FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

FRESH OFF THE PRESS

Matthew Karpay by Denise Brackett

Matthew Karpay’s exposure to the world of finance began at an early age. His grandparents worked together as financial advisors for 30-plus years and he often found himself helping out around their practice. Over the years, he observed their tremendous work ethic and admired their ability to work as a team in business and in life. He says that their hard work left a lasting impression on him and helped set the tone for how he strives to live his own life today.

A south Tampa native, Matthew attended Tampa Prep and Henry Plant High School. Upon graduating high school, Matthew moved to Seattle and eventually moved back to Tampa Bay in 2008. At that time, he followed an interest and pursued a successful career in architectural and structural welding.

After five years, Matthew was ready for a change and decided to return to school and obtain his degree in finance. While at USF-St. Petersburg, Matthew participated in the “Find Your Fit” program and was introduced to Raymond James and its culture. He knew at that time that he one day wanted be a part of this firm.

Upon graduating in 2020, the pandemic was just beginning. Determined to advance his career in finance, Matthew accepted a job with Morgan Stanley, where he obtained the SIE and Series 7 license. After gaining valuable experience at MSWM, he recalled his past interest in Raymond James and decided to look into potential opportunities at the firm. In August 2021, he was thrilled to accept an offer to join the firm as an investment management practice specialist on the Advisory Consulting team.

As a member of Advisory Consulting, Matthew’s daily responsibilities include working with wealth management technology, supporting and educating advisors on the applications, and participating in the ongoing development of the platform. He says the best part of his day is talking to a frustrated advisor and being able to help them find a solution that will make their business more efficient and give better service to their clients.

When not working, Matthew can be found biking the Pinellas Trail, running, boating, and spending time with family and friends. He comes from a close family that vacations together yearly, and he is currently looking forward to their upcoming vacation to the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Natalie Hansen by Fatemeh Basch

Natalie was born in England and immigrated with her family to the U.S. when she was a child. She grew up in Clearwater and went to Dunedin High School, then to St. Pete College, where she received her bachelor’s degree in management and organizational leadership.

Natalie started working with Raymond James back in 2007. She was with the RPS team for two years and then moved to Clearance, where she stayed for seven years.

In 2016, she decided to stay at home to care for her two children. Her children are her pride and joy and taught her how to be patient. She loves spending time with her family and playing with her kids. While she enjoyed devoting her time to her kids and family for the last five and a half years, she felt the urge to accomplish more by helping others and giving back to the community. She joined the Raymond James family again as soon as her 3 year old went to school and she was ready to come back.

She now works with our AMS Trading team, where her experience from working with the Clearance team has helped her understand her current job better and add value to the team. She helps our clients by making sure their trades have been placed accurately and in a timely manner. She also takes necessary steps to ensure error prevention, which causes loss to the clients and the firm.

Natalie enjoys helping others and making them happy. She also enjoys learning about history and the struggles women went through. She likes to listen to podcasts and audiobooks and continue to learn. She even recently started learning how to code.

Pet Corner

Ari & Laila

Owner: Isabel Alvarez

Ari and Laila are rescued siblings and natives of St. Pete who just turned 2. They are very playful and happy kitties who are also extremely smart, active and spoiled. They love cuddles, pets and sunbaths – I would say more than dogs do!

They are besties who have loved and taken care of each other since they were babies. They know some tricks too. They can roll on their backs, bring toys to you and always sit on their hind legs to wait until the food is put in their bowls. Ari can also high five if you ask him to.

Bagheera

Owner: Shelby Newsome

This is Bagheera, who I named after the panther from the Disney movie “The Jungle Book.” Bagheera was dropped off in a box full of kittens at a veterinarian office in Texas, and the office joke was that he would grow into a panther because of how large his paws were. Bagheera loves to chase lizards in the backyard, eat snacks, get his hair cut and take naps. Bagheera also loves visitors and needs constant attention from his family.

Charles

Owner: Kevin Pate

This is Charles, my 5-year-old cocker spaniel. He goes by Charles, Charlie, Charlie Brown, Sir Charles and Bear. He’s an aspiring investor and prefers to work alongside me to sharpen his skills. To maintain a professional setting at home, I’ve encouraged him to dress up for our Zoom meetings. Here is a pic after an invigorating economics discussion.

