Meet Our Team

Focus

As the Managing Partner of Transitions Wealth Management, James Martin focuses on working with clients through retirement and estate planning strategies. James enjoys helping his clients develop personalized and tactical plans appropriate for their investment needs that account for their long- and short-term goals, as well as their risk tolerance.

Background

For over two decades, James has helped clients address their financial concerns and develop strategies by focusing on their unique needs. He began his career in the industry with A.G. Edwards, a predecessor firm of Wells Fargo Advisors, in 1994.

A native of Arkansas, James received a Bachelor of Business Administration in General Business from the University of Central Arkansas. After entering the financial services industry, he earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) certification by completing an education program, passing a rigorous exam, and meeting stringent experience requirements.

Away from the office

James enjoys spending his free time hiking in Scottsdale, AZ, with his wife, Michele, and visiting their children, Abbie and Alex. He also loves swimming, biking, and running in preparation for triathlons and has successfully completed two Ironman races (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and 26.2-mile run).

James is an active member of the Tempe South Rotary Club in Arizona and a long-time sponsor of Beyond Boundaries, an organization that uses equine assisted therapy for children with disabilities.

Focus

As the Managing Director, Brad Seagraves’s primary responsibilities include managing his branch while overseeing all client relationships. He helps provide customized investment planning strategies for all clients and is committed to helping them gain a high level of understanding and confidence when it comes to managing assets, liabilities, and financial goals.

Background

Originally from Central Arkansas, Brad earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Western State College in Gunnison, CO. He began his career as a retirement plan specialist at Oppenheimer Funds Inc. and later to moved to Morgan Stanley, where he met his current partner, James Martin. Brad and James decided to open their practice together in 2016 and formed what is now known as Transitions Wealth Management.

Away from the office

Brad lives in Little Rock with his wife, Holly. Together, they have two daughters, Lilly and Claire, and three sons, Henry, Hudson, and Cruz. In his free time, Brad enjoys fly-fishing, hiking, and spending time with his family.

Brad is active member of New Life Church and volunteers at various local charities. He is also a sponsor of Arkansas Senior Olympics, which promotes fitness, good health, and education through competitive athletics designed for adults 40 years of age and older.

Focus

In his nearly 25 years of work in the industry, Bruce Peterson has loved helping his clients realize their financial goals, especially if they’ve been working toward them for a long time. Bruce finds it meaningful to make an impact on his clients’ lives through retirement, education funding, second homes, and more.

With the ultimate goal of helping his clients in every area of their financial lives, Bruce focuses on retirement planning, asset management, estate planning strategies, and insurance strategies.

Background

Bruce graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Mary. Throughout his career, he has remained committed to continuing education and acquired the Accredited Asset Management Specialist (AAMS®) and the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC®) designations.

Away from the office

Today, Bruce lives in Rio Verde, AZ, and spends lots of time in Minnesota during the summer months with his wife. He and his wife have two boys, one who lives in the Phoenix area, and another who lives in Los Angeles. Away from the office, Bruce enjoys golfing, woodworking, and spending time on the lake, and he is licensed to fly single-engine, high-performance airplanes.

Committed to serving his community, Bruce was a member of Rotary International between 1985-2020, and he was a member of three separate Chamber of Commerce departments over the years.

Focus

As a Managing Partner and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, Andrew Crone focuses on advising clients on how to achieve their goals. Andrew believes that everyone deserves the opportunity to create an investment plan, which is why his practice is built on complementary investment planning. He then provides quality asset allocation and portfolio management.

The most rewarding aspect of Andrew’s work is accompanying his clients through the accumulation phase of their lives and watching them work to transition into retirement with the assets they need to maintain their standard of living.

Background

Before they retired, Andrew’s father owned his own property/casualty insurance shop, and his mother was an Advanced Practice Nurse. Andrew witnessed the elevated level of service his father provided his clients and the degree of care his mother provided patients. After he graduated from college, Andrew also sought to find a career in which he could help others, just like his parents did.

Andrew graduated with a B.A. in Economics from the University of the South at Sewanee, where he was a four-year letterman on the tennis team and was named twice as the team’s MVP.

