Our Team
Steven L. Thornton is the President of Thornton & Associates, LLC. He is responsible for the general operations, consulting and FINOP services provided by the firm. Mr. Thornton has over 27 years of securities compliance, auditing and accounting experience. He specializes in the areas of FINRA, SEC, RIA and MSRB compliance, net capital regulation, general accounting practices, and FINRA new membership applications and membership application changes. Mr. Thornton also maintains the Series 7 (General Securities Representative), Series 24 (General Securities Principal), Series 55 (Equity Trader), Series 79 (Investment Banking) and Series 28 (Financial and Operations Principal) and Series 99 (Operations Professional) licenses. Over the last 10 years, Mr. Thornton has been registered with over 55 broker dealers as a Financial and Operations Principal as well as a General Securities Principal.
Prior to forming Thornton & Associates, Mr. Thornton held a position as a securities examiner with the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD Regulation, Inc.). While with the Association, he was a member of the NASD Regulation Examination Committee where he assisted in the development of trading and market making audit procedures and the restructuring of the new-hire regulatory training program. He received national recognition as the recipient of the prestigious NASD President’s Award that recognizes outstanding service as a securities examiner.
In 2009 Mr. Thornton was elected to a 3-year term on the FINRA District 2 Committee.
Mr. Thornton served in the United States Marine Corps from 1989 – 1995 and is a veteran of Operation Desert Shield/Storm.
After his military service, Mr. Thornton received his Bachelor of Science Degree from California State University, Northridge with a major in Finance.
As Principal of Thornton & Associates, LLC, Michelle manages the Firm’s Human Resources and Organizational Development. Her experience includes serving as the Account Manager/Advisor of a regional broker’s qualified retirement plan book of business. Previously she was the head of a national employer’s Human Resources department and the Operations Manager for an import lighting company.
Michelle graduated cum laude from California State Polytechnic University Pomona with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, Management and Human Resources. She is a California licensed Life and Disability Agent and maintains the Series 6 (Investment Company Products/Variable Contracts Representative) and 63 (Uniform Securities Agent) licenses.
As the Vice President, Head of Operations for Thornton & Associates, LLC, Sarah ensures our operations run efficiently and our clients receive the highest level of service. In addition, she manages our marketing department, strategic partnerships, and customer relationship programs. Her innovative solutions ensure our business relationships continue to grow and succeed. She comes to us with a strong project management and marketing background. Sarah graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts from VCU. In addition, she studied abroad at the Santa Reparata International School of Art in Florence, Italy.
Ellen Rubin is our FinOp Specialist responsible for the preparation, review, and submission of Broker/Dealer financial statements, Net Capital computations, FOCUS, SSOI, Schedule 1 and BD Custody Report filings. Ms. Rubin has over 25 years of experience as an accounting and operations professional in the securities industry. She holds the Series 7 (General Securities Representative) and Series 27 (Financial and Operations Principal) securities licenses. Ms. Rubin spent eight years as Controller for Drake Capital Securities, followed by five years as Chief Financial Officer and FinOp for Equibond, Inc. In addition to her primary talent as an accountant with heavy regulatory and FOCUS filing experience, Ms. Rubin has a strong background in administration, payroll, cash management, and broker/dealer operations. Ms. Rubin has also coordinated the startup of several broker/dealers. Born and raised in northern Los Angeles, Ms. Rubin is a graduate of California State University, Northridge.
Melinda McGregor is our Director of FinOp Services and she is responsible for the preparation, review and submission of Broker/Dealer financial statements and FINRA/SIPC required report filings. She holds the Series 27 (Financial and Operations Principal) and Series 63 (Uniform Securities State Law) securities licenses. Melinda has over 30 years of accounting and finance experience in a variety of industries including public accounting, film and television distribution, hospitality and social service non-profits. Her most recent broker/dealer and securities industry experience includes five years as Controller for Lighthouse Capital Group and ExchangeRight Securities. She holds a CPA designation and is a graduate of the University of Houston with a BA in Business Administration/Accounting.
Ashley O’Neill is a Senior Compliance Consultant responsible for completing various regular and routine compliance tasks for our clients. She is CAMS certified and has over 10 years of compliance experience. Ashley’s experience includes an international scope, having held compliance roles in overseas territories of the Cayman Islands and London, UK. She received an Honors Bachelor of Science Degree in Management with Compliance from the University of Manchester, UK.
Stacey Kessler is a Senior Compliance Consultant responsible for providing comprehensive compliance services to Thornton & Associate’s clients. She brings over 15 years of experience in the financial industry. Stacey holds her FINRA Series 6 ( Investment Company and Variable Contracts Products Representative) and Series 26 (Investment Company Products and Variable contracts Limited Principal) securities licenses. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in organizational leadership from Southern New Hampshire University.
