Earl E. Newsome

CFP^®, CLU^®, ChFC^®, FLMI

Chartered Advisor for Senior Living^®

Retirement Income Certified Professional^®

Earl Newsome has been in the financial services industry since 1990.  Currently, he is an independent financial planner affiliated with NEXT Financial Group, Inc. in Houston, Texas.    A 1968 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Earl also holds a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from New Mexico State University.

Earl maintains a simple approach to financial services:  Always keep your options open, set up a regular savings plan and then spend the rest!

An avid tennis player and golfer, Earl devotes a lot of his spare time to Greyhound Pets of America, a non-profit organization which rescues greyhounds at the end of their racing careers and places them in homes around the Houston area.

During 1983, John Richard Hemenway began assisting seniors and their families to successfully

plan, implement and monitor their financial affairs in such a manner as to help increase their income,

reduce their taxes and protect their assets for generations to come.

After serving in the U.S. Air Force and graduating from the University of Texas with a B.S.C.E. with

Honors in Civil Engineering, John held various engineering and management positions in the oil

industry before beginning his financial services career in Washington D.C. in 1983. John is securities

licensed with a Series 7, 24, 26, 63 and 66 in 13 states.

One of John's passions is helping people. He is involved in several civic organizations and is a Past

President of the Heart of Texas Lions Club, the Northwest Austin Sertoma Club, and the Heart of

Texas Sertoma Club. He is especially interested in helping speech and hearing-impaired children

through the Sertoma Hearing Aid Recycling Program in conjunction with the University of Texas and

the Baylor University Audiology Departments. John enjoys community activities such as

the Sertoma Annual Kite Festival, rescuing dogs, and sponsoring college scholarships via several

service organizations.

• Born and raised in a military family, by the age of twenty-one Valerie had lived in almost a dozen different cities around the world.  She finally made it to Texas where, during the late seventies and eighties, Valerie established successful careers in international marketing for the recreational boating industry in Austin, and later, for the oil-and-steel industry out of Houston. Following the oil-industry slump, she began pursuing  her Master’s Degree in Architecture and began her second career as a licensed architect in the commercial and healthcare industries, including serving for ten years as a Facilities Project Manager for the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in the Texas Medical Center. 

Expanding upon her own experiences during the "Great Recession", Valerie began studying personal finances.  She went on to acquire her  license in life insurance, long term care, tax-deferred annuities, and Medicare-related products. and is now dedicating her time to helping others create their own secure and stable futures through her affiliation with Legacy Protection Assurance, LLC.

Ellis Regini began his financial career in 1986 becoming insurance licensed and then moving on to investments. His certifications include Series 6, Series 63, Series 7, Series 65, and Series 24. He has served as a Registered Principal and a Branch Manager from 1997 to 2020. With his cancer in remission, he has chosen to concentrate on the insurance side of the business. He enjoys monitoring in place products to ensure they are among the highest quality and most economical in the marketplace. 

Gary is a Texas native and is a well-known Investment Adviser Representative and has conducted numerous educational and light-hearted seminars for fraternal organizations, senior groups, church groups and public workshops in the Kingwood/Houston area for over 20 years. He is a Division Manager/OSJ with NEXT Financial Group, Inc. based in Houston, Texas.

Gary specializes in income planning for his retirement clients.  He has been trained by the nationally known Phil Lubinski, CFP® in the implementation of The Income for Life Model®, which uses a time-segmentation investment strategy with the objective of providing an inflation-adjusted income for life. Gary has also had the benefit of being trained by the nationally known Ed Slott, CPA in retirement distribution planning with a high concentration on tax-efficiency and distribution strategies.

Gary conducts Savvy Social Security Planning for Boomers workshops which teach strategies for the best time to take your Social Security check.  He was trained in these techniques and strategies by Social Security expert Elaine Floyd, CFP®.  He also conducts classes specifically designed for women, Savvy Women Invest On Purpose®. This engaging seminar helps women reveal strengths to accomplish more with their money. In addition, he conducts Retirement Planning Today® classes at Kingwood College. These comprehensive six-hour classes are designed for pre-retirees and retired persons. The course outline includes Retirement Needs & Expenses, Retirement Roadblocks & Mistakes, Retirement Plan Distributions, Investments, Risk Management & Asset Protection and Estate Planning.

As a professional in estate planning strategies and financial services, Gary provides a comprehensive financial analysis and customized financial and retirement plans designed for the specific needs of each individual on a case by case basis.  He has made a strong commitment to provide each one of his clients with personal attention and the respect they deserve. Gary holds the Series 7, Series 63, Series 65, Series 24, Series 30, Series 31, and Series 51 licenses.

Long-time Kingwood residents Gary and Linda have been married for over 25 years. Linda spends her time gardening, reading, keeping the office organized and giving computer technical advice and guidance to the firm. They are the proud parents of six cats, and six children spread out from Seattle to New York City.

Kelly Lesnick has a diverse background that provides her with many perspectives and experiences. She has worked in all aspects of the restaurant business, retail, banking, dry cleaning, and healthcare. Kelly also served for 10 years in the United States Air Force as a Healthcare Administrator. In the Air Force and all over the globe, she served in medical logistics, group practice management, resource management, and managed care.  Today, she applies these experiences to help clients efficiently plan for life goals, manage their financial lives, and create strategies that foster lifelong prosperity.

Kelly lives in Boerne, TX with her husband and General Patton, their super cute American Pointer.  She is the American Financial Education Alliance (AFEA) Chapter President for the Boerne area and manages Lesnick Company’s Hill Country location along with company operations, analysis, and design of your desired financial outcomes. 

Connolly Financial Group, LLC is a financial services firm with over 22 years of experience. We have a tested and proven business model that we continuously refine with a fresh, new way of thinking. We are dedicated to helping you achieve financial independence by developing a comprehensive financial relationship and ensuring your retirement plans work in concert with all pieces of your financial strategy. At Connolly Financial Group, LLC, we empower you to safely navigate today's professional and retirement paths. We work with you to identify your financial goals and implement a strategy to achieve your retirement plans.

Thomas S. Allen, Certified Financial Fiduciary, BS, MSFS

Undergraduate and graduate degrees in accounting in finance. Worked in finance services for over 30 years. 

Former CPA (Missouri & Texas) with heavy experience with tax, audit, and management counseling for both large and small businesses. Fellow of the National Tax Institute. Certificate in Blockchain and Digital Assets (sm). Member of Digital Assets Council of Financial Professioinals. 

As a Financial Specialist, my current multi-state practice is mainly limited to financial and retirement services for retirees and individuals nearing retirement. Utilize extensive tax and financial background to increase retirement income during retirement and reduce federal and state taxes. 

Mitchell Rubin is CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and ACCREDITED ESTATE PLANNER™, founder of ProWealthOne, an independent financial planning firm, with offices in New York, Houston and Palm Beach.

Mitchell has been an industry leader since 1997. He is quoted and consulted often by nationally -recognized media outlets such as Business Week, Smart and Best Life. He has written numerous published articles, had guest appearances on top financial radio programs, and taught Retirement Planning and Employee Benefits at Florida Gulf Coast University.

Mitchell’s quality time away from his practice is spent with his family here in Katy where he resides, as well as his two grown sons. He is an active member of the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce and the Katy Area Economic Development Council. Leisure time is consumed by his love of sailing, skiing, running and playing tennis.