of “10 Rising Stars” in 2012 and one of “10 All Stars” in 2014. He is nationally recognized as one of the first three members of the IMN/Research Magazine “ETF Advisors Hall of Fame” in 2007 and is regularly published on ETF.com. In addition, he has collaborated with the Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger’s, Financial Advisor and Research Magazine on ETF-related topics and has been a featured speaker for organizations such as the S&P and the Financial Planning Association (FPA). Mr. McClary holds Series 7, 24 and 66 registrations, is a member of the Cleveland Society of Chartered Financial Analysts and is a Registered Investment Advisor. He earned an MBA in Financial Management and a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Financial Services from The University of Akron, graduating Magna Cum Laude.

Tyler Denholm is the Vice President of Investment Management and Research for our partner, Valmark Financial Group. His primary responsibility includes overseeing the investment management process and conducting research for TOPS®, TOPS® Strategic Allocation Portfolios and TOPS® Variable Insurance Trust. Specifically, he is responsible for portfolio design and portfolio management. Mr. Denholm regularly analyzes the TOPS® Portfolios and is heavily involved in the day-to-day operations of portfolio management. He also helps analyze our prospective portfolios, and we work directly with Tyler to determine which of the various Wealth Solutions would be the best fit for our clients. He earned his BSBA in Finance and Real Estate from the University of Akron, graduating Summa Cum Laude. In addition to his Series 7 and 24 registrations, Mr. Denholm is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®).

Zach Hurst is the Director of Financial Planning for our partner, Valmark Financial Group. In his role, he is responsible for aspects of design, marketing and implementation of Valmark’s unique financial planning processes. He oversees a team that assists with accumulation, income distribution and legacy planning through various processes designed to best meet the unique needs of clients.  Mr. Hurst earned a BSBA in Financial Services from The University of Akron, is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) professional and holds Series 7, 24 and 66 registrations. Additionally, he holds Ohio Life, Health, Accident and Variable Life Insurance licenses and is a Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®). In 2014, he was recognized for Outstanding Work and Accomplishment in the Field of Financial Planning from The University of Akron’s Finance Advisory Board. Mr. Hurst has also presented on financial planning topics at Valmark’s Member Summit, as well as at various College of Business courses and panels with the University of Akron. He has been quoted in an Investment News article titled, “What Advisors Need to Know About Popular Long-Term-Care Products.”