Joel D. Martin CMFC
727-374-2990Joel Martin received his bachelor degree in Business Administration from the University of South Florida and has earned the Chartered Mutual Fund Counselor designation from the College of Financial Planning. Joel began his career in financial services in 1999 and has investment and insurance licenses including FINRA Series 24, 6, 7, 63, 66, and 79 along with Life, Health and Annuities.
Joel is the Registered Principal of Mangrove Financial Group. He founded the firm with the vision to serve clients by providing sound advice to help them protect and grow their assets in a holistic approach to financial planning. He continues today and has built a team of professionals to provide comprehensive wealth management solutions for our clients.
Joel and his wife Karen reside in St. Petersburg Florida with their three children; Hannah, Joel Jr. and Samuel. Joel is a member of Feather Sound Church. Joel currently coaches youth soccer and enjoys boating and spending time with his family.
Karen Martin
Karen Martin earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Florida.She began her career in financial services in 2000.Karen has over 14 years of experience managing teams of securities licensed professionals, building and marketing new product lines and managing key account relationships in the investment management and trusts and estate field. She currently holds FINRA Series 7, 63, and 26 licenses.
Karen officially joined Mangrove Financial Group in 2015. In her role as Financial Director and HR Manager, Karen is responsible for business administration and overseeing the accounting department.
Karen is happily married to Joel and resides in St. Petersburg Florida with their three children Hannah, Joel Jr. and Samuel. Karen attends Feather Sound Church. She treasures her roles as wife and mom. She can be found spending time with her best friend and husband Joel or shuttling her blessings around town to various sports and learning activities!
Susan Irving
Susan Irving earned her Business Administration degree from St. Petersburg College. She had a prosperous career with Equifax and the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce before joining Mangrove Financial Group in 2010 as the office manager and administrative assistant.
Susan enjoys her life in St. Petersburg by spending time with her friends and taking advantage of our beautiful beaches, wildlife and nature. She is a sports enthusiast and supports all of the local teams. She also enjoys dancing, music, theatre, reading, and volunteering for various non-profit organizations in the area.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth graduated from Keswick Christian School in St. Petersburg, Florida. She built her career in the financial industry for over 10 years at our broker-dealer home office, GA Repple, in Orlando. Elizabeth also worked at Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ) in Orlando before joining Mangrove Financial Group in 2023 as our Client Service Associate.
Elizabeth and her husband, Bill, live with their two dogs outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee. They are members of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, where Elizabeth is a Stephen’s Minister. They enjoy spending time with their families and creative writing projects.
Steven Prawl
Steven Prawl, Insurance Specialist and Financial Advisor, earned his Bachelor of Science degree from University of Nebraska at Omaha with a double major in Business Finance and Investment Science/Portfolio Management. He currently holds his Series 7 and 66 licenses as well as Life and Health Insurance. Steven specializes in educating and assisting clients with their health insurance and investment management needs.
Steven continues to study and train in the complicated and often misunderstood areas of Medicare and Affordable Care Act with the intent of providing his clients with the knowledge and guidance they need to make the best health insurance decision possible.
Steven has lived in Clearwater since 2006. He is active in his church fellowship and enjoys spending time with his friends and family. Steven spends his free time enjoying everything our beautiful Florida Gulf Coast has to offer.
Ed Warren
727-488-7558Ed Warren received his bachelor's degree from Northeast Louisiana University. After graduating college, Ed proudly served our country in the Army stationed in Egypt.
He began his career in financial services in 2007 and is currently fully licensed by the State of Florida to provide Health Insurance, Life Insurance and Annuities. Additionally, he holds FINRA series 6, 63, 26 and 65 licenses.
Ed and his wife, Jewels, live in St. Petersburg with their three sons James, Charles and Jacob. Ed is a member of Feather Sound Community Church. Ed serves in the children ministry and a community outreach program that helps rebuild and repair homes damaged in natural disasters.
Lisa Ann Scopel EA, MBA
727-374-2990Lisa Ann Scopel was born in Smithtown, NY and has lived in Florida since 1985. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Florida Metropolitan University, a division of Tampa College. Lisa earned her Masters of Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix, with a concentration in Accounting. Lisa is an Enrolled Agent and can represent clients before the IRS.
Lisa is currently a member in good standing of the National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP), the National Society of Accountants (NSA), and the National Society of Tax Professionals (NSTP.) Lisa is also a QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor.
Lisa, her husband and son reside in Lealman and are members of Christ Lutheran Church in St. Petersburg, where Lisa serves as Treasurer. She sits on the board of several not-for-profit organizations, including the Lealman and Asian Neighborhood Family Center and serves as a committee member for her son’s Boy Scout Troop. Lisa is a gold belt in Tae Kwon Do and enjoys spending time with her family.
Richard Bert
727-374-2990Richard received his bachelor degree in financial economics from St. Anselm College in Manchester NH.
He started his career in the financial services industry in 1995 with T Rowe Price bringing over 20 years of experience with him. Richard currently holds investment and insurances licenses including FINRA 7, 6, 63 along with Life, Health & Annuities.
Richard currently resides in Madeira Beach and is an avid boater & fisherman. He enjoys both recreational and tournament fishing, as well as, grilling the fresh catch of the day with friends and family!
Laura Ackely
Laura earned her A.A. degree from St. Petersburg College. After graduation, she moved to Texas and worked with Gospel for Asia as an administrative assistant in their Human Resources and Information Technology departments. While she was there, she also earned a second A.A. degree in ministry and service. Upon completion, Laura moved back to St. Petersburg and joined Mangrove Financial Group as an administrative assistant.
Laura enjoys spending time with her friends and family, serving locally and playing/coaching youth soccer.
Mike Sawa
Mike received his bachelor’s degree from Florida State University where he studied Business Administration, Hospitality and Professional Golf Management. He began his professional career in retail and spent over ten years in executive store leadership before entering the insurance industry in 2015.
He holds the 2-20 Property and Casualty license and the 2-15 Health and Life Insurance (Including Annuities and Variable Contracts) license. Mike works with our clients to explore their insurance needs and find the right coverage at the right price, ensuring the client understands the coverage and how it protects them.
Mike and his wife, Kate, live in St. Petersburg with their three children - Stone, Alexa and Sage.
