Our Team:

James E. Demmert – Managing Partner:

Mr. Demmert has been managing investment portfolios for institutional and individual investors for over 20 years. He has experience in all aspects of investment management including equity and fixed income research, trading and portfolio management. He has particular expertise in macro-economic research and risk management and is responsible for creating the firm’s Active Risk Management processes. He is a seasoned wealth manager and is experienced in the areas of retirement, financial, estate and tax planning.

Mr. Demmert has been a featured speaker for a number of public organizations, including the American Association of Individual Investors (AAII). He has authored numerous articles on finance and investment management and his work has appeared in many financial publications including The Wall Street Journal, Barron's, BusinessWeek and Fortune.

Mr. Demmert’s past experience includes positions with LF Rothschild and Lehman Brothers before starting his own firm in 1993. He graduated from Harvard University.

Tamra A. Stern, JD CFP® – Partner:

Ms. Stern has been with the firm for over 15 years and has been involved in every aspect of the firm’s management. She currently heads up the firm's wealth management process, which includes assisting clients identify the longevity of their asset base for their lifetime and future generations. This work is a result of Ms. Stern’s ability to create personal and complex financial models for each client. In addition, she holds a law degree and with it expertise in estate planning and how a trust or will should complement the wealth planning model. Lastly, Ms. Stern is experienced in tax guidance and assists clients with tax strategy.

Ms. Stern actively participates in the firm’s investment strategy and is an equity and fixed income trader. As a senior member of our team, she is actively involved with clients on a day-to-day basis.

Ms. Stern received her BA in Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara and her Juris Doctorate from Empire College of Law. Additionally, she attended the University of California, Berkeley, University Extension for Personal Financial Planning and is a Certified Financial Planner™ certificant. As well, she is a member of the Financial Planning Association.

Elizabeth I. Baldassari – Partner:

Ms. Baldassari serves as the firm’s co-manager of fixed income investments and research. She trades and manages fixed income securities including municipal, corporate and treasury securities and actively conducts research in credit quality, pricing, duration and the interest rate cycle. Additionally, Ms. Baldassari considers each client’s circumstance – such as tax implications and investment policy – when adding or removing a security from a portfolio. Main Street works with over 100 Wall Street fixed income broker-dealers in an effort to find the best value in the fixed income market. Along with Ms. Baldassari’s research, she coordinates and manages this wide array of dealers to find the best value for each client.

Ms. Baldassari has been with the firm for over 10 years. Like her colleagues, she is part of the firm’s client-centric team and is involved in almost every aspect of the firm including daily client communication and problem solving.

Ms. Baldassari graduated cum laude from Sonoma State University with a BS in Business Administration.

Charito A. Mittelman JD – Chief Compliance Officer:

Ms. Mittelman is responsible for actively monitoring our adherence to federal securities laws and regulations applicable to our firm as a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) registered investment advisor. Ms. Mittelman reviews updated regulatory changes and informs the staff on how those changes impact our relationship with clients and our business. Further, she reviews, drafts, and implements the firm’s supervisory policies and procedures and assists our staff in meeting our fiduciary duties to clients in conducting our business.

Prior to joining Main Street Research, Ms. Mittelman served six years as a staff attorney for the U.S. SEC, Division of Corporation Finance, in Washington, DC. While at the SEC, Ms. Mittelman reviewed domestic and foreign public company regulatory filings for compliance with federal securities laws. She further guided company counsel and executive officers through the SEC comment letter process and advised them on the interpretation and implementation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. She completed her LL.M. in U.S. Securities and International Law at Trinity College School of Law in Dublin, Ireland while also working as a tax specialist for PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Prior to receiving her LL.M. she practiced law as an associate at a litigation firm in San Francisco specializing in maritime law and medical malpractice as well as a consumer bankruptcy firm in Monterey, California. Ms. Mittelman received her Juris Doctor from Santa Clara University School of Law. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from University of California, Davis.

Aaron M. Stern – Equity Trading and Research Manager:

Mr. Stern is responsible for the coordination of the firm’s research and risk management processes, and is our primary equity trader. He is responsible for the firm’s in-house investment research as well as management of our outside research partner’s analyses. In addition, Mr. Stern handles the bulk of our Active Risk Management process, which includes asset allocation, sector management and stop-loss management. Mr. Stern also takes the lead role in regard to Main Street’s technology systems, including real-time security pricing, automated trading, portfolio management and worldwide web systems. Additionally, Mr. Stern is involved with client services on a day-to-day basis.

Prior to joining Main Street Research, Mr. Stern served as Web Operations Manager for a large west coast corporation. He is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Adrienne H. Coenen – Client Services:

Ms. Coenen is responsible for all client oriented services and a significant amount of the firm’s administration. This includes all aspects of the portfolio management process including trade processing, reconciliation, asset transfers and additions, proxy voting and cost basis analysis. Ms. Coenen is also responsible for maintaining our “paperless office” processes. In addition, she is the point of contact for client interaction and services which relate to scheduling research conferences and client portfolio reviews. Ms. Coenen plays a central role in the firm’s client-centric team effort.

Ms. Coenen attended Mesa College and has been in the customer service industry for 8 years.