ACCOUNTABILITY

Russell is the Founder and Principal of Carmel Capital Partners and serves as the firm’s Chief Investment Officer (CIO). In his role, he oversees investment decisions across public equity and fixed-income portfolios, as well as all real estate and private equity investments. Russell also works directly with families to guide and advise them on matters such as closely held business sales, complex tax and estate matters, and diversification of concentrated stock portfolios.

Russell founded Carmel on three core principles: advice, relationships, and results. His primary goal was to make Carmel the voice of accountability in its clients' financial lives — a mission that remains the focus of the firm to this day.

Outside of the office, Russell is also active in his local community, having served as Vice President on the Board of Trustees for the San Diego Jewish Academy. He has also previously served on the Board of the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego and its Investment Committee.

Russell and his wife Heidi have two daughters, Maya and Bella, and a son, Jack.

Joined Messner & Smith in 2002 as an equity analyst and portfolio manager, becoming the firm’s Director of Research in 2006. He began his career in Chicago with Harris Associates L.P., which managed the Acorn and Oakmark Funds, before joining investment banking and brokerage firm Kemper/EVEREN Securities as an equity analyst in 1991. Thereafter he was an equity analyst and portfolio manager with RNC Capital Management in Los Angeles. Kevin has a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce from DePaul University and completed graduate work at DePaul’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business. Kevin was awarded the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 1993 and has been a member of the national CFA Institute and various local CFA chapters since that time.

With 35 years of institutional investing experience, Kevin E. Silverman, CFA®, serves as a Portfolio Manager at Carmel. His primary objective is to leverage his extensive expertise in delivering institutional-quality investment to individual and family portfolios. 

Kevin's career commenced with a specialization in industrial, tech, and retail equities at Harris Associates and Stifel Nicolaus. Prior to joining Carmel Capital, he directed institutional equities and private wealth at an affiliate of private equity firm Sterling Partners.

Kevin holds a Master of Science in Finance and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, alongside the CFA® charter.

Chelsey is a Wealth Advisor at Carmel Capital Partners. Before joining Carmel, Chelsey worked as a Financial Advisor at Torrey Pines Wealth Management, part of UBS Financial Services. During her tenure at UBS, she specialized as a Wealth Planning Associate, providing tailored advice and solutions to affluent clients in San Diego.

Prior to joining UBS, Chelsey served as an Analyst in the Capital Markets Group at Citizens Bank in Boston. During her tenure, she played a pivotal role in originating, structuring, and executing debt capital market transactions that supported a wide array of strategic initiatives for middle-market businesses. These initiatives included acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, dividend recapitalizations, restructurings, and refinancing across diverse industries across middle-market businesses.

Chelsey obtained an A.B. in Economics from Harvard College, where she also earned a citation in French. During her time at Harvard, she demonstrated her leadership as a co-captain of the varsity lacrosse team during her senior year. Furthermore, Chelsey holds several licenses including the Series 7 and 66 securities licenses, the California life and health insurance license, and the esteemed designation of an Accredited Wealth Management Advisor®.

Led the retirement fund of a large California construction company as Portfolio Manager and Administrator prior to founding his own investment firm in 1974, Ellis C. Smith Investment Counsel, Inc. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the School of Business Administration, University of California Los Angeles, in 1965, and pursued graduate studies at San Diego State University. Ellis is a former Chairman of the Board of the San Diego Downtown YMCA and President of the Executive’s Association of San Diego. Currently a Trustee for the San Diego History Center and a Board Member of the San Diego Employers Association. He also served as a commissioned officer in the United States Naval Reserve.

Zack is an analyst on the Carmel Capital Partners' team and is responsible for sourcing and performing due diligence on private equity and real estate investment opportunities. Before joining Carmel, Zack was a Senior Associate in KPMG's deal advisory practice, focusing on performing financial due diligence on middle-market businesses across multiple sectors. He also spent a year with KPMG's Infrastructure Advisory Team, providing strategic financial support to clients contemplating large public projects. Zack holds a BS in both Finance and Accounting from Virginia Tech.

Stephanie has close to a decade of experience in the financial services industry covering a variety of different operational positions. She has been responsible for supervising back-office operations, client service, and compliance functions. She holds Series 65 and CA insurance license as well as being a commissioned CA Notary Public.

Ryan joined Messner & Smith in August 2011, bringing with him over 10 years of administrative and operations management experience from the online and mobile gaming industries.  Previously Ryan served 6 years with Beeline Interactive (formerly known as Capcom Interactive), the mobile arm of the parent company Capcom where he helped establish the business from the ground up through facilities and space planning, travel and event logistics, and procurement.  Prior to that he worked with Sony Pictures Entertainment as a Marketing Coordinator and with America Online as an Associate Quality Assurance Engineer.  He graduated from University of California, Santa Cruz with a Bachelor of Arts in Art.

Stephanie has close to a decade of experience in the financial services industry covering a variety of different operational positions. She has been responsible for supervising back-office operations, client service, and compliance functions. She holds Series 65 and CA insurance license as well as being a commissioned CA Notary Public.

Ryan joined Messner & Smith in August 2011, bringing with him over 10 years of administrative and operations management experience from the online and mobile gaming industries.  Previously Ryan served 6 years with Beeline Interactive (formerly known as Capcom Interactive), the mobile arm of the parent company Capcom where he helped establish the business from the ground up through facilities and space planning, travel and event logistics, and procurement.  Prior to that he worked with Sony Pictures Entertainment as a Marketing Coordinator and with America Online as an Associate Quality Assurance Engineer.  He graduated from University of California, Santa Cruz with a Bachelor of Arts in Art.