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You may not always know the best way to approach your financial concerns, and we don’t expect you to. That’s why we have in-house experts with varying disciplines including CPAs, CFP® professionals and J.D.s that specialize in a variety of services and work as a team to look at your entire financial picture. Through this team approach, our specialists offer their individual expertise, and together, they create the best solutions to meet your needs.

To learn more about our specialists, please look below.

Private Banking

  • Robin Harmon


    Assistant Vice President | Residential Lending Manager

    Robin works in conjunction with all offices to provide traditional mortgage solutions to fit our client’s mortgage financing needs and financial strategies within residential lending. Her past experience includes over 30 years in the mortgage lending industry with experience in all aspects of the mortgage process including five years of accounting, three years of processing,… Read More

Retirement Counseling

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    Paula Hendrickson, CFP®


    Senior Vice President | Director Retirement Consulting Services

    Paula brings 25 years of experience in retirement planning and provides consulting services and oversight to all retirement plan clients at First Western. She actively engages with clients in investment monitoring and consultation, updating compliance regulations, and plan benchmarking. In addition, Paula offers expertise in additional plan related areas, including the establishment and maintenance of… Read More

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    Peter Siple, AIF®


    VP | Relationship Manager Retirement Consulting Services

    Mr. Siple is responsible for selling, maintaining and growing First Western’s retirement plan practice. This includes coordinating the marketing and evaluation of proposals for clients and prospects, identifying new business opportunities, and building and maintaining strong client and retirement provider relationships. Mr. Siple brings 23 years of experience in the design, investment monitoring, administration and… Read More

Risk Management

  • Catherine Runge


    Relationship Manager - Insurance Services

    Mrs. Runge is responsible for client service, and the underwriting process.  She negotiates and manages the underwriting offers while providing insurance administration as well as product analysis and insurance policy updates and changes. Before joining First Western, Ms. Blum obtained over 7 years of financial services experience.  As a client service manager with Financial Designs, Ltd., she was responsible for client service, insurance administration, product… Read More

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    Don Silversmith


    Chairman

    Mr. Silversmith has an extensive background in finance and the planning issues that affect families in their desire to accumulate and transfer wealth. His years of board experience with large charitable organizations have allowed him to help clients whose primary objective is building their estates and leaving a charitable legacy. As Chairman of First Western… Read More

Treasury Management

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    Todd Lockwood


    Vice President Treasury Management

    Todd is a certified treasury professional and vice president of Treasury Management Services at First Western Trust. Todd is responsible for designing, implementing, and managing treasury management services for all First Western offices. Todd brings over 12 years of experience in banking, business management, and marketing to First Western. Prior to joining First Western, he… Read More

Trusts and Estates

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    William Schmidt, Jr.


    Senior Trust Officer & Family Wealth Advisor

    Mr. Schmidt has extensive experience in many areas of trust and estate law. He helps clients develop and implement plans for their estates and has experience preparing wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, special needs trusts, life insurance trusts, family partnerships, charitable trusts and charitable foundations. He also has experience with business estate planning, premarital agreements,… Read More

Wealth Planning

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    David Cerullo


    Wealth Advisor

    David works with clients to understand and create solutions for their needs and goals in the areas of retirement, education, insurance, cash flow, tax, investments and estate planning. He also conducts trainings and delivers presentations on the latest tax law updates and current financial planning topics. Prior to joining First Western, Mr. Cerullo was a… Read More

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    Melissa Montgomery – Fitzsimmons


    Director of Wealth Planning

    Melissa Montgomery-Fitzsimmons  is responsible for coordinating First Western Trust’s proprietary wealth planning program, known as ConnectView, creating the technical training for all of our wealth planners, and fostering the bank’s relationship with professional advisors in the estate planning, tax and philanthropic communities. Montgomery-Fitzsimmons brings over 19 years of financial experience to First Western. Prior to joining First Western,… Read More

  • William Lyne


    Wealth Advisor

    Bill works with clients to understand their unique needs and goals in the areas of retirement, business succession, insurance, cash flow, and family wealth accumulation and preservation.  Prior to joining First Western, Bill was a practicing attorney and concentrated his law practice in estate planning and business succession law.  Before his career in law, he… Read More