Contact Us

Portland

One Monument Square
Suite 601
Portland, ME 04101

Portsmouth

18 Congress Street
Suite 209
Portsmouth, NH 03801

Our Team

Principals

Dan serves clients as a Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst. Prior to founding Vigilant, Dan was a Vice President in the Mergers & Strategic Advisory Group at Goldman, Sachs & Co in New York. He advised corporations on a broad range of financial and strategic transactions, including public equity and debt offerings, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and restructurings. Dan received an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and a BA in Economics from Boston College where he was Co-Captain of the golf team. He was appointed to the national Schwab Advisor Services Advisory Board in 2017. He also previously served as chair of the board of the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire. Dan lives in Stratham, NH with his wife, Amy, and their daughters, Madeline and Eiley.

Scott D. Sorensen, CFA^®

Scott serves clients as a Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst. He leads the firm’s Investment Policy Committee. Prior to founding Vigilant, Scott was a Vice President and Portfolio Manager at Fleet Investment Advisors where he managed investment portfolios for high net worth individuals, non profit organizations and institutional clients. Scott holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and is a member of the Boston Security Analysts Society and the CFA® Institute. He currently serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board of the Peter T. Paul College of Business & Economics at the University of New Hampshire. Scott earned a BS in Business Administration and Finance from the University of New Hampshire. Scott lives in Greenland, NH with his wife Terry, their son, Kyle, and daughter, Jinae.

Jeffrey F. Carlisle, JD

Jeff serves clients as a Wealth Advisor. Prior to founding Vigilant, Jeff was a Vice President of Fleet Private Clients Group, where he worked exclusively with high net worth clients. Previously, he was an attorney at Preti, Flaherty, Beliveau & Pachios in Portland, Maine. He is a graduate of Chase Manhattan Bank’s Management Training Program. Jeff is a former board member of the Maine Chapter of the March of Dimes and the Falmouth Little League. Jeff earned his J.D. from the University of Maine School of Law and an A.B. in English from Dartmouth College. He graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy. He lives in Falmouth, ME with his wife, Amy, and their daughters, Avery and Elliott.

Wealth Advisory Services

The Wealth Advisor is responsible for servicing our client families and engaging them in our comprehensive wealth-planning process. In serving our clients, the Wealth Advisor is responsible for establishing a relationship with our client families so that we understand what each family is trying to accomplish from a financial perspective. With this knowledge, the Wealth Advisor is better able to engage each family in extensive, holistic wealth planning, the primary purpose of which is to establish a context within which each client’s portfolio is managed. This typically includes interaction with our clients’ advisors, including their CPAs, corporate and estate-planning attorneys and insurance providers. Each client relationship is matched with a Wealth Advisor.

Lawrence A. Blaisdell, CFP^®

Managing Director & Wealth Advisor
207-619-9102
lblaisdell@vigilantcap.com

Larry serves clients as a Wealth Advisor and is the firm’s Chief Compliance Officer. Prior to joining Vigilant, Larry served as President and CEO and was a member of the Board of Directors of Acadia Trust, N.A., a subsidiary of Camden National Corporation. As CEO, he had overall strategic and operational responsibility for the firm’s investment management, trust, retirement plan and advisory services. He also directed the activities of the brokerage division of Camden National Bank. During his tenure at Acadia Trust, Larry managed portfolios for high net worth individuals, non-profits and endowments, and retirement plan accounts. Larry earned a B.S. in business administration from the University of Maine. He completed the College for Financial Planning professional education program and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner. Larry is a member of the University of Maine Business School Advisory Board, current member and past President of the Maine Estate Planning Council, former President of the Scarborough Boys Lacrosse Booster Club and previous 10-year board member of the YMCA of Southern Maine. Larry resides in Scarborough, ME with his wife, Brenda, and their children.

