Elizabeth A. Thorley
MS, CFP® professional, CLU®, AIF®, AEP®
Founder & CEO
ethorley@thorleywm.com
View Elizabeth's Bio Video
Unlike many individuals, Elizabeth Thorley knew early on she was destined to become a financial advisor. Analytical by nature, she enjoyed digging into the details of every issue she faced to uncover the most effective solution. But even more meaningful was Elizabeth's resolve to put her analytical thinking to work for the benefit of others.
"I've always been intrigued by the idea of doing research and figuring out how best to guide individuals to help meet their financial goals," said Elizabeth. After graduating from the University of Denver with an economics degree, she took on the role of research assistant at the board of governors for the Federal Reserve in Washington, DC. She got to address important macroeconomic issues, but Elizabeth knew her passion was helping individuals and families reach their dreams. That's why she made the move to become a personal financial advisor in 1987, working for Ameriprise (formerly IDS/American Express Financial Services).
Elizabeth believes many human behavioral issues cause us to get distracted from our financial goals. "That's what motivates me. I use my skills to help clients overcome these obstacles and figure out how to piece together the parts of their puzzle, so they know what they should be doing to reach their goals," said Elizabeth.
Elizabeth has since founded Thorley Wealth Management, Inc., to offer clients the benefits of an independent and comprehensive approach to financial planning. This structure gives the Thorley team access to more options and strategies without the pressure to meet sales quotas. "We are committed to doing what is in our clients' best interests."
Elizabeth is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® Practitioner (CFP®), a Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®), an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®), and an Accredited Estate Planner® (AEP®). Elizabeth holds FINRA Series 6, 7, 63, and 65 securities registrations. In New York, she holds health and variable life insurance licenses and is certified in NYS Partnership Long-Term Care Insurance.
An active contributor to her community, Elizabeth serves as Board Chair of the Rochester Area Community Foundation, a member of the board at the Ronald McDonald House Charities, and she is on the Executive Committee of the Estate Planning Council of Rochester.
Elizabeth lives in Fairport, where she raised her two children, David and Vienna. In her free time, Elizabeth enjoys golfing, cooking, reading, and traveling. She is more than halfway toward reaching her goal of visiting every continent.
Elizabeth Marks,
ChFC®, CLU®, TPCP®
Associate Wealth Advisor
emarks@thorleywm.com
View Liz's Bio Video
As an Associate Wealth Advisor, Liz Marks is dedicated to helping clients achieve their financial goals, with a specific focus on Risk Management. She is passionate about working directly with clients to create tailored strategies that support their financial well-being and long-term success.
Liz’s journey in the financial planning industry began in an unexpected way. Although she initially pursued a business degree in college, her path was not clearly defined after graduation. Her career took shape when she joined a Financial Services firm as an Administrative Assistant, where she began working closely with financial advisors and their clients. Through this hands-on experience, Liz quickly discovered her aptitude for the industry, prompting her to pursue further education and certifications.
Liz currently holds her FINRA Series 6 and 63 securities registrations and over the years, she has continued to expand her credentials. She obtained her notary public license, as well as New York Health and Variable Life license. In addition, Liz achieved the prestigious Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®) and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®) designations.
Since joining Thorley Wealth Management, Liz has broadened her knowledge and skill set, enhancing her role within the firm. She is committed to ongoing learning and strives to deepen her expertise to help clients feel confident in their financial decisions and achieve their goals.
Outside of her professional life, Liz and her husband, Benjamin, enjoy spending time with their children Elanna, Lucas and Jordyn through family activities. They love camping and taking day trips around New York State, visiting historical landmarks and local attractions. A proud native of Buffalo, Liz is also a dedicated football fan and a loyal supporter of the Buffalo Bills. GO BILLS!
Leah Granger,
MBA, CFP,®AIF,®CSRIC®
Wealth Advisor
lgranger@thorleywm.com
When Leah Granger entered Simmons College in Boston, she fully intended to become a social worker in order to help and support others. Then, one semester, she took a personal finance course, and that changed her trajectory.
“I realized that, as a finance advisor, I could directly support others by helping them reach their financial goals and achieving the confidence that brings,” Leah said. “That set me on a slightly new path -- but with the same mission to help others, just in a different way.”
She began her career with the Commonwealth Financial Network in Boston where, among other responsibilities, she led a team that designed technology tools to be used by Commonwealth’s financial advisors. She also earned an MBA degree at Babson College and began acquiring her various financial accreditations.
In 2016, Leah returned to her hometown of Rochester, where she continued with Commonwealth before joining Oakwood Financial Services in 2019. In her years at Oakwood, as Wealth Adviser and Partner, Leah helped clients with tax planning and investment strategies. She also became a strong advocate for women investors, helping them maximize their opportunities to build and protect their wealth.
Leah and her family live in Fairport and enjoy spending many summer weekends in the Adirondacks. She also enjoys reading, relaxing with friends and family, and watching her son Landon play lacrosse.
Susan Jung, ACS
Client Service Associate
sjung@thorleywm.com
Drawing on nearly 25 years of experience in building meaningful relationships and providing exceptional client service, Susan finds it easy to define her goals as a Client Service Associate at Thorley Wealth Management.
“I want to be a person clients trust,” she said, “someone they look upon as a resource and someone who can answer their questions. I try to achieve that by building excellent personal relationships as I handle day-to-day matters, assist clients with their accounts, and make sure I’m available to them.”
Susan attributes much of her ability to craft relationships to her background in sports and a passion for helping others. Raised in a sports-loving family, she became a Certified Athletic Trainer after earning a Bachelor’s degree from SUNY Brockport and a Master’s degree in Athletic Training from Indiana State University.
After a few years working as an athletic trainer, her employer dropped the program, prompting her to explore a new path. She began a new job with Mutual of America Financial Group, helping individuals and organizations – mostly not-for-profits – with retirement planning. In a short time, she became Series 6 licensed and never looked back.
Susan lives in Rochester with her husband, Jeff and two grown children, Jeffrey and Taylor. They have spent many years traveling to support the kids’ basketball careers, from youth leagues to the college level. With that phase of life ending, Susan is looking forward to more travel with her family and watching her kids begin their new careers.
Jonathan Silva
Client Service Associate
jsilva@thorleywm.com
Jon joined Commonwealth in March 2020 as the first specialist on the Virtual Administration team. In November of 2021 he was promoted to Supervisor. As a supervisor on the Virtual Administration Team, Jon coordinates day-to-day operations, provides leadership to team members, oversees training and serves as an escalation resource to our specialists and advisors.
In addition to this, Jon continues to work directly with Commonwealth's financial advisors providing middle-office support functions such as preparing and submitting documents, opening and updating accounts, managing CRM data, initiating and tracking money movement, and monitoring various activities for the offices he supports. Prior to joining Commonwealth,
Jon was an administrative assistant at Joint Ventures Physical Therapy as well as an administrative assistant and physical therapy aide at Achieve Physical Therapy. He earned his bachelor's degree in health studies from the University of Rhode Island and he can speak Portuguese.
Outside of work, Jon enjoys cooking, gardening, and watching Boston sports. He also spends his free time staying active with CrossFit and by playing soccer and basketball.