Process driven planning and investments

Mr. Fields co-founded Titleist Asset Management, LLC in 2003 where he serves as principal and chair of the investment committee. Mr. Fields attended the University of Texas on a golf scholarship where he graduated from the McCombs School of Business with a degree in Finance. He won the Lan Hewlett Award in 1997 and 1998 for having the highest G.P.A. in his sport. Mr. Fields was on the Southwest Conference and Big XII Honor roles all four years.

After graduating in 1999, he served as a Financial Advisor for American Express Financial Advisors. In October 2001, he decided to join CyberTrader where he was responsible for all aspects of trading operations. Mr. Fields educated clients on market mechanics, various trading strategies and risk management for retail and institutional clients.  

Mr. Fields holds the series 7, 24, 27 and 66 securities licenses and registrations with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB).

Mr. O'Banion co-founded Titleist Asset Management, LLC. in 2003 where he serves as Managing Partner and principal with over 20 years of investment experience. He is a member of the company's Investment committee in addition to providing customized portfolio management services to individuals and company retirement plans.

After graduating from Texas State University in 1997, Mr. O'Banion worked with Morgan Stanley assisting clients in all aspects of financial planning and wealth management. He then accepted a job with Frost Bank in the fixed income and equity division. He later accepted a senior trader position with CyberTrader, Inc., a division of Charles Schwab, where he gained extensive knowledge educating clients on market mechanics, various trading strategies and risk management for retail and institutional clients.  

Mr. O'Banion holds the series 3, 4, 7, 24, 53, 55, 63 and 66 securities licenses and registrations with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB).

Mr. Kronenberg serves as the Chairman for Titleist Asset Management.  He is the founder and managing partner of Downstream Investments LLC.  Downstream is a private investment firm specializing in strategic investments, leveraged acquisitions, recapitalizations of well-established companies and real estate investment opportunities.

Mr. Kronenberg is responsible for all aspects of acquisition and management of the partnership assets and portfolio companies. Mr. Kronenberg has extensive corporate finance, principal investing, strategy, and business management experience across multiple industries including: automotive, consumer debt, construction, consumer products, equipment leasing, energy, medical technology, real estate, professional sports franchising, and financial services.

Mr. Kronenberg is focused on the growth and support of the following portfolio companies: Titleist Asset Management (www.tamgmt.com), Crestmoor Capital Partners (www.crestmoorcapital.com), and Agricapture (www.agricapture.com).  Mr. Kronenberg is proud of his work that resulted in COTA (www.circuitoftheamericas.com) and Austin FC (www.austinfc.com) coming to Austin.

Philanthropically, the Kronenberg Family is proud to partner with www.standtogether.org, www.grameenamerica.org and www.bgca.org where Mr. Kronenberg serves as a trustee.

Mr. Graff serves as Managing Partner and Co-Chief Investment Officer for Titleist Asset Management. He is also the Portfolio Manager for TrueShares Low Volatility Equity Income Fund (DIVZ), a publicly traded US Dividend ETF. Before joining Titleist, Mr. Graff was a senior vice president and portfolio manager at PIMCO where he co-managed a suite of global dividend strategies. He was previously a vice president in investment banking at Goldman Sachs where he advised infrastructure, industrial, and financial institution clients on strategic transactions and restructurings totaling more than $40bn. Before this he was a financial analyst at the Indiana Finance Authority where he worked on multiple transformational projects, helping to finance key initiatives for state and local governments.

Mr. Graff has over 17 years of investment experience. He holds an MBA from the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University and a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University. He earned his Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 2012.

Mr. King has over 20 years of investment experience in the securities industry. He graduated from the Business School at Texas A&M University with a degree in Management. He served 8 years as an executive with Citizens Incorporated where he was introduced and expanded his scope of the International financial markets. In March 2000, Mr. King left his career as an insurance executive and accepted a new role with A.G. Edwards in Georgetown, Texas. He built his own clientele then was later offered a job at Morgan Stanley in Austin, Texas. He gained extensive knowledge and experience developing his book of business then decided to join Titleist Asset Management, LLC. in August 2006.  

Mr. King has played an important role designing and developing multiple investment platforms to expand Titleist’s international offering to their client base. He has used his previous experience in the insurance field to allow him to focus on managing reserve accounts for multiple life insurance companies throughout the country.

He holds the series 3, 7, 31, 66 and Group 1 Insurance licenses and registrations with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB) and the Texas Department of Insurance.

Mr. Kalb has over 30 years of operations and trading experience in the securities industry. Prior to joining Titleist Asset Management, LLC., he helped manage SWBC Investment Services brokerage operations for Southwest Business Corporation in San Antonio, Texas. Mr. Kalb’s additional work history includes such firms as USAA Investment Management Company, Citicorp Investment Services, American First Associates and Ladenburg Thalmann. He has experience in new issues, trading, retail sales and has worked with high net worth clients.

Mr. Kalb holds the series 7, 63 and 65 licenses and registrations with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB).

Mr. Keppler joined Titleist Asset Management in 2020 as an Investment Advisor using the DBA he founded, Paragon Private Wealth Group. He is responsible for providing investment advice through a fiduciary relationship for ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families. He accomplishes this by focusing on goal-based planning, customized investment management and a holistic approach. Additionally, he serves on the Titleist Investment Committee.

After graduating from TCU in 2009, Mr. Keppler began his career working for First Investors, now Forrester Financial. He then worked with Merrill Lynch for 8 years in various roles, starting as a wealth management advisor. He quickly ascended to Market Manager for North Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas and eventually led expansions into Colorado and Minnesota for financial advisors and bankers. In his role as Investment Specialist / Performance Manager for the Central Division, consisting of 11 states, he focused on sales performance and managed solutions. Through these experiences, Mr. Keppler developed a unique skill set in integrating banking, wealth management, and managing a large territory. He later served as a Private Client Advisor for J.P. Morgan from 2018 - 2020.

Mr. Keppler currently resides in Greenville, South Carolina with his wife and two children. He holds the Series 6, 7, 9, 10, 63 and 66 securities licenses and registrations with the Securities and Exchange Commissions (SEC) and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

Mr. Smidebush serves as the Chief Operating Officer for Titleist Asset Management, LLC.  He is responsible for strategic planning, operating functions and business development in several key areas including corporate retirement planning.

After graduating from Harvard Business School, Mr. Smidebush enjoyed a successful career of over twenty years with General Motors where he held key regional and national executive positions in the United States and Asia.  He worked in many GM divisions including Cadillac, Buick, GMC, Pontiac and Saturn where he led Brand Management, Product Development, Marketing and Sales functions.

Prior to joining Titleist Asset Management, Mr. Smidebush worked for ten years at Escort Inc., an automotive consumer electronics company, in Vice President and General Manager roles where he led Business Planning, Product Development, Marketing and Sales functions.  He holds the series 65 securities license with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

Mr. Araiza serves as a firm Principal for Titleist Capital, LLC.  He builds on a strong compliance focus for the firm by bringing over twenty years of experience in the financial services industry.

Mr. Araiza started his financial services career in 1999.  He has worked at several major firms including BB&T Scott & Stringfellow, Banco Base, Merrill Lynch, BBVA and Gamma Capital Securities.  Mr. Araiza has held roles as supervisor, firm principal, compliance, fixed income trading and operations.  He brings extensive experience ensuring compliance with laws, regulatory requirements, policies and procedures.

Mr. Araiza earned his BBA degree in International Business from the University of Houston along with a MBA in Finance from Our Lady of the Lake University. He holds the series 7, 24, 63 and 65 securities licenses with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

Mr. Blake serves as Client Service Associate for Titleist Asset Management. His responsibilities include client service, account administration, technology oversight and advisor support.

Before joining Titleist Asset Management, Mr. Blake attended Texas A&M University where he earned a bachelor's degree in Leadership and lettered in baseball. He started all four years of his Aggie baseball career as an outfielder. His participation as a college athlete taught Mr. Blake the importance of teamwork, discipline and drive.

Mr. Blake resides in San Antonio where he remains active as a baseball coach and instructor.  He holds the SIE license and is working on his Series 7 certification.

Mrs. Sanchez serves as a Client Service Associate for Titleist Asset Management. Her responsibilities include advisory support, client services, account administration, technology oversight and onboarding. 

Before joining Titleist Asset Management, Mrs. Sanchez was a Client Relationship Specialist at Sendero Wealth Management, supporting high-net-worth clients, servicing her dedicated advisor team book of business and conducting on-the-job training for new employees. She has also worked as an associate at USAA and FIS.  Her 20+ years of experience in the financial industry has allowed her to build meaningful relationships with clients and team members. 

Mrs. Sanchez graduated from The University of Texas at San Antonio with a B.B.A. in International Business and holds the Series 6, 7 and 63 licenses. 

Ms. Partalas serves as a Client Service Associate for Titleist Asset Management. Her responsibilities include advisor support, account management, transition support, technology oversight and trading.

Before joining Titleist Asset Management, Ms. Partalas served as a Client Service Associate at Morgan Stanley, where she supported her team of financial advisor’s book of business by providing high-net-worth clients with an elevated standard of care. She managed account openings and maintenance, facilitated various trades and transactions and led team projects to enhance the client experience and improve team organization. Her proactive approach and attention to detail significantly contributed to the overall efficiency and success of the team.

