Edward Jones Financial Services Wants To Help You Get Retirement-Ready

Financial advisor William Morales, AAMS (Accredited Asset Management Specialist), and branch office administrator Beth Ramirez make up the Edward Jones Financial Services team in the Windfair Professional Center, located across Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC).

Morales has been serving clients in this location since 2012, when he closed his Tampa Palms office and moved it to Wesley Chapel. He joined Edward Jones in 2008.

“I always wanted a Wesley Chapel branch,” says Morales, who has lived in Meadow Pointe with his wife for 20 years, where they raised two daughters, and where he now serves his neighbors.

“We are a full-service agency, and I wear many different hats,” he explains. “When I work with clients, I may serve as their stock broker, their insurance agent and their bond dealer. At its core, my work is as a financial planner.”

He explains that he helps his clients in any of five different core areas, depending upon each client’s stage of life and their individual needs:

‱ Planning for a comfortable retirement (for those who are currently working)

‱ Enjoying retirement (for those who have already retired)

‱ Paying for education

‱ Preparing for the unexpected

‱ Saving money on taxes

A Little History

Founded in 1922, Edward Jones has grown to be the largest financial services firm in the industry, with 16,000 financial advisors and 14,000 branches, serving more than 7 million households.

Morales explains that Edward Jones, which is headquartered in St. Louis, MO, is different than other financial firms, as it is not a publicly traded company itself, and has no Board of Directors and no shareholders. Therefore, Morales says, his singular focus can be on serving his clients. All 14,000 Edward Jones branches throughout the U.S. and Canada are small offices located in the communities where the financial advisors live and serve.

Morales works with his clients through a five-step process, starting with “Where am I today?” and “Where would I like to be?” Then, he says, the next steps — “Can I get there?” and “How do I get there?” — are his job. Once he’s worked with you through those steps, Morales says he continues to advise each client to determine, “How can I stay on track?”

“I take care of financial affairs for a select group of families in our area,” he says, “with about half of my clients working families, and the other half being already retired.”

He says this “select” group of both working families and retirees is limited not by any particular criteria, but because he limits himself to maintaining a small group of clients so that he can manage all of their needs well.

“If we try to be everything to everyone, we lose that personal touch,” Morales says. “It makes it tough to deliver the same level of service.”

He says the most important thing to do when you’re looking for a financial advisor is to find someone you feel confident in that you hopefully will want to work with for the rest of your life.

“(Your financial advisor) has to be someone you like, someone who makes you feel comfortable and someone you can trust,” he says.

Satisfied Customers

John and Debbie Engel are Wesley Chapel residents who have been working with Morales for about four years.

“Our experience has been fabulous,” says Debbie. “He’s always available. He’s extremely smart, very passionate, very caring, and he’s always there (for us).”

She adds that Morales never makes her feel rushed, and always spends time answering all of her questions. “Every question my husband and I have ever had has been answered,” Debbie says. “There were issues we didn’t understand, so we asked questions, and he gave us a very explicit explanation. I feel very safe and at-home there, like I could ask him anything.”

Debbie also explains that, “Our entire portfolio for retirement is with Edward Jones, including our investments, assets, bonds, annuities, 401ks, IRAs
our whole life, and I feel very comfortable with that.”

Morales says the way he approaches his clients is known as the Edward Jones “value proposition.”

He says, “There’s nothing more important to us than understanding what’s important to you, using an established process to help you build personalized strategies to achieve your goals, and partnering together with you throughout your life to keep you on track.”

Morales explains that a first-time appointment with him is similar to visiting a new doctor. “I’m going to ask you a lot of personal questions, so I can really understand what’s going on with you financially,” he says, adding that he also uses financial questionnaires and conversation to help determine his clients’ needs.

Payment Options

Once someone becomes Morales’ customer, they can choose to pay a flat annual fee for Edward Jones to manage all of their assets. The more traditional method is where Morales receives his payment from the mutual funds, insurance policies and other investments he sells.

