Kathleen Entwistle, a long time Ridgewood resident and a member of The Rotary Club of Ridgewood AM, is someone who knows what it takes to listen, learn and take action. Kathleen was a stay-at-home mom with an MBA, already active in the local library foundation and in her children’s sports teams, when she began teaching classes at her local YWCA to help women understand their finances. “I was so surprised to see how many women were attending,” she says, adding that many were experiencing major financial changes like career transitions or losing a spouse.
After class, Entwistle says her students would come to her with questions and complaints like, “I don’t understand my investments, will you explain this me?” and “my broker doesn’t speak to me, this is over my head.” This was her “aha" moment, she says, which led her to realize that there might be a larger need for her particular expertise.
So after 12 years at home, Kathleen earned all the necessary certifications and got hired at Morgan Stanley as a wealth advisor in 2001. She excelled in the training program, despite making half the salary of her peers. Women she knew from her YMCA classes and from her other volunteer work in the community, were some of her first clients as she began to build her business.
In 2004, Kathleen joined The Rotary Club of Ridgewood AM. At that time there were still only a small number of women members, however, Kathleen decided that she wanted to be part of The Rotary Club because she believed in what it stands for. She has been an active member ever since and her commitment to our mission of “Service over Self” continues to resonate with her to this day. Since 2004, The Rotary Club of Ridgewood AM has added many women members as well as Presidents including Sally Jones, Betty Wiest, Mar Ann Copp, Tammy Butler and our current President Lisa Sammataro.
Kathleen recently moved her investment advisory business from UBS back to Morgan Stanley where her career began. Her son Kevin who had recently joined her team, made the move with her. She is delighted to be able to include the next generation in an expanding and exciting industry. “I decided to join Morgan Stanley because they are positioned to offer sophisticated solutions to best serve our clients’ complex financial needs,” she said in a prepared statement about her Memorial Day weekend move.
Kathleen and her family are an important part of Ridgewood and our community and we are very grateful for her community involvement and outreach. Thanks again for listening, learning and taking action!!