Ms. Partalas graduated from Trinity University with a B.S. in International Business. During her four years at Trinity, she was a dedicated member of the diving team, earning recognition for her achievements, including NCAA All-American Honors and Scholar-American status, SCAC Diver of the Year for 2021-22 and Conference Champion from 2020-22. Her highest achievement in diving came when she placed third in the 2022 NCAA Swimming and Diving National Championships in the 3-meter event. Her collegiate experience helped develop strong discipline, resilience, and teamwork, which have shaped her character and work ethic beyond the diving board. This journey has instilled in her a profound commitment to her personal, academic and career goals, which ultimately enabled her to quickly earn her SIE, Series 7 and 66 securities licenses.

Mr. Brown serves as a Client Service Associate at Titleist Asset Management. His responsibilities include operational support, account administration, technology oversight and advisor support.

Prior to joining Titleist Asset Management, Mr. Brown has served as a real estate professional in the San Antonio area for several years. Getting into the Real Estate industry at a young age taught Mr. Brown skills such as time management, interpersonal skills and basic principles of finance and wealth building that are viable for his work here at Titleist.

Mr. Brown has his SIE license and is currently studying to obtain his Series 65 license. He also currently attends Florida International University where he is studying finance.

Rachel serves as a Director of Titleist Asset Management.  In this role, Mrs. Whitwell proactively oversees client communication and administration while identifying and implementing strategic enhancements. She also provides support in building and maintaining relationships with existing and prospective clients of the firm.

For more than 15 years, Rachel has guided ultra and high-net-worth families through the complexities of their financial lives. Before joining Titleist Asset Management in 2022, Rachel served as a private wealth advisor with J.P. Morgan Private Bank and Bank of America. She began her career with Goldman Sachs & Co. in Houston, Texas.

Mrs. Whitwell graduated from The University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business with a B.B.A. in Finance. She currently resides in Austin, Texas.

Mr. Judd is a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP^®), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC^®), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU^®), and Chartered Advisor for Senior Living (CASL^®) with over 20 years of experience providing investment and financial planning advice to high net worth individuals and institutions.

He started his career with Morgan Stanley in Westlake, Ohio and later transitioned to Charles Schwab in Beachwood, Ohio where he was consistently one of the top financial advisors in the tri-state region. His early success led to competing opportunities to become Schwab’s Private Client Representative in the Park Cities office in Dallas, Texas or a Senior Financial Planner and Relationship Manager at a large Registered Investment Advisor firm in Austin, Texas. He chose the Austin based RIA firm where for 10 years he was responsible for overseeing $500 million in client assets.

Mr. Judd serves as the Director of Financial Planning for Titleist Asset Management, LLC.  He is a member of The Financial Planning Association, both nationally and with the Austin chapter, and is insurance licensed in the areas of Life, Accident, Health and HMO in the state of Texas and various other states.

He grew up in northeastern Ohio where he attended The College of Wooster earning a BA in Economics. While at Wooster, he received a grade of Honors for writing and verbally defending his 110-page Independent Study thesis titled, “The Effects of Stock Splits on Firm Value.” He was also a four-year starting quarterback for Wooster‘s football team leading them to their highest national ranking in school history. In 2013, Rich was inducted into the W Association Hall of Fame after breaking every significant school record for passing during his prolific career.

Rich and his wife live in Austin, Texas and have two beautiful children. He enjoys spending his free time with his family and is also an experienced commercial pilot with a passion for aviation. He takes great satisfaction volunteering with Angel Flight South Central, an organization where pilots donate their time, skills, aircraft, and money to provide free transportation for patients in need of critical medical treatment unavailable to them locally.

Mr. Cushner is an experienced financial advisor who is the founder of Ensemble Financial, Inc. a Manhattan-based Registered Investment Advisor, where he served as President and Portfolio Manager.

The move to Titleist represents an opportunity for Mr. Cushner to grow the New York-based operations, while at the same time, expanding Titleist's reach, capabilities and client-base. Bringing over 20 years of experience providing planning and customized portfolio management services to individuals, institutions and company retirement plans, Mr. Cushner looks forward to Titleist's growth trend and client centric approach.

After graduating from the University of Dallas including overseas study in Rome, Mr. Cushner started his career with Fidelity Investments working in the Dallas office then relocated to their Wall Street location. He later moved to Merrill Lynch's Private Client Group before starting Ensemble Financial in 2003. He received a Certificate in Financial Planning from New York University before receiving his CFP^® in 2004.

Mr. Cushner is a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP^®) and holds various securities licenses and registrations with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). He is a native of Dallas, Texas while spending the majority of his career in New York City and Boston. His clients are located throughout the United States with most of his time spent in his Manhattan office.

