Meet the Willis Johnson
& Associates Team

Willis Johnson serves as the CEO of Willis Johnson & Associates. As a Certified Financial Planner®, Mr. Johnson provides a full complement of financial services to individuals as they go through the transitions in their corporate life. Most corporate professionals will retire once in their life, but Mr. Johnson has assisted hundreds of clients to navigate through the retirement process over the course of his career.

In the span of over 35 years, Mr. Johnson has honed decades of experience assisting clients as they struggle with almost every important financial decision you can imagine. He has helped these corporate professionals to overcome their emotions and objectively assess their available options.

Mr. Johnson’s ability to listen to his clients’ motivations, paired with his acquired wisdom enable him to guide clients down a retirement path that maximizes their benefits while taking advantage of their unique opportunities along the way. Mr. Johnson considers himself both a financial advisor and a life counselor as he assists his clients in prioritizing their personal needs, offers realistic advice, and accompanies them on their path to financial success.

During his 35 years as an advisor, 13 years with a national financial advisory firm and 22 years as a principal at his own firm, Mr. Johnson implemented exclusive estate and financial planning techniques. His structured methodology-- customized for each client-- is still the basis of his approach today.

Building grounded, long-term relationships while understanding client objectives and goals is the foundation of Willis’ success as a Certified Financial Planner® professional. Mr. Johnson received a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from the University of Houston. He also practiced with a national CPA firm before obtaining his CFP® designation.

Nick Johnson CFA®, CFP® believes that financial planning is more than numbers on a balance sheet and a standardized process. People are unique and should be treated as such. As President and wealth manager at Willis Johnson & Associates, Nick’s goal is to develop a solid understanding of his clients while providing a proactive approach to comprehensive wealth management.

Nick is responsible for monitoring the financial health of his clients and providing timely updates regarding changes to their financial plans. To effectively monitor a client’s financial well-being, an advisor must have a firm grasp of the life passions and/or goals specific to that individual. It is Nick’s job to initiate productive conversations where he can combine his own financial planning wisdom with the unique emotional elements of a corporate professional’s life.

Overall, Nick measures financial planning success by his ability to help corporate professionals maximize their hard-earned money. However, Nick considers himself successful as an advisor when clients naturally turn to him for financial advice as they would like a trusted family member or close friend. In addition to serving as an advisor, Nick serves an integral role as a member of Willis Johnson & Associates Investment Committee.

The Investment Committee makes all of the decisions in regards to asset allocation, style/theme distribution, and security selection for their client portfolios. Nick’s strong analytical skills, dedication to the fundamentals of investing, and Chartered Financial Analyst designation bring unique insight to their investment decisions.

In school, Nick always had a passion for analytic research and analysis but found within himself the need to balance that with personal connections. These desires led him to pursue a dual major in finance and drama, along with a minor in economics from Trinity University. He thrived in the finance and economics classes, often finding himself leading study groups and teaching concepts that came easily to him.

While concurrently studying finance, Nick spent most of his free time in the theater department working on over 40 stage productions both in the department and the community at large. This in-depth study of the humanities let him deepen his understanding of the motivations and inter-workings of people, a skill he uses very much to this day.

After graduating from Trinity University, Nick began working as an investment analyst at Willis Johnson & Associates He started his studies for the CFA® exam during this time as well. After gaining experience on the investments side, researching funds, tracking investments, and trading large blocks of client accounts, he moved over to the financial planning arm of the company and later transitioned into a financial advisory role.

In addition to being a CFA®, Nick earned his designation as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ after completing the board’s preliminary financial planning experience requirements and certification exam in April 2018.

Nick is a Houston native and uses his passion for learning to inspire the personal and professional development of the city’s working professionals and executives. He believes in the power of education to impact both the individual and their community by enabling more informed decision making in terms of their careers, their money, and most importantly, their life goals.

Nick is a strong proponent of continued education, which is reflected via his heavy investment in his personal career, the careers of the WJA team, and the lifetime careers of the clients he serves.

During his free time, Nick lectures as an adjunct professor at the University of Houston Bauer College of Business, is involved in the CFA® Professional Mentorship Program, and is an active participant in the University of Houston Bauer College of Business’s SURE Program, which fosters a partnership between students and Houston’s business thought leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs from under-resourced communities.

When he’s not teaching or being taught, Nick enjoys spending time outdoors and embarking on weekend rock climbing excursions across the states.