William F. Clifford, CFP^®, CExP™

Managing Director & Wealth Advisor
603-294-5349
wclifford@vigilantcap.com

Bill serves clients as a Wealth Advisor. Prior to joining Vigilant, Bill was a Vice President and Wealth Management Advisor at People’s United Bank, where he worked with high net worth individuals and families. Bill received his BA from Providence College. He completed the Florida State University Financial Planning Program and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner. In addition, Bill has earned the designation of a BEI Certified Exit Planner (CExP™). He is the former Chair of the Board of the Financial Planning Association of Northern New England, a member of the New Hampshire Estate Planning Council and serves in various capacities on non-profit boards in New Hampshire. Bill and his family live on the Seacoast of New Hampshire.

Christopher C. Penfield, CFP^®

Chris serves clients as a Wealth Advisor. Prior to joining Vigilant, Chris was a financial planner for a Boston firm where he worked with high net worth individuals. Chris received his BS in Economics & Finance from Bentley University, completed the Boston University Financial Planning Program and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™. Chris is the current President of the Financial Planning Association of Northern New England, is a member of the Kennebunk Rotary Club, and Treasurer for the Brick Store Museum in Kennebunk. In his free time he enjoys golfing and outdoor time with his family. Chris lives in Kennebunk, ME with his wife Amanda and daughter Parker.

Hope W. Martin, CFP^®

Managing Director & Wealth Advisor
603-294-5341
hmartin@vigilantcap.com

Hope serves clients as a Wealth Advisor. She started her career at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. working with high net worth clients, and was a Vice President at Banknorth Investment Management Group. More recently she worked at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where she focused on wealth planning.

Hope earned her MBA in Paris, France at Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chausées (ENPC) and an A.B. in English Literature at Dartmouth College. Hope completed the Boston University Financial Planning Program and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™. An avid skier and former lacrosse player, she has remained active in both sports, and has helped out with the Seacoast Lacrosse League in various capacities over the years. Hope is the President of Dartmouth Club of the Seacoast, a member of the Dartmouth Alumni Council, a past board member of Womenaid of Greater Portsmouth, and Co-Founder of Harbor Forum. She lives in Portsmouth with her husband Chip and their two children.

Izabela E. Hallett, CFP^®, CIMA^®

Director of Client Development
603-294-5358
ihallett@vigilantcap.com

Izzy is responsible for client development. Prior to joining Vigilant, Izzy was a Senior Regional Director at Chicago-based institutional investment firm, William Blair. She was working with registered investment advisory firms, trust departments of banks and financial advisors optimizing client portfolios, educating clients on market conditions and increasing client relationships. Izzy started her career at Cantor Fitzgerald in New York trading bank loans in their corporate bond division and later went on to work closely with financial advisors at asset management firms, Rorer Asset Management in Philadelphia and Roosevelt Investments in New York. Izzy received her BS in Finance and Marketing at Boston College where she also served as President of the Women’s Rugby Team. She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER and has her Certified Investment Management Analyst certification. She is also a member of the Investments & Wealth Institute. In her free time she is a member of the Direct Appeal Committee at Ambrose Elementary School and a coach of youth soccer. Izzy and her family enjoy hiking, kayaking, boating and skiing in the Belgrade Lakes region of Maine. She lives in Winchester, MA with her husband, Dave, children Danielle and Joey and dog, Moxie.

James H. O’Connor, CFP^®

James serves clients as a Wealth Advisor. Prior to joining Vigilant, James was Regional Sales Director for Columbia Threadneedle Investments, a global asset manager based in Boston, where he represented a diverse lineup of investments. Previously, James was Financial Advisor in Exeter, NH, where he helped families on the Seacoast achieve their financial goals. James received his BA from the University of New Hampshire, completed the College for Financial Planning education program and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^TM practitioner. In his free time, James enjoys skiing, golfing, cooking, and spending time with his family. James lives in Portsmouth, NH with his wife, Cara, and son, Tommy.

Stephanie A. Dunbar, FPQP^™

Wealth Advisory Associate
603-294-5359
sdunbar@vigilantcap.com

Stephanie serves our team as a Wealth Advisory Associate. Prior to joining Vigilant, Stephanie worked as a Trust Administrator at Perspecta Trust where she administered fiduciary accounts for ultra high-net-worth client families and served as a liaison between the firm’s operations, client service, and investment management teams. Stephanie earned her Bachelor of Science from the University of New Hampshire. She currently holds the FPQP™ designation through the College for Financial Planning®.In her free time, she enjoys reading, coaching youth tumbling classes, and volunteering in support of marine conservation.