“Another thing that makes us unique from our competition is that there are no Edward Jones investments to sell,” says Morales. “We sell the products of all the other companies, such as Fidelity, for the same cost to you as if you bought directly from them.”

Morales recommends working with a large firm, such as Edward Jones, “because the big firms have oversight. Unlike independent financial planners who don’t work for a larger company, Edward Jones has measures in place to watch what I do.”

He adds, “My job is relationship-driven. I have to do the ‘nerd work’ and crunch the numbers, but most of what I do is serve my clients, and there’s no cost for my advice.”

Before joining Edward Jones, Morales was president of a mortgage company in New Tampa and served six years in the U.S. Army Ordinance Corps, spending four years stationed in and around Kuwait. Originally from New York City, he and his family moved to Tampa, where he graduated from Chamberlain High.

For more info, call Wesley Chapel Edward Jones branch office administrator Beth Ramirez at (813) 991-7034, and she’ll schedule your appointment with Morales at the office located at 2748 Windguard Cir., Suite 101 (in the office plaza behind The Hungry Greek) in Wesley Chapel. Or, see the ad on page 26, or visit EdwardJones.com/William-Morales.

Allergy Specialists Drs. Lockey, Fox, Ledford, Glaum & Cho Now Open In Wesley Chapel

(L.-r.): Drs. Cho, Ledford, Lockey, Fox and Glaum are Board-certified allergists and immunologists who recently opened a new office whose services include a unique commitment to academic research and teaching the next generation of doctors, too.

At a busy office on the top floor of a medical building near the corner of Fletcher Ave. and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., a team of Board-certified allergists and immunologists both see patients and conduct research at the University of South Florida Division of Allergy & Immunology Clinical Research Unit next door. The practice recently opened an office in Wesley Chapel and now has five locations, including the main office on BBD Blvd. in Tampa, plus locations in South Tampa, Citrus Park and Brooksville.

Drs. Lockey, Fox, Ledford, Glaum and Cho make up the group that can be found online at AllergyTampa.com.

Richard Lockey, M.D., founded the practice in 1984 as Academic Associates in Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. He earned his medical degree from the Temple University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Lockey served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War, then subsequently joined the faculty of the University of South Florida College of Medicine (now Morsani College of Medicine) as a Professor of Medicine.

He currently is the director of USF’s Division of Allergy & Immunology. He also volunteers at the James A. Haley Veterans (VA) Hospital, where he was previously Chief of Allergy & Immunology.

Dr. Lockey also has served as a president of the World Allergy Organization and is a past president of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI), of which all of the practice’s specialists are members.

Roger Fox, M.D., earned his medical degree from St. Louis University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO. He has written and lectured extensively on the topics of environmental, chemical, food and drug allergies, urticaria (hives) and skin disorders, such as angiodema.

Dennis Ledford, M.D., received his M.D. degree from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. Like Dr. Lockey, he also served as a past president of AAAAI. Dr. Ledford is the director of the Section of Allergy & Immunology at the James A. Haley VA Hospital. His published writings focus on immunology and autoimmune disorders and he has won many leadership awards. Dr. Ledford says he loves teaching medical students and educating patients. He was installed to the Gold Humanism Honor Society at USF.

Mark Glaum, M.D., PhD, earned his medical degree at Hahnemann University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. He completed a fellowship in allergy and clinical immunology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, also in Philadelphia. His areas of interest include how the body responds to substances that cause allergic reactions and advancing diagnostic techniques, such as rhinoscopies (examining nasal passages with specialized instruments).

Seong Cho, M.D., received his medical degree as an otolaryngologist — an ear, nose and throat doctor — from Kyung Hee University School of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea. His allergy and immunology training was completed at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, in Chicago, IL. He recently received a grant from the National Institutes for Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD, studying pathogens and chronic rhinitis.

