Our People
Central to Seizert Capital's success is our team of experienced investment and management professionals. We have worked together for many years and are dedicated to delivering high-quality service to our clients.
Investment Team
GERALD L. SEIZERT, CFA, CIC
Gerald "Gerry" Seizert has been Chief Executive Officer of Seizert Capital Partners since forming the company with Ed Eberle and Chuck Schmidt. He directs the equity disciplines of the firm and serves as portfolio manager for select client relationships.
Mr. Seizert’s investment career spanned 20 years prior to the founding of Seizert Capital. From April 1995 to December 1999 he served as a Managing Partner, Chief Investment Officer – Equities for Munder Capital Management. In the last year and a half of his tenure, he was Munder’s Co-Chief Executive Officer. Gerry was employed at Loomis, Sayles & Co. starting in 1984 as a Vice President and Portfolio Manager, and ultimately became Managing Partner of the Detroit office and member of the firm’s Board of Directors. From 1978 to 1984, Gerry was a Vice President and Portfolio Manager at Detroit’s First of America Bank.
A graduate of The University of Toledo with an MBA in finance, Gerry is proud to be both a Chartered Financial Analyst and Chartered Investment Counselor. He is also a member of the CFA Society of Detroit, as well as a director of the Advent/Claymore Funds. He focuses his charitable endeavors on education and healthcare.
EDWARD O. EBERLE, CFA
Edward "Ed" Eberle formed Seizert Capital Partners with Gerry Seizert and Chuck Schmidt in December 2000 and was named President one year later. Mr. Eberle coordinates our investment process and co-manages investment disciplines for the firm. He is a Portfolio Manager to institutional and high-net-worth clients.
Prior to Seizert, Ed was the Executive Vice President of Alternative Investments and Portfolio Manager for Valenti Capital. He was also President of Valenti Advisors and managed the Valenti Equinox Fund. Munder Capital Management employed Ed from 1995 through 1999 in various capacities, including Co-Manager of the Value Fund and Small-Cap Value Fund. From 1990 to 1995, he worked for Dart Energy Corporation and Westpointe Financial Corp., managing domestic and international equities and fixed-income securities.
Ed holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Michigan State University and is a Chartered Financial Analyst. He is also a member of the CFA Society of Detroit. Ed is Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Dart Energy Corporation and a member of the Finance Department Advisory Board of the Broad College of Business at Michigan State University.
CHARLES J. SCHMIDT
Charles "Chuck" Schmidt joined Gerry Seizert and Ed Eberle to form Seizert Capital Partners. He serves as the firm’s Chief Financial Officer and is a Portfolio Manager for private and institutional clients.
Prior to Seizert, Chuck was employed at Loomis, Sayles & Co. as Portfolio Manager and Co-Manager of its Investment Counsel Group. From 1988 until 1993, he served as a VP in Private Banking for Chicago’s venerable Continental Bank. Before Continental, Chuck worked for First of America Bank in their Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo offices.
He is a graduate of Lake Superior State University and earned an MBA from Western Michigan University. In October 2010 he was appointed Chairperson of the Lake Superior State University Foundation. In addition, Chuck is a member of the CFA Society of Detroit and a member of Vistage of Michigan.
DAVID J. COLLON
David Collon joined Seizert Capital Partners in October 2004 as a Portfolio Manager for private and institutional clients.
From May 2000 until joining Seizert Capital, Mr. Collon had been employed with Jay A. Fishman, Ltd. as a Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst. Between 1997 and 2000, David was a Vice President of Institutional Sales with Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co., an investment-banking firm in Washington, D.C.
David received his MBA from Wayne State University with a concentration in accounting, and a bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in finance from Lake Forest College. He currently serves as a Trustee and sits on the Investment Committee for CATCH, which is a children’s charity founded in 1987 by then-Detroit Tigers manager Sparky Anderson.
THOMAS P. KENNY, CFA
Thomas "Tom" Kenny joined Seizert Capital Partners in April 2011 as a Portfolio Manager and also supervises the client service and marketing efforts of Seizert Capital Partners’ Client Service Team.
Prior to joining Seizert, Tom was a Director, Senior Investment Manager and Senior Portfolio Manager for Munder Capital Management. While at Munder, he served as Co-Manager of several Munder Capital Management strategies in addition to serving as Director of Institutional and Taft-Hartley Investment Services. Prior to Munder, Tom held positions at Woodbridge Capital Management, where he served first as a Portfolio Analyst and then Portfolio Manager, and at Manufacturers Bank from 1989 to 1993 as a Senior Trust Analyst.
Tom received a B.S.-Cum Laude from the University of Detroit with an emphasis in economics, and received his MBA from the University of Detroit-Mercy. Tom is a Chartered Financial Analyst. He is a member of the CFA Society of Detroit and serves on the Finance Committee-Investment Committee for the Archdiocese of Detroit.
