One Team. Your Team.

Our team is built to manage and oversee all of your wealth management affairs. Our proprietary processes - Financial Architecture and PlanEXCEL - offer structures in which to integrate all of the key elements of your financial life. Working alongside your legal and tax advisors, we are positioned to execute long-term strategic planning designed to protect and grow wealth across generations.

This design is best executed through a team approach. At Smith Thornton Advisors, LLC, our entire team of financial and investment professionals works together, on your behalf. Each of us brings to the relationship our individual set of skills, training and experiences. Collectively, we strive daily to provide you with the personal service and professional guidance necessary to achieve your financial goals.

Richard Smith

Managing Director, Partner

Richard J. Smith

MANAGING DIRECTOR

PARTNER

P: (256) 715-7715

E: rick.smith@smiththornton.com

Rick enjoys his work with clients and specializes in the long-term accumulation and distribution of wealth and income. He is particularly happy that he has had the opportunity to work with some clients for decades.

Upon graduating from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1978, Rick moved home to Huntsville to begin a career in financial services. After completing bank management training, Rick was named as trust officer of First National Bank of Alabama. He managed personal and corporate fiduciary accounts. Seeing an opportunity in fixed income investment as interest rates were near historically high yields, Rick accepted a job with the bond department of AmSouth Bank in 1983, where he specialized in the sale of municipal bonds for individuals and taxable securities for corporate accounts.

In 1987, Rick joined Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc. as the branch office manager in Huntsville. For the next 15 years, Rick managed the successful growth of the office. He served on the Investment Management Consultants Committee for the firm and its Retail Advisory Council. He was elected a Managing Director in 1996. He resigned from Morgan Keegan in September 2011 to form Smith Thornton Advisors, LLC with Steve.

Rick has served as a deacon, elder, clerk of the session and trustee for First Presbyterian Church. He has served on the Huntsville Madison County Library Foundation, as a board member for the Broadway Theatre League, a board member for Habitat for Humanity of Madison County and a member of the board of visitors for Shorter University in Rome, Georgia. He also was inducted into Shorter’s Athletic Hall of Fame for tennis in 2008. Rick maintains his special membership (non-practicing) with the Alabama Bar Association. Lastly, he is a trustee of the Jane K. Lowe Charitable Foundation.

Rick is married to Sherry, a retired choral director for Huntsville City Schools. They have two children; Hayley, who owns a dance studio in Huntsville and Will, who is a partner for Smith Thornton Advisors, LLC.

Steven Thornton, AIF, CPFA

Managing Director, Partner

Steven C. Thornton, QPFC

Steven C. Thornton, AIF, CPFA

MANAGING DIRECTOR

PARTNER

P: (256) 715-7715

E: steve.thornton@smiththornton.com

Steve graduated from Auburn University in 1986, having earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics. He immediately began his investment career, joining the Trust Department of AmSouth Bank. A year later, Steve moved to Huntsville to assume management of employer-based retirement plans for the bank’s Northern region. While at AmSouth, he graduated from the Southern Trust School at Birmingham-Southern College.

In 1989, Steve joined Rick at Morgan Keegan & Company, beginning their now three-decade-long partnership. During his 22 years at Morgan Keegan, he served on the firm’s Mutual Fund Advisory Committee, Annuity and Life Insurance Committee, and was a founding member of its Preferred Funds Advisory Committee. He resigned as Senior Vice President in 2011 to form Smith Thornton Advisors, LLC.

Steve is an active member of the National Association of Plan Advisors and holds the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor designation. He is also a member of the Investment Management Consultant’s Association.

Steve serves as a member of the Board of Control for the Von Braun Center and is the Board Secretary for the Huntsville Sports Commission. He previously served as President of the Board of Directors for Habitat for Humanity of Madison County and as a member of the Board of Directors for United Way of Madison County. He is a 2000 graduate of Leadership Huntsville/Madison County.

William Smith, CFA®

Director of Wealth Management, Partner

William P. Smith

William P. Smith, CFA®

DIRECTOR OF WEALTH MANAGEMENT

PARTNER

P: (256) 715-7715

E: will.smith@smiththornton.com

Will grew up around the business world and has always been interested in the art and science of investing, which led him to where he is today. Will’s number one goal is to help people succeed financially, and he enjoys the constant challenge of trying to see things that others don’t, or before others do, which keeps him motivated. Although no day at work is ever the same, his day-to-day involves a lot of reading, thinking, writing and communicating with his team and clients.