Alex N. Pantalone, CFP^®, CSRIC™, ABFP℠

Associate Wealth Advisor
207-619-9112
apantalone@vigilantcap.com

Alex serves clients as an Associate Wealth Advisor. Prior to joining Vigilant, Alex was a financial planner for a Portland-based firm where he provided comprehensive wealth planning to individuals and families. He received his BS in Finance from the University of Southern Maine, completed the College for Financial Planning’s CFP Certification Professional Education Program, and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™. Alex holds the Chartered SRI Counselor™ (CSRIC™) designation and the Accredited Behavioral Finance Professional^SM (ABFP^SM) designation after completing the education, exam, and ethical requirements set by the College for Financial Planning. He is a CFP^® Professional member of the Financial Planning Association. Alex lives in Portland, Maine and enjoys skiing, golfing, and fly fishing.

Investment Management

The Portfolio Manager is responsible for two primary functions: portfolio management and investment research. In serving our client families, the Portfolio Manager is responsible for the design, implementation and active management of separately-managed investment portfolios, following the strategic guidance provided by the Firm’s Investment Policy Committee (IPC). Each Portfolio Manager serves as a member of the Firm’s IPC and may be an active contributor to the investment-research process; in that capacity, the Portfolio Manager is responsible for fundamental research and analysis of equity and credit securities within specific sectors of the financial markets. Each client relationship is matched with a Portfolio Manager.

Christopher H. Lyford, MBA, CFA^®

Managing Director & Portfolio Manager
207-619-9107
clyford@vigilantcap.com

Chris serves clients as a Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst. Prior to joining Vigilant, Chris was Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer at Acadia Trust, N.A. As Managing Director, Chris provided leadership to the company regarding investment management, client relationships, and business development. Concurrently as Chief Investment Officer, Chris led the company’s investment and research process, investment committee meetings, and portfolio management process. He also managed portfolios for high net worth individuals, trust accounts, and non-profit endowment funds. Chris earned his MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and a BA in Economics from Swarthmore College. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and is a member of the Maine Chapter of the CFA® Institute. An avid runner, Chris has completed twenty-seven marathons and three Ironman triathlons. He lives in Scarborough, ME with his wife, Cari, their two boys Noah and Caleb, and their daughter, Harper.

Jean L. Trim, MBA

Managing Director & Portfolio Manager
603-294-5346
jtrim@vigilantcap.com

Jean serves clients as a Portfolio Manager and she is a member of the firm’s Investment Policy Committee. Prior to joining Vigilant in 2011, Jean spent 18 years at U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management in Boston. For 11 of those years, Jean served clients as a Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager, working exclusively with high net worth individuals and families.

Jean sits on the Board of Directors of Newburyport Bank, Beth Israel Lahey Health – Anna Jacques Hospital as well as the Newburyport Art Association. Jean is also a member of the Town of West Newbury Investment Policy Committee. Jean earned her MBA from the McCallum Graduate School of Business at Bentley University and a BS in Finance with a minor in Political Science from Merrimack College. Jean lives in West Newbury, MA with her husband, Chris, their daughter, Sarah, and their sons, Austin and Robert.

Samuel H. Witherspoon, CFA^®

Research Analyst & Portfolio Manager
603-294-5350
switherspoon@vigilantcap.com

Sam serves clients as a Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst. Prior to joining Vigilant, Sam was an Investment Director at RS Investments. Sam holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and is a member of the CFA Society of Boston and the CFA Institute. Sam earned his BA in Economics from Colby College where he was captain of the Alpine Ski Team. Sam serves on the finance committee of the Seacoast Community School and volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters. He lives in Portsmouth, NH with his wife Margaret, daughter Charlotte, twins Hayes and Eleanor, and yellow lab Winston. Sam completed the Lake Placid Ironman and spends his free time enjoying the outdoors, skiing, hiking, surfing, and biking.

