Dave is the Chief Investment Officer at Meridian and is responsible for the overall investment strategy and asset selection process. He leads Meridian’s Investment Roundtable and is also a member of the Advisory Team, serving clients directly by managing individual accounts.

 

Originally from the Chicago area, Dave began his career serving the Trust department of First Chicago Bank. He soon after transferred his talents to Knoxville for its climate, low cost of living, and proximity to the mountains. He worked as a Portfolio Manager for First Tennessee Bank before joining Meridian in 2004.

 

Dave is happily married to Diana Moyer. His son Alex attends Tennessee Tech University. In his free time, Dave thoroughly enjoys hiking, biking, traveling, and watching movies of all genres.

 

Dave has over 30 years of experience in finance, 17 of which he has shared with Meridian.

 

Education and Certifications:

• Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Charterholder

• MBA from Heriot‐Watt University

• BA in Business Administration from Calvin College

 

Memberships:

• CFA Society of East Tennessee board member

• CFA Society of East Tennessee member

• CFA Institute member

• Foothills Land Conservancy board member

• Knoxville Estate Planning Council member

President Tom Coulter began his career in finance after graduating with honors from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in Accounting in 1978. He was hired out of college by international accounting firm Deloitte, but his affinity for advisory and trust work developed thereafter during his time with financial medical‐advising firm, FIS Associates. He would go on to be a founding member of Meridian Trust in 1997. Throughout his career Tom has amassed decades of experience working extensively in retirement planning, taxation, estate and financial planning, and investment management.

 

Tom is one of six children. Today the extended family (siblings‐in‐law, nieces, nephews, and their children) exceed eighty members. His wife Mindy grew up in Johnson City, Tennessee, and earned her Economics degree from Randolph‐Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg, Virginia. She worked as a computer programmer‐analyst before serving as a community volunteer and caring mother to their children. Mindy is also the founder and director of the National League of Junior Cotillions Knoxville Chapter, through which she has taught thousands of young Knoxvillians etiquette, character, ethics, and social dance.

 

Together Tom and Mindy raised four children, all of whom have now made their ways back home to Knoxville: John Michael, Meredith, William, and Davis. Their eldest son, John Michael, married Ashley Robins Coulter and practices family dentistry. They are the proud parents of Grayson, Callie, Caitlin, and Claire. Tom and Mindy’s only daughter, Meredith Oruc, is an OB/GYN. Her husband Igor is a physical therapist, and together they have boys Niko and Marin. William joined Meridian in 2019 after several years of serving as a CPA for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Atlanta. Davis is a practicing hospital pharmacist.

 

Education and Certifications:

• BA in Accounting from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville – honors

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) (inactive)

 

Jennifer Steffens serves as Meridian’s Director of Client Services. A Certified

Financial Planner®, Jennifer works closely with Meridian’s clients to help them take the right steps towards achieving their financial goals. As part of this process, she collaborates with her clients’ tax professionals, estate planning attorneys, and other trusted advisers.

 

By partnering with a CFP® professional to coordinate these important aspects of their finances, clients can focus on their passions and interests with the peace of mind that they are making the best financial decisions for themselves and their families. Jennifer’s approach recognizes that effective financial planning is about more than advice– it is about helping people understand and change their relationships with money.

 

Jennifer grew up outside of Blacksburg, Virginia, not far from where she would eventually begin her professional journey at Merrill Lynch’s Roanoke office. Given her passion for the planning aspect of financial advisory, she decided to pursue a career in financial planning. After working as a planner with Sullivan Bruyette Speros & Blaney, located in northern Virginia, she moved to Knoxville with First Tennessee Bank in 2007, where she worked for 10 years.

 

Jennifer is happily married to Nick, and together they enjoy raising their boys, Jack and Drew. She also enjoys volunteering at her sons’ school, and her favorite pastimes include spending time with family and friends and gardening.

 

Jen has over 20 years of experience in financial services.

 

Education and Certifications:

• Certified Financial Planner (CFP®)

• Certificate in Financial Planning from Florida State University

• MBA with Finance concentration from Virginia Tech

• BFA with Interior Design concentration from University of Memphis – magna cum laude

 

Memberships:

• Financial Planning Association (FPA) member

• Alpha Delta Pi Foundation Investment Committee member

• Former International Vice President of Collegiate Membership for Alpha Delta Pi sorority

Will Coulter has a passion for serving clients and utilizing technology, which led him to join Meridian Trust in 2019. He serves retirement plans and financial planning clients.

 

Will graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he participated in the Haslam College of Business honors program, Global Leadership Scholars (GLS). He graduated with honors in Accounting with a collateral in International Business in 2013, and earned a Masters in Accounting and Information Systems in 2014.

 

Out of school, Will joined PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Atlanta, first working with privately owned businesses in the audit practice. Next he joined PwC’s New Ventures, a technology group concentrating on software development. As a Manager at PwC, he worked with professional services companies, developing technology solutions customized for their operations.

 

Will enjoys spending time with his family and friends, exploring the Knoxville area, cheering on his favorite sports teams, and enjoying the beauty of the Smoky Mountains. He is always eager to have fun playing cards, backgammon, or board games. In his spare time, Will enjoys hiking, reading, traveling, and cooking.

 

Education and Certifications:

• Certified Financial Planner (CFP®)

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

• BA in Accounting with International Business concentration from University of Tennessee, Knoxville

• Masters of Accountancy with Audit concentration from University of Tennessee, Knoxville

 

Memberships:

• National Eagle Scout Association

• Junior Achievement of East Tennessee volunteer instructor