At Johnson Bixby, we help clients create financial plans that support life’s many possibilities. Every day, we guide people through milestones—career changes, new homes, growing families, and the moments that matter most. And while we’re honored to walk alongside our clients during those moments, our team experiences their own memorable chapters each year as well.

As we reflect on 2025, we invited our team to share a personal moment, financial milestone, or special memory that stood out to them this year.

Patricia Spies, MBA, CFP®, Financial Planner

One 2025 milestone for my family was that our 5-year-old started kindergarten and 3-year-old moved up to pre-school. If you know anyone with children in daycare, you’d understand that this is also a financial milestone!

Lana Alvarez, Compliance/Audit Manager

My 2025 meaningful moment – my youngest child’s high school graduation!

Rachel Gorretta, Marketing & Communications Director

2025 was sprinkled with so many meaningful moments, but one that stands out was being able to share some of the work I do outside our home with my girls. As a junior and senior in high school, they’re beginning to think more seriously about college and future careers. Bringing them along to a few work events this year gave them a firsthand look at my career (not always easy to explain!) and sparked some great conversations.

Zach Reuter, CFP®, Financial Planner

Both my 6-year-old (1st grade) and my 4-year-old (preschool) are now at the same school and thriving. It’s amazing to see their growth in the span of just one year, and how many more shenanigans they’re able to get into now that they’re old enough to better coordinate their efforts.

Career-wise, the biggest milestone was seeing my mentor, colleague, and friend, Kim Baker, enter retirement. Kim left an indelible mark on me, this firm, and the hundreds of individuals and families she served over 30+ years. I am grateful to continue partnering with many of those same, amazing people today, and hopefully for another 30 plus years!

Megan Dixon, CAP®, Director of Community Investments & Relationships

This spring, I had the opportunity to represent Johnson Bixby at the Dynamic Duo fundraising event benefiting Share, a local nonprofit that provides housing and essential support to families in our community. Performing as one of “The Dollys,” I helped raise critical funds and awareness while reconnecting with my love of singing and performing—an experience that inspired me to begin voice lessons and invest more intentionally in an activity that brings me joy.

Amanda Reynolds, MA, CFP®, CPA

I’m grateful to have had my niece come live with me for part of this year and to get to know her better. It was a fun and meaningful time!

Cynthia Boman Thompson, MS, CFP®, Chief Financial Officer

2025 was a big year for me as we wound up driving out to Colorado to pick up my mother and bring her back to Oregon to live closer to us.  While we had tough news that she had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, it was so meaningful to know that as a family, we all stepped up to be there for her in a big way. This photo is from our road trip back to Oregon!

Mandy Peterson, Client Services Manager

Reflecting on 2025, I realized the unplanned and often ‘simple’ moments were some of this  year’s most memorable moments for me. Baking with my nephew, spur of the moment road trip to the coast, hiking in the Olympic National Forest, summer BBQs to name a few. I am looking forward to seeing what 2026 brings!

Trisha Townsend, SHRM-CP, People & Culture Administrator

One of my most meaningful memories of 2025 was finally checking off a bucket list trip I had dreamed about for years, even before moving to the PNW. This fall, My husband and I took a road trip that looped around the entire border of the Olympic Peninsula, with a few side trips into the inner peninsula to explore along the way. We fit in several day hikes that really put things in perspective and allowed me to slow down to appreciate the gift of life.

Standing at Cape Flattery, the most northwest tip of the continental US, and walking through the rainforest was humbling. The forest felt quietly alive, always taking what is at the end of its life and recycling it into something new. The whole experience felt grounding and made me deeply grateful for the natural beauty I live close enough to enjoy on a simple road trip.

Alexander Ali, CFP®, AFC®, Financial Planner

The most memorable 2025 milestone for me was recording and releasing my music onto music streaming services. I’ve been playing and composing music on and off for about 8 years now, and it feels exciting to finally share it with the world! Relating to this milestone, I had the absolute pleasure of performing for a wonderful audience at a local care facility around Thanksgiving. It was an enriching experience I look forward to recreating on a regular basis.

Lynn Snyder, CFA®, Portfolio Manager

My wife and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary in 2025, a milestone we cannot believe has arrived!!! We are both so proud of our three daughters whom we have had the privilege of raising and enjoyed another year of making meaningful memories as a family! This fall, we dropped our twin daughters off at their respective campuses for their sophomore year of college. Our oldest daughter began her senior year—also known as “Firstie” year–at the United States Naval Academy and will graduate this spring. Time flies when you are having fun!

Kristi Koebke, Chief Marketing Officer

When we launched the Women Invest Community this year, I knew the work was personal—but I didn’t fully realize how personal until recently.

My mom was among the first women able to qualify for a home mortgage on her own in 1977, following the passage of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974. For the first time, women could secure mortgages and credit cards without a male co-signer.

At the time, she was a newly divorced mother of three young children, building a career as a registered nurse. That single opportunity—homeownership—became a turning point. It gave us stability, security, and the foundation for everything that came next. I can see now how profoundly it changed our lives.

That perspective has shaped my passion for helping other women and families—wherever they are on their journey—learn about money, build assets, and gain the financial confidence to make informed decisions and live their best lives.

Helping to create the Women Invest Community has been one of the most meaningful parts of my year. It fueled me in 2025—and I know it will continue to do so for many years to come.

Kellan Akers, Client Services

I joined Johnson Bixby full-time after graduating from Oregon State University Honors College in June and have since passed my series 7 & 66 exams. It’s been exciting to step into this role and become part of this amazing team.

Heidi Johnson Bixby, CFP®, CEO & President

2025 marked my 34th anniversary at Johnson Bixby, a milestone that prompted reflection on the many long-term relationships we have with clients and our overall community. A definite highlight was a five-week summer sabbatical to Zimbabwe and Australia. While the time away was incredible, I also knew our clients were in excellent hands, a reflection of how our firm has grown thoughtfully over the years.

Juli Potts, SHRM-CP, PHR, CCP, Chief People Officer

Refinancing my mortgage has been a major financial milestone for me because it allowed me to lower my interest rate and shorten my loan term from 30 years to 15 years.

Obviously the lower interest rate is helpful, but moving to a 15-year term was especially meaningful to me for multiple reasons. Not only am I paying significantly less in interest, it also better aligns with my retirement plans and owning my home outright much sooner.

Refinancing with the support of my financial planner was empowering, and a great reminder that intentional financial decisions can have lasting impact.

Melanie Yeagley, Marketing & Event Support Specialist

One of my favorite highlights of 2025 was training for a half marathon. I ran my first 10K in the spring and then completed the half marathon in the fall. What made it especially meaningful was getting to race alongside team members and seeing friends and family along the course, cheering me on every step of the way.