Away from the office

A native of Little Rock, Andrew now lives there with his wife, Laura, their two sons, Charlie and George, their golden-doodle, Penny, and their bernie-doodle, Bernie. In his free time, Andrew enjoys golfing, playing tennis, going to concerts, hiking, and camping. He also serves as a board member for the Urban Food Loop.

Focus

Bringing 30 years of industry experience, Lyle Cogbill serves as the Managing Principal and Senior PIM® Portfolio Manager for Transitions Wealth Management. Lyle oversees all client relationships and assists in creating equity and fixed income portfolios for high-net-worth individuals, families, and businesses. His areas of focus include estate planning strategies, asset management, retirement planning, college planning, and helping clients set goals for retirement and beyond.

Background

Lyle’s father was a town manager for Arkansas Louisiana Gas Company and taught Lyle the value of saving for retirement early on his life. Today, Lyle hopes to instill this same philosophy in each of his clients.

After earning his associate’s degree in business management from the University of Phoenix, Lyle obtained his registrations and went on to earn the Senior PIM® Portfolio Manager designation. He is also a pilot with 700 hours of experience flying planes, hang gliders, and hot air balloons.

Away from the office

Lyle lives in Little Rock with his wife, Krista, their son, Elijah, and their grandson, Ryley. Lyle has four adult children and seven grandchildren, and his family lovingly owns two schnauzers. Away from the office, he enjoys playing tennis and biking, as well as playing guitar, piano, and singing.

Committed to his community, Lyle supports the Potluck Food Rescue Mission in Little Rock and the Francis Allen Schools that work with children and adults with special needs. He previously helped with fund drives and community outreach at his church and, most notably, managed the remodeling of ageing public and religious schools in low-income areas of the city.

A desire to serve others and interact with people drew me to the investment business in 1996 after spending four years in the Marines and completing my college degree. My primary mission has always been to help clients accomplish goals they set. As a measure of success, I'm proud to have been selected by Forbes as a Best-in-State Wealth Advisor, Arkansas, 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Relationships are at the heart of my professional practice. I call my style "kitchen-table investment planning," and, if I do my job right, I spend about a lot of time every quarter on the road-visiting clients. Thanks to referrals, I have clients on each coast, the northeast, northwest, and here in my hometown of Little Rock. By dining with them, meeting with clients in their homes, celebrating retirements and even walking our dogs together, I make it personal. Clients have their own unique complex wealth issues. I strive to customize solutions to issues such as paying for nursing care, college funding, estate planning, and wealth transfer. My work is not just about doing business but also about friendship.

My Experience

2012 - Present : Wells Fargo Advisors, Financial Advisor
2009 - 2012 : Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
1997 - 2009 : Citigroup Global Markets
1989 - 1993 : United States Marine Corps

My Education & Credentials

Bachelor of Arts - University of Arkansas

My Areas of Focus

Estate Planning Strategies 
Retirement Planning 

My Community Involvement

United Way
 

The Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors rating algorithm is based on the previous year ’s industry experience, interviews, compliance records, assets under management, revenue and other criteria by SHOOK Research, LLC, which does not receive compensation from the advisors or their firms in exchange for placement on a rating. Investment performance is not a criterion. Self-completed survey was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria.

Focus

With over 25 years of experience, Eric Miller is committed to helping his clients achieve their financial goals through every stage of their lives. Eric has always enjoyed risk and portfolio management and finds these aspects of his work to be rewarding.

Background

Before becoming a financial advisor, Eric was a bank examiner for the FDIC for about seven years. He earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where his twin children now attend college.

Away from the office

Eric lives in Maumelle, AR, and has a passion for snow skiing. He also enjoys mountain biking, playing tennis, and attending musical events in his free time. He has been known to play professional gigs with his trombone and electric bass in his younger years, and for thrills, he has skied from a helicopter and jumped out of a plane.

Eric supports various causes across the state of Arkansas with a special focus on helping foster children.

Focus

Since her childhood years, Manon Tounalom has taken interest in saving, investing, and finance. When she received birthday money, Manon would ask her parents to deposit it into her savings account for her future financial needs. Today, she continues to love math and using her skills to make an impact in people’s lives. She has a passion for helping people with their present circumstances, as well as planning for their futures. In her role with the Transitions team, Manon evaluates advisory portfolios and stock portfolios, acting as the liaison between the team and their clients.

