John is a founding partner at River Birch Wealth Management. He has guided individuals and businesses toward financial security throughout his 30 plus year-long career. John served his country as a United States Air Force Missile Launch officer and upon completing his service, transitioned into the financial services industry. His primary responsibilities were advising clients through bank wealth management departments, which included the management of private banking and wealth management advisors. John is a graduate of Charleston Southern University and holds securities licenses 7, 63, 65 and 24 through LPL Financial. He also earned a Master of Administration (MSA) from Central Michigan University and has achieved the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation, which focuses on financial planning. He currently serves as adjunct professor for Virginia Western Community College in the School of Business, Technology and Trades. He is an active member of his community by previously serving on the board of Junior Achievement and teaching in the public-school classrooms. He has also served as a board member with Roanoke Valley SPCA and Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke and volunteered with Vinton First Aid Crew. John currently serves on the Mill Mountain Zoo board of directors. John has been married to his wife Lila for 39 years and they have made Roanoke their home since 2002. They enjoy camping in their motor coach and hiking around their Smith Mt. Lake home. Lila is now retired from teaching, and they have four beautiful children and seven grandchildren.

As a founding partner of River Birch Wealth Management, Robyn has been empowering clients to strive toward their financial goals since 2004. She holds the prestigious CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst™ (CDFA®) designations, with expertise in comprehensive financial planning, divorce financial strategies, and retirement planning. Robyn is dedicated to helping clients retire with confidence, offering tailored strategies to ensure financial security and confidence in their next chapter. Robyn also works closely with individuals navigating the financial aspects of divorce, providing clarity and guidance during this challenging time. She collaborates with attorneys to deliver professional support and help her clients pursue equitable settlements. Outside of work, Chris and Robyn embrace life on 78 scenic acres in the mountains, where they are learning all things lavender with their 350 plants and getting plenty of exercise hiking their mountain trails. Guided by their faith, Chris and Robyn find joy in serving others and cherish time spent with their large, blended family. Together, they have five daughters, one son, two granddaughters, a grandson, and three lovable dogs. Robyn’s dedication to helping clients navigate financial complexities is matched by her love for family, faith, nature, and the calming beauty of her lavender fields.

Working in the financial services industry since 2014, Chad joined the River Birch Wealth Management team in 2016 and is now the Vice President of Financial Planning. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ™ professional and holds the Series 7 and 66 securities registrations, as well as the VA Life, Health, and Annuities insurance license, with LPL Financial. Chad plays an essential role in client relationships, guiding them through the financial planning process by providing financial education and helping them create a plan to achieve their goals. He graduated from Hampden-Sydney College in 2014 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and a minor in History. He is currently the president of the Roanoke Valley Alumni Club for Hampden-Sydney College. Chad enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife Lauren, son Winston, daughter Lainey and two dogs: Piper and Lyla. Some of his hobbies include fishing, boating and playing golf. He also volunteers as a youth wrestling coach in Roanoke County.

Donna relies on her 18 plus years of experience to oversee the practice’s daily operations. As the Operations Manager, clients know they can depend upon Donna to help guide them through the process and get them what they need. Client Relations is Donna’s top priority, which is why she’s so committed to ensuring that the office’s many tasks are completed accurately and on time. Donna’s work is always accompanied by a warm smile and kindness—qualities that are immediately apparent when you walk into our office. Donna is a lifelong resident of the area, a graduate of Virginia Western Community College and holds securities licenses 7 and 63 through LPL Financial. Her years spent on a farm in the mountain community of Copper Hill helped Donna develop the strong work ethic she applies to her work at River Birch Wealth Management. Donna enjoys traveling whenever possible. She loves listening to audiobooks and spending time with family and friends. Donna and her husband, Jimmie, recently celebrated their 36th wedding anniversary.

Sam comes to River Birch Wealth Management with 13+ years of experience as a financial advisor where he has focused primarily on retirement planning for individuals and families. Sam works hard to develop a deep understanding of his clients’ needs and develops financial plans specific to each client. Sam is a graduate of Averett University and holds securities licenses 7, 6, 63, and 65 through LPL Financial. He also holds a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC®) designation from the College for Financial Planning. Sam lettered 4 years on the Averett University Men’s Golf Team and was a golf professional for several years after college. He serves actively on several charitable golf tournament committees, including local tournaments supporting Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Carilion Children’s hospital. Sam, his wife, Ashley, and daughter, Elizabeth, make their home in Botetourt County. They enjoy vacationing, hiking, and camping in their spare time as well as attending local sporting events such as Roanoke Railyard Dogs hockey and Salem Red Sox baseball games. Sam is an avid cook and enjoys preparing meals for get-togethers with family and friends throughout the year.

