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Meet the Team

Meet the Team

ThreeTrees Retirement Partners is led by Michael and Stephanie Cooley — but you’re never relying on just the two of us.

Michael Cooley

Michael Cooley

Founder & Lead Advisor
ChFC®RICP®NSSA®

Michael Cooley is the founder of ThreeTrees Retirement Partners and the architect of the ThreeTrees framework. He holds three retirement-focused designations from The American College of Financial Services — Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®), Retirement Income Certified Professional® (RICP®), and National Social Security Advisor (NSSA®) — credentials chosen specifically for the work of retirement income planning.

Michael leads every client engagement, builds every plan, and manages every household's tax strategy on an ongoing basis. He lives in the Ann Arbor area with his wife Stephanie

Stephanie Cooley

Co-Owner & Vice President | Retirement Coach
M.Ed.

Stephanie Cooley is co-owner and Vice President of ThreeTrees Retirement Partners. She holds a Master of Education degree, which informs her work in two complementary areas of the practice.

First, Stephanie leads client relations — she conducts initial conversations with prospective clients, manages communications between meetings, and serves as a primary point of contact for ongoing client relationships. Many ThreeTrees clients have shared that Stephanie's role is what makes the practice feel personal rather than transactional.

Second, Stephanie shapes the educational architecture of our seminar program. Her background in adult learning informs how we structure our Social Security and retirement income workshops, ensuring complex topics are accessible to attendees from any professional background.

For clients who want it, Stephanie also offers retirement coaching — guidance through the personal and behavioral side of the retirement transition. This complements the structural behavioral protections built into every ThreeTrees plan and is available as part of the broader client relationship.

Stephanie Cooley
Support Team at Altitude Capital Management

Support Team at Altitude Capital Management

As an independent practice operating under Altitude Capital Management, our Registered Investment Advisory firm, we’re backed by a team of experienced professionals who provide compliance oversight, investment research, and portfolio infrastructure. A few of the people working behind the scenes on your behalf:

Support Team

Charles Johnson

Chief Compliance Officer

Charles oversees the compliance and fiduciary framework that governs how every ThreeTrees account is managed. His oversight helps ensure the advice you receive always meets a rigorous, regulated standard.

Support Team

Gene Perez, CFP®

Chief Investment Officer

Gene leads investment research and oversight at the firm level, helping shape the disciplined, risk-aware standards that inform how portfolios across the firm are built and monitored.

Support Team

Aaron Schmidtke

Portfolio Allocation Manager

Aaron handles portfolio allocation and trading operations, helping translate each client's strategy into properly structured, well-maintained accounts.

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