FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

FRESH OFF THE PRESS

Patrick Thompson by Hannah Archer

Patrick Thompson is joining us at the home office as a portfolio consultant for our AMS Sales Team. Patrick was born in Salisbury, Maryland, and grew up in Greenville, North Carolina, before moving to Florida to finish high school and attend the University of Florida – go Gators!

Patrick has been in sales for about 15 years in various industries before making his way to AMS. He was an external wholesaler for an agricultural supply company, sold water treatment equipment, and worked as a manger in retail furniture sales, just to name a few. Patrick initially joined Raymond James six years ago with Carillon Tower after being recruited by a close friend who also worked for Raymond James.

Patrick says the best part of his day is waking up and spending time with his wife and kids before beginning his workday routine. A typical day starts with coffee, listening to industry podcasts and making a checklist of what he wants to accomplish that day. From there, the day can go in many directions depending on what comes across his desk, but he makes a point to routinely go back to the checklist and make sure he’s on track to accomplish his daily goals.

Outside of work, Patrick loves spending as much time with his wife and kids as possible. They love being outside and enjoy soaking up the Florida sunshine. Patrick credits his large family as being the number one influencer in his life and becoming a dad as his proudest moment.

Please join me in welcoming Patrick to the AMS family!

Darius Sabiddes by Denise Brackett

While Darius Sabbides may be a recent addition to AMS, he has been a valued associate at Raymond James for almost five years. He began with the firm in Operations, working for two years as a cost basis associate, then with Transition Management as a traveling transition support consultant for over two years.

Ready for a new challenge in his career, Darius joined AMS Sales as a Portfolio Specialist in September 2021. His typical day involves making phone calls to financial advisors and branch teams, keeping them updated on the AMS fee-based platforms and sharing timely market knowledge. Darius values the trust that Raymond James advisors place in him and his team. One of the best parts of his day is working with an advisor to understand their client’s situation, helping them to identify appropriate solutions, and ultimately, seeing the advisor and client put that solution to work as part of their overall financial plan. He has become a regular face in the St. Pete office and values the opportunity to interact with teammates and build friendships with peers.

Away from work, Darius is a huge sports fan supporting all things Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers are his favorite team. He also enjoys going to live music events, working out, going to the beach, spending time with his two pups Gordo and Gracie, and while he doesn’t consider himself a “foodie,” he loves checking out new restaurants and bars and trying new cuisines. Since COVID-19 began, he has been able to take advantage of the Florida sun and shore in a new way by taking up boating as a new hobby.

On a personal level, Darius is close with his family, most of whom live in the Tampa Bay area. He says the person that influenced his life the most is his Uncle Rick, who was his role model and who showed him how to work hard, love your family and be a great friend. Rick was also a financial advisor for 30-plus years, which helped spark his interest in the industry. The accomplishment that Darius is most proud of is earning a football scholarship and graduating from Shorter University. While in college, he played defensive tackle and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in business administration. He was the first person in his immediate family to graduate from college, which made it even more special for him and his family.

Already off to a strong start with AMS, it is clear that Darius will have many more accomplishments to share with his loved ones in the future. Welcome to AMS, Darius!

Pet Corner

Baby Girl

Owner: Nicolas Louis

This is Baby Girl. She has extra toes on her front paws and likes to sit in my chair when I get up. She has been a key player in helping with AMS requests.

Butterscotch and Nova

Owner: Sherry Slingsby

These are my special pets. I am a big advocate for rescuing guinea pigs. Butterscotch and Nova are two of my current girls. I got Nova from the SPCA and took in Butterscotch after she was dumped at a family pet store. Guinea pigs are great, loving pets, but they take care and need plenty of space – most cages sold at pet stores are way too small for them. They are sociable animals and need each other’s company, to the point that it is illegal to own only one guinea pig in Switzerland. Guinea pigs are wonderful therapeutic animals, but it is important to research before getting them and to always try to rescue and not buy if possible.

Charlie

Owner: Sunny Collazo

Charlie is a rescue senior Persian. What makes the holiday even more special this year is that December 25th will be our sixth month anniversary since I rescued him – or shall I say, since we rescued each other. It will be a special Christmas!