The physicians manage a variety of disorders related to allergy, asthma, and immunology, including rhinitis (inflammation and swelling of the mucous membrane of the nose, often referred to as hay fever), cough, laryngitis, headaches and immune disorders. The specialists also treat allergic reactions and immune responses resulting in rashes and dermatitis.

Research Benefits Patients

What sets Drs. Lockey, Fox, Ledford, Glaum and Cho apart from other groups is the relationship the doctors have with USF. With all five doctors also teaching students at USF’s Morsani College of Medicine, the patients they care for in private practice reap the benefits.

“There are advantages of being with physicians who have contact with the future in teaching residents,” says Dr. Ledford. “The process of educating makes you better.”

Dr. Ledford explains that all five doctors conduct research at USF’s Division of Allergy & Immunology Clinical Research, too. As a researcher, he says, “you’re aware of developments and where science is progressing.” He adds that his practice’s patients can gain access to studies when there are new therapeutic trials being conducted.

If a study is being conducted that could help a specific patient, the doctors can send that patient right down the hall to USF’s Clinical Research Unit to participate in the study. Dr. Ledford says that not only can that benefit the patient with medicine or techniques that may not be readily available in mainstream medicine, but also, “by participating in the study, our patients are helping to advance the field.”

Dr. Ledford explains that one such study is peanut immunotherapy, where extremely precise and tiny doses of peanuts are introduced to patients in a methodical way, to teach the body to tolerate them.

For someone who has a life-threatening allergy to peanuts, to be able to tolerate small amounts can relieve the constant fear of accidental contact with peanuts.

“It’s quite liberating,” Dr. Ledford says of the results of this technique, which is not yet mainstream but is available through his practice’s research partnership with USF.

He adds that this partnership allows his office to provide the convenience of neighborhood medicine, combined with the experience of the academic setting.

“It’s unusual,” Dr. Ledford says, “but Dr. Lockey has created a hybrid of a university clinic and a private practice. They complement each other.”

Sue Moore is a patient who says she has benefited from this approach. After conventional treatments for her asthma left her still “gasping for breath,” she says Dr. Ledford found a brand new treatment for her — one that has helped her breathe easy so that she no longer struggles with asthma symptoms.

“Dr. Ledford went beyond the norm to find a treatment that works,” Sue says. “He stays on top of his profession, continually doing research, and always has his patients at the top of his agenda.”

Sensitive To Pollen?

This is the time of year when seasonal allergies are at their worst.

“March is the peak of allergy season in Florida,” says Dr. Ledford. “In our area, people react to tree allergens — primarily oak and cypress — from about Christmas to Easter.”

Dr. Ledford says that for people who have moved to Florida from up north, spring happens much earlier, as trees start pollinating between January and April. So, allergy sufferers will notice that happening much earlier here than in colder climes.

To help the doctors assess the environment and know what allergens to test their patients for, “we sample the environment to see what’s there,” explains Dr. Ledford. He says air samples are gathered from the patient’s roof, then Dr. Glaum counts the pollen and other allergens under a microscope. He then provides those counts to the community on the practice’s website, AllergyTampa.com.

Now Open In Wesley Chapel

The Wesley Chapel office is open in the Seven Oaks Professional Park on Thursday mornings, beginning at 7:30 a.m., where patients can see Dr. Cho.

While the doctors and staff at the practice have considerable clinical and research experience, as well as access to the latest in treatments and technology, Dr. Lockey expresses a basic principle that guides his team in its work.

“We practice the most cost-effective and honest medicine,” he says. “We treat patients like they’re our family members. That’s what all medicine should be about.”

To learn more about Drs. Lockey, Fox, Ledford, Glaum and Cho, visit AllergyTampa.com or call (813) 971-9743. The New Tampa office is located at 13801 BBD Blvd., Ste. 502, and the Wesley Chapel office is located at 2106 Ashley Oak Cir., #102. 

 

North Tampa Christian Academy To Open With Grades K-12 On County Line Rd.

The New Tampa Christian Academy is set to open on County Line Rd. in New Tampa on Aug. 20. This is a rendering of the private K-12 Christian-based school.