Alexis Long is the Director of Wealth Management at Willis Johnson & Associates, which allows her to meet people from diverse backgrounds with different goals and help them reach those goals as efficiently as possible. After years of dedication to the firm, proven success, and exemplary leadership, Alexis was the first person beyond the Johnson family to be brought on board as a shareholder and board member of Willis Johnson & Associates. In her day-to-day activities, Alexis primarily focuses on empowering and managing our operations and financial planning staff while serving clients with their financial needs.

After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in business with a minor in French from Texas Tech University, Alexis’ career started with positions ranging from real estate to bankruptcy law while searching for her true career passion. It was not until attending the MBA program at the University of Saint Thomas that she started learning more about the financial planning and advising industry. Alexis recognized financial planning and advising was the career that best suited her.

Before joining Willis Johnson & Associates, Alexis started in the financial planning and advising industry, working at another wealth management firm in an operations role. She learned the basics of financial planning from the ground up and quickly expanded her knowledge. 

She joined Willis Johnson & Associates in 2014 as a Paraplanner and quickly transitioned to the Associate Wealth Manager role the same year. By November of 2015, she had passed the Certified Financial Planner exam and received her designation as a CFP® in April of 2016. She began leading client relationships as a Wealth Manager in 2017. As Director of Wealth Management, Alexis spearheads the development, organization, and strategy for her department and the firm.

Alexis is a proud member of various leadership, community, and professional development organizations.

G2 Leadership Institute, Class of 2020: The G2 Leadership Institute develops the leadership and business management skills of professionals preparing themselves for leadership positions within their advisory firms.

Financial Planning Association of Houston: FPA Houston is an organization dedicated to elevating the profession that transforms lives through the power of financial planning. Alexis also serves on the Board of Directors for FPA Houston as the Career Development Director. 

Houston Estate & Financial Forum: Assisting the development and extension of professional skills in estate planning.

For Alexis, financial planning combines her interest in producing detail-oriented financial plans with a desire to help people reach their goals of retiring early, paying for a grandchild’s education, buying a second home, or leaving a legacy for their children.

Alexis is a native Houstonian who spent her childhood living and traveling abroad. Living abroad gave Alexis the chance to meet people from around the world and learn about the various passions and ambitions they hold.

Alexis has been married to her loving and supportive husband, Michael, for eight years, and they reside in west Houston. In addition to her professional accomplishments over the last five years, Alexis has become a mother to 3 precious little angels. Being a mother is what she would consider her greatest achievement, and she enjoys spending as much time as possible with her family. Now that her children are a little older, Alexis looks forward to traveling with Michael and her three children and watching them experience more of what the world has to offer. On the rare occasion that she has free time, Alexis enjoys trying new restaurants, running, and singing epic karaoke ballads.

 

Bob Lowerre’s current position as a Portfolio Manager with Willis Johnson & Associates allows him to assist in the implementation of model portfolios aligned to meet one’s risk tolerance. Bob is passionate about keeping up with current events and melding the current environment with suitable investment ideas.

Utilizing technical analysis on the front end helps drive portfolio themes that are verified on the back end with fundamental analysis. Being a steward to the livelihood of others drives him on a daily basis. In addition, Bob handles a majority of the firm’s compliance tasks to ensure the firm is compliant with SEC rules and regulations.

Previously, Bob worked at a one-man broker-dealer. As a college student, he worked part-time helping create client review books and helping to open new accounts, all the while absorbing as much as he could with respect to the current markets and market history.

His boss opened his broker-dealer in 1962, so he gained a lot of valuable insight into market cycles and corresponding investment ideas. Bob eventually became so passionate about investments that he left the firm as an advisor to take his current position assisting in the modeling of client portfolios.

Adrian Gomez joined Willis Johnson & Associates in 2020 as an Investment Operations Manager. He is in charge of the systems, processes, and integrations the firm uses and is always looking to improve inefficiencies. Adrian’s role allows him to assist in the portfolio administration of current and new clients, focusing on the trading of model portfolios.

Adrian received a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University in December 2016. In previous roles as a trader and operations specialist, Adrian gained experience in RIA firms of various sizes. Within these firms, he learned the best practices needed for a firm’s success as it looks to scale.

Outside of the office, Adrian enjoys traveling and keeping up to date with the NFL (especially his Dallas Cowboys). In his free time, he enjoys spending time with friends and family.

