Who We Are
Bo Gibbs
Founder and CEO
Born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, Bo has close to 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. He graduated with a degree in Finance and Economics from Indiana University and lives in Johns Creek, Georgia with his wife and three children.
In early 2009, after years of success, Bo founded Gibbs Financial Group. Then in 2015, after seeing the demand from his clients for advisory services he launched Gibbs Wealth Management. Since then he has expanded into 42 states with Advisors in almost every major market in the US to help them achieve the same success he has had. Over the last 16 years, between his personal and Advisor‘s managed assets GFG & GWM manage close to $1.5 billion in client assets. In addition, he personally produces well over $50 million a year in new business and is fully engaged at the field level all the while running both companies.
MEET OUR TEAM
Our team includes professionals who can provide financial planning, money and wealth management, estate and tax planning, insurance strategy and retirement income planning. In addition, our group takes a client-centered approach. Whether it’s calling you with client updates, offering educational events, or simply answering your questions quickly and effectively, our team is here to help you on your retirement journey.
Dan Mowery
President
Dan Mowery is a born and raised GA native. He and wife, Katie have three children and live in Cherokee County. Dan has an extensive background in Financial Services from working in several capacities across the industry. Dan’s current licensing credentials are the Series 6, Series 63, Series 65 and Life and Health Insurance License in the state of GA. Along with his experience facing financial planning, he is also highly knowledgeable in Medicare and the transition of those benefits for retirees. In his free time, Dan enjoys fishing, golf and staying active. He is a big believer in getting his kids outside and off of anything with a screen.
Alison Gibbs
VP and Chief Financial Officer
Alison Gibbs is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. She attended Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana where she earned her Bachelors and Masters degrees in psychology and counseling and met her husband, Bo. She worked as a child therapist and high school counselor before leaving the workplace to take care of their 3 children.
Alison and Bo started Gibbs Financial Group together. She currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis and spending time with her family and their Golden Doodle, Winnie.
Jacob Staton
Business Development Manager
Jacob was born and raised in the Atlanta area, but he has family scattered all around the country. He began attending Kennesaw State for Software Engineering. After a couple of years, he ended up finding his passion for sales. He decided to change paths to studying business with a focus on professional sales. Jacob is now the Marketing Director for Gibbs Financial Group & Gibbs Wealth Management. HIs job responsibilities include handling and tracking correspondence with new business prospects. He also plans and executes educational seminars for both prospective and current clients. In addition, he helps with operational assistance for our advisor training events.
Jackson Favors
Director of New Business
Jackson Favors serves as Director of New Business for Gibbs Wealth Management and Gibbs Financial Group. Born and raised in Georgia he attended Mercer University, where he played football and studied sports management, before transferring to Georgia Southern University to complete a Finance degree.
A devoted Alabama Crimson Tide and Green Bay Packers fan, Jackson enjoys time with family and friends, hitting the gym, watching football, and getting outdoors for golf or pickleball.
Jason McGilvery
Director of RIA Operations
Jason (“Jay”) is originally from the Boston area but has settled into the North Georgia area for the past 17 years. His career has spanned 25+ years, all of which has been within the retail investment and trading space at companies such as JPMorgan, E*Trade Financial, and Morgan Stanley. He has held senior management roles in Sales, Service, and Operations and this breadth of experience has shaped his Go-Go mentality of moving fast while staying customer-obsessed in his approach to operations, analytics, team management, and cross-functional leadership.
Jay earned a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Stonehill College, where he also played and served as captain of the football team. In addition, he earned his Master’s degree in Business Administration at Northeastern University and also holds FINRA series 3, 7, 9, 10, 24, 63, and 66 licenses.
Jay lives with his wife and 4 children, 3 of which graduated or are attending the University of Georgia. He is an avid sports fan, continually stays active, and occasionally moonlights as a DJ at local events and parties (“DJMac”).
Kip Layman
Vice President of Client Relations
Originally from Newport News, Virginia, Kip earned his degree from the University of Alabama and brings a 25 year long-standing career in client management. Prior to joining the Gibbs Financial Group team, he had a successful role at Dell Finance for 6 years where he oversaw 165 key accounts with a focus on strategic service delivery and client satisfaction. He is deeply committed to providing outstanding service and building lasting relationships. In his role at Gibbs Financial Group and Gibbs Wealth Management he will be supporting over 2,000 annuity, life and wealth management clients.
Kip lives in the Atlanta area with his wife and their four children. Outside the office, Kip enjoys spending time with family, playing golf, tennis, watching his kids in sports activities and being outdoors.