While the backbone of any good school has always been its curriculum, today’s modern students and parents also desire innovation outside of the classroom.

With that in mind, Sandra Doran, Ed.D., has been overseeing the construction of North Tampa Christian Academy (NTCA), located just west of the Grand Hampton community on County Line Rd., just south of Wesley Chapel.

Doran, the founding headmaster of the area’s first Christian K-12 school, promises a top-notch curriculum, to be taught on a state-of-the-art campus.

“Innovative buildings, innovative furniture, innovative teaching practices,” Doran told an audience of local business leaders gathered Feb. 22 for a North Tampa Chamber of Commerce Economic Development briefing at Hunter’s Green Country Club.

The new school is set to open on Aug. 20, with a full complement of grades, including an early childhood center that will take students as young as 2 years old. It is such a lofty goal that even Doran had to take a deep breath and smile when revealing the plans.

“Everything opens,” she said. “Early childhood, lower school, middle school. We’re not doing it gradually. Everything opens.”

The NTCA, with annual tuition prices ranging from $12,000-$16,000, is the culmination of plans that were hatched in 2012, when the Florida Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists (in concert with Adventist Health System and Florida Hospital West Florida Region) began to work with Tampa Bay-area churches and schools to establish a new campus in our area.

On August 17, 2015, the Florida Conference purchased the 43-acre parcel in New Tampa, right on the Hillsborough/Pasco County line, just south and west of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC).

While school officials felt confident the emphasis on project-based learning, academic excellence via innovative teaching and Christian ideals offered by the school would prove attractive for prospective families, they also wanted to be sure it was offered in an attractive, forward-thinking package.

The question was, according to Doran, “What kind of school architecture would promote good learning practices?”

The answer was Prakash Nair, of Fielding Nair International, whose company has designed innovative schools all over the world, including Academy of Holy Names in Tampa and Shorecrest Prep in St. Petersburg.

Project manager Michael Gilkey reached out to Nair via email, assuming he was in India and getting a timely reply would be difficult.

“Lo and behold, Prakash Nair had not only moved to the United States, and had not only moved to Florida but moved to Tampa and was at Michael Gilkey’s door the next day,” Doran says. Then, with a chuckle, added, “As people of faith, we found that very interesting.”

Nair discarded the original plans, which he dubbed the “Walmart Model” – a big building with a parking lot in front.

Instead, Nair devised a collection of four smaller buildings, each one housing about 150 students, or “separate learning communities,” as Doran referred to them. The separated structures will house an early childhood center, plus buildings for grades K-2, 3-6 and 7-12.

A hoped-for second phase will include an additional building to break up the older grades into 6-8 and 9-12.

The design places less emphasis on walls, doors and standard classrooms, and instead focuses on open spaces that free flow from room to room, with buildings connected by a sun-shielding shade.

Doran, who was associate superintendent at the Florida Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists (the second-largest parochial school system in the world, she says), agreed to take on the task of leading the NTCA. At that time, however, she had no idea, before visiting for the first time last July, that she was inheriting a dusty field with a discarded mattress laying on it.

As for the curriculum, Doran said that she is excited about what she describes as a project-based learning environment.

“The bottom line is this: we want our students, when doing their projects, to have an outcome that matters,” she says. “Are you creating beauty or solving a problem? If it’s none of the above, it’s pointless. Think about the science fair, when those are over, what do you do? You throw them (the projects) away, right? And yet, we wonder why our children don’t like doing them.”

There will be a focus on reading skills (her area of expertise, and a personal connection as well, as her son has struggled with dyslexia), Bible study, challenging math courses and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), designed to improve science education. The NGSS have been adopted by 19 states, although Florida is not one of them.

The school also will have a gymnasium and a soccer field and has already hired a volleyball coach, although Doran says NTCA isn’t looking to develop a high-level athletic program like the ones that define so many private and religion-based schools throughout Florida.