Ginger

Owner: Dan Regner

Ginger is a 5-year-old Shih Tzu who maintains a busy schedule of naps, walks and visits to the dog salon. She is a true socialite and loves to meet new people! Her favorite drink is coffee and favorite activity is smiling.

Nala

Owner: Lois Brooks

Nala is 5 years old but still acts like she is 6 months! She is the biggest baby and loves all the attention she can get. She also loves peanut butter cookies from the 7-11 which she wants every day.

Paddington

Owner: Jessica Conrado

Meet Paddington, aka Paddy, an energetic and loving mini Labradoodle. My German Shepherd, Millie, passed away in April 2021. I had multiple dreams with Millie in them and felt this was a sign. It was time to open my heart and home to a puppy. I’m not sure how “mini” Paddy will truly be. He is weighing in at 14 pounds and was born on August 11th. He has big paws. This little guy has stolen my heart. I don’t know who is happier, him or me.

Sampson and Shadow

Owner: Alicia Pinkes

Sampson, our cat, is a spoiled, mischievous little boy that thinks he is a dog and human. Our rabbit, Shadow, is also a handful who likes to gnaw on bed and door frames. These two keep me and my girls entertained!

Tigger, Athena and Callie

Owner: Sherron Plummer

Tigger, age 13, Athena, age 2, and Callie, age 2, are all preparing for the Christmas festivities at the Plummer household. They each take turns sharing the tree, since they are unable to get into it at the same time.

Model Citizens

The AMS Community Involvement Committee (AMS CIC) partnered with The Salvation Army of St. Petersburg Angel Tree project! We gave the gift of joy and presents this holiday season to children in need in our community.

AMS sponsored 16 angels this year. Thank you to all that made Christmas special for these children who otherwise wouldn’t have received anything this holiday.

Pictured: Rebecca Zwerin dropping off gifts to the Salvation Army Community Center

AMS Heart Walk

For the 12th consecutive year, Raymond James participated in the Tampa Bay Heart Walk in support of the American Heart Association. Thanks to our 575-plus walkers, the firm surpassed our $400,000 goal, raising nearly $450,000 for the cause and leading the Heart Walk for our community once again. This year, Raymond James was named:

• No. 1 fundraising company in Tampa Bay
• No. 1 in the state of Florida
• Top 5 in the nation

The AMS Helping Hearts heart walk team raised $14,063. Thank you to all our AMS Associates who participated:

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Celebrating differences with David Botero

David joined Raymond James in 2014 and has been with AMS for two and a half years. He recently transitioned from Sales to Operations as a consultant. He is originally from Columbia but considers himself a local Floridian … anytime the weather drops below 60 degrees, it’s too cold. David is married and has two adorable kids. As a family, they enjoy visiting the zoo, local parks and spending time with friends. He a huge sports fan and enjoys watching Tampa Bay’s Lightning and Buccaneers. He is also an avid Colombia national soccer team fan! One of his dreams is to attend a Colombia World Cup game. He also squeezes in staying up-to-date on new releases and EV technology, and somehow with such a busy home life, he enjoys traveling and trying new restaurants and different types of foods.

David joined the D&I committee because he wants to help shape a better future for his kids. “I believe our society would benefit from being more aware of the different challenges individuals face because of their backgrounds or beliefs in order to have a more accepting society, where we respect and value each other’s opinions.”

He believes that D&I at Raymond James means “ having a harmonious workplace where associates feel comfortable being themselves and feel like they belong. It means having a culture that values all perspectives and embraces our differences to work together to achieve a common goal.”

Trivia

Want a gift card?

Check out the 3Q21 Swag Bag winner, Sue Kuczynski!

Are you interested in winning? What about winning a gift card?

Did you read the newsletter? Let's see…

How to win:

• Read the newsletter.
• Click on the link to reply with your answers – and don’t forget to look for 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 correctly and find the bonus, you will be entered to win a $50 gift card to Target in addition to the other gift cards.