Michael J. Ohrnberger, CFA^®

Research Analyst & Portfolio Manager
603-294-5352
mohrnberger@vigilantcap.com

Mike serves clients as a Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst. Prior to joining Vigilant, Mike was a Vice President in the Asset Management Group of PNC and an equity research analyst with Bloomberg Intelligence. Mike holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and is a member of the CFA Society of Philadelphia and the CFA Institute. Mike earned his BA in Business from Franklin & Marshall College and was a captain of the men’s lacrosse team. He lives in Portsmouth, NH with his wife, Devi, and daughter, Reese.

Endri K. Trajani

Director of Fixed Income, Portfolio Manager
603-294-5360
etrajani@vigilantcap.com

Endri serves clients as a Fixed Income Portfolio Manager and a member of the Investment Policy Committee. Prior to joining Vigilant, Endri was a Senior Trader at Prosiris Capital where he managed U.S. and European corporate and sovereign credits. Previously, he was a Vice President at Goldman Sachs, where he was responsible for the strategy and management of a portfolio of fixed income assets. He is an affiliate member of the CFA Society Boston and the CFA Institute. Endri earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics, Mathematics, and Physics from Bates College. He lives in Portsmouth, NH with his wife, Allyson, their son, Nico and dog, Dingo.

Hannah L. Strickland, CFA^®

Hannah serves clients as a Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst. Prior to joining Vigilant, Hannah was a Portfolio Manager at Penobscot Financial Advisors in Portland where she handled portfolio management, equity research, and trading. Hannah holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and is a member of the CFA Society of Maine and the CFA Institute. Hannah earned a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from The George Washington University. She lives in Portsmouth and enjoys running, skiing, and playing golf in her free time.

John M. Evans

John serves clients as a Research Analyst and is a member of the firm’s Investment Policy Committee. John previously worked as an Investment Intern with Vigilant, and as a Research Intern with Prime, Buchholz & Associates, Inc. John earned a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the University of New Hampshire. During his time at U.N.H., John served as a Portfolio Manager with the Atkins Investment Group, an entirely student-managed equity and fixed income portfolio. John is a Level II candidate in the Chartered Financial Analyst® program.

Client Relationship Administration

The Client Relationship Associate is responsible for the myriad administrative tasks associated with our client relationships. The interaction between our clients and their Client Relationship Associate begins with the account opening paperwork and deepens from there. In the client-service role, the Client Relationship Associate is a key link to the custodian of client assets and orchestrates money movement activities on our clients’ behalf, as well as many other administrative tasks. Working directly with the client Wealth Advisor, the Client Relationship Associate plays an integral role in the wealth advisory process and the implementation of certain planning outcomes. Each client relationship is matched with a Client Relationship Associate.

Ann Aurilia, Certified Senior Advisor^®

Client Relationship Associate
207-619-9103
aaurilia@vigilantcap.com

As a member of our Wealth Advisory Team, Ann provides administrative and planning support to our client relationships, facilitating the ongoing support of each client’s unique needs. Prior to joining Vigilant, Ann was a U.S./Global Fixed Income Assistant-Research and Business Information Administrator at Lazard LLC in New York. As a U.S./Global Fixed Income Assistant, Ann supported both Global and U.S. Fixed Income Directors. Ann earned the Certified Senior Advisor® designation through the Society of Certified Senior Advisors®, and her BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Ramapo College of New Jersey.

Kelly E. Robidoux

Client Relationship Associate
603-294-5347
krobidoux@vigilantcap.com

As a member of our Wealth Advisory Team, Kelly provides administrative and planning support to our client relationships, facilitating the ongoing support of each client’s unique needs. Prior to joining Vigilant, Kelly was a Wealth Management Specialist at People’s United Bank where she worked with high net worth clients, non-profits, and retirement plans. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of New Hampshire and Personal Trust Diploma from the Center for Financial Training ™ & Education Alliance. Kelly enjoys traveling and attending live music events. She resides in Greenland, NH with her husband, Chuck, and their son, Rory.

