Our Team
THE PEAK WEALTH TEAM
PRESIDENT & FOUNDER
Peter Newman
PhD, CFA
Peter Newman founded Peak Wealth Planning in 2014 to provide bespoke advice to a select group of families. Prior to founding Peak Wealth, Peter managed the treasury and investments at the University of Illinois System for two decades. He also spent 15 years as a real estate investor and developer. As a real estate investor, he learned about minimizing taxes and constructive use of debt.
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Peter has experience growing and protecting pools of capital. At the University of Illinois he grew the endowment from $250 million to $700 million and increased operating cash from $700 million to $2.5 billion. From this experience Peter learned how to create investment portfolios using unique building blocks (selecting from thousands of managers) to meet specific goals. Peter applies his unique background to help the Peak Wealth Planning clients achieve their specific goals and enjoy peace of mind.
Peter grew up in an entrepreneurial construction family in the Northeast. He currently resides in Champaign, IL and frequently visits Chicago and Winter Park, CO. Peter enjoys skiing, vegetable gardening, and remodeling homes in unique locations.
CLIENT CARE MANAGER
Rachel Busch Jones
Rachel Busch Jones has been in office administration for more than 15 years, bringing a range of management skills from offices, accounts, payables and receivables to Peak Wealth Planning. Rachel provides professional and courteous service to Peak Wealth Planning’s growing client base.
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Rachel earned a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Leadership at Oklahoma State University in 2006.
Rachel lives on a beautiful farm in central Illinois. If you were to visit, you’d most likely meet a couple of her horses or see her out riding. She enjoys spending time with her family, caring for her farm, volunteering at church, and reading. Her biggest thrill is a beach vacation. When out of the office, Rachel is a travel advisor specializing in the Disney World experience.
FINANCIAL PLANNER
Nathan Gale
Nathan Gale is a CFP® candidate who holds a Master of Science in Personal Financial Planning from Kansas State University.
Prior to joining the team at Peak Wealth Planning, Nathan served as a musician in the U.S. Army and Navy. During his sixteen years in the military, he had the privilege to serve as the Command Financial Specialist and discovered his love for helping people overcome their financial scripts and fears, identify and prioritize their financial goals, and efficiently maximize their resources to live their best lives.
Nathan lives in Chicago with his wife, Kristen, and their furry family of SEVEN!! He loves traveling, good food and wine, and is a die-hard Chiefs and Royals fan.
PARAPLANNER
Jami Barkley
ChFC®, EA
Jami Barkley began her career as an accountant after receiving her degree from the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business. In 2010, she started doing tax preparation, eventually earning the EA and ChFC® designations. Her ultimate goal is to gain CFP® certifications and work with clients to achieve their financial goals.
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Jami works behind the scenes of Peak Wealth Planning, assembling plans, developing tax strategies, and analyzing client financial plans.
When she isn’t busy with tax work or planning, Jami enjoys nerding out on publications and podcasts, drinking hot tea, dark chocolate, healthy vegetarian eating, hanging out with her daughters, family, cats and one small dog, Ginger.
MARKETING DIRECTOR
Carmen Egolf
Carmen Egolf comes from a background in design and education. For 15 years she worked with clients and more than 1,000 students, identifying their needs and motivations so she could navigate each towards a path of success.
As marketing director for Peak Wealth Planning, Carmen develops marketing strategies, performs research and analysis, and creates media assets and campaigns. Carmen received her M.A. (2009) and B.F.A. (2003) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
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In her free time, Carmen is a content creator on YouTube. She also enjoys hiking with her family, reading to her son Sebastian, walking her neighbor's dog, and doing sun salutations.