Our Mission

Growing up in Lancaster City gave me a lasting appreciation for communities where relationships are built slowly and taken seriously. It's the same city where this firm stands today, and that continuity means something to me.

My interest in the markets started in high school, drawn to what the numbers reflected about the economy and about people's everyday lives. That curiosity turned into a career spanning more than 30 years, beginning at Bank of Lancaster, now PNC, where I worked in management, operations, and as a personal money manager for older adults. More than two decades at Wheatland Advisors followed before I founded Chestnut Street Investment Counsel in 2020.

What motivates me most is helping people understand their finances in plain terms. When you know what you own and why, you're in a far stronger position to make good decisions, and I take the time to make sure every client has that foundation. That commitment to clarity runs through everything we do here.

Outside the office, I compete in powerlifting, read the Wall Street Journal, and spend time with my husband Tony, our daughters Milena and Isabella, and our grandson Aldo. Our goldendoodle, Daphne, splits time between home and the office and has become something of an unofficial team member.

Credentials:

• Millersville University
• American Institute of Banking (AIB)

One of the things that drew me to this work was a simple observation I made about myself: as an educated woman, I knew far less about my own finances than I expected to. That gap isn't unusual, and joining a firm committed to closing it felt like exactly the right place to be.

I came to Chestnut Street at the invitation of founder Beth Vulopas, who recognized that my background in relationship-building, community outreach, and client experience could contribute something real to the team. Before entering the financial industry, I spent five years as a home care consultant at Home Instead and ran my own artist painting company, work that gave me a genuine ease with people and a strong sense of what it takes to make someone feel welcome and heard.

Today, I focus on business development, marketing, and client communications, including writing the firm's monthly newsletter. What I enjoy most is the people. Every client who walks through the door has a story worth knowing, and I never get tired of hearing them.

I grew up in Newburg, a small Pennsylvania town with the kind of close-knit, multigenerational warmth that stays with you. I now live in Lancaster, where the arts community keeps my creative side active. My husband Craig and I have been married for 37 years, and we have three children: Morgan, Taylor, and Grant. Taylor and her husband, Oscar, have given us two grandchildren, Remy and Oscar Jr., who are a very good reason to make the most of every moment outside the office.

Credentials:

• Bachelor of Fine Arts, James Madison University

Fifty-four years in the financial industry will teach you a great deal about what actually matters. For me, every portfolio decision begins with a single question: What is this investment genuinely worth? Security valuation is the foundation of sound portfolio management, and it has guided my approach from the very beginning.

I came to finance practically. An opportunity presented itself, I took it, and I discovered that the work suited me well. The variety of client situations kept it interesting, and the intellectual challenge of the capital markets has kept me studying ever since. I came to Chestnut Street from Wheatland Advisors, where I also focused on portfolio management and investment analysis.

What I value most in this work is being a real person on the other end of the phone, not an algorithm. Every client's situation is different, and those differences deserve careful, individual attention. I find that variety genuinely fascinating.

I'm a Western Pennsylvania native who has made my home in Lancaster, where I appreciate the quiet and the pace. My wife Bonnie and I have three children, Sara Heilig, MD, Callie Dagen, MD, and David Heilig, USMC retired, along with five grandchildren. When I'm not following the markets, you'll find me on the slopes or the golf course.

Credentials:

• Westminster College

Finance was never an abstract concept for me growing up. Watching my family struggle financially left a real impression, and when an investment club in high school showed me what thoughtful planning could actually accomplish, my direction became clear. I wanted to help people build what my family hadn't had the tools to build.

I've spent 11 years in the industry, working previously at PeoplesBank Wealth Management, Ameriprise, and Vanguard before joining Chestnut Street. My approach centers on looking at the full picture rather than any single piece of it. Investment decisions don't exist independently of tax strategy, risk management, or long-term goals, and I think about all of those things together.

What I find most rewarding is watching uncertainty turn into confidence. Clients often come in feeling like their finances are too complicated to get a real handle on, and creating clarity out of that complexity is the part of the work I take the most pride in.

I live in Lancaster with my wife, our daughter, two dogs, and a cat, so life at home is never quiet. Becoming a parent has given my work a new dimension. It's reinforced why planning matters not just as a financial concept, but as something you build for the people you love. Outside the office, I enjoy hiking, traveling, birding, reading, baking, and the occasional strategy game.

Credentials:

• Pennsylvania State University
• Wealth Management Specialist (WMS), 2021
• TPCP, 2026

Daphne is a mini goldendoodle and, by any reasonable measure, the most popular member of the team. She greets every visitor to the office as though they are the specific person she has been waiting for all day, which, to be fair, is probably true. Her professional specialties include morale, walkies, and the strategic positioning of herself near Mr. Heilig, who holds the distinguished title of her favorite coworker. Away from the office, Daphne keeps a full social calendar that includes visits from Aunt Cindy and playdates with her cousin Cleo. She splits her time between home and the office and has never once been late for either.