With 43 acres, NTCA will have plenty of room left over for students and staff to explore the woods and trails behind the classrooms. Doran says the school has available capacity for 750 students and is projecting 240 enrollees for the 2018-19 school year, plus another 100 children in the early childhood programs.

“It’s a scary and exhilarating adventure,” she says. “Am I a risk taker? Yes.”

The North Tampa Christian Academy is now accepting applications for the 2018-19 school year. For more information, visit SeeThisSchool.com or NorthTampaChristian.org, or call (813) 591-0309.

SPOTLIGHT ON…KidsPark Tampa On S.R. 56!

Do you need childcare for spring break or summer? KidsPark Tampa (located just off of S.R. 56, east of I-75, in Wesley Chapel) offers camps with a variety of fun activities.

What makes KidsPark different from other childcare options is that it offers no-reservation, drop-in care for kids ages 2 through 12. You pay only for the hours and days you need.

Spring Break camp will be held March 19-23, with a different theme every day, including a Disney day with a visit from Mickey and Minnie, a science day, art day, carnival and field day.

Summer camps are held every week throughout the two-month break, with crafts, games, outdoor water activities, bounce houses and more. There’s no need to register in advance or commit to an entire day or week — just drop in whenever you need care or your kids want to play!

KidsPark is a national franchise, with just three locations in Florida (two are in Jacksonville). There will soon be four, however, as KidsPark Tampa owner Amanda Justus says she will open a new KidsPark center near Westfield Brandon Mall in July.

Families who register at any KidsPark location can use all KidsPark facilities, so kids can use the new center (or any Kids Park across the country when they travel) by just paying a low hourly rate, with no additional registration fee.

“We try to make it so everyone can afford child care,” Amanda says. The hourly rate is just $8 for one child, or $12.25 for two siblings. Additional siblings are $3.25 per hour. A “preferred customer rate” is available for anyone who pre-pays $100 or more, and a “day rate” is offered for kids who stay more than seven hours.

Amanda also offers discounts to hospital employees and to anyone in the military.

KidsPark offers both Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) for four year olds and preschool for ages two and three. Birthday and other private parties are available on Sundays, before and after KidsPark is open to the public.

KidsPark Tampa is located at 26240 Golden Maple Loop, just south of S.R. 56 (and just east of I-75). The center is open Monday–Thursday, 7 a.m.–10 p.m., 7 a.m.–midnight on Friday, 10 a.m.–midnight on Saturday, and 1 p.m.–6 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, call (813) 803-4972, visit KidsPark.com, and mention this story for half off of the one-time registration fee, which usually costs $25.

Marc & Kelly Rockquemore are proud to have opened their third Tampa Bay-area New Identities Hair Studio, in the New Tampa Center plaza on Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

Marc & Kelly Rockquemore are proud to have opened their third Tampa Bay-area New Identities Hair Studio, in the New Tampa Center plaza on Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

Not unlike the local restaurant business, the hair salon scene in New Tampa has been pretty volatile the last two decades. It’s therefore pretty impressive that Marc and Kelly Rockquemore, who are now the proud owners of three New Identities Hair Studios in the Tampa Bay area — including two right here in New Tampa — have not only survived, but thrived during that span.

The Rockquemores opened their first New Identities Hair Studio in what was then called the Palm Lake at Tampa Palms (now the Shoppes at Amberly) shopping center 17 years ago, which means I’ve known them for 18 years, because they came into my office in that same plaza looking for advertising for the salon several months before it opened.

Since then, the Rockquemores have opened a second successful New Identities salon in the Riverview/Apollo Beach area that they refer to as their “South Shore” location, and have now opened their third studio — and hosted  a Feb. 7 North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting — in the space in the Publix-anchored New Tampa Center plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. that most recently was occupied by Bella Mia hair salon.

The 1,400-sq.-ft. space also previously was home to the second Bostonian Hair Salon. Marc admits that Bostonian owner Joseph Caetano was something of a role model for them, as Caetano’s salons were well-known throughout the area for high-quality, affordable hair services provided by professionally-trained stylists and hair color specialists.

