Melissa Ballard joins the PYA Waltman Shareholder group

We are excited to share that Melissa Ballard has officially joined the PYA Waltman Shareholder group. Melissa came on board in 2008 to help launch our financial planning program, and over the last 15 years, she has transformed our team from base level financial planning to a powerhouse of professionals dedicated to making sure our clients’ money works for them, not the other way around.

Her leadership and vision have been instrumental in our success, and we’re thrilled to see her take on this new role.

Our team sat down with Melissa for a quick question and answer session.

Q1: Why did you decide to work in financial services?

When I was growing up, I observed friends whose families struggled financially. I saw the impact it had on my friends as individuals and their parents’ marriages. I was drawn to the industry for relational reasons—I wanted to support healthy families by empowering them to make wise financial decisions.

Q2: Did you have an impactful mentor or role model?

Growing up, we spent a lot of time with my mom’s best friend, Cathy (who was a single mom), and her son. We vacationed with them, ate dinner with them throughout the week, celebrated birthdays together, etc. Cathy talked openly about saving for a new car, supporting herself by making prudent spending decisions, planning for the future financially, etc. I admired her as an independent woman. Her voice would come back to my head when I faced financial decisions. I wanted to be financially like her when I “grew up.”

Q3: What is the most impactful and/or favorite part of your job?

Building deep, trusting relationships with our clients and helping them to have greater peace of mind around every piece of their finances is my favorite part of the job. Helping to coordinate different parts of their financial picture and collaborating with professionals is a large piece of that.

Q4: What is the hardest part of your job?

Helping clients navigate the behavioral and emotional sides of money is the hardest part of the work I do with our clients. Sometimes we know what we need to do or not do but cannot bring ourselves to do it. That touches every area of our lives, but I feel a great responsibility when a client is struggling to do/not do something that’s in their best financial interest.

In addition to her role at PYAW, Melissa is a wife, mother, Board Chair for Harmony Family Center and regular volunteer at her church. Please join us in congratulating Melissa!