Lou began his career as a financial planner in 2011 when he joined Allen at the Davis Financial Group. Attracted by the idea of combining his passion for problem solving and his love of people, Lou saw planning as a way of utilizing his diverse skills, education and business experience in the pursuit of helping people achieve their financial and life goals.

Lou came into the business of financial planning after a variety of other business ventures. Early in his career, Lou founded and ran an entertainment management company while working at Power Station recording studio in NYC. Lou’s company, Leeds-Davis Management, focused on developing and managing the careers of musicians, recording engineers and record producers. Leeds-Davis’s client list included a wide variety of artists and producers, including several Grammy winners.

In the late ’90s, Lou (along with Allen and his brother, Eric) launched a web-based start-up, BountySystems.com, that provided a B2B and B2C oriented incentivized viral marketing application. The team was successful in raising $15 million in venture funding, growing the company to over 60 employees in their midtown Manhattan office, and negotiating multi-million-dollar partnerships with some of the top web portals of the day.

After 9/11, Lou returned from NYC to Massachusetts and worked as a sales, marketing and business consultant for several for and not-for profit organizations in the Pioneer Valley. In 2003, Lou became the VP of Sales and Marketing for Market Street Research, a national marketing research firm based in Northampton, MA. In this role, Lou was responsible for consulting with businesses from many industry sectors, helping them to shape research approaches designed to provide them with specific direction for their decision making.

The transition to financial planning was a natural one for Lou, as so much of what he had done in his earlier life is relevant to and directly informs his work today. Lou’s focus is on working with business owners, professionals, educators, retirees and their families, helping them to understand, protect, grow, value and share their assets, and what’s important to them.

Lou lives in Northampton, MA with his wife, Jen, a personal trainer, and their two sons, Asher and Izzy, who attend Northampton public schools. As a life-long musician, Lou plays bass in local bands, including his family band, Family Davis Jr., which is fronted by Jen on guitar and vocals and the kids on drums and keyboard. You can see them play every year in the Northampton Arts Council’s Transperformance concert at the Pines Theater in late August. Lou is also an avid golfer and enjoys fishing and other sports with his sons.

Lou serves on boards and committees of various non-profits, including the Northampton Area Chamber of Commerce, the Jewish Federation of Western Ma, the Estate Planning Council of Hampden County, Congregation B’nai Israel and Cooley Dickinson Health Care. Lou previously served as the President of Lander-Grinspoon Academy, and as a board member of the New England Financial Marketing Association and the New England Society for Healthcare Communications. Lou participates as a mentor and often gives presentations on a range of business topics at Valley Venture Mentors and its Accelerator programs and has served as a judge for a number of its business competitions.

Lou has a diverse educational background having studied at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, Parsons School of Design and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Lou is a Registered Representative and holds a Series 7, Series 66 and a health, life and disability insurance license.

JOHN ARNOLD, Vice President

I specialize in two distinct markets. 

For individuals I focus on your insurance and financial planning needs by organizing all aspects of your unique financial picture.  In conjunction with your personal input I create customized plans that incorporates your desires for all aspects of your family wealth investment and protection. One that also enhances your legal and tax planning through seamless coordination. I am an Investment Advisor Representative (IAR) offering fee based investment services and open architecture in both product and portfolio structure. I am also a member firm of M Financial "M" Financial, one of the country's premiere wealth transfer and executive benefits distribution networks.

My other focus is in small and closely held businesses and partnerships. I help create and manage qualified and non-qualified corporate benefit plans to include 401k, 403B and defined benefit plans, as well as individual life insurance, disability, Long-Term Care and other insurance based corporate benefits such as buy-sell agreements, key-man coverage and non-qualified incentive plans.  I have unique experience and focus on business succession planning that incorporates unique strategies to help clients efficiently sell or transfer their businesses.

MARIANNE FRESIA, Secretary

Marianne is a dual employee of Lee Bank and St. Germain Investments. She is a VP, Trust Officer at Lee Bank and in Client Services with St. Germain Investments. She has been in banking since 2000 and in wealth management since 2010. In addition to serving on the EPCHC board, Marianne is also the Treasurer for the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires, she serves as Clerk for the Berkshire County Estate Planning Council, and volunteers with the Money Management Program through Berkshire County Elder Services.  

JULIE QUINK, Treasurer

26 years of experience in public accounting and 3 years of private, corporate accounting experience.

Julie earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Elms College. She previously worked 4 years for an international accounting firm and 16 years for a medium-sized local firm.

Julie is involved in the accounting and consulting aspects of the practice and manages engagements of various sizes and complexity. She also performs services relative to forensic and fraud-related engagements.

Julie is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. She is licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is a Certified Fraud Examiner.

Julie serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Board of Directors of Square One, a member of the School Committee of Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School, a member of the Finance Committee of the East Quabbin Land Trust, a member of the Board of Directors for Greater Springfield Senior Services, Inc., Treasurer of Hardwick Rescue & Emergency Squad, Inc. and Treasurer of the Estate Planning Council of Hampden County and a Selectperson for the Town of Hardwick. She is an adjunct faculty in the MBA Accounting program at Elms College. Julie serves as a Corporator of Monson Saving Bank.

Julie was a 2017 recipient of the MSCPA’s Women to Watch awards.

Julie enjoys spending time with her family, reading, playing golf, gardening and volunteering at various community organizations in her town.

EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS

KYLIE JOHNSON

With a career that spans grassroots organizations to large nonprofits, including the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, UMass Amherst, and Virginia Tech’s $1B campaign, as well as experience as a Merrill Lynch financial advisor, Kylie joined Baystate Health Foundation in 2015 to launch their planned giving program.

While serving as BHF’s Planned Giving Director, Kylie earned the Chartered Advisory in Philanthropy (CAP^®) designation from the American College of Financial Services, serves on the board of the Estate Planning Council of Hampden County, and teaches for Boston University’s professional fundraising certificate program.  Kylie has recently been named Director of Planned Giving.

HOLLY KRESIAK

Holly serves as a First Vice President and Wealth Advisor with Berkshire Bank Wealth Management. She has been in the financial services industry for over 20 years. Holly is responsible for the administration of revocable and irrevocable trusts, IRAs, investment management accounts, as well as developing and maintaining client relationships.

Holly holds a B.S. from Bay Path College, is a graduate of Cannon Financial Institute’s Trust School, and earned a Customer Service Certificate from the American Banking Institute of Southern New England. Holly is an active participant with Berkshire Bank’s Foundation and volunteer program.

MELINDA MASON

Melinda’s practice focuses primarily in the area of Trusts & Estates, with particular emphasis on charitable giving and tax-advantaged planning strategies. She also provides advice to non-profit clients on the stewardship of their funds and the operation of their business.

Previously, Melinda was an Assistant District Attorney in the Appellate Bureau of the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office in New York and law clerk to the Hon. Salvatore Bovino in Jersey City, New Jersey. She was also a Senior Consultant in Deloitte’s Practice Protection Group in Melbourne, Australia.

Bar Admissions

• Massachusetts
• New York

Education

• University of Missouri – Kansas City, B.A., with Honors, 1999
• Boston University School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2002
• New York University, LLM, 2019

KATIE McDONOUGH