COVINGTON INVESTMENT ADVISORS, INC. REFLECTION ON EMPLOYEE ANNIVERSARIES AND ANOTHER YEAR OF BUSINESS SERVING OUR CLIENTS
Twenty-one years ago in May of 2003, Covington Investment Advisors was incorporated. The success Covington has had with and for our clients has allowed us to grow, hire more talent, enhance our technology and research, purchase and expand our building, expand our overall processes to customize your financial plans, providing best in class investment management services results and contribute to our communities' societal needs.
We do not hesitate to say we have formed the best-in-class advisory firm as we are not a broker dealer, nor are we affiliated with one. As an independent advisor, we have an open architectural structure to find the best financial solutions for our clients. We cut out the unnecessary middlemen and their fees and we refuse any form of commissions. We are a fee-based only advisory firm. We do not sell products; we provide customized financial plans structured and managed on a separate account basis driven to address your individual investment and family needs. As a federally registered investment advisor with the Securities & Exchange Commission’s (SEC) oversight, we are a corporate fiduciary held to the highest standard of care.
The growth of Covington has indisputably aided in our client’s financial success. All two hundred and four family relationships we currently manage are the result of referrals made because we took care of our clients one at a time. Reflecting on the last twenty-one years of Covington, it’s clear that our staffs’ years of service, hard work, and dedication has helped the firm grow into the successful business it is today.
Our President, Pat Wallace, established Covington on May 10th, 2003. In previous anniversary blogs you have read the story of how Covington was named and formed. But the seed of Covington began long before 2003. As a college graduate from Indiana University of Pennsylvania School of Business, Mr. Wallace continued his education and training with the dream of learning everything he possibly could, in the hopes that one day he could start his own business. That dream officially started on May 10th of 2003 but had always lived in his mind as a young eager businessman. Over the last twenty-one years Mr. Wallace has managed and developed all aspects of Covington with the same eagerness and passion that he had in the very beginning of his professional career. We’d like to thank him for his unwavering dedication to Covington and the opportunity to be a part of the firm and our client’s success.
Our Portfolio Manager and Chief Compliance Officer, Cindy Jones, is celebrating her twelfth year at Covington as her first day was May 29th, 2012. Mrs. Jones and our President actually first met a couple years prior in 2009 at a Charles Schwab Conference in Boston. They met while sharing a taxi together since they had both missed the bus that was to take them to a scheduled 5k event. Little did they both know that the conversation of exchanging pleasantries would turn into Mrs. Jones being the next hire at Covington. Over the last twelve years she has greatly helped Covington grow. Mrs. Jones has and continues to enhance our technology and research while simultaneously providing investment management services to our clients. Her attention to detail and vast knowledge has been a valuable part of the firm’s success. Additionally, she oversees and maintains the firm’s compliance program while also providing training to staff. It is clear that during her time at Covington, she has touched all aspects of the business and added value in every corner. On top of that, she holds a Series 65 securities license and in 2021 she earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. This accomplishment requires successful completion of several exams, having relevant work experience, professional references, and honoring the Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct of the CFA Institute. Her ongoing dedication has enhanced not only our day-to-day operations but also our client’s financial successes. We are thankful for her continued commitment to Covington and our clients. Thank you for the last twelve years!
Our Client Services Administrator, Hannah Patton, is celebrating her tenth year at Covington as her first day was May 12th, 2014. Mrs. Patton began her professional career at Covington the very next business day after graduating college and over the last ten years has aided in Covington’s growth and client success. Presently, she is responsible for servicing and administering current and prospective clients at the firm. During her time here she was awarded the Certified Trust & Financial Advisor (CTFA) certification from the American Bankers Association (ABA). The CTFA certification is awarded to individuals who demonstrate excellence in the field of wealth management and trust. To qualify for the certification, individuals must have certain levels of experience and education in the trust profession, pass an exam, and agree to abide by a code of ethics. Additionally, the ABA Professional Certifications promote the highest standards of performance in the financial services by validating individuals’ knowledge and expertise. That is exactly what Mrs. Patton has done for Covington and our clients over the last decade. Her continual professionalism, dedication and client experience has not gone unnoticed, and we thank her for the last ten years!
Our Research Analyst, Nick Allen, is celebrating his sixth year at Covington as his first day was on May 14th, 2018. Mr. Allen began his professional career at Covington as an intern after he had sent a letter to the firm stating he was looking for work experience and would work for free. Mr. Allen’s enthusiasm for work stood out and got him the job! His start at Covington was a little unconventional due to the upstairs office expansion that was being built around the same time. With the construction of the addition, his office space was the living room. But if we reflect on his full time at Covington, he was promoted from intern to full-time Research Analyst and made his way to his current office upstairs. Mr. Allen is a critical part of Covington’s Investment Committee and has received his Series 65 securities license. His continued hard work in assisting with all aspects of portfolio management, investment analysis, research, and trading can be seen in previous blogs, client presentations and meetings. Thank you for the last six years and we are happy to say you made it out of the living room!
The month of May appears to be a good time for Covington, with the business and over half of its staff having their anniversary during this time. As the two newest staff at Covington, we’d like to thank Patrick, Cindy, Hannah and Nick for their support, training, and generosity. We are thankful for their years of experience and knowledge and appreciate their patience and taking the time to welcome us to Covington. We are both honored to be a part of this group and look forward to the years to come as we serve our clients together. We are all deeply thankful for the opportunity to help each family we serve and are honored to celebrate another year in business with you!