Leah joined Willis Johnson & Associates in 2019 as a Tax Manager. Prior to joining the firm, Leah climbed up through the ranks of public accounting, beginning at Ernst & Young. She has extensive experience in individual and business taxation, as well as the foreign filing requirements for U.S. citizens and residents. For Willis Johnson & Associates, she will be leading the development of the tax division which will offer year-round tax planning and compliance for our clients, as well as education on tax topics. She is a gifted tax researcher and enjoys computing different scenarios for tax planning. She is eager to help clients easily maneuver through the ever-stressful tasks of tax planning and tax filing.

Leah completed her Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in Accounting through the prestigious integrated MPA (iMPA) program at the University of Texas at Austin. She is a Certified Public Accountant and is a member of the AICPA, and the AICPA’s Tax and Personal Financial Planning divisions.

Outside the office, she is actively involved in the Austin County Texas Exes, the alumni association of the University of Texas. She serves earnestly, alongside other alumni to provide scholarships for deserving students graduating from Austin County schools. She and her husband, David, have two sons. In her free time, she performs in the professional flute choir, Brazos Breeze, based out of Bryan-College Station.

Danira Garcia started at Willis Johnson & Associates as a Tax Manager in 2023, which affords her the opportunity to work closely with our clients on their tax planning and compliance. Alongside our financial advisors, Danira works year-round on the various tax planning needs that arise and provides tax-savings recommendations, tax projections, and accurately prepares and files clients’ tax returns.   

In her role as a Tax Manager, she believes that her success is measured by her clients’ ability to make informed tax decisions because of her trusted guidance and development of strong working relationships. She believes in the importance of being proactive, not only in her day-to-day duties and communication, but in uncovering opportunities for clients to minimize tax exposure, seek tax-saving opportunities, and to plan for potential tax liabilities down the road.  

In her early career, Danira discovered her aptitude and enjoyment for math by tutoring college students in the subject. During this role, she learned how to explain nuanced and complex topics to others in an easily-understood manner, which benefited her as she transitioned into public accounting. After several years in public accounting, Danira sought industry experience. She worked in a large energy company’s tax and cost management departments, where she deepened her knowledge of tax and business accounting.  

Among her many accomplishments, Danira considers her greatest to be when she moved to the U.S. as a child with her family. With nothing in hand, Danira worked hard to learn a new language before going on to excel in her education and career. She embodies “the American Dream” and brings that ambition and work ethic to all she does.  As she works with clients, she continuously exercises her due diligence in the thoughtful tax planning and compliance efforts she tackles. Alongside our tax team, she works to ensure that we maintain a unified approach while staying abreast of tax law changes and IRS regulation updates. 

Danira is a proud graduate of the University of Houston’s Bauer College of Business where she attained her BBA in Accounting. While gaining work experience in accounting, she studied and received her CPA designation in 2019. She’s also an active member of the Texas Society of CPAs, which focuses on educating tax professionals to keep them up-to-date with changing tax laws and offers a platform to seek support and ideas from other CPAs for new tax issues. Danira is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.  

Beyond the office, Danira enjoys spending time with her husband, Robert, her two children, Jane & Jeremias, and her dogs. As a family, they enjoy traveling, outdoor activities, exploring new places, and engaging with their church and in local missions.  

As Office Manager, Maritsa Parkman enjoys wearing many hats and is responsible for managing firm administration, human resources, and compliance departments. Maritsa joined Willis Johnson & Associates in 2016 working as the firm’s receptionist, and, since then, has greatly valued the opportunity to be a part of the firm’s growth over the years. She is proud to work alongside such a strong group of professionals with a great reputation in the industry.

Maritsa graduated from Texas A&M University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. Her hometown is San Antonio, TX, and enjoys visiting her family there when she can.

Outside of the office, Maritsa takes an interest in health and fitness and can be found taking exercise classes daily. She also loves traveling with her husband, cooking/baking new recipes, and playing with her golden-doodle puppy.

Hailey Lamoree is the Client Concierge at Willis Johnson & Associates, which allows her to meet a variety of individuals coming to the firm for financial guidance. She believes that cultivating a great client experience through customer service is essential for a firm like Willis Johnson & Associates to stand out as a leading financial firm. As the Client Concierge, she serves as the firm’s first point of contact for visitors and handles all incoming calls to the main lines. Additionally, Hailey is responsible for coordinating and scheduling client meetings for the advisors of the wealth management team.
In all areas of her life, Hailey believes that open communication and respect are crucial foundations for building relationships. In doing so while she manages the firm’s calendar, Hailey is able to utilize her administrative skills and attention to detail to ensure the firm’s day-to-day activities run as smoothly as possible.

