Retirement Plans Specialists

With more than 85 combined years of experience in partnering with businesses, we have the knowledge and resources to help you achieve a retirement plan that will fit your needs. Our team of Retirement Plan professionals is well equipped to handle every aspect of your plan.

Champaign County

201 W. MAIN STREET | URBANA, IL 61801 | 217.365.4874

Senior Vice President, Managing Director of Retirement Plan Services

Vice President
Retirement Plan
Participant Advisor

Retirement Plan Participant Advisor

Peoria Tri-County

6699 N. SHERIDAN ROAD | PEORIA, IL 61614 | 309.495.4281

Assistant Vice President, Retirement Plan Services Advisor

Officer

Retirement Plan
Services Associate

Northern IL/Glenview

800 Waukegan Rd | GLENVIEW, IL 60025 | 847. 832.0964

Vice President, Retirement Plan Services Advisor

Missouri: St. Louis

12300 Olive Boulevard | Creve Coeur, MO 63141 | 217.365.4874

Retirement Plan Participant Advisor

Investment products and services through Busey Wealth Management are not FDIC insured, may lose value, and have no bank guarantee.

Charlee R. Lin, CPFA™, CRPS®, CRPC®
Senior Vice President, Managing Director of Retirement Plan Services | 217.351.6534

Charlee leads the Retirement Plan Services Team at Busey Wealth Management. She has over 15 years of experience working with corporate retirement plan clients and has earned three industry designations, including Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA) through the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA), Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist^SM (CRPS) and Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor^SM (CRPC) from the College for Financial Planning®. Charlee is also a member of ASPPA. These designations signify Charlee's training and tested proficiency in all facets of various retirement plans, such as 401(k), 403(b) and defined benefit plans.

Charlee is a previous recipient of Central Illinois Business Magazine’s Forty Under 40 award. She’s also a proud graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In her spare time, Charlee enjoys reading, watching Illini Basketball and spending time with her husband and two rambunctious boys

Adam Owen, CRPS®, AIF^®

Vice President, Retirement Plan Participant Advisor | 217.365.4883

As a Retirement Plan Participant Advisor, Adam engages employees along the entire spectrum—from enrolling to becoming financially independent. With his 20-plus years of experience helping people from all walks of life with their retirement planning needs, he has accumulated a breadth of expertise enabling him to expertly serve a variety of needs.

Adam holds the Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist℠ (CRPS®) designation from the College for Financial Planning®, signifying his training and tested proficiency in all facets of retirement plans, including 401(k), 403(b), 457, pension plans and more.

He also holds the Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®) Designation from Fi360, a Broadridge® Company. As an AIF® Designee, Adam has met training, proficiency and ethical standards to employ a fiduciary process as he serves participants’ best interests.

Additionally, he maintains FINRA Series 7, 63 and 65 licenses, as well as Illinois Health, Life and Variable insurance licenses. In his spare time, Adam is very involved in his church and enjoys spending time outdoors with his family of eight.

Gerry Mancera
Retirement Plan Participant Advisor | 217.365.4814

Since joining Busey in 2023, Gerry has been working in partnership with retirement plan participants to ensure they effectively use their retirement plans to meet their financial goals. By helping clients understand and properly navigate their employer-sponsored retirement plan, he provides them with peace of mind that they’re on the right track.

Gerry earned his Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Valerie Sinks, QKA®, QPA®, ERPA®
Assistant Vice President, Retirement Plan Services Advisor
309.495.4283

As Retirement Plan Services Advisor, Valerie is responsible for the administration of various Qualified Defined Contribution profit sharing, 401(k), pension plan and individual retirement accounts. She has worked in employee benefits since 1984 and has over 35 years of banking experience.

Valerie earned an Associate Degree in Accounting from Illinois Central College in East Peoria, IL. She obtained an Enrolled Retirement Plan Agent (ERPA) designation from the Internal Revenue Service, along with Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA) and Qualified Pension Administrator (QPA) designations from the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA). Valerie is a member of ASPPA, as well as a graduate of the Cannon Personal Trust School.

In her free time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her family and friends.

Amanda DeStephano, CPFA™

Officer, Retirement Plan Services Associate | 309.495.4293

Amanda examines retirement plan analytics to improve plans for both employers and employees. She also helps new clients compare their previous plan to the Busey offering. In October 2021, she obtained her Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor^TM designation, signifying her training and tested proficiency to assist employers and employees in making prudent decisions relating to their retirement plans.

Amanda earned her Bachelor of Arts in International Business from Bradley University and has been working in the financial industry for over 10 years. Originally from Crystal Lake, IL, Amanda moved to Peoria in 2009. In her free time, she volunteers with Peoria Jaycees on various projects.

Eric Smith
Vice President, Retirement Plan Services Advisor 847.832.0964

With over 15 years of experience in financial services, Eric is committed to going above and beyond for his clients—treating them as if they are friends and family. He works closely with employers to develop efficiencies in their plans, benefiting employees from a cost, investment and service perspective. With Eric’s desire to help participants better understand their plans, they can plan for the future with confidence.

Eric joined Glenview State Bank—now Busey Bank—in 2015 as a Retirement Plan Services Officer before moving into his current role. He is a Qualified Pension Administrator through the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA) and is a member of the organization. Eric also earned his Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Briar Cliff University and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from The University of Iowa.

Email:
Eric.Smith@Busey.com

Neil Bryant
Retirement Plan Participant Advisor | 314.317.4745

Neil works alongside plan participants to help them gain a better understanding of how exactly their employer’s retirement plan works for them. By taking an active role in explaining the often complex and evolving retirement industry, he assists participants in achieving their long-term goals.

As an Advisor, Neil meets individually with participants to help enroll them in their plan, discuss their investment options and better plan for retirement. With his team, Neil also works closely with plan sponsors to set up beneficial education programs and prepare educational videos for participants.

Before joining Busey in 2022, he held similar consultative and managerial roles with other financial services firms throughout his 25-plus year career. Neil earned both his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Associate of Science in Aviation Administration from Northern Kentucky University.