Associate Spotlight: Gerry Macbeth

Southwestern Investment Group is grateful for employees who grow with our company, as they contribute to shaping our future. Gerry Macbeth, Southwestern Investment Group’s Chief Financial Officer, is an excellent example of this, because she’s been with us from the very beginning—working for the Southwestern Family of Companies since 1988 and joining the Southwestern Investment Group team when we were founded in 2002. We are extremely proud to highlight Gerry’s career, showcasing what a wonderful asset she is to our company.

Gerry’s Background

A native of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Gerry has a 40-year background in accounting and now serves as Southwestern Investment Group’s Chief Financial Officer. However, despite her many years in this field, Gerry didn’t start her career thinking she would be an accountant. After graduating from the University of Georgia as an advertising major, her first job was a copywriter in a small advertising agency. While in that position, Gerry filled in as the agency’s bookkeeper after an unexpected departure. To her surprise, Gerry had an affinity for accounting.

Gerry’s first accounting job was as a cost accountant for a Chattanooga, Tennessee, company that manufactured logging tools and chain forgings. During her five years there, Gerry attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga to complete her accounting education and obtain her MBA.

How Gerry Came to Southwestern Investment Group

After relocating to the Nashville area due to her husband’s job change, Gerry went on to obtain her CMA (Certified Management Accountant) and CPA (Certified Public Accountant) certifications. She then went to work in 1988 for the Southwestern Family of Companies as the Senior Accountant for its school fundraising company.

Fast forward to 2002, the founding of Southwestern Investment Group, and Gerry was assigned accounting responsibility for the start-up, while still supporting Southwestern’s book division.  As the company grew, Gerry’s involvement grew, which eventually led to her becoming our full-time CFO and moving to the Franklin headquarters.

What Gerry Loves about Her Role

Gerry views our financial advisors and their support teams across Southwestern’s eleven offices as her “customers.” She has loved getting to be part of and celebrating their growth and success, both individually and company wide. Gerry considers it a privilege to be associated with such a professional and compassionate group of individuals.

Gerry’s Joys in Her Personal Life

Gerry lives in Murfreesboro, Tennessee with her husband of nearly 43 years, Glenn. She has also helped her husband over the past 25 years to start and grow his business, a real estate title company with offices in Murfreesboro and Manchester, Tennessee. Gerry and Glenn have two daughters: Erin, who lives outside of Boston with her husband Spencer and two young daughters (with a boy on the way this summer!) and Alison, who lives in Amsterdam in the Netherlands with her husband Dan.

In her spare time, Gerry enjoys traveling, particularly to spend time with their grandchildren in Massachusetts. She is always busy with various home improvement projects along with Glenn, most recently the restoration of a home built in the mid-1800s in Manchester.

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Jeffrey T. Dobyns

CFP®, CLU, CHFC

President, SageSpring 

Jeffrey T. Dobyns

President, SageSpring 

Beyond crunching numbers and investment strategies, at SageSpring, we’re about building relationships. When you encounter Founder & President of SageSpring, Jeff Dobyns, it’s easy to understand why this is at the very heart of who we are as a firm. You won’t find stuffy formalities with Jeff; instead, you can expect to find him sharing a warm smile, communicating a compelling vision, or patiently untangling life’s complex challenges with clients. He believes in truly getting to know clients, understanding their aspirations and priorities, and navigating their financial plans with a tailored, comprehensive approach. Our team members have often been caught taking notes on Jeff’s effortless relationship skills from a distance, and we admire them for striving to learn from one of the best. 

Jeff’s financial expertise and wisdom are the perfect match to his innate people skills. Jeff holds the prestigious CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM certification, Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®), and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChLU®) designations, and has held executive positions with financial planning firms for more than two decades. 

His dedication extends beyond the office to the boardroom and the local community, where Jeff is passionate about giving back. He serves as Chairman of the Board of Men of Valor, a prison ministry and mentoring program. Jeff also serves on the board of Send Musicians to Prison, which shares hope, healing and restoration with the imprisoned through musicians & artists. Jeff actively supports other initiatives in the community by sitting on the board of The Signatry of Middle Tennessee and the Halftime Institute of Nashville. 

Witnessing his four children, Gracyn, Hunter, Tanner, and Logan, excel on the field is almost just as rewarding, if not more, than celebrating the victories of seeing his clients overcome obstacles and build wealth. Spending weekends boating on the lake, hiking mountain trails, and fishing with his family are the moments Jeff cherishes most. It’s this grounded perspective that reveals the true meaning of wealth for Jeff: not just numbers on a page, but the freedom to create experiences that enrich your life and the lives of those you love. When you choose the Dobyns McMillin Wealth Team, you choose more than financial expertise. You choose a partner who champions your dreams, celebrates your victories, and walks besides you on the path to achieving your unique goals.

**Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER TM, CFP® (with plaque design) and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.