Andy knows what it’s like to pull oneself up to make a better life. He isn’t afraid to say that his early life was tough. Growing up in a broken home gave him a deep commitment to helping others achieve financial stability. Andy put himself through college working construction. This led him to start his own construction business. After a few years though, he longed for something different and went into the investment industry. He learned the ropes, but his position didn’t allow him to do more than just fill orders. Andy wanted to help people and make a difference in their lives. Answering a classified ad brought him to Cooney Associates where he found what he was yearning for: working closely with clients to help them plan and fulfill their dreams. He loved it so much, he bought the business from his mentor.

Andy has deep experience in both corporate and government retirement plans, pension plans, and Social Security. He is Cooney’s investment and tax expert, meaning that Andy loves finding ways to save clients money through strategies that can help lower taxes. He also focuses on risk management through investments.

Outside the office, Andy is deeply committed to his wife and kids. He also enjoys a good book with his dog at his side.

Fun Fact Andy has a degree in Neurobiology and Anatomy. He and his wife rescue pit bulls.

Ideal Retirement Andy looks forward to a nomadic life with his wife, then finding an ideal spot to build a home with enough land to share with a motley crew of well-loved rescue dogs.

Heather believes there’s never a bad time to talk about wealth management. She has an obsession, tenacity and passion for what she does. Mainly, she wants to help people avoid mistakes. Heather thought she’d go to law school and then into the FBI. Then she found the thrill of investments, and learned the business at a large brokerage firm. While it was exciting, Heather felt unfulfilled. After the birth of her first child, she discovered Cooney Associates in 2004. Here, Heather found her super power of engaging and educating clients. In addition, Heather also drives the education and marketing components for Cooney. Her most recent accomplishment is establishing a chapter of the W Source™ for West Denver.

Heather’s passion is planning, education and risk mitigation. In her own words, she tries “to break the client’s plan to make sure it works under worst-case scenarios.” She loves working with young people and through her own experience with loss and understanding of a blended family, she is keenly aware of the need for multigenerational planning.

Outside of the office Heather dives into the usual Colorado sports, skiing, hiking and mountain biking. She and her husband have four kids, two by blood and two by love—and Cooney’s Mascot, Nala.

Fun Fact Heather is a Certified Latent Print Technician (fingerprint examiner) who is certified to work for local law enforcement agencies in the State of Colorado.

Ideal Retirement In the future, you’ll find Heather in a Colorado ski town, drinking coffee and reading in the bookstore she owns. She may consider hiring her husband as her barista.

Dean is on a constant quest to be a better person, father and advisor. His involvement in the Mankind Project leads him in how he approaches his clients. He says his real job is to manage clients’ greed, hope and fear. Dean started his career in the auto business, but that didn’t align with his vision of helping people. He moved to insurance, then became an advisor and joined Cooney in 2018. Dean’s philosophy is that money is energy that allows clients to do more in life.

Dean is a debt geek. He always looks to see how to put debt to work for clients. He says that debt is the one thing that clients can control, so use it to build wealth. He specializes in working with entrepreneurs and small businesses, helping people embrace their emotions which are tied to their wealth.

When Dean leaves the office, he focuses on his wife and two kids, a daughter in her 20s and a son in grade school. He loves the outdoors from the mountains to the sea, and believes “There’s no end to a boy’s imagination.”

Fun Fact Dean has been to five of the seven continents. Africa and Antarctica are on his list.

Ideal Retirement Dean looks forward to continuously trading mountains with beaches around the world where he can mountain bike, golf and explore.

Never has a title so under-described the importance of a person. Blythe is the Swiss Army Knife of Cooney Associates. She makes sure that everything gets done when it’s supposed to get done, and that it’s all done to high standards. Blythe interacts with clients, develops the Cooney newsletter, schedules, reschedules and ensures that meetings happen. Blythe also makes sure that every communication that leaves Cooney meets compliance standards. She says, “I get the office burdens out of the way so the advisors can focus on our clients.” Before coming to Cooney in 2021, Blythe worked in a medical device consultancy which prepped her for the rules, regulations, and privacy of the finance world.

Blythe grew up in a large family in San Diego. She loves her Mexican-Hispanic heritage and is a fluent Spanish speaker. Her grandparents instilled in her a love for the Padres (sorry, Rockies fans), and loves watching all sports—especially when accompanied by some wings. In 2021 she fulfilled her lifelong dream of moving to Colorado. At Cooney, Blythe says she “lucked out” finding a great place to work. She’s the stepmother of her husband’s two young sons, Junior and Rambo, and pet mom to Robin and Bagheera.

Fun Fact Blythe met her husband playing bar trivia and loves reminiscing on her trip to Cork, Ireland.

Ideal Retirement In the future, you’ll find Blythe splitting time between her hometown of San Diego and a Colorado retreat. If not in either place, she and her husband will be traveling the country selling cupcakes out of her food truck while hitting every national park in the U.S.

Nala is more than a mascot. When she’s in the office, she’s Cooney Associates’ official greeter, atmosphere brightener, and goose chaser. She keeps the atmosphere easygoing, because sometimes wealth management can be stressful. She’s always happy to have her butt scratched and will gladly cover your black pants with fur.

Fun Fact Will shake either paw for a treat.

Ideal Retirement Enjoying a good bone near a fireplace with her favorite human nearby.