Associated with Commonwealth Financial Network®, a Registered Investment Advisor and Broker/Dealer.
From Our Families to Yours
We are a partner in walking through your life with you.
We are committed to making a positive impact on your life. You can rely on us to effectively deliver sound and experienced guidance to help you pursue your most meaningful financial aspirations.
Meet Our Team
Jody Lease, AIF®
President and Financial Advisor
Jim Forsyth, CFP®
President and Financial Advisor
Michele Lynch
Office Manager, Freeland
Chelsea Bartalini
Office Manager, Mount Vernon
Jody Lease, AIF®
President and Financial Advisor
Jody offers individuals a range of specialized, comprehensive financial guidance to help meet their investment, retirement, estate planning, and wealth management needs. She provides an independently owned alternative to large, traditional brokerage firms.
Jody partners with Commonwealth Financial Network® as her broker/dealer, adding access to layers of experience on almost every financial situation. She works with clients who are local but can also accommodate relationships with clients anywhere in the United States. Client location is not important if a meaningful connection can be made. Believing in a team approach to meet clients' needs, Jody partners with professionals who can provide legal and tax advice for shared clients as well.
A lifelong resident of Washington, Jody enjoys being part of the small-town community that she grew up in. She graduated from Western Washington University, followed by various finance roles in the Seattle area. Jody's career as a financial advisor began in 2009 when she joined Susan Witten, her mother, in an investment advisory practice. By 2012, Jody had taken over ownership of that business.
Registrations and licenses
- Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®)
- FINRA Series 7 and 66 securities registrations
- Washington state insurance license
Jody lives in Burlington, Washington, along with her husband, Chris, and their son, Grady. The beauty of the people and this place make Skagit Valley a welcoming home for the Lease family. Jody is an active board member for the Burlington-Edison Alumni Foundation, assisting students to achieve their higher education goals. When not in the office, you will likely find Jody with her family, camping, cheering (too loudly!) at a sporting event, or spending time with friends.
Jim Forsyth, CFP®
President and Financial Advisor
Jim Forsyth started his financial career in 1997 working for a large financial services firm. Over time, he felt his clients would be better served by working independently. In 2008, he partnered with Commonwealth Financial Network®. This relationship enables clients access to a wide array of investment choices and Commonwealth's research team to complement their financial goals.
Jim has been a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner since 2003 and holds several other registrations and licenses.
Registrations and licenses
- Member of the Financial Planning Association
- FINRA registrations in 11 states
- FINRA Series 6, 7, 24, 63, and 66 securities registrations through Commonwealth Financial Network
- Life and health insurance licenses
Jim is a Northwest native and has lived in Oregon and Washington for all of his life. He graduated cum laude from Pacific Lutheran University with a BA in communications. He lives on Whidbey Island with his wife, Teresa, and has 2 daughters, Bailey and Parker. He is an avid golfer, loves to travel, and is a proud cheerleader for the women in his family.
Michele Lynch
Office Manager, Freeland
Michele joined our firm in January 2018, and we’re so glad she did!
Michele has extensive experience in accounting and social work, managing financial accounts for a nonprofit benefiting disabled children prior to her work with us. She received her BS in social work from Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota, and holds an MA from ATS in New York.
Michele is a Northwest native. She spent many years living on the East Coast and in Eastern Europe before meeting her New Yorker husband, Mark, and returning to Washington.
In 1998 Michele and Mark moved to Whidbey Island, where they raised three beautiful daughters. They enjoy the hiking trails, beaches, and coffee shops of Whidbey Island as well as cheering on the Gonzaga basketball team, where their youngest daughter attends.
Chelsea Bartalini
Office Manager, Mount Vernon
Chelsea joined Convergence Financial Partners as the Mount Vernon branch Office Manager in May of 2022.
Born and raised in Skagit county, Chelsea has explored every inch of this diverse and beautiful place. Now as a mom of three, she enjoys passing on the passion for the valley to her kids. Chelsea can most often be found taking her kids on horseback riding, hiking, and paddle boarding adventures as well as camping in some of Washington’s beautiful state parks. At her home in Sedro-Woolley she finds great joy in tending the family garden and chicken flock and curling up on the couch for a good movie or book with her husband, daughter, two sons, and of course the family dog.
Chelsea looks forward to her future at Convergence Financial Partners and meeting our clients with a friendly smile and warm greeting.
Our Extended Team
Our affiliation with Commonwealth Financial Network® offers us access to seasoned teams of research specialists and advanced planning professionals to help better serve your needs. Use the buttons below to learn more about our support teams.
