Meet Our Team

Our team at DeNovo Advisory Group is comprised of genuinely gifted individuals.

Managing Director, Founder

David Means, Jr., CLU, AIF

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David graduated early with honors from Austin College with a double major in Economics and Business Finance while captaining both the football and baseball teams. He was “the voice of the Roos” color commentating AC’s football games for many years and was inducted into the Austin College Hall of Honor for his various achievements. David holds his FINRA Series 7, Series 66, Series 24, state insurance licenses, as well as the CLU and AIF designations. He has also obtained post graduate degrees to further his education in financial services from the Wharton School of Business, American College and Cannon Financial Institute.

With the success that the DeNovo Advisory Group has experienced, David gets the opportunity to speak nationally to industry professionals regarding sophisticated risk and tax management strategies. Much of his time is spent understanding the financial landscape and helping businesses and individuals navigate how to best position themselves. He is committed to deepening his understanding of the industry through memberships in Forum 400, Top of the Table, EARC, FINSECA, and the Dallas Estate Planning Council.

David currently resides in Allen, TX with his wife Mallory and their two children, Maren and MacArthur. In their free time, they enjoy spending time with family and friends, traveling, taking spontaneous outings, and can often be found hanging out at their place on Lake Texoma. David is an avid supporter of all DFW sports teams and Manchester United.

AR Insurance License #13209827
CA Insurance License #0N12547

Director of Operations & LTC Planning

Steven Pirtle

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Steven graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Agri-business from Texas A&M University in College Station and has a Master’s degree of Supply Chain Management from the University of Texas at Dallas Naveen Jindal School of Business. Steven holds his FINRA series 7, FINRA Series 66 registrations, Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®) and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®) designations as well as State Insurance licenses. Steven is also a Certified Cheese Professional with the American Cheese Society.

Steven is committed to building long-term relationships with his clients and professional advisors. He has a passion in coaching others to reach their potential both personally and professionally. He works as the team integrator to help promote and advance the growth of the DeNovo Advisory Group while focusing on disability and long-term care strategies for DeNovo’s clients.

Steven currently resides in Dallas with his wife Heather and their three sons. He enjoys traveling, reading, fly fishing and spending time with his family. Steven and Heather are founding members of Eastside Community Church in East Dallas where Steven serves as a deacon and Treasurer of the Board.

Arkansas license #17765530

Director of Corporate Retirement Planning

Austin Webb, AIF, CPFA

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Austin graduated with a degree in finance from Texas A&M University. He holds his FINRA series 7, 63, and 65 registrations, state insurance licenses, and has obtained the designations of Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF(r)) and Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA(r)).

Austin leads the Corporate Retirement Planning division at DeNovo. His passion to serve others is shown in each of DeNovo’s thousands of plan participants. His goal is to deliver talented and dedicated employees with retirement confidence within the qualified and non-qualified plan design.
Austin married his high school sweet heart, Britton, and they have three children together. Austin and his family are members of Restoration Church in Montgomery where they serve in the ReGeneration Ministry. In his free time, Austin loves exploring God's creation, golf, hunting, and fishing.

Director of Research and Analysis - Insurance

Kyle B. Lynch, CLU®

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Kyle graduated with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration degree in Finance from Sam Houston State University. Kyle holds his FINRA series 7, FINRA series 63, FINRA 65 registrations, Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU ®) designation as well as State Insurance licenses.

He began his career in finance in 2013 gaining experience in various parts of the insurance business. In 2016, he made partner with the DeNovo Advisory Group to help continue serving clients for the next 30+ years. Kyle spends his time understanding client situations then compiling data within their existing strategies to help offer guidance. He also councils the DeNovo team relating to industry products and their applicability to client situations. Kyle has the tools and resources needed to help you develop and implement a personalized financial strategy.

Outside of assisting his clients, Kyle spends the majority of his time with his wife to be, Sarah, and their two children Holden & Blake. Outside of a running a household, Kyle spends his time skydiving, working on his golf game, and keeping up with Formula One & the Dallas Stars.

