Started in 1979 by Judith Brown, Bloomington-based JNBA Financial Advisors was a pioneer in offering independent, client-focused financial advice. Judith’s son, Richard, joined JNBA in 1997, and daughter-in-law Kim joined in 2002.
Under the Browns' leadership, the company has boasted consistently high client retention rates, including 97 percent in 2009 despite the turbulent economy, and the firm’s assets under management have tripled within the past decade. JNBA has twice made Barron’s magazine’s list of the nation’s top-100 independent wealth advisers, and Richard made Barron’s 2010 list of the country’s top-1,000 financial advisors.
Richard, who serves on several local boards, was recently appointed a senior fellow in the Labovitz School of Business and Economics at the University of Minnesota—Duluth, where he's bringing practical experience to the university's student mentorship program and assisting in the development of a financial planning curriculum. Meanwhile, Kim was named by Finance & Commerce magazine as one of its 2009 top women in finance.
—Nominated by Shelli Lissick