Mr. Brawley earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, majoring in Finance, with a concentration in Risk Management and Insurance, from the University of Texas at Austin.  He entered the industry working for a 401(k) provider, gaining valuable knowledge in running retirement plans. Mr. Brawley has since worked in the financial services profession for more than 20 years at PaineWebber, Morgan Stanley and Raymond James. He has spoken across the country on fiduciary topics and enjoys educating business owners and other trustees.

Mr. Brawley’s goal is to be the valued and trusted advisor to his clients by looking out for their best interests and the interest of their beneficiaries.  He assists with the following corporate services: helping companies implement and maximize their qualified (401(k), profit-sharing, etc.) and non-qualified plans (NQDC), development of Investment Policy Statements (IPS), employee education and finally fiduciary services.  Since 1998, Mr. Brawley has helped families develop customized investment strategies that fit their personal goals.  His personal service, acquired experience and constant desire to deliver better services are what sets him apart from others.

Mr. Brawley is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®). He holds the series 6, 7, 24, 31, 63 and 65 securities licenses and registrations with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).  He is also insurance licensed in the areas of Life, Accident and Health.

Mr. Fowler joined Titleist Asset Management, LLC. in 2021 where he serves as an Investment Advisor. For over 30 years, he has helped families and small businesses meet their investment and financial goals throughout Oklahoma, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, Utah and Illinois.

Mr. Fowler graduated from Southwest Texas State University with a B.S. in Finance and a Minor in Accounting in 1980. After first spending time in the oil and gas industry, he joined the financial services profession and has excelled in building customer relations using custom portfolio models to serve client needs.

Mr. Fowler holds the series 7, 63 and 65 securities license and registrations with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). He is also insurance licensed in the areas of Life, Accident and Health and holds his Charter Life Underwriter designation (CLU®).

Mr. Fawcett joined Titleist Asset Management, LLC in 2020 where he serves as a Financial Planning and Investment Advisor to families and small businesses throughout Texas and various other states.  He attended The University of Texas at Austin where he graduated from the McCombs School of Business in 2004 with a degree in Finance. 

Upon graduation in 2004, Mr. Fawcett worked in sales and management where he honed his business skills and experience. This eventually led him back to finance and his calling to help others in today’s complex world.  He joined BluePrint Financial, through MassMutual, in 2016 where he grew his book of business through a comprehensive planning approach that looks into all aspects of a client’s financial well-being.

Mr. Fawcett holds the Series 6, 63 and 65 securities license and registrations with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).  He is also insurance licensed in the areas of Life, Accident, Health and HMO in the state of Texas and various other states.

Mr. Mann joined Titleist Asset Management, LLC. in 2024 where he serves as an Investment Advisor.  For over 30 years, Chris has worked with private clients and institutions on wealth management and retirement planning.

After achieving his undergraduate degree from the University of Delaware, Mr. Mann earned his Master’s degree in Communications from Emerson College and his MBA from Liberty University.  He most recently worked at Fidelity as Director and Retirement Planner for the Duke University Retirement Plan.  He previously served as a vice president and senior account executive for Fidelity’s Private Client Group® in Durham, Boston and New York City.

Mr. Mann is a Certified Financial Planner® and licensed insurance representative who holds the Series 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 63 and 65 securities licenses from the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).  He currently resides in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Mr. Leffingwell joined Titleist Asset Management, LLC in 2024 where he serves as an Investment Advisor. He attended the University of the Incarnate Word on a golf scholarship where he graduated from the HEB School of Business with a degree in Finance. During his time there, Mr. Leffingwell earned recognition as a Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-American Scholar. 

Prior to joining Titleist, Mr. Leffingwell worked at IMG Financial Group, where he gained valuable experience in comprehensive financial planning and wealth management. He is currently a candidate for the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®) designation, having completed coursework through The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. 

Mr. Leffingwell holds the Series 7, 63 and 65 securities licenses and registrations with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). He is also insurance licensed in the areas of Life, Accident, and Health. Mr. Leffingwell currently resides in San Antonio with his wife. 

Mr. Branson joined Titleist Asset Management, LLC. in 2021 as an Investment Advisor servicing a base of individual and corporate clients in several states. Since graduating from Baylor University with a Masters in Economics, he has gained over 40 years of experience in the financial services industry.

Mr. Branson starting his career in commercial banking where he progressed to the VP in Commercial Lending with a medium-size bank. He then accepted a position with the training program at Merrill Lynch. By combining this training and years of financial services experience with his background in commercial banking, Mr. Branson has successfully provided individual and business clients with a broad range of services from equity and fixed income portfolio management to the complications of Long-Term Care.

Mr. Branson holds the Series 7, 63 and 65 securities licenses and registrations with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), He resides in Austin, Texas where he is active in golf, boating and spends as much time as he can with his two sons and five grandchildren.