Director of Planning & Investment Oversight

Richard D. Barton

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Ricky graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of North Texas and has a Master’s degree of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in strategic leadership from Southern Methodist University’s (SMU) Cox School of Business.

Ricky holds his FINRA series 7, FINRA Series 66 registrations, and State insurance licenses. Ricky has obtained the designation of Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®).

Ricky is absorbed with helping clients remain focused on the “whys” of what they plan to do. Through a comprehensive planning process Ricky provides wealth management and insurance planning strategies designed to guide clients to reaching their goals and dreams they have for their family or businesses.

Ricky married his high school sweetheart Erica, with whom he has a son and daughter, Lane and Brooklyn. In their free time Ricky and Erica love being outdoors and staying active. They enjoy wake surfing, CrossFit, and coaching their children’s sporting teams. Ricky and Erica are longstanding members of Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Tx.

Director of Research and Analysis - CRP

Cameron Michalski

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Cameron is a graduate of Texas A&M University. He holds his FINRA series 7, series 63, series 65 registrations, and state insurance licenses.

Cameron joined Equitable advisors in June of 2014 where he gained exposure to numerous aspects of the business. In 2018, Cameron began partnering with members of the team and was officially invited to join the DeNovo Advisory Group in April of 2020 as the Director of Research and Analysis for the CRP division. Alongside our CRP Director, Cameron provides the team with insight into the retirement plan design process as well as assistance with advanced business planning strategies.

Cameron married his better half, Emily, in September of 2019. In their free time they enjoy cooking and trying new restaurants, traveling with friends, and staying active around Houston.

Corporate Retirement Planning Specialist

Crockett Speer, CPFA

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Crockett graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Agri-Business from Texas Tech University. Crockett holds his FINRA series 7, FINRA Series 63, FINRA Series 66 registrations, and State insurance licenses.

Crockett joined Equitable advisors in June of 2018 where he gained valuable knowledge of the financial advising landscape working with individuals and businesses alike. Early on in his career, Crockett began partnering with members of the DeNovo team and was officially invited to join DeNovo Advisory Group in May of 2020. Since May of 2022 he has been working alongside our CRP Director as a Corporate Retirement Planning Specialist. He has built an extensive network with other industry leaders that work with business owners to increase DeNovo’s outreach and help their clients maximize their qualified and non-qualified plan design.

Crockett has been living in Dallas for 6 years. In his free time, Crockett loves golfing, hunting, trying new restaurants, traveling to visit family and rating golf courses for Golfweek.

Director of Business Development

Jabulani Lovelace

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Jabu graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business from Rutgers University. While attending Rutgers, Jabu was also a Division 1, 4 time Bowl Champion and a “wildcat” quarterback for the Scarlet Knights. Jabu holds his FINRA series 7, Series 65 and Series 63 registrations along with multi-state insurance licenses.

Since entering the industry in 2010, Jabu brings energy and excitement when working with his clients and a sincere passion to help establish financial confidence with each client. Jabu is deeply interested in the story of his clients and creating strategies that enable their story to be told for generations. For companies, he enjoys designing comprehensive benefits that evolve with company.

Jabu married his college sweetheart, Annette. In their free time, they enjoy spending time with family, youth mentorship, playing wacky games that Annette always wins, and watching a good Netflix series.

California license #4115181

Operations Manager

Kayla Smiley

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Kayla graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from Dallas Baptist University in 2019. While Kayla was at DBU, she led her sorority as Vice President, had the privilege of serving DBU Athletics, and majored in Business Management while minoring in Finance. She holds her FINRA Series 7, FINRA Series 63, FINRA Series 65 registrations and State Insurance Licenses.

Kayla began her career in finance at Equitable Advisors in August of 2019, where she took on various roles, always looking to better herself and those around her. In May of 2022, Kayla was asked to come and partner with the DeNovo Advisory Group as the Operations Manager. She handles new client onboarding, takes on special projects, plans events and manages the day-to-day operations of the team. Kayla is passionate about utilizing operations to empower others to accomplish their goals.