Grizzly & Maple

Owner: Forrest Field

Grizzly is a 4-year-old German shepherd mix who loves guarding the front window from his “watchtower” on top of the couch. Maple is a 10-month-old rottweiler mix who was born on Thanksgiving. She has a sweet personality, but she’s not afraid to take her brother’s toys to start a game of chase!

Gunner

Owner: Lois Brooks

This is Gunner, my 3-year-old, 120-pound, full-blooded rottweiler. He is my personal guard while working from home, as he lays at my feet while I’m working. He’s also a big mama’s boy. He may look vicious but he’s the biggest baby, especially for treats.

Kitty

Owner: Matt Schnell

This is Kitty and she is 2 1/2 years old. She is a Russian blue and was found abandoned on the street by my brother when she was just a tiny baby kitten. My wife, Jessie, and I adopted her and gave her a new and permanent home where she likes to lay around most days and snooze. Her favorite hobby is staring out of the window at the lizards and the slew of wild Florida birds and ducks in the retention pond.

Louie V

Owner: Devin Ross

Louie V is a very intelligent, friendly and outgoing Maltipoo who doesn’t bark until he has to go outside, wants a treat or is hungry. He loves belly rubs and short walks around the neighborhood without a leash. This pup will act as if everyone in the world is his best friend until he sees his mother or me. After that, no one matters but us. The love goes both ways too. He loves doggy treats and knows where they’re located, so be careful if you’re weak hearted for puppy stares because he will melt your heart.

Mickey

Owner: Jordan Tolbert

Mickey is a 2-year-old golden retriever and a friendly dog to anyone, especially those who like playing fetch. He also burps like a human, which you don’t hear often from other dogs. He’s always a bundle of energy and ready to retrieve anything you throw for him. He’s also the biggest fan of lizards – he loves to try to catch them even though they frighten him. Mickey also loves snuggling and will lay with you for hours if you let him. All around a wonderful boy!

Model Citizens

The 2021 American Heart Association Tampa Bay Heart Walk has kicked off with an in-person walk planned for November 20! The in-person walk will start at 9 a.m. and take place at Raymond James Stadium. If you preferred last year’s virtual walk that is also an option! Virtual walkers may choose the start time and location that works best for them.

The AMS Helping Hearts team currently has seven members with a fundraising goal to beat last year’s total of $15,258. Please reach out to any of the team members if you want to contribute. If you would like to join the team, please reach out to Michael Meleen.

There is a Rally Day event on Oct. 14 that will be held virtually. All registered coaches and walkers will be invited to attend. There will be dedicated time to send recruiting/fundraising emails with templates as well as hear from Chris Butler and Paul Reilly.

Advisory Consulting collected over $3,000 for Lovebundles, which provides critical necessities for children in the Tampa Bay area who have been removed from their homes and placed into foster care. When the children are removed they usually leave with nothing, or what little they have is carried in a trash bag. Our team purchased and put together 75 backpacks filled with over 800 items, including pj’s, clothes, toiletries, blankets, socks, etc., which will be received by children ranging in age from newborn to 16 years old. The backpacks were delivered to the Lovebundles headquarters located at the Tampa Bay Junior League.

Thank you to all who volunteered and to those who contributed to make this such a success.

Angel Tree

We will receive the angel tags the first week of November. They will give us a website and the tags will be distributed virtually. The gift collection starts on Nov. 15 and runs through Dec. 6.

What is Angel Tree?

Angel Tree is a unique program designed by The Salvation Army to help struggling families fill the Christmas wishes of their children.

How does Angel Tree work?

• Children 12 and under are registered by their parents or family members for the program. They are screened for eligibility.
• An angel tag is created for each child and the tags are distributed throughout the community, where they are often hung on Christmas trees. Generous members of the community select an angel and shop for Christmas gifts for that child.
• Salvation Army staff and volunteers organize and distribute the gifts to all preregistered families the week before Christmas.

What kind of items should our donors purchase for their selected angel?

• Each angel tag lists a need, such as clothing or underclothes, and some wish list items.
• Angel gifts usually consist of at least one wish and one need, but it’s up to the individual donor to determine what items/how much they are interested in purchasing for their selected angel. We are grateful for anything you can contribute.
• Small items or “stocking stuffers” can also be included.
• Food or candy should not be included.
• We do ask for new and unused items because these are meant to be gifts.
• Our goal is to provide each child with at least one outfit and two to three gifts.

Should we wrap the donated gifts?

No. While we are so grateful for all of the gifts donated to our special angels, we ask donors not to wrap their donated gifts.

When are my donated gifts due?

