Our Team
How We Work
Our reasons for becoming financial professionals are deeply personal. We repeatedly saw many friends and family struggling to find the help they needed to map out their financial future. We are confident that with our understanding of personal finance, coupled with our training as financial professionals, we can help people better prepare for the future. After years in the business, we have developed a reputation for educating individuals in an easy-to-understand manner so they can grasp personal finance and use those concepts to pursue their financial objectives. We feel a commitment to our community.
Our team approach adds perspective to all we do and provides increased benefits to our clients.
Meet Our Team
Martin S. Johnson, CBEC
Wealth Manager
Martin.Johnson@Sagemark365.com
“In today’s challenging environment, partnering with someone who can understand and implement your business vision has never been more important."
Martin specializes in comprehensive fee-based financial planning with Sagemark Consulting. Martin brings over 20 years of experience educating affluent individuals, families and business owners about unique and innovative strategies that are designed to help grow, protect and preserve the wealth they have worked hard to accumulate.
Martin specializes in working with clients who have already done some past planning with other advisors. By reviewing and coordinating work that that may have been done at different times by different advisors, Martin can often identify missed opportunities and coordination gaps, and educate clients about new planning techniques and opportunities.
Martin is often consulted by attorneys, CPAs and investment management professionals to provide wealth preserving planning ideas for their clients.
Martin is a member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA). He has previously served on the Adjunct Faculty in the Graduate School of Business at Golden Gate University in San Francisco. He is also an active member of the Diablo Valley Estate Planning Council. Martin is also a member of Sagemark Consulting’s prestigious The Resource Group*.
*The Resource Group (TRG) is an internal invitation-only, nationwide network of the top planners within Osaic Wealth, Inc.
Tom Christensen, CFP®, CRPC®
Regional Director of Financial Planning
As a Director of Planning, Tom Christensen, CFP®, works with planners to build a clear understanding of the issues involved as well as the possible solutions available. In this role, Tom reviews case information, debriefs with planners, helps analyze data, works with the Planning Department staff to coordinate plan construction, develops and refines possible plan recommendations, and works with planners to position the plan presentation for effective implementation. Tom must ensure that the plan deliverables are complete, accurate, suitable, and compliant while maintaining our high-quality standards. Tom is also responsible for the training and support of financial planning software used. In addition, Tom maintains a private practice with selected clients providing financial planning, insurance, and investment expertise.
In January 2007, Tom relocated to the San Ramon, California office to serve as a Director of Planning. Tom has held this role since the inception of the Financial Planning Department in the Portland, Oregon Lincoln office in 1997. Prior to that time, he provided technical and insurance product support for the firm. Tom joined Lincoln in 1991 immediately after graduation from Portland State University with Bachelor of Science degrees in both Business and Economics. Tom completed his CFP® certification in 2002 and his CRPC® designation in 2008.
Tom has three young children. His interests include skiing, basketball, strategy gaming, model railroading, reading, coaching youth athletics, and playing with his children.
Robert E. Appel, J.D.*, LL.M., M.B.A.
Second Vice President of National Design/Advanced Planning
- Member of the American and Connecticut Bar Associations.
- BS degree (Accounting and Finance) from Central Connecticut State University; J.D. degree from the University of Bridgeport School of Law; MBA (Finance) degree from the University of Connecticut; and LL.M. (Taxation) degree from Boston University School of Law.
- Associated persons of Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp. Who hold a JD do not offer tax or legal advice on behalf of the firm.
Ben T. Huddle, CFP®, M.B.A., CRPC®
Director of Financial Advisory Services
- Areas of expertise: the development, training, and implementation of fee-based financial planning within the firm including the integration of the investment and comprehensive financial planning processes.
- Master’s in Business Administration from The University of Houston, Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Management from Purdue University.
Jane Johnson, CFP®
Director of Planning
- Areas of expertise: Estate, retirement, investment, and business succession plans.
- Bachelor of Arts degree from The College of William and Mary. Member of the Northeast Florida Estate Planning Council.
Timothy S. Johnson, J.D.*, CRPC®
Chief Investment Strategist
- Areas of expertise include fixed-income, equity allocations, alternative investments and affluent wealth management.
- BA in Political Science from Lipscomb University in 1981 and graduated from Vanderbilt University School of Law. Holds a Series 7 registration.
- Associated persons of Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp. Who hold a JD and/or CPA license do not offer tax or legal advice on behalf of the firm.
Russell G. Jones
Executive Director, Sagemark Consulting Private Wealth Services
- Areas of expertise: Key concepts and strategies for the high net worth market.
- St. Lawrence University. Main platform speaker at the annual conference of the International Association of Financial Planning, the Allied Jewish Federation’s Annual Estate Planning Forum, GAMA International’s LAMP meeting, and numerous technical and internal Lincoln business management sessions.
Donna L. Rowan, J.D.*, LL.M., CLU®, CHFC®
National Design/Advanced Planning Attorney
- Expertise in the areas of personal and corporate income taxation, as well as estate, gift and trust taxation. Member of the Connecticut and American Bar Associations.
- BA degree in English from State University of New York at Buffalo; J.D. from Western New England College School of Law; LL.M. (Taxation) from Boston University School of Law.
- Associated persons of Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp. Who hold a JD and/or CPA license do not offer tax or legal advice on behalf of the firm.
Mary Young
Director of Financial Advisory Services
- Areas of expertise: Helping to evolve Lincoln's financial planning process; helping to enhance the proprietary financial software as well as the national financial plan template and sales themes; and managing the third-party relationships as they relate to the national planning team.
- Bachelor's degree from The University of Connecticut, with a major in Finance and a minor in Accounting.