Kayla currently lives in Plano with her dog, Benny. She spends her free time being active outdoors, traveling to see friends and family, taking indoor cycling classes, and listening to music. Kayla is a member of UpperRoom Church in Frisco where she is a leader in both the Young Adult and Youth ministries.

Ambassador of Business Development

Bobby Spradlin, PhD

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Bobby graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Management from Oklahoma State University (OSU). He also received a Masters and PhD in Operations Research and Statistics from OSU . He was a tenured professor in the Industrial Engineering and Systems School at The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) where he advised Masters and PhD students and taught graduate courses in control systems and statistics . He was a tenured professor at Southern Methodist University (SMU) In The Cox School of Business where he taught corporate finance for MBA Students and in the Executive MBA program.

He was co-organizer of a company that grew to 200 employees consulting with national law firms and Fortune 1000 companies in complex litigation and regulatory matters. His current interest is helping high net worth individuals add value in the transfer of wealth to family and charities.

For more than 60 years Bobby was a workout enthusiast better known as a gym rat. He and his wife of 57 years Stona have a daughter Sydney and a son Matthew. He and Stona have for many years been members of Dallas Bible Church.

Client Service Specialist

Laura Ramos

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Laura graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of North Texas in 2011. She worked in Education for 9 years before joining the DeNovo team in 2023 as the Client Service Specialist.

Laura supports the DeNovo team with day-to-day tasks. She runs the team’s calendars, assists with new client paperwork, and is available to assist clients with service-related inquiries. She enjoys getting to know clients and aims to ensure all clients have a positive experience.

Laura currently lives in Garland with her husband, Mark and her daughter, Nora. She enjoys spending time with family, exploring the outdoors, and traveling. Laura is a member of Watermark Church in Dallas, TX, where she has been attending for 6 years. She has served in several ministries including Frontlines and Equipped Disciple.

Client Service Specialist

Chris Kline

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Chris attended Western Kentucky University and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and Psychology. She has been in the insurance industry for over 30 years in various roles from Director of Field Underwriting to Relationship Manager.

Chris has many roles within the DeNovo Advisory Group. She manages the day to day operations, runs the team’s calendars, prepares and tracks new account paperwork, and provides client support. Chris enjoys building lasting relationships with clients while delivering an excellent client experience.

Chris and her husband, Richard, have 5 children, 8 grandchildren and 1 great grandson. Chris & Richard enjoy working out and spending time with family and friends. Chris & Richard are long time members of First Baptist Dallas where Chris has served in several ministries including Peacemakers and Celebrate Recovery.

After going through our process, our clients can be confident that there is no better strategy in the industry for their needs.

Securities offered through Equitable Advisors, LLC (NY, NY 212-314-4600), member FINRA/SIPC (Equitable Financial Advisors in MI & TN). Investment advisory products and services offered through Equitable Advisors, LLC, an SEC registered investment advisor. Annuity and insurance products offered through Equitable Network, LLC, which conducts business in CA as Equitable Network Insurance Agency of California, LLC, in UT as Equitable Network Insurance Agency of Utah, LLC, in PR as Equitable Network of Puerto Rico, Inc. Equitable Advisors and its affiliates do not provide tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax and legal advisors regarding your particular circumstances. Individuals may transact business, which includes offering products and services and/or responding to inquiries, only in state(s) in which they are properly registered and/or licensed. The information in this website is not investment or securities advice and does not constitute an offer. For more information about Equitable Advisors, LLC you may visit https://equitable.com/crs to review the firm’s Relationship Summary for Retail Investors and General Conflicts of Interest Disclosure.

DeNovo Advisors Group is not a registered investment advisor and is not owned or operated by Equitable Advisors or Equitable Network.

PPG: 148294 (Rev. 6/15/20) (Exp. 6/24)

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