Our Team

At The Gorton Wealth Management Group, we are committed to working with you to help maximize your investments to meet your personal life goals. This means spending time with you, listening and preparing a detailed financial framework that outlines current strategies, and analyzing various options to construct an investment strategy that takes into account your objectives as well as your risk tolerance.

Michael E. Gorton |

Michael E. Gorton |

  • AWMA
  • Managing Director - Investment Officer
  • Senior PIM Portfolio Manager

CA Insurance Lic #0A30899. Resident State CA.

Responsibilities: Managing Director – Investments, Lead Portfolio Manager, Chair of Research Team

For over 40 years, Mike’s mission has been to provide the highest quality professional advice aimed at building and managing integrated wealth plans to help families create, build, and maintain wealth. Mike believes he knows how to set and reach goals and is dedicated to helping his clients meet their financial expectations. His extensive experience throughout major shifts in the markets enables him to develop investment plans, using our eMoney® planning software, adapting to their specific long-term goals and risk tolerance.

A graduate of U.C. Berkeley, Mike has crafted his investment philosophy around investing greats such as Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, and Sir John Templeton. He began his financial services career in 1981, and had 21 years of service at A.G. Edwards, a predecessor firm of Wells Fargo Advisors. Mike is a Senior PIM Portfolio Manager. As a PIM* manager, he builds and manages customized investment portfolios designed to help individuals, families and foundations achieve their specific investment goals. Mike is among a select few Wells Fargo Advisors’ Financial Advisors who are qualified to manage client portfolios both on a discretionary or non-discretionary basis. Continuing his professional development, Mike earned his Accredited Wealth Management Advisor professional certification from the College for Financial Planning in 2014 to better anticipate and understand complex investment and planning issues.

Mike is active in the community. He recently retired from 40 years of coaching and has served on a number of local boards. Currently, he is serving on the Marin Athletic Foundation Board. Mike and his wife, Sheryl, have been married for more than 40 years, reside in San Rafael, and have two adult children, Jonathan and Kelly, who humor Dad by joining him on his various adventures, whether it is mountain biking, high-mountain trekking or fly fishing in the wilds of Idaho and Montana.

 
*The PIM program is not designed for excessively traded or inactive accounts and is not appropriate for all investors. Please carefully review the advisory disclosure documents for a full description of our services. The minimum account size for this program is $50,000.

 
Brian Gallagher

Brian Gallagher

    • Senior Financial Advisor

    CA Insurance Lic #0M23723. Resident State CA.

    Responsibilities: Retirement and Cash Flow Planning, Investments Research and Analysis

    Brian began his career with Wells Fargo Advisors as a Financial Advisor in 2017, driven by the belief that everyone deserves honesty, integrity and a personalized roadmap. Brian takes pride in working closely with each client to understand their goals and create tailored strategies that align with their needs.

    Outside the office, Brian enjoys spending time with his family – Lauren & Betty – and exploring new destinations. As a former North American tour guide, he has visited 43 states and 31 countries. When not on the move, Brian can often be found golfing, woodworking, mountain biking or catching up with friends.

    Jonathan Gorton

    Jonathan Gorton

      • Financial Advisor

      CA Insurance Lic # 4275208. Resident State CA.

      Responsibilities: Retirement and Education Planning, Investment Research

      Jonathan has enjoyed serving families in Marin County for more than two decades, as a youth soccer coach, then as director of a local summer camp and after school program. In 2022 he joined the Gorton Wealth Management team, finding a new avenue to connect with families and bring value to their lives. He is excited to learn more about you, your aspirations, and to create a plan for achieving your financial goals now and into the future.

      He studied engineering at UC Irvine; but upon taking his first philosophy class he switched majors receiving a BA in philosophy, as he found a great passion in exploring human nature and our connection to each other. This love has been the foundation of his endeavors, helping him form relationships with the clients he serves.

      Jonathan enjoys the great outdoors and loves any excuse to be outside, backpacking, hiking, snowboarding, and biking. He has also taken up the practice of Jiu Jitsu. He is currently working on giving back to the community as a member of the San Rafael Harbor Rotary. He resides in Marin with his wife and son.

      Ross Gompertz

      Ross Gompertz

        • Financial Advisor

        CA Insurance Lic #4424092. Resident State CA

        Responsibilities: Retirement and Business Planning, Investments Research and Analysis

        Ross joined the team in 2024. Before that he spent the last 14 years as an engineer, contractor, and project manager in industrial and technology-focused construction. He worked his way up from mechanical field engineer to leadership roles first at Bechtel and then Tesla.  He brings a wealth of strategic and operational expertise from his management roles, where he oversaw manufacturing and infrastructure construction. He worked with international teams to deliver complex projects in multiple states across the US.

        In addition to his business management experience, Ross has been an active participant in our weekly investment research committee for the past six years. He is committed to working with clients to help them accomplish their financial goals through comprehensive planning.

        He lives in West Marin with his wife and two young children. He enjoys spending time on the coast and home improvement projects with his family.

        Emma Taylor |

        Emma Taylor |

        • MBA
        • Senior Registered Client Associate

        Responsibilities: Practice Management, Compliance and Estate Processing. 

        Emma has over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. She has worked for BZW Barclays Global Investors, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., and Chemical Bank in New York, San Francisco and London in a variety of roles including compliance, management, operations, trading and investments.

        She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Hawaii and her MBA from Harding University. She also holds a number of FINRA Securities Registrations.

        Originally from England, Emma now calls Marin County home and enjoys travel and adventure.

        Cori Valdez

        Cori Valdez

          • Client Associate

          Responsibilities: Operations and Client Support

          Cori joined the team in 2023. Prior to that, her career spanned many industries including tech, fashion, and real estate. She studied behavioral and social sciences at American River College before receiving her bachelor’s degree in marketing from San Francisco State University. She loves music, fashion, the outdoors, and all things vintage. Born and raised in Sonoma County, Cori takes any moment she can to appreciate the beautiful area of the world that she gets to call home. She loves to spend time with her son, going hiking, paddle boarding, and trips to Bodega Bay. On longer getaways, you can catch her at her family’s cabin in Tahoe doing much of the same.

          "Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not the fish they are after."

          - Henry David Thoreau

          collage-photos-page-8.jpg