Questions:

1. How many angels were sponsored this year?
2. Did AMS Helping Hearts team raise $14,003?
3. Who is dedicated to improving lives and changing life stories?
4. What is being referred to in the following quote? “It was beyond what is ordinary or usual, noteworthy, exceptional.”

Bonus: So, you know the game ‘Where’s Waldo?’ where you look in the photo and try to spot Waldo. In this case, it’s the newsletter/sections and Jeff Dowdle dressed up as Waldo. Well … can you answer the question Where’s Dowdle?

Extra Trivia

$50 Target gift card trivia

Winner of 3Q21 Extra Trivia, Nicole Dumas! 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!

Send an email with subject line extra trivia to AMSNewsletter@raymondjames.com with your answers.

Soup season has arrived, so let’s test your knowledge of various global soups. We’ll give you a soup or a stew and you have to name the country where it originated.

1. Borscht
2. Miso
3. Bouillabaisse
4. Tom Yum
5. Goulash
6. Gumbo
7. Phở
8. Gazpacho

TOM THORNTON’S TOP TEN

When I was 24 and started donating $5 or $10 a month to The United Way, I wondered where my money was going and if it really was helping people. I quickly learned that there are numerous causes and my small donations were indeed helping many people. Just to point out a few highlights, I looked up the current United Ways for the Memphis and St. Petersburg/Tampa areas and found ten wonderful services seeking to help kids who need it, listed in alphabetical order:

Academy Prep Foundation, St. Pete area

The mission of Academy Prep Centers for Education is to inspire and empower students qualifying for need-based scholarships to become future community leaders through a rigorous middle school program coupled with ongoing graduate support. In the atmosphere of an extended family, the Centers for Education encourages students to excel in academics, ethical and moral understanding and judgment, and life skills. The area’s schools include St. Pete, Ybor and Lakeland.

Bess the Book Bus, St. Pete area

Bess the Book Bus is a mobile literacy outreach dedicated to narrowing the achievement gap created by poverty. They build home libraries and a love for reading in our most underserved communities across the U.S. by making the joy of book ownership a reality for our kids. Bess the Book Bus serves 50,000-plus kids and gives away over 75,000 books in dozens of states across the U.S. each year.

Bridges, Memphis area

Bridges serves as a catalyst for empowering youth to reach their potential through education, leadership, diversity appreciation and community action. Bridges unites and inspires diverse young people to become confident and courageous leaders committed to community transformation. Bridges believes great leaders, regardless of age, must appreciate diversity, lean into courageous conversations and build bridges across deep philosophical and physical divides.

Children’s Home Network, St. Pete area

Since 1892, Children’s Home Network has been dedicated to improving lives and changing life stories. Their goal is to help children build the skills and confidence they need to succeed in life. Last year, their services and programs impacted the lives of nearly 14,000 children and their families. An example would be Kids Village, a residential healing program where children ages 6-17 healing from abuse and neglect reside and are provided with support. Another example is SEEDS, Supporting and Empowering Educational & Development Services, an intervention program that works collaboratively with schools, family members and the community to ensure children are ready for kindergarten, promoted at the end of the school year, and reading on level by third grade.

Friends of the Children, St. Pete area

Friends of the Children (FOTC) believes that every child, no matter who they are or where they live, has dreams of doing big things. Children all have unique talents and they face obstacles. They offer “The Power of One” paid professional mentors over the course of kindergarten through high school graduation. They seek to have the youth go on to become leaders in their communities and successful in their careers. This has ripple effects on their siblings, peers, neighbors and their children, breaking the cycle of generational poverty. For more than 25 years, FOTC has been impacting generational change by empowering youth who are facing the greatest obstacles through relationships with professional mentors and with our two-generation approach, they seek to leverage their proven model to impact generational change for youth and caregivers.

Harwood Center, Memphis area

Harwood enables children with special developmental needs to reach their full potential. Children ages birth to three receive home, community and center-based educational and therapy services. Founded in 1957, Harwood Center is a private nonprofit agency that provides education, therapy and support for mid-South families and children who have developmental disabilities. Since opening its doors, Harwood Center has helped more than 5,000 children with developmental disabilities get a better start in life.

