Merit | Sandy Springs Location
Sandy Springs, GA
750 Hammond Dr. NE, Bldg 2, Ste. 200
Atlanta, GA 30328-5537
Phone: 404.261.2221
Fax: 404.531.0747

Jody Owenby
Senior Managing Partner
Jody Owenby
CFP®
Senior Managing Partner
Jody joined Financial Development Systems in 1988. Working with his mentor, Dr. Kay Shirley, Jody helped build the firm into one of the top independent financial services practices in the country. As a University of Georgia business school graduate, Jody holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation, as well as series 7, 24 and 63 securities registrations through LPL Financial. He is also licensed for life, accident and sickness insurance, as well as variable insurance products. Jody and his wife, Lauren, have been married since 1990, and they have two wonderful sons, Cal and Cade. Having traveled the world earlier in their lives together, they are now focused on enjoying outdoor activities and sports with their boys.

Jim Colbourne
Wealth Manager
Jim Colbourne
CRPC
Wealth Manager
Jim joined Financial Development Systems in 2015, and has been in the financial services industry for over 20 years. Jim provides direction and focus for our clients to help pursue their goals. He also works with retirement plan fiduciaries and participants, helping to prepare and steer them to a comfortable retirement. Jim currently holds 7, 9, 10, 24 and 63 securities registrations through LPL Financial and 65 through Merit Financial Group. He is also licensed for life, accident and sickness insurance. Jim was raised in Marietta, Ga., and still resides there with his wife Kimberly and their two children, Katie and William. In his spare time, Jim enjoys playing golf, traveling, attending sporting events, and spending time with his family.

Scott Meyer
Wealth Manager, Partner
Scott Meyer
Wealth Manager, Partner
Scott’s passion for financial planning was instilled in him at an early age, as he would often discuss with his family the value of a hard-earned dollar, as well as the numerous benefits afforded to an individual from proper saving, budgeting, and thoughtful financial planning. With over 15 years of experience presenting educational workshops to numerous corporations, Scott truly connects on an individual level and seamlessly articulates an individual’s needs and priorities in a personalized manner that helps them look to the future with confidence and assurance. Raised in Atlanta, Scott holds a Finance degree from Valdosta State University, where he received both golf and academic scholarships. Scott enjoys playing golf, running and spending time with his wife Cagney and two daughters Austin and Clarke.

Alex Alba
Centralized Service Advisor
Alex Alba
Centralized Service Advisor
Alex Alba is a Centralized Service Advisor for Merit, focusing on serving new & existing clients and growing client relationships. He enjoys building rapport with new & existing clients while providing excellent service and financial solutions to clients. Alex received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Georgia in Financial Planning. Alex likes to travel with family and friends, cheer on his sports teams, play competitive basketball, and visit his home island of Puerto Rico.

Barbara Bassoff
Client Service Manager
Barbara Bassoff
Client Service Manager
Barbara Bassoff is a Client Service Manager for Merit, focusing on providing exceptional service to all of our clients. She enjoys assisting clients with their needs to help ensure all their financial needs are taken care of and continue building lasting relationships. Barbara received her Bachelor’s Degree from Queens College. She likes to travel and explore new places and paints in her free time and expresses her creativity.

Jooliana Krummel
Director of Client Development
Jooliana Krummel
Director of Client Development
Jooliana is the Director of Client Development for Merit, focusing on developing relationships with existing and prospective clients by facilitating sales and outreach activities. She enjoys helping people looking for wealth management strategies and guidance to prepare for retirement with advisors at Merit who can assist them. She plays a key role in hiring, training, mentoring, and developing a team of 7+ Client Development Managers across the United States. She also develops the team's sales strategies for new prospects and secures profitable new business by managing marketing activities, competitive analysis, and tracking results for marketing ROI. She meets with the VP of Marketing and the President to review the team's sales efforts to grow the business exponentially. Jooliana received her Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from the University of Georgia, and she also obtained her Hubspot and Pardot certifications. She likes to exercise, travel, listen to audiobooks, and socialize with friends and family during her free time.

Karen Harmon
Client Service Manager
Karen Harmon
Client Service Manager
Karen Harmon joined Financial Development Systems in 2005. Karen makes sure that our clients and our team members have everything they need. She provides client service, oversees our appointment scheduling, and coordinates a myriad of other invaluable functions for our team. She is a 1991 graduate of Gwinnett Technical College, Business Administration. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her 3 daughters.
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