Therese M. Vita CFP®, CRPC®
Investment Associate, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management
The Siwiec, Ryan, Vita & Associates Group
Therese is a partner on a six-person wealth management team in the Merrill Lynch Buffalo office. Their team within Merrill Lynch was created by the three partners in 2010 and is known as The Siwiec, Ryan, Vita & Associates Group. Merrill Lynch itself was founded in 1915 by Charlie Merrill and Edmund Lynch, and was acquired by its parent company, Bank of America, in 2008.
Therese and her partners, Dave Siwiec and Matthew Ryan, had built their businesses as solo practitioners, but recognized their growth limitations moving forward. They formed a team to be able to deliver depth and breadth of client service, and capitalize on their individual strengths. Therese says, “Our team is run like a Swiss watch and I think our clients know it. They value the work that we do and have confidence in us. They know we are hands-on, that we care about them and their families...”
Therese practiced law for 10 years in Syracuse and Rochester, after graduating from Albany Law School of Union University in 1988. In 1998 she decided the practice of law was not a good personal fit, however her background has been an added value for clients, particularly in estate planning services.
Therese has been an active member of the Rotary Club of Buffalo for seven years and serves on the club’s planned giving committee. She is a trustee of The Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, where she serves on the advancement committee and has performed in O’Connell & Company’s Diva By Diva with proceeds supporting Women & Children’s Charities. She is a member of Estate Analysts of Western New York, Western NY Planned Giving Consortium, Bishop’s Council of the Laity, and St. Joseph’s Cathedral Choir.
Therese served on The Rotary Club of Buffalo Foundation as secretary and on the investment committee and served for five years on the Road Less Traveled Productions Theater Board. She has been The Twentieth Century Club Foundation fundraising committee co-chair, American Cancer Society board member, and chair of “Party in the Park” fundraiser for the Buffalo & Erie County Naval & Military Park.
In 2016 Therese was invited by Business First to serve as a mentor for its Bizwomen Mentoring Monday for one-on-one seven-minute coaching sessions and conversations with professional women.
WKBW Interview