Will graduated from Auburn University in 2010 with a bachelor's degree in economics and a minor in finance. Later in 2011, he graduated with a master’s in finance from Auburn University. He went on to work at the Morgan Keegan & Co. headquarters in Memphis, then Pfizer, Inc. Will eventually decided to return home to Huntsville to join Smith Thornton Advisors in October of 2012 as Portfolio Administrator, before becoming a Partner in July of 2019. During this time with the firm, he earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) designation in 2016 as well. He passed all three exams on the first attempt.

Will stays active within the community. He is currently a member of the CFA Society of Alabama. He served as Treasurer from 2017-2018 at the Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama (BGCNAL), Vice Chair from 2019-2020, and the Chairman of the Board from 2021-2022. He also teaches the Capital Management Group (CMG) course at UAH where students manage real money. They compete against the S&P 500 and other schools in the Southeast in the TVA Investment Challenge.

Outside of work, Will spends as much time with his wife and daughter as possible. He also enjoys playing drums and even marched snare drum during his time at Auburn University. Now, you can find him playing the drums at church, playing tennis, golf, and volunteering his time at church or the BGCNAL.

Donna Ryberg

Chief Compliance Officer

Donna Ryberg

Chief Compliance Officer

P: (256) 715-7715

E: donna.ryberg@smiththornton.com

Donna graduated from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a focus in Finance. She began her career at Henderson National Bank as a part-time teller while attending college. After completing her degree, she entered AmSouth’s management training program and held positions in trust, investments and as a branch manager and loan officer. After leaving AmSouth to raise her family, she joined Morgan Keegan in 1992 where she became the operations and branch administrative officer. Donna joined Smith Thornton Advisors, LLC in September 2011. Donna is Series 7, 8, 63 and 65 registered.

In her free time, Donna spends time with her husband, Tim, and their two children, Nikki and Daniel.

Jessica Kanser, AIF, CPFA

Director of Workplace Retirement Solutions

Jessica C. Kanser, AIF, CPFA

director of workplace retirement Solutions

P: (256) 715-7715

E: JESSICA.KANSER@SMITHTHORNTON.COM

Jessica joined Smith Thornton Advisors in 2022, bringing to the team ten years of experience working with retirement plan sponsors and their participants. After two years as a Senior Financial Sales Advisor at Compass Bank, Jessica joined Empower Retirement as a Retirement Plan Counselor. There, she managed plan sponsor relationships and led participant education efforts in the North Alabama region. Her role expanded in 2017 when she accepted the position of Regional Manager for CUNA Mutual Group’s eight state Southeast Region. Jessica holds the AIF (Accredited Investment Fiduciary) designation, the CPFA (Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor) designation, and is a member of the National Association of Plan Advisors.

Blayne Barber

Wealth Advisor

Blayne Barber

Wealth Manager

P: (256) 715-7715

E: blayne.barber@smiththornton.com

Blayne joined the Smith Thornton Team in 2024 after an 11-year career of professional golf. Prior to turning professional, Blayne was a 3-time all-American over 3 seasons at The University of Central Florida (1) and ultimately, his alma mater, Auburn University (2). While at Auburn, Blayne represented the United States on the 2011 and 2012 Palmer Cup Teams and the 2011 Walker Cup Team. Blayne turned pro in 2012 and earned over 200 career starts between the PGA and Korn Ferry Tour(s).

Blayne graduated from Auburn (B.S. Finance) in 2012 and is thrilled to return to his educational roots. Blayne met his wife, Morgan, while in college at Auburn, and they now call Auburn home with their 4 children.

Dixie Gossett

Client Relationship Specialist

Dixie Gossett

Client Relationship Specialist

P: (256) 715-7715

E: dixie.gossett@smiththornton.com

Dixie graduated from Shorter University in Rome, Georgia with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1989. She moved to Huntsville and joined the Smith Thornton team at Morgan Keegan, where she worked for 22 years. Dixie is Series 7 and Series 63 registered. She moved with Rick and Steve to Smith Thornton Advisors, LLC in September 2011.

Dixie is married to her husband, James, and they have two children, Sam and Charlie.

Stacy Drummond

Client Relationship Specialist

Stacy Drummond

Client Relationship Specialist

P: (256) 715-7715

E: stacy.drummond@smiththornton.com

Stacy graduated from Athens State College in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Technology. She began her career in the trust department of AmSouth Bank, NA, and joined Morgan Keegan in 1997. After taking time away from the industry to raise her family, she returned to Morgan Keegan in 2006. Stacy joined Smith Thornton Advisors, LLC in September 2011, and she is Series 7 and Series 66 registered.

Outside of the office, Stacy spends time with her family. She is married to her husband, Doug, and they have three children - Ashlyn, Samuel and Hailey.