“Even though Joseph (now 84 years old) no longer owns a salon in this market,” Marc say, “his success paved the way for salons like ours. The key for us is being able to sustain that success long-term.”

Maintaining success hasn’t really been an issue for the Rockquemores, who opened the new salon on BBD with some of the popular stylists from the Tampa Palms location.

“I just think that Kelly and I have both have been relentless in our pursuit of success, by our own definition,” Marc says. “We’re always working to make this thing better all the time and we’ve been fortunate to have great people who have stayed with us long-term.”

Kelly adds, “We had to open another salon up here. We were having two stylists working at each station in Tampa Palms.”

The Rockquemores say they started looking for a new salon sometime last summer and quickly found the New Tampa Center location. They were open by November.

“We did a lot of the work ourselves, whatever we could do,” Kelly says. “It all came together pretty quickly.”

The new New Identities, which has a total of ten stations available, already has eight stylists, four of whom came from the “overcrowded” Tampa Palms studio, but Marc says, “We still have room for more here, and we’ve been getting some outstanding applicants.” At New Identities, stylists have to be properly trained, and clients pay different rates for the same services, based on the level of a stylist’s training.

They both credit advertising in not only the New Tampa but also the Wesley Chapel edition of the Neighborhood News with helping them get the new salon started off right.

“It hasn’t been easy getting this place open and running properly,” Marc admits, “but it’s truly been a blessing to us so far.”

New Identities specializes in “anything to do with hair, including hair styling for men and women, coloring, perms, relaxers and even extensions. “We definitely are known for our color specialists,” Kelly says.

The salon also specializes in playing a vital role in the biggest day of a woman’s life. “Our Bridal Services primarily consist of hair design up-dos, shampoo & blow dries), as well as makeup application,” Kelly says. “Let us take care of your entire wedding party!”

Your Stylists, Your Salon

The Rockquemores are somewhat skeptical about the rise of “Salon Suites,” where stylists (or other beauty industry professionals) can rent a space, set their own hours and “be their own boss.”

“But, some states, like New Jersey, are banning the salon suites because it’s easier to avoid paying taxes on what you make,” Marc says. “Those booth rental people are independent contractors, whereas we work on commission and offer employee benefits and continuing education training.”

Kelly adds, “A lot of those people get stuck at a certain level because they don’t want to have to pay out of their own pocket for education. Here, everytime you receive more training, you have an opportunity to earn more money.”

Marc adds that he has very strong opinions about booth rentals because, “all you’re doing is renting a 10-foot-by-10-foot space in a store. You’re not incorporated, you don’t have employees or have to pay business taxes, you’re not inspected and on and on and on. You’re not a business owner, but that’s what the stylists are being sold.”

Marc says that he and Kelly were particularly proud to have been named the “Best Hair Salon in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel” in the recent Neighborhood News Reader Survey & Contest. In addition to those accolades, New Identities  has been the official salon of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tampa Bay Storm cheerleaders, and most recently, the Tampa Bay Lightning girls. The Tampa Palms location was featured on the HBO series “Hard Knocks” last summer, when Bucs linebacker Kwon Alexander (photo, above left) took the advice of  teammate (and New Identities client) Gerald McCoy, and came to New Identities for a new color job.

“We do a lot to make sure people know who we are (including possibly being a sponsor of the upcoming Taste of New Tampa, see pg. 3),” Marc says, “but Kwon being filmed here for ‘Hard Knocks’ was a great bonus.”

For appointments at the New Tampa New Identities Hair Studio (19038 BBD Blvd.), call (813) 579-1575. For Tampa Palms (15307 Amberly Dr.), call (813) 979-0760. For the South Shore studio (10639 Big Bend Rd. in Riverview), call (813) 741-1177. For more info, visit NewIdentitiesSalon.com or the Facebook pages for any of the locations.