Larry has over 40 years of experience in the financial industry. Before joining River Birch Wealth Management, Larry worked for Allstate Insurance Co. (1978) as the Regional Finance Manager in the Roanoke, VA regional office, relocating to the northern VA offices as a Market Sales Manager in 1984. Larry joined the Crestar Insurance Agency in Richmond, VA in 1995 as Vice President and transferred into Crestar Investment Services, Inc. in 1998 which subsequently became Truist Investment Services, Inc. upon the merger of SunTrust and BB&T banks. Larry held the position of Senior Vice President/Financial Advisor for the past 26 years. Larry attended Virginia Western Community College and currently holds his series 63, 66, 7 and 26 security licenses through LPL Financial. Larry earned his LUTCF® designation in July of 1990 from the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. Larry and his wife Pamela, who recently retired from the City of Salem School division reside in Salem, VA and have two children, Kristen Nicole (deceased) and Nicholas Ian. Nicholas currently resides in Richmond, VA. Larry recently retired from the board of Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), he continues to volunteer with the annual FCA golf tournament.

Erin comes to River Birch Wealth Management with over 20 years experience as a Financial Advisor. She focuses on retirement planning for individuals and families, and helps clients transition into retirement with confidence. Erin uses a relationship-based approach to learn all she can about her clients and their goals, and develops a specific plan to pursue those goals. Erin holds an Associate’s in Business Management from Virginia Western Community College and has earned the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor designation from the College for Financial Planning. She holds securities licenses 7, 6, 63 and 65 through LPL Financial. She is also licensed for annuities and insurance with a specialization in long-term care planning for legacy transfer maximization. Erin has three children, Ashley, Natalee and Collin and resides in the Bonsack area of Roanoke County. Her oldest daughter, Ashley, works alongside her at River Birch and is also a Wealth Advisor. Erin grew up in the Smith Mountain Lake area and enjoys visiting the lake on warm summer weekends. Erin is an active member of her church and loves being a part of their community outreach events. Erin is also an avid reader and enjoys music festivals and traveling.

Ashley Mills brings a fresh perspective and a passion for empowering clients to River Birch Wealth Management. With over 7 years of experience in wealth management, Ashley combines her financial knowledge with a commitment to helping individuals and families make confident, informed decisions about their financial future. She takes pride in simplifying the complexities of wealth management so clients can focus on what matters most to them. Working alongside her mother, Erin Mills, Ashley is part of a unique mother-daughter team with 25 years of combined experience. Together, they guide clients through every stage of life, pursuing financial health in an effort to achieve personal milestones. Erin and Ashley’s dynamic client approach makes them a great team! Ashley holds a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Finance from James Madison University and maintains Series 7, 63, and 65 securities registrations through LPL Financial. She’s also licensed to provide life, annuity, and long-term care insurance solutions. Dedicated to continuous learning, Ashley earned the Accredited Behavioral Finance Professional™ designation in 2024 and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Personal Financial Planning. A lifelong resident of the greater Roanoke area, Ashley now calls Daleville home. When she’s not advising clients, you’ll find her spending quality time with her fiancé, family, friends, and her dog June. She’s an avid reader, traveler, and a regular at the ball field, cheering on her fiancé. Ashley is also deeply connected to her faith as an active member of her church community.

Justin started as a Financial Advisor in 2006. His focus is to help clients work toward creating and maintaining financial independence through a series of strategies that are oriented around Retirement Planning, Investment and Risk Management. By partnering with his clients, Justin feels that he can offer rhyme and reason to the financial strategies that clients implement. He believes that educating clients empowers them to make informed decisions when it comes to the products and services they choose. Justin graduated with an Associate Degree in Business Administration in 2003. Justin has securities licenses 7, 66, and 24 through LPL Financial as well as the designation of Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor. Justin has over 28 years of managerial and customer service experience. He has a strong knowledge base of Life Insurance products as well as investment solutions like Mutual Funds, Stocks, Bonds, Annuities, and Fee-based Asset Management and offers comprehensive Financial Planning.

Carrie started as a Financial Consultant in 2017 and joined the River Birch Wealth Management team in 2024.She and her husband, Justin, live at Smith Mountain Lake and have 6 children, two dogs, & two parrots. Carrie currently holds securities registrations 6, 7, and 63 through LPL Financial, as well as Life and Health licenses. She was recognized as the leading Female DSF advisor in the country in 2018. Professionally, Carrie brings managerial and ten plus years of commercial insurance experience. Her background in Property and Casualty Insurance brings additional insight into a client’s Risk Management needs. She has vast experience with life insurance products as well as investment solutions like Mutual Funds, Stocks, Bonds and Annuities. Her team has greatly benefited from Carrie’s experience with merging books of business, leading support staff, client management systems, and her ability to help implement the vision for how to build the firm for the future. When Carrie is not working with clients, she is actively involved with her faith, family, kayaking, camping, reading and enjoys traveling.