Kindred Place, Memphis area

Kindred provides a fun and exciting after school program that offers an awesome experience of intellectual advancement and character development through an innovative, hands-on learning strategy and engaging artistic and sport activities. It is a counseling and education center for adults and children. Through classes, individual sessions and group therapy (available in English and Spanish), they help individuals and families navigate the challenges of partnerships and parenting to build stronger connections, improve communications and resolve conflicts peacefully. They also offer income-based financial assistance and free services for victims of domestic violence.

Memphis Child Advocacy Center, Memphis area

Memphis Child Advocacy Center (MCAC) helps children victimized by sexual or physical abuse with coordinated, multi-agency services and also offers Stewards of Children prevention training. Their mission is to serve children who are victims of sexual and severe physical abuse through prevention education and intervention. They say hope lives at the MCAC, with a vision of a community where children are safe, families are strong and victims become children again.

Porter-Leath, Memphis area

Porter-Leath empowers children and families to achieve a healthy, optimal and independent lifestyle through many childhood and family services. Before 1850, widows and orphans in Shelby County, Tennessee, had nowhere to turn for food, shelter, clothing and care. That meant willing and compassionate citizens had to fill the gap. Sarah Leath was one of those citizens, and as a widow and mother herself, she took the lead to organize such a place – the home that would become Porter-Leath. Since its founding, Porter-Leath has remained passionately committed to serving at-risk children and families in Memphis. While both its name and mission have evolved with changing times and events, the focus has always been to serve Memphis’ most vulnerable citizens. Today, Porter-Leath helps more than 10,000 low-income children and families annually with programs designed to meet their developmental, health and social needs at the earliest opportunity. Our mission is empowering children and families to achieve a healthy, optimal and independent lifestyle.

Starting Right Now, St. Pete area

Starting Right Now seeks to end homelessness for youth by providing one-on-one mentoring and a stable home, assisting with employment opportunities, teaching financial literacy and life skills and promoting educational achievement. Each student in their program has endured many obstacles in their life. They proudly share their stories as a testament to their own personal success in overcoming adversity. With over 6,000 homeless students accounted for in the Tampa Bay area, these students don’t have material possessions. What they possess is strength, resilience and determination. With SRN’s help, youth realize their potential, ending the generational cycle of poverty.

https://unitedwaysuncoast.org/ https://www.uwmidsouth.org/

MEMPHIS MEMOS

If you’re in Memphis, you may have worked with associates we’ve highlighted in this edition, but if you have not had a chance to meet them, please say hello.

ALOMA SHEARS

Aloma Shears is a veteran here at Raymond James. She came over with the acquisition of Morgan Keegan and has been with the firm for a total of 27 years! No traveling during the holidays this year, but she enjoyed driving around looking at Christmas lights and decorations. One of her favorite traditions is making gingerbread cookies, decorating cookies at Christmas and, of course, she loves to have a traditional green bean casserole at her holiday dinner.

This time of year, we especially think of all our special charities and philanthropies. Our AMS Associates are always generous and Aloma is no exception, supporting quite a few: International Water Project, St. Jude, Wounded Warrior and Shriners Children’s hospital, as well as sponsoring two children through World Vision.

Picture: www.worldvision.org

PAM WISEMAN

Pam Wiseman has been with Raymond James for six years. Pam and her husband spent the holidays at home this year. Her holiday was filled with fun activities, watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation while putting up the Christmas tree. A special tradition is enjoying her mother’s famous chicken and dressing (which she can duplicate) – one of her favorite dishes this time of year – followed up with a yummy pumpkin pie.

This time of year and all the year round it’s important to support our philanthropies. Pam supports the East Arkansas Enterprises. They support those with mental disabilities and give them a sense of purpose providing them with jobs.

Pictured: East Arkansas Enterprise Community Facebook photo

#careforplants #maintainingcrops #hardwork #harvesttime

New Hires and Transfers

Anniversaries (December – February)

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