Who we are
We are a woman-owned, women-led team of activist asset managers and financial planners. We’re carving a new path to what’s possible in the financial industry. As a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) firm, we have a fiduciary obligation to always act in the best interest of our clients. Our approach seeks to create more opportunities to generate wealth in ways that align with values for a better world and supports prosperity for all.
We provide financial planning services that range from affordable, foundational plans, to more complex, holistic plans. Your financial plan starts with where you are today and will be updated annually as your life and your circumstances evolve.
We work with each client to identify their specific financial, social and environmental goals and design a compatible portfolio. We don’t take commissions for our work, which means we advise and guide our clients based solely on their needs with their success in mind.
As wealth managers, our investment portfolios only include companies actively serving the greater good of humans and the planet. We are Sustainable, Responsible & Impact (SRI) investing advisors who believe this investment approach is the optimal path to the wealth and health of us all.
Our Manifesto
We are
Trusted guides for those bold enough to demand that their financial goals align with their values and our collective future.
Diligent SRI advisors who utilize more than “best-in-class” standards to provide comprehensive Sustainable, Responsible & Impact investing. We mean what we say.
Mindful financial planners who embrace the power of peacefulness – peace of mind for our clients and the experience of peace for our larger society.
We believe
In the power of alignment to produce portfolios our clients can be proud of, achieving their financial goals while protecting the future of this planet and all who inhabit her.
That in our capitalistic society, wealth is power, but what we do with that power is a matter of choice.
Voting with your investment dollar puts that power into action as a force for good in this world.
We strive
To manifest abundance without greed by shifting money away from companies that diminish society and investing in those that lift us all.
To be changemakers who leverage the power of money to transform the world.
To reinvent expectations every day as a thriving women-owned firm that recognizes what’s truly possible in this industry.
We know
That as more of us live aligned with our values, we’ll make the kind of waves that change the world for generations to come.
Meet the Blue Crew
Cherish Sutull, CFP®, CFA®
Lead Advisor - Seattle Managing Director
Cherish lives her life intentionally according to her values, which informs how she advises and builds client relationships. Through attentive listening, Cherish discovers what is important to clients and what it means to them to live aligned. This allows her to support them in achieving their financial goals without sacrificing their values.
She has over 20 years of experience in the financial planning and investment management industry. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Certified Financial Planner (CFP), and a Certified Wealth Confidant™ with a BS from George Fox University and an MBA from Seattle University.
Cherish surrounds herself with people who wholeheartedly support her and whose hearts are in the right place. She manifests living aligned by taking time and space to care for herself and maintain a healthy, active lifestyle. She is a former college athlete turned expert mountain biker and skier. Her other greatest joy is being present with her kids and learning along with them as they experience life and discover what matters to them.
David Ream, CFP®
Lead Advisor
When clients have questions regarding their finances and investments, David has answers. He helps clients determine what assets to sell to cover Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) withdrawals, how to invest their retirement plan contributions, how to pay for major purchases, and everything in between.
David has more than two decades of finance experience prior to Blue Water Wealth. During that time frame, he played an integral role in designing the client portfolios for the Seattle practice that later joined Blue Water Wealth. David is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and holds bachelor’s degrees in business administration and political science.
Spending time with his wife and sons is David’s favorite activity. They love to go to the zoo, walk around Greenlake in Seattle, travel north to Whidbey Island to visit relatives, and spend time with their cat, George. You might find him at the driving range if he is not hanging with family.
Kris Stawinski, CRPC®, CEPA
Lead Advisor
Kris is eager to help clients create and prioritize their financial goals by guiding them through our holistic planning process and sharing our unique approach to asset management. She has a natural aptitude for client relationships and believes that helping every generation of a family is key to long-term financial planning.
Kris has over 20 years of experience working in wealth management, including private banking, which gives her valuable knowledge for the planning process. She is also a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) focusing on small business owners as they plan their exit and retirement.
She loves traveling, gardening, crafting, and painting. Her favorite pastime is hanging out with friends and family, especially her husband and two teenage boys, one special kitty, and two crazy dogs.
Nancy Congdon, CFP®, MBA
President
Nancy started her career in public accounting with Ernst & Young before founding Blue Water Wealth in 2007. Now with more than 30 years of Financial Advising experience, she leads her team in the quest to manifest peace and joy in the lives of our clients and the entire Blue Crew. She is immensely dedicated to her mission that she has a list of favorite action verbs: coach, develop, manifest, and grow.
Nancy is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and received her bachelor’s degree from Wright State University with a dual major in accounting and finance. She passed the CPA exam during her senior year of undergrad and graduated summa cum laude. She later went on to get an MBA from the University of Denver.
She spends her free time playing! Gardening, hiking, road tripping, camping, reading, traveling, and anything to do with water: whitewater kayaking, scuba diving, snorkeling, and anything else she can think of.
Rebecca Semper, CFP®, CTFA
Lead Advisor
Rebecca positively impacts client’s lives by helping them achieve their financial and personal goals through comprehensive financial planning. She begins this process by asking clients what money means to them. Her passion is working with individuals and their families, helping them navigate the complex world of finance.
She is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and a Certified Trust Financial Advisor (CTFA) with more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. Rebecca has a bachelor’s degree in finance law and an Executive Certificate in Financial Planning.
In her free time, Rebecca loves snow skiing, hiking, camping, golfing, gardening, reading, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
Sera Lawrentz
Associate Financial Advisor
Sera is a strategist and a systems thinker with a keen awareness of what makes people tick, which makes her invaluable to the clients she serves. Early in her career, she worked with environmental organizations such as Oceana, the Sierra Club, and the UN Open Working Group as an advocate for small family farms and oceanic marine life. Prior to joining Blue Water, she coached and advised business leaders and financial organizations on how to create consistent revenue streams and grow their businesses.
Sera holds a master’s in theology from the University of British Columbia, which has equipped her with the tools to continue asking deeper questions about life, finances, and her relationship with the earth. She looks forward to having those conversations with you.
In her free time, Sera enjoys sailing and golfing and is always up for a mountain excursion or a trip to the ocean. She is also obsessed with Italy and her pup Noah.