Background

Having grown up in France (about 40 minutes west of Paris), Manon came to the United States when she was 18 to play golf in her college years. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree in finance from Ball State University, where she played Division I golf for four years. For three of those years, Manon was awarded the All-American Scholar, Academic All-MAC Conference, and Ball State Most Valuable Golfer awards. She then earned her Master’s in Financial Analysis from Rutgers University after graduating from Ball State.

Away from the office

In her free time, Manon continues to play golf and is as competitive as she was in her college years. She also enjoys hiking and taking advantage of the beautiful landscapes of Arizona.

Focus

William Mitchell is passionate about meeting new people and guiding them through the investment planning process. With a concentration in asset management, comprehensive wealth management, and retirement planning, William loves helping his clients meet their long-term financial goals. As a naturally outgoing and people-oriented person, he finds his work rewarding because he has opportunities to assist fellow Arkansans every day.

Background

William earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business, agricultural management, and marketing from the University of Arkansas.

Away from the office

Today, William lives in Little Rock, AR, and enjoys spending quality time with his friends and family. In his free time, he loves taking weekend lake trips, attending sporting events, and hunting. He also regularly volunteers at the Boys and Girls Club.

Focus

As one of the team’s Portfolio Administrators, Felicia Hogue is responsible for servicing accounts, planning client events, and assisting clients through the process of building customized plans aimed to meet their investment needs and goals.

Background

A lifelong resident of Arkansas, Felicia graduated from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville with a Bachelor of Business Administration and Marketing. She began her career in the financial services industry in 1990 at Stephens Inc., where she obtained her Series 7, 63, and 65 registrations.

Felicia spent about seven years at Merrill Lynch, where she earned her licenses for life, disability, and long-term care insurance for Arkansas. She fulfills her annual continuing education requirements to remain aware of current planning strategies and financial trends.

Away from the office

Felicia lives in Little Rock, AR, with her husband, Greg. The couple enjoys spending time with their five goddaughters, as well as going to the lake, traveling, and spending time at Chenal Country Club. Felicia’s other hobbies include working out, working in her yard, and reading.

Felicia and Greg are active members of St. James Methodist Church.

Focus

As a Portfolio Administrator for the Transitions team, Heather Helms focuses on servicing clients’ portfolios with detail and integrity. Heather is passionate about empowering people to create a successful future, and she strives to do so by assisting clients with asset management, investment planning, and portfolio review.

Background

Before joining the financial services industry, Heather was a high school mathematics teacher and a counselor. In these former roles, she taught students how to realize their abilities and equipped them with the tools they needed to step out into the world. Today, she finds purpose in helping clients gain confidence in their financial futures and empowering them to take the next step in their wealth management journey.

Heather earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics and psychology and a Master of School Counseling from the University of Arkansas.

Away from the office

Growing up in a military family, Heather chose Arkansas as her home after many years of traveling the world. She now lives in Little Rock with her husband, David, and their family, Karsyn and Andrew. In her free time, Heather enjoys fitness training, including swimming, cycling, and running, and she has competed in 16 Ironman Triathlons, including the World Championship in Kona, HI. Heather is an active supporter of CASA Special Advocates for Children.

Focus

Tracie Taylor is a Senior Registered Associate for Transitions Wealth Management. Tracie focuses on providing clients with the highest level of personal service and professional integrity. Serving as the operational professional, she streamlines the client experience and supports day-to-day business needs of the practice.

Background

Originally from Poplarville, MS, Tracie relocated to Central Arkansas in 1977 and began her career in the industry in 1984 with A.G. Edwards and Sons, Inc., a predecessor of Wells Fargo Advisors. She now has over three decades of industry experience and has worked in all aspects of operations, in addition to assisting with management and compliance.

Away from the office

In her free time, Tracie spends time reading and watching all things true crime and sports. She stays busy with her granddaughter, Hailey, who is involved in choir, dance, and drama team. Being an avid sports fan, Tracie loves attending high school football/basketball games where Hailey’s dance team performs. For over 25 years, Tracie has been active member of her local church.