Due date is ___________________________________.

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Celebrating differences with Delicia Lucas

Delicia Lucas, or Dee for short, was born and raised in Orlando, Florida. She is the oldest of five siblings and has three sisters and one brother. She is married and has one child. Dee has a B.S. in finance and a master’s degree in business administration. She is an active member of the Tampa Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She enjoys reading, singing, traveling, and watching documentaries and Marvel Cinematic Universe films.

Dee joined Raymond James in 2007 as an intern in Fixed Income Trading. She transferred to AMS as an intern in 2008, working in various capacities while transitioning into a full-time role. She is currently a project consultant on the AMS Project team.

Dee was initially hesitant to join the Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) committee. In the past, she “felt the pressure to be a representative for her community,” assuming the acceptable behavior and appearance of corporate America and effectively “code-switching” between her professional identity and her authentic self. However, after a few discussions with other Black women in the firm, she decided to join. In the words of James Brown, “I’m Black and I’m proud!” Diversity and inclusion means that she can show up as her authentic professional self and be respected as such. She joined the D&I committee to cause “good trouble,” to redefine what it means to be a Black woman in traditionally white, male-dominated spaces.

Dee is a private person, but if there’s one thing to know about her it’s that if you’re bold enough to ask, she’s bold enough to give you an answer! This is something that her grandmother inspired in her. In all the years I’ve known Dee, she has always been confident and authentic, inspiring others around her to think outside of their comfort zones. She is “a Florida girl with Bahamian roots” (warm weather is her best friend), a wife, a new mommy, a big sister, a best friend, and an introvert with extrovert tendencies. She’s doing her best to live her life boldly as a Black woman!

Trivia

Want a gift card?

Check out the 2Q21 swag bag winner, Krystle O’Malley!

Did you read the newsletter? Let's see…

How to win:

• Read the newsletter.
• Click on the link to reply with your answers. Don’t forget to find the bonus.
• All entries that answer the questions correctly will be entered into a pool and 10 random winners will be selected for a $15 gift card to Target.
• If you answer all the questions and find the bonus correctly, you will be entered to win a $50 gift card to Target in addition to the other gift cards.

Questions:

1. Who burps like a human?
2. Who is bold enough to give you an answer?
3. Who has been here for 31 years?
4. Who was voted for as a joke because students were mad about more of the budget going toward sports than academics?

Bonus: So you know the game: Where’s Waldo? Where you look in the photo (in this case, the newsletter/sections) and try to spot Waldo (in this case, Jeff Dowdle dressed up as Waldo). Well … can you find Where’s Dowdle?

Entries must be emailed by October 29, 2021. Winners will be notified shortly after.

Extra Trivia

$50 Target gift card trivia

Winner of 2Q21 extra trivia, Courtney Seward! Congratulations!

Now, let's see how many of you can answer these questions. You can use the internet to help you.

Answer all the questions correctly, and you could win the grand prize – a $50 gift card to Target!

I thought it would be fun to change it up a little bit. Let’s see how you do at crosswords.

Just send an email with subject line extra trivia to AMSNewsletter@raymondjames.com, and you’re entered!

Please name the book and author of these book quotes:

1. “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.”
2. “The answer to the great question ... of Life, the Universe and Everything ... is ... forty-two.”
3. “Aunt Lydia said it was best not to speak unless they asked you a direct question. Try to think of it from their point of view she said, her hands clasped and wrung together, her nervous pleading smile.”
4. “Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy.”
5. “A man ain’t a goddamn ax. Chopping, hacking, busting every goddamn minute of the day. Things get to him. Things he can’t chop down because they’re inside.”

TOM THORNTON’S TOP SIX COLLEGE MASCOTS THAT MAKE ME HUNGRY

1. “Cayenne” at University of Louisiana at Lafayette (Lafayette, Louisiana, 15K undergrads)

The red pepper is technically a fruit but is often found in the vegetable section. Cayenne, representing the Ragin’ Cajuns of University of Louisiana at Lafayette, adds some “kick” to the football games. This fiery spice man is more of a “spirit leader” than an official mascot but fulfills all of the traditional mascot duties. He is a giant pepper-man hybrid, and flaunts flame-ridden arms and a rust-red complexion. Kick it up a notch.