Hailey graduated from the University of Houston Clear-Lake in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication. During her time there, she was on the staff for the university’s newspaper, “The Signal” before graduating. After several years in an office coordination role for different healthcare facilities, she wanted to expand on her administrative skills within another industry, which led her to this role at Willis Johnson & Associates.

Outside of the office, Hailey enjoys outdoor activities, particularly near bodies of water. She enjoys spontaneous trips, spending time with her friends, and hula hooping. Hailey also enjoys binge-watching new TV shows with her dog and two rescued cats, lifting at the gym, and trying new restaurants across Houston.

John Siegel is a Certified Financial Planner™ practitioner with over a dozen years of experience in the financial services arena, as well as many years serving in capacities throughout the legal and non-profit sectors. It was John’s experience working in the legal field that inspired him to become a financial advisor.

He witnessed firsthand how the improper setup of trusts and probate wills burdened families with issues that could have been easily prevented with proper proactive planning. When working with the families he advises, John’s experience allows him to combine his rich industry knowledge with his passion for providing clarity and confidence to each client’s unique financial vision.

John joined Willis Johnson & Associates in 2018 as a wealth manager. Before joining the WJA team, John served as a wealth strategist for a leading private bank, as well as vice president of wealth planning for a comprehensive financial planning firm. While fulfilling these roles, John worked with business executives, business owners, and family guardians on a host of planning matters, helping them grow, preserve, and enjoy their wealth.

Preceding his career in financial services, John was an auditor for a probate court where he oversaw the administration of over 1500 estates and trusts. In addition, he worked as a paralegal for an estate planning law firm where he drafted planning documents and managed estate administrations. John also worked as a fundraising/development officer for education and health care institutions.

John earned his Bachelor of Arts at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and completed his Certified Financial Planner™ studies at Rice University. He attained his Enrolled Agent (EA) designation with the Internal Revenue Service in 2019, allowing him to represent taxpayers on matters related to the preparation and filing of their tax documents before the IRS.

John is active in the professional community as a member of the Houston Estate and Financial Forum and of Houston Chapter of the Financial Planning Association, which has recognized John for distinguished service. John also has served as both president and treasurer of the Planned Giving Council of Houston, as well as treasurer for the St. Stephen’s Episcopal School of Houston.

Bringing over 15 years of experience within the financial services industry, Brandon joined the WJA team as a Financial Planning Analyst and became an Associate Wealth Manager in 2022. In this role, Brandon provides detailed research and technical analysis to assist Wealth Managers in preparing relevant recommendations for our clients.

While attending Texas A&M, he started his wealth management career earning college credit as an intern at UBS Financial Services. There, he could see the positive impact one could have as an advisor firsthand. He graduated from Texas A&M with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a minor in Business.

Upon graduation, Brandon accepted a job at an investment firm in client services. He focused on customer service with clients and assisted advisors in account management, executing trades, and addressing client inquiries. Brandon grew from his role in Client Services to an Internal Sales Consultant where he worked alongside financial advisors in selecting investments for their clientele. Brandon enjoyed helping advisors get, keep, and grow their business, and knowing the positive impact his work resulted in for his client’s retirement.

Outside the office, Brandon lives a busy and fulfilling life. He and his wife, Viki, have been married since 2006 and have two sons, Cannon and Cade. He coaches both boys in baseball, basketball, and flag football. When he’s not coaching, he can be found grilling or smoking meals in his backyard. Brandon and his wife are very involved with their church where he serves as a Confirmation teacher for 7th and 8th graders. Brandon loves rooting for Houston’s sports teams and supporting local breweries. Brandon and Viki own multiple gyms where they find satisfaction in helping people reach their health and fitness goals.

Elena joined Willis Johnson & Associates in 2018 as the director of marketing. She came on board with the goal to build a comprehensive marketing program designed to serve our firm’s clients by providing them with the resources necessary to ensure an optimal experience when partnering with our wealth managers.

Elena believes a seamless and informed client experience is essential to establishing strong relationships founded on trust and understanding. Her objective for the marketing team is to supply clients and prospects with financial planning knowledge provided by WJA advisors catered to their unique life goals and needs.

Prior to joining the WJA team, Elena was the director of marketing at a global technology company where she developed client-focused marketing strategies for numerous business units. She also led the marketing team at a global genetics laboratory, which functioned to provide worldwide genealogy testing. Her desire to return to a more personable business environment fueled her decision to join Willis Johnson & Associates.

Elena earned her Bachelor of Science degree at Florida International University and completed her Master of Business Administration at Keller Graduate School of Management in Houston, TX. Elena is active in the professional community as a Houston chapter member of InterNations, Dress for Success and the American Marketing Association.

Christopher Polanco joined Willis Johnson & Associates as the Marketing Coordinator & Graphic Designer in 2023 after completing an internship with the firm’s marketing team. In his role, Chris creates all graphics for the educational content offered to clients and prospects through social media, emails, pamphlets, and more. Exemplifying the firm’s mission of making the complex simple, Chris works to transform complicated financial concepts into understandable and eye-catching graphics. 

Though his marketing internship led him to WJA, Chris brings many different experiences to his role here. Upon moving to the U.S., he worked at H-E-B in customer service, management, and special projects. Also, while at the University of Houston, Chris served as the Director of Communications for the HFTP (Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals) Cougar Chapter. He also brings experience from the hospitality and technology industries. These experiences give Chris a unique perspective on consumer behavior that he combines with creativity to achieve success as a Marketing Coordinator and Graphic Designer. 

Chris knows he’s succeeded when clients trust our reputation and recognize the WJA name because of our content’s efficacy, clarity, and relatability. Marketing content is often the first exposure that clients will have to the firm. Chris’ primary focus is showcasing the many ways WJA can help potential new clients with the financial challenges they face every day. Getting his eye-catching graphics and messages in front of those we best help is Chris’ way of creating new connections and building rapport with clients before they meet with our team. He believes in incorporating strategic and emotional marketing elements at each customer journey stage. Using his analytical skills, he extracts critical insights to improve the client experience, the perception of WJA’s value, and the firm’s educational content. 

Chris studied at the University of Houston, graduating with a degree in Global Hospitality Leadership and specializing in Project Management and Analytics. Among his accomplishments, Chris is proud to be a first-generation graduate student.

Before attending university, Chris spent much of his time volunteering as a teacher at a Honduran orphanage. There, he shared knowledge about social studies, art, and computers with kids from first to sixth grade. He also dedicated himself to coaching soccer and assisting in the school’s chorus as his passion for helping others grew. 

Chris believes curiosity, creativity, and positivity often lead to the best results. With each campaign or project, he eagerly looks to try something new and experiment with new approaches. He approaches his role with openness and persistence due to the trial-and-error nature of social media marketing and graphic design. Chris brings a positive and learning-first attitude to the firm, believing that doing so helps simplify everyone’s jobs and increase efficiency. 
Beyond the office, Chris enjoys traveling, painting, photography, and playing soccer.

Most often, he’s in search of new restaurants, particularly Houston’s best Italian food, to share with his friends.

Fatima Ali joined Willis Johnson & Associates as a Client Development Specialist in 2023. In her role, she learns about prospective clients’ financial goals and provides them with tailored educational pieces. She takes a high-touch, personalized approach to understanding clients’ needs and acts as their dedicated partner who connects them with the advisor best suited to helping them reach their financial goals.  

From an early age, Fatima paid attention to the impact of various financial decisions on her family members’ lives and developed an ambition for financial freedom. When deciding to join the team at WJA, she was drawn to the firm’s earnest care for clients and employees and the firm’s desire to provide financial education to both groups. Within her role, Fatima is able to leverage the education WJA provides when building relationships with people, which allows her to better understand individuals’ financial goals and which advisors are best suited to help them achieve it. Fatima knows she’s succeeded when she sees the client’s satisfaction with the plans established by the advisors she’s paired them with. She finds great fulfillment in fostering the relationship throughout the client’s experience with the firm and the advisors as they go on to reach their unique goals. 

A proud first-generation graduate of the University of Houston, Fatima earned her BBA in Marketing from the C.T. Bauer College of Business. During her college years, Fatima gained experience in sales at an international energy organization, where she streamlined processes and worked diligently to ensure customer satisfaction in her business units.   

When she’s not in the office, Fatima showcases her competitive spirit as a national-level throwball player. She also enjoys spending her time exploring new culinary experiences and traveling to embrace the richness of other countries and cultures. She considers herself a lifelong learner and is multilingual with fluency in English, Hindi, and Urdu.