Our Team

Dick Blakeley

CEO and President

Dick is the CEO and Founder of The Blakeley Group. He is personally committed to providing investment strategies that help clients integrate and meet their life and financial goals and priorities. He is a skilled financial professional with 30 plus years of client service experience.

Dick grew up in New Mexico. He was a national merit scholar at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology and attended the University of New Mexico focusing on math & music before joining the U.S. Marine Corp and attending the US Naval Academy.

Dick moved to Santa Clara County California in 1976, joined Payne Weber as a stock broker and moved to Smith Barney in 1980. He led an 18 member team, The Blakeley Group at Smith Barney. He developed the first West Coast Team in Corporate services which was his platform to grow his practice while he gained accreditation in construction and portfolio management as well as financial planning for corporate executives. He left the firm in 2007 and became a founding member and President of Concert Wealth Management.

Dick founded The Blakeley Group in 2009. His vision for the company was to offer a uniquely personal client service experience to individuals and their families based on the fiduciary standards of always putting the clients’ needs first.

Dick believes in being actively involved in the community. He is a past president of the San Jose Jaycees and district governor of the California Jaycees. He was a board member of Santa Clara/Santa Cruz Counties Council of Campfire (Campfire Girls and Boys), and a former board member and audit committee chair for the United Nations Association of Santa Clara County. He is an active supporter of P.O.S.T., the Mid-peninsula Open Space Trust., and Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara County. He and his wife, Anna, feel fortunate to live in Silicon Valley, close to family and friends and a short drive to the many wonderful areas of Northern California. Dick relaxes in the kitchen, and shares his culinary skills whenever the opportunity arises. One of his favorite vacations included daily cooking classes at a Tuscan family villa in Italy.

Brian La Bove

Client Service Advisor

As Client Service Advisor, Brian has day to day contact with clients and is responsible for maintaining ongoing client relationships through excellent service. His enjoys working with clients and their families helping to facilitate the meeting of personal and financial goals through their life journey to retirement. He also is lead trader for the company. He is interested in continually learning about and sharing investment strategies and outcomes, and helping clients avoid poor investment decisions.

Brian is a Bay Area native. He attended the School of San Mateo and proudly served his country as a Corporal in the Army from 1990 to 1997. Brian held various positions in the financial services before becoming a Sales Assistant at Solomon Smith Barney in 1998. He was a Relationship Manager and Client Sales Assistant at Concert Global Wealth Management, and made the decision to join The Blakeley Group Inc. at its inception in 2009.

Brian and his wife Dina have four daughters. Brian feels lucky to be able to play an active part in their activities in theater, sports, and education. He has been coaching in the AYSO, American Youth Soccer Association, since 2005, helping the community and taking to the time to talk with young students of the benefits of investing. He especially loves volunteering for stage crew with local community theater. As in his service to community Brian believes in being a partner with our client in their lives and families.

Anna Blakeley

CCO, CAO

Anna is the Chief Compliance Officer. She manages day to day compliance issues, and with the support of a professional consultant, implements internal policies and procedures according to regulatory compliance guidelines. In her role as CAO, Anna manages office policies, and controls and coordinates administrative services including finance, payroll, personnel and employee relations, and facilities management.

Anna grew up in the Midwest and earned a BA from Mt. Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, IA. Before becoming involved in financial services, she had a working background in the creative arts. As Art Director, promoted from Assistant, she oversaw the creative services department of WMT-TV in Cedar Rapids. She subsequently moved to Madison, Wisconsin, where she was an Art Director at Rayovac Corporation, and where she went to graduate school, earning an MFA at the UW. Upon graduating, Anna moved to Northern California and set up a studio, worked as an independent artist and taught art in publicly funded in-school programs and Community Art Centers.

Anna took the opportunity to work with her husband, Dick, at the start of the formation of The Blakeley Group. She enjoys the challenge of keeping the office running smoothly which she sees as a necessary component to providing a consistent and excellent service experience for clients. When not working her likes getting regular exercise, weekend excursions with her husband, and spending time with her cat, Tessa. Her favorite past times are reading, going to movies, and visiting art museums.

Paulette Tom

Operations Manager

Paulette manages the Operations side of the company with the goal of supporting the firm in implementation of smooth and professional client service. She is very service oriented and always has the best interest of the client at heart.

Paulette has 14 years industry experience, starting with Dean Whitter as a sales assistant. She was recruited by Payne Weber to be an Assistant Ops manager helping to open a local branch office. Promoted to Operations Manager she eventually oversaw the efficient operations of 2 branches.

She joined the Blakeley Group in 2014.

Paulette was born and raised in Hawaii and moved to California in 1980 to join her high school sweetheart, now husband, Gary, a Silicon Valley software engineer. They have two sons in college. The family has practiced kung fu martial arts together for many years. Paulette belongs to the Kapalakako Workshop Ukulele Group and is a long time member of the Halau Na Wai Ola Hula School. She has a closet passion for Candy Crush.

Shaina Fender

Administrative Assistant

Shaina joined the Blakeley Group team in 2017. As Administrative Assistant, she performs a wide variety of organizational tasks with panache and natural ease. She manages an active calendar of appointments, and arranges travel plans, itineraries, and client meeting agendas for the CEO. She is in charge of keeping the firm’s CRM database and calendar up-to-date, helping to keep the team on track and the firm running smoothly. Shaina also coordinates the timeline for and actively participates in marketing initiatives.

Shaina is a California native. She was born in Fremont and grew up in the Central Valley. She lived in Florida during her middle and high school years. She moved back to the state in 2010, first to Orange County, and then to the Bay Area so she could attend the Art Institute of California. While working towards a degree in animation, Shaina enjoyed working in the Career Services Center as Administrative Assistant and Lead Tutor. After graduating in 2016, Shaina was Team Lead at Young Art, providing support and training to team members and giving art lessons to children on a drop in basis.

Shaina also has done contracted animation work and currently works independently to create her own comic called “Rocket Lobster”. Shaina has been a hobbyist crafter since the age of four, crafting an array of things using techniques ranging from crochet to sculpting. Learning to sewing at the age of six she makes stuffed animals and costumes. Shaina also enjoys playing Dungeons & Dragons with her friends on weekends.

You are here