2. “Fighting Okra” at Delta State University (Cleveland, Mississippi, 3K undergrads)

This is also technically a fruit but found in the vegetable section. Delta State’s Statesmen are unofficially better known as the Fighting Okra, conceived in 1987 at a basketball game as an unofficial mascot. Students thought their original mascot (the Statesman) wasn’t tough enough and wanted something “mean and green” that wore boxing gloves to represent them. An edible vegetable that is great in casseroles was the obvious choice.

3. “Kernel Cobb” at Concordia College (Moorhead, Minnesota, 2K undergrads)

Of course, Kernel Cobb is the mascot for the Concordia Cobbers (short for corncobbers, representing the many fields of corn that surrounded the college). Kernel started as a friendly, approachable guy, but 15 years ago he transformed into a more ferocious beast and now there’s nothing corny about him. The name “Cobbers” and its variations have been associated with Concordia students for over 100 years. Founded in 1891, Concordia students were quickly dubbed “corncobs” in 1893 by other Moorhead townspeople as a form of ridicule. In 1932, the school yearbook was renamed the Cobber, solidifying the nickname. The mascot is a cornhusk, complete with a Concordia jersey. Fun fact: A bestseller in the Concordia bookstore is the plush toy of Kernel’s little cousin, Niblet.

4. “Artie the Artichoke” at Scottsdale Community College (Scottsdale, Arizona, 9K undergrads)

This is a vegetable, a fighting vegetable in this case. Artie, a personified artichoke, has been Scottsdale Community College’s official mascot since 1972, appropriately representing the Fighting Artichoke teams. Disgruntled students originally voted for him as their mascot as a joke because they were mad about more of the budget going toward sports than academics. They thought their school deserved a super lame mascot. However, this smiling vegetable quickly became a lovable part of campus and a favorite among fans.

5. “Fighting Pickle” at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 1K undergrads)

This is a just a bonus entry – it’s a vegetable that shouldn’t even be on my list. The University of North Carolina School of the Arts doesn’t have any sports teams. The Fighting Pickle is real, however. It represents unofficial intramural sports teams at the school and was coined as their mascot during a touch-football game in 1972 as a result of a costume contest. The student body wanted a mascot to represent their artistic endeavors, which is why the big green Fighting Pickle carries a paint brush and wears a sweet piano tutu. In order to make pickles, there are a few simple ingredients that you will need: cucumbers, garlic, dill, water, white vinegar and salt.

6. “Wushock” at Wichita State (Wichita, Kansas, 11K undergrads)

Enough with fruits and veggies. How about a grain? “Wu,” short for WuShock, is a big, bad, muscle-bound bundle of wheat hyping up the crowd that’s inspired by shocking, aka harvesting wheat – a popular pastime in Kansas. WuShock was cool enough to be the target of one of Jimmy Fallon’s jokes on “The Tonight Show” and has been official since 1948 for the Shockers (originally the Wheatshockers). Finally, let’s clear up the main difference between wheat and gluten: Gluten is a protein found in many grains, including wheat, while wheat is simply a grain that contains gluten. A gluten-free diet will be free from wheat and all grains and processed foods that contain gluten, but a wheat-free diet will not necessarily be free of gluten.

MEMPHIS MEMOS

We have been growing our team in Memphis. If you have a chance, please say hello to some of our new associates highlighted below.

Alicia Pinkes

AMS Recon

Alicia is from Nebraska but has been in Memphis for 13 years. She worked previously in the claims industry as a workers comp adjuster. She wanted a change and saw an opportunity to learn and grow in the finance industry at Raymond James. She enjoys spending time with family/friends, reading and traveling.

Charisse Smith

Senior Fee-Based Associate

I have one son, Christopher, who is 12.

Charisse is from Memphis, born and raised! She attended Kirby High School, Crichton College for her undergraduate degree, and Strayer University for her master’s degree in business administration.

She loves bowling with her mom and son. They are all in bowling leagues and really enjoy it. They travel together to different cities in the U.S. for bowling tournaments. Although she doesn’t like to admit it, her 12-year-old son is the best of the three! 😊

Charisse came to Raymond James as a referral from a former co-worker. She is so thankful for the opportunity to have a career at Raymond James. Everyone has been so polite, professional and patient with her, and she looks forward to growing with the organization in the future.

Eboni Wright

AMS Recon

Eboni was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. She enjoys helping customers improve their financial lives and has worked in banking for about five years. When away from work, she loves to spend time with her family, try new local restaurants and travel the world.

New Hires and Transfers

Anniversaries (September – November)

If you would like to submit content for the next AMS newsletter, please email AMSNewsletter@raymondjames.com.