Our Professionals
Who’s Taking Care of Your Money?
Our Professional Team
Our highly credentialed in-house team of experienced professionals comprised of a Certified Financial Planner and nationally recognized retirement specialist with additional certifications in both retirement and estate planning, a Chartered Financial Analyst, and a Professor of Finance, all coordinate their experience and skills for your personal benefit. Our firm manages over $100 million of client portfolio assets, and has advised hundreds of satisfied clients for over 35 years.
About Linda Laborde Deane, CFP, CRC, CEA
Our Founder and President
Linda Laborde Deane loves South Louisiana - its history, its magnificent architecture, and most importantly, its people. She spends many weekends volunteering as a walking tour guide of the French Quarter for the Friends of the Cabildo - sharing a lifetime of knowledge, stories and insights.
Her approachable, animated and personalized style as a tour leader is a
by-product of over thirty-five years of skillfully guiding her clients into and through a successful retirement.
Linda and her husband, Bob, a maritime attorney, are both natives of New Orleans and alumni of LSU. Linda and Bob, along with their son Keith, are a tight-knit family that shares a common love of travel to intriguing parts of the world.
Pairing a step-by-step financial strategy and over 35 years of experience with conservative investment recommendations, Linda has earned national recognition as a Certified Financial Planner and Retirement Specialist. She is the founder and president of Deane Retirement Strategies, Inc., and is frequently quoted by both local and national media. A watchdog for her profession, Linda served as Chairman of the National CFP Board of Ethics and Professional Review.
About Todd C. Tillery, CFA
Our Portfolio Manager
Todd parlays a patient, conservative investment strategy and a love of reading into an ability to daily examine stacks of news and research in pursuit of the best investment opportunities for our clients. As a dedicated life-long learner, he is always seeking to expand his knowledge of economics and finance to stay ahead of constantly changing market conditions.
Todd has earned undergraduate degress in both Finance and Accounting from LSU and a masters degree in Finance from Bentley College in Massachusetts. He also holds the globally recognized Chartered Financial Analyst designation. This rigorous, three-level program is successfully completed by only twenty percent of those that accept its challenges. Prior to joining Deane Retirement Strategies, Todd was a member of the investment division of Putnam Investments in Boston, MA, one of the nation’s largest mutual fund companies.
Todd, his wife DeAnna, and their daughter Kaitlyn reside in River Ridge. When the portfolio management work is done, Todd usually retreats to the golf course for a few hours of fun, except during the fall, when the excitement of cheering on LSU in Tiger Stadium proves too much to resist.
About Michael T. Yest, Ph.D of Finance
Our Retirement Plan Data Analyst
Myke is an educator at heart. Whether he's helping our clients to learn more about their retirement feasibility and preserving their lifestyle in retirement, or helping a class of undergraduates at Tulane's A.B. Freeman School of Business learn the most up-to-date financial concepts, he loves the educational process.
Splitting his time between two worlds, the academic world as a professor of finance and the business world as our Retirement Plan Analyst, Myke successfully combines financial theory with practical industry experience. This blending of worlds strengthens his contribution to both our clients and his students - a win/win strategy for all involved. He has been warmly received by the Tulane community, receiving numerous awards for his excellence in teaching, the latest of which is being named the Freeman School of Business 2009 "Professor of the Year."
About Keith L. Deane
Our Retirement Specialist
Keith has maintained a contributing, part-time presence in Deane Retirement Stratgies' office throughout his high school and college years. This hands on experience left him without a doubt that a career path in finance and financial planning was the right choice for him. While he has an affinity for the on-going research and study necessary to keep abreast of the ever changing nature of the financial planning landscape, what he truly enjoys is applying his knowledge to clients' specific goals and needs.
Keith holds both a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Personal Financial Planning from the University of Georgia. Before returning to New Orleans to join Deane Retirement Strategies as a Retirement Specialist, Keith worked as a Retirement Consultant with Peachtree Capital Corporation, an Atlanta based firm specializing in estate,tax and retirement planning for high wealth individuals.
Furthering both his professional credentialing and his career in the financial industry, Keith, in 2008, successfully passed the Certified Financial Planner exam, as well as the Certified Retirement Counselor exam. In the coming year, he will fulfill the extensive experience requirements necessary for conferment of both the CFP and the CRC marks.
In the spring, during tax season, Keith spends many weekends volunteering in the IRS' "Volunteer Income Tax Assistance" and "Tax Counseling for the Elderly" programs. He enjoys sharing his time and knowledge with those who are not fortunate enough to have access to in-depth financial planning; it's his way of giving back to the community. When not in the office or volunteering, if the sun is shining, you'll probably find Keith on the water, whether it be in a canoe, sailboat, or fishing boat.
About Janet S. Hyver
Our Investment Advisory Associate
Janet's 35 years of experience in the investment industry, the majority of which are devoted exclusively to serving pre and post retirees, was put to the acid test and brought close to home when she recently married Brian, a retired employee of Chevron.
Janet facilitates conducting your business pleasantly, accurately and efficiently. She has successfully completed the SEC’s Registered Investment Advisor exam, enhancing her ability to ensure that you receive and enjoy concierge level service.
Her son, Jay, carries on the family's affinity to the financial industry as an account executive with a Dallas financial services company. Her daughter, Alicia, an account executive with a marketing company in Atlanta, has inherited her mother's talents for excellence in public relations. Client service is Janet's forte.
While she loves gardening and reading, her passion for traveling the back roads of the United States and Canada with her husband, meeting and talking to the locals and getting to know their foods and customs, has made her a natural in getting to know and understand our clients' personalities and needs.
About Diane O. Dinkins
Our Community Outreach Director
Diane, a native New Orleanian and a loyal LSU Tiger, has spent many years pursuing a career in marketing and public relations with river rafting companies in North Carolina, West Virginia, and Tennessee.
Combining her commitment to philanthropic service with her expertise in public relations, she excels as our goodwill ambassador to the communities we service.
Promoting our Community Outreach Program gives her great satisfaction and a sense of worthy accomplishment. She loves the personal interaction derived from working with local organizations to assist them either in raising money through our silent auction donations or through providing their membership meetings and events with professional, educational guest speakers.
Diane retreats to her Smoky Mountain house in North Carolina whenever possible. Her children, Harreld, Elizabeth, and Jay, now grown and living in different parts of the country, convene in North Carolina for holidays and family reunions. Just spending downtime in the tranquil beauty of the mountains re-energizes Diane in her committed pursuit of giving back to our communities.