Kurt Brown
Chief Investment Officer
Kurt Brown is the Chief Investment Officer for Gibbs Wealth Management & Townsquare Capital in Provo, Utah. In this role, he is also the head of the investment committee and oversees the creation of portfolios for clients. This includes assessing outside money managers and selecting asset classes. He has close to 25 years of specific experience in capital markets experience, both on the buying and selling sides. His experience includes managing hedge funds, portfolios for Fortune 500 companies, Taft Hartly plans, university endowments, bank trust portfolios, and individual retirement accounts.
Before taking his current position, he worked for Alta Capital, which is a quality growth equity manager located in Salt Lake City, Utah. His 12-year position with Alta Capital saw a lot of growth for him personally and the company as a whole. He helped to take the $300 million of the firm’s assets and grow it to over $3 billion.
Even with his extensive investment work, Kurt also has experience as a speaker at investment conferences, CPA and estate planning conferences, and universities for a wide variety of audience members. He has the experience to talk about capital markets inefficiencies and conflicts of interest related to investment products and brokerage firms.
He earned a degree in economics and finance from Brigham Young University and still serves in the capacity of an adjunct professor there, as well as a board member of The Ballard Center for Economic Self-Reliance.
Valerie Smithey
Chief Compliance Officer
Valerie Smithey is originally from Woodstock, Illinois. She and her husband, Wes, live in Oconee County with their English Lab, Smit. Valerie brings nearly 25 years of experience in compliance and risk management within the financial services industry. Her approach is proactive and solutions-oriented, with a focus on building strong controls, streamlining operations, and embedding compliance into the culture of Gibbs Wealth Management.
Valerie earned a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Columbia College and a Master of Business Administration from Piedmont University. She also holds License Series 65, along with Life, Health, Variable Annuities, Property, and Casualty Insurance Licenses in the state of Georgia.
Outside the office, Valerie enjoys spending time with family, playing golf, watching sports, and being outdoors.
Hunter Hill
Director of Marketing
Hunter has spent the past 7 years as a stand-up comedian and has prior experience in sales. His professional journey is a fusion of analytical expertise, engaging communication, and client relationship finesse. Navigating the complexities of finance has become second nature, as has connecting with diverse audiences through humor and storytelling. Drawing from his earlier sales experience, he has honed the art of building authentic connections and understanding client needs. This multifaceted background positions him as a dynamic professional, adept at distilling complex financial concepts into relatable narratives and fostering genuine relationships with clients.
Ryan Bauman
Senior Financial Advisor
Ryan was born in Georgia and grew up in the Roswell area. He attended college at The University of Georgia where he obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Marketing. Ryan holds a Series 65 and insurance license.
Ryan started his career at a Fortune 50 company where he gained experience working with clients, leading teams and projects, and conducting financial and competitive analysis. Before long, Ryan discovered his true passion of helping people with their financial goals, and he is relentlessly committed to providing second-to-none client service. Ryan has a strong desire for continuous education and loves to stay informed on current economic and market developments. He also has a detailed understanding of investments in residential real estate.
In his current role, Ryan advises and supports clients with all aspects of their investment and retirement objectives, and he treats each day as an opportunity to help someone. In his free time Ryan enjoys running and exercising, watching and playing all kinds of sports, and spending time with family and friends.
Melissa Bischof
Director of First Impressions
Melissa was born in New York and grew up in Georgia. She received her CMA from University of North Georgia. Her core values revolve around prioritizing the well-being of others. In her professional journey, She continues to consistently offer assistance whenever needed, serving as a reliable support system. Melissa is known for her empathetic listening skills and people-pleasing attitude, she fosters an environment where individuals feel valued and empowered. Her strong customer-oriented focus underscores her dedication to ensuring client satisfaction. Outside of work, she enjoys painting in various art genres, indulging in her favorite comedies, all while being passionate about nutrition and embracing a healthy lifestyle.
Melissa Brooks
Marketing, Graphic and Web Designer
Melissa was born in Austin, Texas, and attended the University of Texas at Austin. As someone who loves to travel and explore new cities, she moved up and down the East Coast and eventually settled in Rhode Island, since it was on the ocean. She began working with Gibbs Financial Group over 13 years ago and continues to work closely with the GFG marketing team expanding the brand. She now owns her own design and marketing company. You can view her portfolio and request to work with her at RevolutionMediaLLC.com
In her free time, Melissa enjoys gardening, hiking, the beach, of course creating art! She also teaches art to “at-risk” youth in Rhode Island.
Winnie Gibbs
Director of Health and Wellness
Winnie joined GWM in June 2025 and brings joy to the office with her calm and friendly nature. She loves long walks, chasing birds, concerts, snacks, quilting, boating, and local bridge tournaments.