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About Us

Financial Expertise With Heart

Experienced professional fiduciaries dedicated to people, planet, and positive impacts.

Bruce Herbert, AIF® Photo
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Bruce Herbert, AIF®

Founder & Chief Executive | NSI

Bruce Herbert, AIF®

Founder & Chief Executive | NSI





Since 1986, when the roots of Newground first started to grow, Bruce has focused exclusively on SRI and ESG impact investing. Bruce began his career in 1984 with Merrill Lynch, training on Wall Street. But shortly after, he realized that whenever money moves it has an impact – and without tremendous forethought those impacts can be quite negative.  

He founded Newground to change this – to serve clients’ long-term financial needs while harnessing the power of business for good. 

Bruce grew up on a Virginia farm that’s known five generations of his family. Some of his strongest memories involve gatherings on the old stone porch as dusk deepened into night, where the family would sing songs, share stories, and recite poetry for hours – till only voices emerged through the dark to ignite his boyhood thoughts with their vivid imagery.  

From this sprang a love of history and a sense of caretaking – a dedication to tend and conserve all that’s good for both present use and future benefit. This informs Bruce’s thinking about what the true purpose of business should be – a servant, not to money itself but to people, nature, and the common good – and it led him to create the client-centric, future-focused firm that Newground is today.


Professional Experience ↓

Newground Social Investment

Seattle, WA – Founder, Chief Executive. 1994-present.

Registered Investment Advisor: Comprehensive, values-aligned money management and financial planning for individuals and institutions. 


Investor Voice

Seattle, WA – Founder, Chief Executive. 2008-present.

Shareholder engagement and analytic services for institutional investors, public funds, and others.


Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR)

New York, NY – Board of Governors. 1994-1998. Energy & Environment Steering Committee 1994-2001.

Developed Pulp & Paper Chlorine-Free Campaign, the Okefenokee Campaign, Pure Profit Initiative.


Northwest Coalition for Responsible Investment (NWCRI)

Seattle, WA – Co-founder, first Director. 1994-1998.

Management change strategies, dialogue & shareholder resolutions on corporate accountability issues.


Progressive Securities Financial Services

Portland, OR – Vice-President Managed Accounts. 1990-1994.

Founded & directed Washington operations, and led firm in transition from brokerage to fee-only orientation; Executive Committee; Investment Policy Committee.


Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith

Columbia, SC and Seattle, WA – Financial Consultant. 1984-1990.

Money management and financial planning for individual and institutional clients. In 1987 led firm in new business development (top 3% of Financial Consultants nationally).


Education & Recognitions ↓

Continuing Education (CE)

Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF) designation: annual educational requirements, 2003-present.

Powers of Leadership (POL) training: annual educational retreat, 2009-present.

The SRI Conference: annual 4-day event where many sessions qualify for Certified Financial Planner CE credit, 2000-present.


Center for Fiduciary Studies

Pennsylvania – Earned Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®) designation in October 2003.


Powers of Leadership (POL)

Whidbey Island, WA – Year-long leadership retreat cycle focused on Service and the Common Good, hosted by the Whidbey Institute. 2007-2008 cohort, 2008-2009 cohort, annual continuing education retreats. (POL was created by Sharon Parks and Larry Daloz, currently Senior Fellows of the Whidbey Institute, in collaboration with the work of Ronald Heifetz of Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government.)


Seattle's Top Wealth Managers

Seattle, WA – Independent consumer survey conducted by Seattle Magazine. Multiple years, five+.


Rising Star Award

SRI in the Rockies** – "For achievement in Socially Responsible Investing" 2004. ** Now The SRI Conference, the industry’s major annual convocation.


Landmark Education

Seattle, WA – Landmark Forum 2003; Advanced Course 2004; Self Expression and Leadership Program (SELP) 2004; Communication, Power to Create 2004; and Communication, Access to Power 2005.


Mayor's Small Business Award

Seattle, WA – Nominated for the City of Seattle's 17th Annual Mayor's Small Business Awards. 2000.


College for Financial Planning

Colorado – Completed Levels I, II, III (of VI) of Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation. 1989-1991 (designation not completed).


NASD / FINRA Accreditations

Passed qualifying exams for the Uniform Investment Advisor (Series 65); General Securities Principal (Series 24); General Securities Representative (Series 7); and Uniform Securities Agent (Series 63).


Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith

Princeton, NJ – Advanced Portfolio Management Institute. 1988.


