Laura McCue, CEO and President, is a licensed investment advisor representative, and provides investment management and financial guidance for her clients.  She has a thirty-seven year track record of successfully helping clients to focus on achieving their financial goals.  She believes strongly in the importance of values-based financial planning, an investment and planning concept that is not just about the numbers, and that an individual’s personal values and stated goals, as opposed to risk tolerance, should drive their financial decisions.

Laura encourages people to live the life they dream about by aligning their financial choices with their core values so that, in achieving their goals, they have a better quality of life.  She is passionate about her work in making a positive difference in the lives of her clients.  Laura uses Point and Figure technical charting strategies and relative strength analysis in her efforts to reduce risk and improve investment performance over the long term while making tactical moves in her client accounts over the shorter term.  Her focus remains on continued progress towards her clients’ personal long-term goals.

Recognizing the issues facing current retirees and baby boomers nearing or in retirement, Laura is a retirement income-planning specialist.  She identifies and communicates the key risks to having a lifetime income and designs personal income planning strategies using an investment model that seeks to provide continuing, inflation-adjusted income throughout retirement.

Returning to her hometown after college, Laura has lived and worked in Asheville in the financial services industry since 1986.  For the last twenty years, she has jointly owned and managed White Oak Financial Management Inc. with her sister, Priestley Ford.  During her career she has taught financial education classes at area schools and colleges, churches, businesses, and other organizations.  She is a member of the Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement, Assistant NC State Director of the FAIRtax, and is past president of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and of the Friends of the WNC Nature Center.  She currently serves as Investment Chair of the French Broad River Garden Club, and as a board representative on Eagle Boards of Review for the Daniel Boone Council, BSA.  Laura lives in Arden with her husband of 41 years and their sweet Australian Shepherd, Lucy.  Their two sons and families live in North Carolina as well.

Priestley Ford is a partner in the firm with her sister Laura and serves as the operations manager. Her attention to detail and caring attitude ensure that the office runs smoothly and clients’ needs are met in a timely and thorough manner.

After graduating from Tulane University in 1983, Priestley worked for 20+ years in New Orleans, Charlotte, and Seattle as a litigation paralegal in various sub-specialties. In early 2003, Laura and Priestley formed White Oak Financial Management, Inc. and have enjoyed making every day fun, interesting and successful for their clients and themselves.

Priestley’s passion outside of White Oak is animal welfare in our community. She served on the Board of Asheville Humane Society for two terms and is a volunteer there. She also helps build fences for ChainFree Asheville, a group that builds fences for free for dogs living on chains.

Brent brings a unique background to his work at White Oak Financial. Before joining the firm in 2015, he served high-net worth clients at Merrill Lynch for nine years. Prior to his work in the financial services industry, Brent’s focus in the sciences & education research, including research protocols and statistical analyses, formed a strong foundation for evidence-based decision making. Such decision-making is at the heart of his approach to portfolio management, risk mitigation, and portfolio stress-testing.

Brent is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with both BS and MA degrees. Brent also earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certificant, a designation awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.

Brent’s interests in the community include the Leadership Circle of the Asheville Humane Society and the Gray’s Lily Leadership Circle of The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. He also served on the boards of Asheville Bravo Concerts, the Friends of the WNC Nature Center, the Lake Logan Episcopal Center and the advisory council for Arts for Life.

*Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. owns the certification marks CFP® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ in the U.S.

Luke joined White Oak as an Investment Advisor Representative in December 2020. He was previously a Registered Representative with Western and Southern Financial Group, during which time he became an expert in all types of insurance, including long term care, life, health, and annuities. In addition to managing investment portfolios, Luke also provides advice to clients on how to be allocated within their company retirement plans at any given time based on market conditions.

From 2012 to 2017, Luke was President & CEO of AIM Services, Inc., a company dedicated to supporting the “power of potential” to people of diverse abilities. His current outside business activities include Habilitation Tech/Employment Coach for Mountain Area Community Services, Inc. Luke is married and has four young children.

Karen began her career in Operations Support at JJB Hilliard Lyons in 1993. She joined IJL Wachovia in 1998 as part of the Operational Support team. Laura and Karen worked together at both Hilliard Lyons and Wachovia. In 2003 Karen helped open BrickStreet Equity Management and served as Partner and Operations Manager. She loves the opportunity of establishing a relationship with clients and taking care of their operational needs. Karen is a native of Asheville and attended Mars Hill University. Karen has served on the board of the Friends of the WNC Nature Center for 2 terms and volunteered at the Asheville Humane Society to support her love and compassion for all animals. Her household always has a four-legged friend as part of the family. She loves exploring and supporting the Blue Ridge Parkway.

A sweet border collie that used to run around the office. Now you will find Callie under a desk, but always looking for a belly rub.