ANDREW M. JONES
Andrew "Andy" Jones joined Seizert Capital Partners, L.L.C. as an investment analyst in September 2009. He serves as an analyst that supports all investment products.
From August 2008 until joining Seizert Capital Partners, Mr. Jones had been employed with Wells Fargo Advisors as a financial advisor in East Lansing, MI. Mr. Jones also served as a financial analyst for GMAC Financial Services from April 2007 through August 2008 in Detroit, MI. Prior to joining GMAC, Mr. Jones was employed by Douglas C. Lane and Associates, Inc., a registered investment advisory firm, located in New York City for a period of three years.
Mr. Jones received a Bachelor of Arts degree with an emphasis in Economics from Bucknell University in 2004.
Client Service
THOMAS B. BENDER
Thomas "Tom" Bender joined Seizert Capital Partners as a partner in October 2001. He is a Portfolio Manager for private management clients and the Manager of the Glen Arbor, Michigan office.
After a successful 32-year career in investment banking, institutional sales and investment consulting, Mr. Bender took early retirement and moved with his wife to scenic Leelenau County in northwestern Michigan. But retirement didn’t suit him. In 1991, he joined the Financial & Investment Management Group. Then in late 1999, Tom merged his practice with Disciplined Growth Investors, a Minneapolis-based firm. He served as their Director of Private Management and Manager of the Glen Arbor office. He also served as a Director of The Munder Funds for six years, resigning that position to become a partner at Seizert in 2001.
Tom is a graduate of the University of Michigan with an MBA in finance. He served in the USAF as an officer and pilot in the Strategic Air Command. He is also a past President of Orchard Lake Country Club. He is currently a Director of the International Affairs Forum in Traverse City, as well as being active in the CFA Society of Detroit and the CFA Institute.
JOHN V. VAN GORDER
John V. Van Gorder is a Client Services Manager at Seizert Capital Partners. He joined Seizert in January 2008 to help service the firm’s Municipal and Taft-Hartley relationships.
Prior to joining Seizert, John spent the previous 34 years as a Birmingham, Michigan, police officer. John started as a patrol officer in 1973 and retired as Investigative Commander. He was appointed, then elected, to the Birmingham Retirement System as a Trustee as the police representative and served in that capacity from July 2007 to January 1999. He also served as Chairman of the Birmingham Retirement Board from July 2005 to July 2007.
John holds a Series 65 Registered Investment Advisor license.
CHRISTOPHER S. HEATLEY
Christopher S. Heatley joined Seizert Capital Partners in September 2009 as a Marketing and Client Services Manager.
Prior to joining Seizert, Chris was a police officer in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for more than 23 years, retiring as a Detective Lieutenant. He served for nine years as a Trustee on the City of Ann Arbor’s Pension Board, holding positions as both Chair of the Board and Chair of the Investment Committee.
In addition, Chris served for three years on the Executive Board for MAPERS (Michigan Association of Public Employee Retirement Systems) and the last year as Vice President. He holds a B.S. from Western Michigan University and an M.S. in liberal studies from Eastern Michigan University.
Operations/Compliance
GREGORY A. KOZLOWSKI
Gregory "Greg" Kozlowski joined Seizert Capital Partners in February 2001 as Director of Operations and was appointed the firm’s Chief Compliance Officer in January 2004. In April 2011, he was named the firm’s Chief Operating Officer. He is responsible for the daily operations of the firm, including systems and oversight of compliance and administrative personnel.
From June 1999 until joining Seizert, Greg had been employed with Steward Capital Management as a Portfolio Administrator and Research Analyst. He also served as an Analyst and Trader with Somerset Financial/Westpointe Capital Management for over five years.
Greg received a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing from Western Michigan University and an M.S. in finance from Walsh College with a concentration in International Finance. He is a member of the National Society of Compliance Professionals and also sits on the board of Common Ground, a nonprofit agency dedicated to helping youths, adults and families in crisis.
CHERYL A. KOTLARZ
Cheryl Kotlarz joined Seizert Capital Partners in April 2011 as the firm’s Chief Compliance Officer.
From May 1997 until she joined Seizert, Cheryl had been employed with Sigma Investment Counselors as Chief Compliance Officer and Fixed Income Manager. Between 1993 and 1997, Cheryl was the Compliance Manager and Head Trader for Zaske, Sarafa and Associates. She started her career with Acorn Asset Management as a Portfolio Administrator and Trader.
Cheryl earned her B.S. in finance from Oakland University. She is a member of the CFA Society of Detroit and the National Society of Compliance Professionals and Inforum.