Our Team

Candy Allen began her financial services career at E.F Hutton in the 1970s, after getting a Bachelor of Science degree from Colorado State University in Ft. Collins. Candy’s career was groundbreaking, being one of the few women in the brokerage industry at that time. Not only did Candy survive, but she also thrived.

Candy laughingly quotes Ria Mae Brown, when she says, “Good judgement comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgement.” With over 40 years working as a financial advisor, Candy has participated in good markets and bad, and has gained widespread experience in the variations and nuances of the financial markets. That has allowed her to provide insight and knowledge that others may not have.

Her life experiences come from her thirst for adventure, which has taken her to over 32 countries, including hiking in Nepal, adventuring down the Amazon River in a vegetable boat, traveling all over Europe, going on an African safari, and exploring China. Candy’s musical passion is biased toward jazz, which was fueled by her father, a professional jazz pianist, who was frequently on tour.

CA Insurance License: 0B80324 | Resident State: CO

Sharon’s mission is to provide clients with comprehensive financial advice and portfolio management – delivered with the highest level of professional integrity and personal service.
 
As a Financial Advisor, Sharon is dedicated to helping her clients reach their financial and income goals. She takes pride in understanding each of her clients' unique needs and develops a custom investment plan that incorporates the objectives of managing, preserving, and distributing assets over a lifetime. It is her priority to provide excellent service, straightforward personalized strategies, and financial education – always striving to build long-term relationships based on mutual trust and respect.

Sharon began her career in the financial services industry 25 years ago and joined a predecessor of Wells Fargo Advisors in 1996. Sharon earned her B.S. in International Affairs from the University of Colorado.  

In 2012, she earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification.  This certification identifies individuals who have met the rigorous experience and ethical requirements of the CFP® Board and have successfully completed coursework on financial topics in the following areas: general principles of financial strategies, insurance planning and risk management, employee benefits planning, and retirement and estate planning strategies. CFP® certificants also agree to meet ongoing continuing education requirements.

In 2021 Sharon earned her Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA®). A CDFA® professional is a financial professional skilled at analyzing data and providing expertise on the financial issues of divorce. The role of the CDFA® professional is to assist the client and their attorney to understand how the decisions he or she makes today will impact the client’s financial future.  CDFA® professionals also agree to meet ongoing continuing education requirements.

Sharon and her husband, Derick, reside in Lakewood, CO with their two children, Caleb, and Jordan. As Colorado natives they enjoy walking their dogs, camping, golfing, skiing and getting out for local dining and entertainment.

Sharon’s hobbies include baking, knitting and spending many hours reading books and listening to podcasts.

CA license 0I80205. Resident State CO.

Chris Parsons is a financial advisor and partner at Highlands Wealth Management and his passionate hobby of bicycle racing is an analogy that dovetails with his advice to clients. Just as a bicycle needs to be in motion, investing requires us to keep moving forward, through actions, decisions, and our own personal choices. The road is filled with obstacles and undulations, but with personalized guidance from someone with experience, it may be possible to smooth it out.

Chris has been in the world of finance since he started working as a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley in 1994. Since then, he’s had experience with good and bad market cycles. That experience has led him to work with many different clients and to understand their priorities and preferences, while aiding them in managing, preserving, and distributing their assets over a lifetime.

Chris received a B.A. degree in Political Science from Whittier College and has coursework in financial planning from the University of Colorado. Chris continues taking classes to ensure he’s current on the latest developments in Estate Planning Strategies, Long-Term Care, retirement planning, and insurance.  Chris’s philosophy in bike riding is: “You don’t stop riding when you get old. You get old when you stop riding.” He feels the same about learning.

In college, Chris played 4 years of varsity soccer and lacrosse and now he races bicycles competitively, having won 5 Colorado State Championships. In each of these sports, the team works toward a common goal of winning. Chris puts that wisdom and experience into his relationship with clients. Working together with his clients leads to success in much the same way it does in sports.

As you can imagine, the bike Chris races doesn’t have a basket on the front, but in working with clients, he puts them out front, where he can focus on them, their needs, risk tolerance, goals and visions. Setting a course forward, he knows he must listen to them, understand their needs, and serve them well over the long term.

Wishing you clear skies and a smooth ride!

Bob Woodward developed his communication skills in his former career as an Engineering Manager and Quality Assurance Manager with United Technologies Corporation. During that time, he gave presentations to executives at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on a new spacecraft design and also had to explain to the U.S. Air Force why their rocket blew up and, as a result, their spy satellite didn’t get into orbit. With those jobs, Bob had plenty of experience writing technical reports, produced lots of assembly procedures for rocket parts, and wrote proposals vying for funding for new projects. Now, he puts that creativity to work generating client birthday cards and supporting Candy in her client communications.

Always seeking adventure on his vacations from the rocket business, Bob flew to the country of Nepal to join engineers for a two-week trek through the Himalayas. Although he passed up a chance to see an ancient “Bigfoot” skull, he did sit in front of a warm fire, drinking glasses of the equivalent of Nepali tequila, with his future bride…yes, Candy!

Derick Starkey began his career in telecommunications, working in the underground and aerial field. He was involved in installing cable TV infrastructure to several of Colorado’s newest real estate developments in the 1990’s. Later, he moved into business telecommunications, engineering business telephone systems and telecommunications infrastructure. In 2011 Derick became a telecommunications manager, managing telecommunications systems and infrastructure for several government agencies.

Derick joined the Starkey Financial Group of Wells Fargo Advisors in 2021 before transitioning to Highlands Wealth Management of Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network in 2024. He is using his project management and customer service experience to support the team in business management, marketing, and day to day functions. He especially enjoys working with people and developing lasting relationships.

Derick is a Colorado native and enjoys playing softball and spending time with his family, camping, fishing, hunting, skiing, golfing, and traveling. He is also a member of The Rocky Mountain Bonsai society and shows some of his trees during the annual Bonsai show at the Denver Botanical Gardens

Matthew Eshack provides support and strategy as a Registered Client Associate at Highlands Wealth Management Group. With over a decade of experience in the finance industry, his expertise lies in providing exceptional support to clients, helping to ensure their financial needs are met with precision and care. Throughout his career, he has developed strong relationships with clients and colleagues, facilitating effective communication and streamlined processes. Matt is committed to continuous learning and growth, staying updated with financial trends and regulations; his current licenses include the Series 7 and 66 securities registrations along with licenses in life insurance and variable annuities. Integrity and the development of significant client relationships stand at the forefront of Matt's experience, ensuring every client encounter is marked by value and professionalism.

Residing in Denver, Colorado, with his two German shepherds, Matthew embraces the balance of a committed work ethic and an active outdoor lifestyle.