Ann M. Mohammad, FPQP^™

Client Administration Leader
207-619-9110
amohammad@vigilantcap.com

As a member of our Wealth Advisory Team, Annie provides administrative and planning support to our client relationships, facilitating the ongoing support of each client’s unique needs. Prior to joining Vigilant, Annie was Senior Portfolio Administrator and Chief Compliance Officer at HeadInvest. She attended University of Southern Maine and earned her AS in Computer Information Systems from Casco Bay College. Annie holds the FPQP™ designation through the College for Financial Planning®. She earned the Series 65 Uniform Investment Adviser Law License in 2008 and the ABA Wealth Management & Trust Certificate through the Center for Financial Training™. She previously served 6 years as Treasurer of the South Portland Track & Cross Country Boosters. She is an avid runner and enjoys spending time with her family. Annie resides in South Portland with her husband Faiz and their two children Arman and Ariana.

Taylor V. James

Client Relationship Associate
207-619-9104
tjames@vigilantcap.com

As a member of our Wealth Advisory Team, Taylor provides administrative and planning support to our client relationships, facilitating the ongoing support of each client’s unique needs. Prior to joining Vigilant, Taylor was a Client Service Associate at First Republic Bank in their Private Wealth Management division in Boston. Taylor earned her Bachelor of Arts from Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA. In her free time she enjoys skiing, running, hiking and reading.

Laura E. Gracy

Client Relationship Associate
603-294-5342
lgracy@vigilantcap.com

As a member of our Wealth Advisory Team, Laura provides administrative and planning support to our client relationships, facilitating the ongoing support of each client’s unique needs. Prior to joining Vigilant, Laura was an Academic Advisor for undergraduate business students at Southern New Hampshire University. She earned her BS in Organizational Leadership from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Laura lives in Dover, NH and enjoys traveling, photography, and reading.

Rachel E. McKenna

Client Relationship Associate
603-294-5345
rmckenna@vigilantcap.com

As a member of our Wealth Advisory Team, Rachel provides administrative and planning support to our client relationships, facilitating the ongoing support of each client’s unique needs. Prior to joining Vigilant, Rachel was a Client Service Coordinator at Prime Buchholz LLC. She worked in close liaison with a variety of clients including hospitals, universities, community foundations, and high-net-worth individuals and families. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of New Hampshire in Durham, NH. In her free time Rachel enjoys cooking, travelling, and spending time with family and friends.

Operations

The operational function of the firm is broken down into three functional areas, Investment Operations, Information Technology and Business Operations.

Investment Operations

The Investment Operations Manager oversees the firm's portfolio accounting, trade order management and performance reporting systems.

Laurence M. Maher

Managing Director & Investment Operations Manager
207-619-9105
lmaher@vigilantcap.com

Larry is responsible for the firm’s investment operations. Prior to joining Vigilant, Larry was an Assistant Vice President at Citigroup’s Global Transaction Services office in Portland, ME. While at Citi, Larry worked in the middle-office, fund-services group. Prior to that, he held hedge fund accounting roles at BISYS Hedge Fund Services in Boston, MA and at International Fund Services in Dublin, Ireland. He earned a Bachelor of Business Studies from Dublin City University, Ireland. Larry is a member of the Portland Hurling Club and also enjoys playing soccer. Larry lives in Scarborough, ME with his wife, Elizabeth, and daughters Ciara, Ava and Saoirse.

Business Operations

The Operations Associate provides general office and internal facing support in the areas of business and investment operations, technology, compliance, and marketing.

Kristie L. Slindee

Kristie is the Operations Associate. She is responsible for the administrative tasks associated with both offices, and provides support in the areas of business and investment operations, technology, compliance and marketing. Prior to joining Vigilant, Kristie was a student at the University of Minnesota Duluth, from which she earned a B.B.A. in Finance and a B.A. in German Studies. Kristie lives in Portland, Maine and enjoys traveling, reading, and volunteering.