University of South Carolina School of Law

Columbia, SC – Estate and Gift Tax Planning. 1987-1988.


Wharton School of Business**

Pennsylvania – Qualified Retirement Plans & Key Executive Arrangements. 1985-1986. ** Through the University of South Carolina Daniel School of Management.


Humanitarian Award from the Migration and Refugee Services Office of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Seattle, WA – "In gratitude [for]...selfless dedication in assisting and caring for refugees." 1985.


University of Dublin, Trinity College

Dublin, Ireland – Post-graduate non-degree studies in Philosophy and Environmental Law. 1980-1981. Played Field Hockey and Cricket; Trinity College Climbing Club, made 1st-ascents of rock climbing routes in Ireland and Spain (one ranked at the time among the ten most difficult routes globally).


University of South Carolina

Columbia, SC – Earned Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Biology, with Deans List Honors. 1978-1980.


College of William & Mary

Williamsburg, VA – Undergraduate studies in Anthropology, Philosophy and English. 1975-1977. Worked at Colonial Williamsburg's King's Arms Tavern to help fund education. Selected in freshman year for the Men's Soccer team, NCAA Division I.


Episcopal High School

Alexandria, VA – Four-year college prep boarding school. 1971-1975. High List; Two-time Gold Medal winner in Declaiming (reciting from memory); Lettered in Varsity Soccer & Varsity Track; Voted "Best Waiter" by student body.


Community & Volunteering ↓

The SRI Conference Scholarship

Boston, MA – Founding sponsor. 2014-present.

A program of the Intentional Endowments Network, we fund full scholarships to The SRI Conference for a diverse group of qualified students and young professionals, to help ensure that the culture, commitment, and competence of the pioneer SRI movement is sustained into the next generation.


Rule 14a-8 Investor Working Group

Washington, DC. 2016-present.

A national affiliation of institutional investors formed by the Council of Institutional Investors and the AFL-CIO, to provide an investor perspective on ways to improve the regulation of U.S. financial markets, specifically, to prevent evisceration of shareholder rights around filing ESG shareholder proposals. ESG = Environmental, Social & Governance issues or criteria.


Shareholder Rights Group

Amherst, MA – Founding Member. 2016-present.

A national association of investors formed to defend the right of shareowners to use shareholder engagement with public companies on ESG and sustainability issues.


The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment, US|SIF

Washington, DC – Member, 1989-present; Northwest Board Member, 1989-1993; DC lobbying partner, multiple years.

The leading voice advancing sustainable, responsible, and impact investing, whose mission is to rapidly shift investment practices toward sustainability and the generation of positive social and environmental outcomes.


Pacific Northwest Resilience Challenge

Seattle, WA – Planning Board. 2014-2017.

A three-year leadership initiative designed to accelerate building a culture of resilience in the NW region.


Whidbey Institute at Chinook

Whidbey Island, WA – Board Member, 2006-2013; Major donor, 2017-present.

The Institute nurtures the conditions for transformational learning, to grow the human capacity to respond generatively to the challenges of our time.


Washington Lawyers for Sustainability

Seattle, WA – Founding Advisory Board. 2010-2011.

The WLS mission is to facilitate lawyers using their skills and influence to promote sustainability.


GreenFestival

Speaker: Washington, DC GreenFestival, 2008; and Seattle GreenFestival, 2008 & 2009. Seattle Host Committee. 2007-2010.

A non-profit joint project of Co-Op America (now Green America) and Global Exchange. The GreenFestival celebrates what's working in communities, and for people, businesses, and the environment.


Institute for Children's Environmental Health

Whidbey Island, WA – Board Member, Executive Committee. 2003-2009.

A nonprofit educational organization working to ensure a healthy, just, and sustainable future for all children.


Seattle Good Business Network**

Seattle, WA – Board Member, Treasurer 2003-2009. Advisory Board 2010-2012.

SGBN is dedicated to connecting, educating and promoting King County businesses that build long-term economic viability through local ownership, economic justice, cultural diversity, and environmental stewardship. ** formerly BALLE/Seattle


Sierra Club

San Francisco, CA – Corporate Accountability Committee. 2004-2009.

The CAC facilitates the Club's national response to corporate accountability in relation to the environment, communities, and public health.


Worldchanging.com

Seattle, WA – Seattle blogger team. 2007-2009.


Seattle Greendrinks

Seattle, WA – Founding Advisory Board. 2006-2007.

Building a powerful web across Seattle's environmental community.


Alliance to Defend the Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA)

Washington, DC – Founding member, Steering Committee. 2003-2009.


Network for Business Innovation & Sustainability

Albers School of Business and Economics, Seattle University, Seattle, WA – Founding Board Member. 2003-2008.

NBIS is dedicated to helping businesses and organizations discover and implement sustainable practices that increase revenues, enhance reputation, and reduce risk.


Bainbridge Graduate Institute**

Bainbridge Island, WA – Friends of BGI. 2005-2007.

BGI's pioneering MBA and Certificate programs prepare diverse leaders to build enterprises that are economically successful, socially responsible, and environmentally sustainable. ** then Pinchot University, now Presidio Graduate School.


Freedom From Fear Campaign

Seattle, WA – Founding Organizer. 2007-2008.

The Campaign highlighted and sought to turn back the loss of constitutional rights and civil liberties occurring in the United States from 2001-2008.


Environment2004

Washington, DC – Originator, and Seattle Host Committee of Columbia Tower Club fundraising gala for the 2004 John Kerry presidential bid.


Americans for a Fair Estate Tax

Boston, MA – Lobbying in Washington, DC to preserve the estate tax. March 2004.

Delegation led by Bill Gates, Sr. and Paul Volcker (respectively: Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, former Chairman of the Federal Reserve).


Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE)

Seattle, WA – Leadership Council, Treasurer. 2003-2010.


Seattle Thunder

Seattle, WA – Steering Committee, 2003-2008.

Presenter with Tom Hayden at 2002 Rolling Thunder event.


Conversation Cafés

Seattle, WA – Host, Organizing participant. 2002-2007.


Washington Council on International Trade

Seattle, WA – Member, Corporate Social Responsibility Roundtable, 2002-2003.


Your Money or Your Life

By Vicki Robin & Joe Dominguez (founders of The New Roadmap Foundation). Seattle, WA – Invited by author to re-write Chapter 9 (the investment chapter) of this celebrated and best-selling work. 2001.


Museum of Flight

Seattle, WA – Head of Public Programs, 2002; Development Committee, 2001-2003.


Pike Place Market Historical Commission

Seattle, WA – Commissioner (Mayoral appointment) 2000-2006; Executive Committee, 2001-2003.


Social Justice Fund Northwest**

Seattle, WA – Endowment Committee, 1991-1992; Finance Committee, 2000-2009. ** formerly A Territory Resource Foundation (ATR)


Civil Air Patrol

Seattle, WA – Air search & rescue Observer, and Mission Pilot trainee. 1999-2001.


United for a Fair Economy

Boston, MA – Trainer on economic justice issues leading up to the WTO. 1998-2000.


Irish Parades Emergency Committee

New York, NY – Human Rights Observer in Northern Ireland. Summer 1998, the year the Good Friday Peace Accord was signed.


Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR)

New York, NY – Board of Governors. 1994-1998. Energy & Environment Steering Committee 1994-2001.

Developed Pulp & Paper Chlorine-Free Campaign, the Okefenokee Campaign, and the Pure Profit Initiative.


Seattle Public Theater

Seattle, WA – Board Member. 1992-1995.


Cascadia Quest

Seattle, WA – Co-Founder, Board Secretary. 1992-1994.


Edward E. Carlson Leadership & Public Service Center

University of Washington, Seattle, WA – Co-Founder. 1992-1994.


Sustainable Seattle

Seattle, WA – Trustee. 1991-1995.


Northwest AIDS Foundation

Seattle, WA – Volunteer. 1991-1994.


Cascadia Revolving Fund

Seattle, WA – Investor Services Committee. 1991-1993.


St. Mark's Cathedral, Ecology/Spirituality Group**

Seattle, WA – Steering Committee. 1989-1993. ** later evolved into the organization Earth Ministry.


Migration & Refugee Services

Seattle, WA – Teacher, English as a Second Language (ESL). 1983-1984.


University of Puget Sound Pacific Rim Program

Tacoma, WA – Cultural & Academic Studies in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, Pakistan. 1982-1983.


Washington Environmental Council

Seattle, WA – Volunteer Writer. 1981-1983.


Sue Chesney, MSFP, CFP® Photo
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Sue Chesney, MSFP, CFP®

Director of Financial Planning | DP

Sue Chesney, MSFP, CFP®

Founder & Principal | Delegated Planning






Sue Chesney, MSFP, CFP® founded Delegated Planning, a strategic partner of Newground Social Investment.  Sue has built a sizable team of financial planning experts, who together have completed many thousands of financial plans over the past decade.  They have worked with clients ranging from $250,000 to $50 million in net worth, and they approach and analyze questions from many different perspectives – examining challenging issues and troubleshooting possible solutions to address client concerns.

Sue's team does more than crunch numbers.  They focus on understanding the most pressing issues, working through various strategies to tackle them, and clearly communicating the necessary actions.  At the end of the day, the ability to identify, act on, and implement important recommendations is at the heart of financial planning. 

Sue graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce, then went on to earn a master’s degree in Personal Financial Planning from the College for Financial Planning.  She earned the CFP designation more than a decade ago, and continues to expand her planning knowledge through memberships, conferences, reading, and by leading the Delegated Planning team through regular discussions of the most complex and interesting cases. 

Outside of work, Sue loves the outdoors and hiking/biking, snowboarding/snowshoeing, or just enjoying a book on the porch.


Delegated Planning is a strategic partner that supports Newground clients & operations. 

Nancy Miller Herbert Photo
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Nancy Miller Herbert

Director of Operations | NSI

Nancy Miller Herbert

Director of Operations | NSI






Nancy joined Newground in 2006, after many years in the field of Women’s Reproductive Health and Family Practice where she learned the importance of social justice and activism, confidentiality, and how to manage the regulatory and client-related duties of a healthcare practice. 

Her responsibilities at Newground include: all aspects of client service & on-boarding, office management, and assistance with marketing & outreach. 

Nancy grew up on Whidbey Island and Japan, and is bi-lingual. Her favorite quote is: 

We are in for a very, very long haul. I am asking for everything you have to give. We will never give up. You will lose your youth, your sleep, your patience, your sense of humor and occasionally – the understanding & support of people that you love very much. In return, I have nothing to offer you but your pride in being a woman, and all your dreams you've ever had for your daughters, and nieces, and granddaughters, your future, and the certain knowledge that at the end of your days you will be able to look back and say that once in your life you gave everything you had for Justice.

– Jill Ruckelshaus

National Women's Political Caucus 1977 California Convention



Maggie Klokkenga, CFP®, CPA Photo
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Maggie Klokkenga, CFP®, CPA

Lead Planner | DP

Maggie Klokkenga, CFP®, CPA

Lead Planner | Delegated Planning






Maggie Klokkenga, CPA, CFP® is a lead planner with Delegated Planning, a strategic partner of Newground Social Investment.  

From Maggie: I’m always wearing my tax hat. (When Oprah gave away the cars “YOU get a car, and YOU get a car!” my immediate thought was, “YOU get taxed, and YOU get taxed!”). I have those thoughts first because my first 15 years in the financial industry was spent in audit and then taxes, primarily working with high net-worth individuals, trusts, and family limited partnerships.

I left public accounting and moved to a large RIA because I wanted to help individuals with more than just tax planning. Being able to provide comprehensive financial planning gave me the opportunity to do just that.

I really enjoy preparing a comprehensive financial plan. There is so much information that you can gather from a client’s financial documents. Similar to an individual tax return, the details in a client’s financial documents tell a fascinating story about the client. Another reason I enjoy preparing financial plans is that the data doesn’t lie. Clients may not know their numbers, and advisors can provide insight to their clients through the financial plan.  

I also like to consider what is truly important to the client: why do they have the goals that they do. I have found in my experience that when clients can articulate what is truly important to them, they lean forward on actions they can take to reach those goals.

Any other interesting things to know about you?

My husband and I are parents to three boys, whose ages are within 2 years, 5 days of each other. No twins. My bookends are adopted and are brothers who we each got as newborns. There is never a dull moment in our house! 

I moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting and got there the day before 9/11. I had decided to move there after performing improv comedy at night (public accounting during the day) and thought, “What if…?” So, I sold my house in St. Louis on my own and moved with only what I could fit in my car. After about a year and a half, I came to the conclusion that I’d rather just be myself all of the time and moved back to the Midwest.


Delegated Planning is a strategic partner that supports Newground clients & operations. 

Scott Gill, MBA, IACCP® Photo
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Scott Gill, MBA, IACCP®

Founder & CEO | SRCS

Scott Gill, MBA, IACCP®

Founder & CEO | Synergy RIA Compliance Solutions





Scott Gill, MBA, IACCP® founded and is CEO of Synergy RIA Compliance Solutions, a strategic partner of Newground Social Investment.  Scott is an experienced compliance consultant with a strong background in both RIA and broker-dealer compliance.  He most recently served as Director of Compliance for XY Planning Network, where he pioneered the design and development of a suite of compliance services – as the firm experienced 8x growth from roughly 150 firms to over 1,200 firms in just 4 years.

Scott began his financial services career in 2006 as a Registered Representative with E*Trade Financial in Alpharetta, GA.  He has also worked with J.P. Morgan Private Banking in Chicago; with Wells Fargo Advisors in Chapel Hill, NC; and he served as Compliance Officer for Carolinas Investment Consulting in Charlotte, NC, a dually-registered RIA and Broker Dealer firm that managed approximately $1 billion in assets under management.  He is a graduate of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and formerly held FINRA Series 7, 63, 65, 24, 4, and 53 Licenses.

Scott lives in Charlotte, NC with his wife Meredith, their two sons Tyson and Jackson, and daughter Eva.  In his free time, Scott enjoys watching sports, exercising, and operating the charitable organization he created upon his father’s passing. 


Synergy RIA Compliance Solutions is a strategic partner that supports Newground clients & operations. 

Lois Mintzer  Photo
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Lois Mintzer

Client Service Associate | NSI

Lois Mintzer

Client Service Associate | NSI




With an academic background in sculpture, Japanese, and Experimental Media Studies –  paired with managerial experience and teaching martial arts – Lois brings both creative flair and humble tenacity to her work at Newground, where she specializes in client service and operational systems. 

Lois was an early employee at Beecher's Handmade Cheese where she opened and managed the busy SeaTac airport location, and her artisanal food experience also includes stints with PCC Community Markets and Stocked General, all of which amplified her skills in leadership, process management, customer service, and organizational procedure. 

In her free time Lois enjoys dog sitting, martial arts, the outdoors, and volunteering. 


Sarah Dietz, IACCP® Photo
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Sarah Dietz, IACCP®

Senior Compliance Consultant | SRCS

Sarah Dietz, IAACP®

Senior Compliance Consultant | Synergy RIA Compliance Solutions






Sarah Dietz, IACCP® of Synergy RIA Compliance Solutions, a strategic partner of Newground Social Investment, began her career more than a decade ago at Bridgewater Associates and, more recently, spent four years at Zuckerman Investment Group – a premier registered investment advisor in Chicago.  Sarah thrives on finding solutions while building repeatable and adaptable processes.  That, combined with a high attention to detail, fuels her talent as a compliance consultant.

Sarah is an Investment Adviser Certified Compliance Professional (IACCP) designee with a BA from Fairfield University in Connecticut.  She lives in Chicago and enjoys traveling, word puzzles, time with family, rooting for the Green Bay Packers, and doting on her two cats. 


Synergy RIA Compliance Solutions is a strategic partner that supports Newground clients & operations. 


Leif Utne Photo
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Leif Utne

Communications | for NSI

Leif Utne

Communications | for NSI




A longtime friend and admirer of Newground, Leif joined our team in 2018 to help more effectively share our story with the world. Leif is a master storyteller with over two decades of experience as a journalist and marketing professional. He manages all aspects of our marketing and communications strategy – from writing tweets, blog posts, and white papers, producing videos and podcasts, to PR and media outreach – in service of managing Newground's brand and reputation with clients, prospects, and industry colleagues.

Leif has led marketing and sales for a variety of software and media startups and spent eight years as online editor at Utne Reader magazine. By moonlight, Leif can be found playing music, rock climbing, facilitating conferences, or driving his son to soccer. He lives on Bainbridge Island, Washington. His super power: jazz flute.


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Mary Garrity

Executive Assistant | for NSI

Mary Garrity

Executive Assistant | for NSI




Mary’s experience encompasses 35 years of administrative and office assistance supporting C-level executives across various fields – wealth management, medicine, development & sales, and entrepreneurs. She works well in fast-paced environments, is intuitive, level-headed, detail-oriented, resourceful, and dependable – and a valuable member of the growing Newground Team!

Volunteer highlights:

  • Developed and facilitated a school-wide anti-bullying program which gained both media & community attention and corporate sponsorship from Target; led team of 50 event volunteers.

  • As PTA president, oversaw $60K annual budget and led 20 plus committee chairpersons and officers. Served as school community liaison to help successfully pass a $60M bond referendum.