Who We Are

Acting upon his desire to give back to the community, Rick co-founded the Foundation of Friends of Allentown Schools to help foster the education, arts, and athletic programs of the Allentown School District. Rick was a regular contributor to the Eastern Pennsylvania Business Journal, has been featured in The Morning Call and has been a panelist on WAEB radio. 

Rick coaches wrestling and baseball in Coopersburg where he lives with his wife, Heather and their four children.

Gary D. Menzies, CFP^®, Managing Partner, entered the financial planning field in 1983. His goals were based on a strong desire to help people build and preserve their financial security. Shortly thereafter, he started his own financial planning practice, GM Financial Group. As President of the former company, Gary worked to ensure that it offered the highest level of advice and service to its clients.

Gary earned his Certified Financial Planner designation from the College for Financial Planning in Denver, Colorado. He is a member of the Financial Planning Association and has served on its local board of directors. In addition, he is a member of the Lehigh Valley Estate Planning Council and holds several licenses in the fields of securities and insurance.

Gary believes it is critical that people have a basic understanding of financial planning principles. His commitment to education is clear. For more than seven years he appeared as guest host on a television program designed to answer viewer call-in questions and discuss financial concepts. Gary has taught educational workshops for several universities, colleges and corporations and has also addressed his peers at various seminars and conventions.

Donald J. Plowman, MBA, CFP^® , Vice President, joined GM Financial Group in 1997 after a career in the United States Navy. He received an MBA in 1996 from Regent University. While with GM Financial Group, he completed the College for Financial Planning’s Certified Financial Planner Professional Education Program and earned the CFP^® designation. He has received asset allocation training from two of the industry’s leaders, Ibbotson Associates and the Investment Management Consultants Association. In 2001 he completed additional graduate studies in portfolio management at the American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and was awarded a graduate certificate in Financial Asset Management. In 2002 he passed the Level 2 exam of the Association for Investment Management and Research’s prestigious Chartered Financial Analyst program. While with the former GM Financial Group, Donald used his skills to analyze complex client issues and worked with Gary Menzies and other planners to craft appropriate client strategies. He also led the development of GM Financial Group’s asset allocation program and served as vice president of portfolio management.

Donald is an adjunct professor at Penn State University Lehigh Valley where he teaches Finance and Insurance courses. He is also a member of the Financial Planning Association and is a registered principal of, and offers investments through, Comprehensive Asset Management & Servicing, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC.

Gary S. Mayo, CFP^®, Wealth Advisor,  began his career in financial planning as a financial advisor with American Express Corporation in 1982 and joined GM Financial Group in 1992. Gary graduated from Kutztown University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics in 1972. He received his Certified Financial Planner designation from the College for Financial Planning in Denver, Colorado in 1994. In 1993, he earned the title of Associate Authorized Estate Plan Advisor with the Abts Institute for Estate Preservation. Gary also served as an associate registered investment advisor with the former GM Financial Group and subscribes to the Code of Ethics of the International Association for Financial Planning. He is a member of the Financial Planning Association and was a registered representative with the former Comprehensive Asset Management & Servicing, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC.