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About

meet your new team

Kenneth Ouellette, CPM®

Managing Member & Chief Compliance Officer

For almost three decades, Ken has helped clients address their financial concerns and develop sound strategies by focusing on each individual’s specific needs. With extensive experience throughout major shifts in the markets, Ken has dedicated his career to delivering the personalized investment planning services his clients deserve.
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Dawn Powell

Operations Manager

With more than 17 years of financial services experience, Dawn helps ensure that clients’ administrative and operational needs are handled accurately and quickly. She oversees the day-to-day administration of accounts, including opening new accounts, updating existing account information, managing account transfers and answering questions regarding statements. Her excellent customer service skills and extensive experience in the industry, allows her to resolve even the most complicated issues. Dawn is also proficient in French.

André Kühner

Client Service Associate

Mr. Kühner, André, brings more than twenty-five years of leadership and strategic planning experience to Orca Wealth Management. Throughout his career, he’s built a reputation for helping leaders navigate complex decisions, evaluate risk, and develop long-term strategies in some of the world’s most demanding environments.

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Don Mespelt

Planning Assistant

As a Navy veteran who recently retired after 30 years in educational technology, Don Mespelt knows firsthand what it takes to plan for life’s next chapter. He excels at making complex retirement planning clear, personal, and stress-free. Using tools like MoneyGuidePro, he helps families test their goals against real-world variables—like market swings, taxes, and healthcare costs—so they can step into the future with  confidence. 

Don enjoys long walks with his wife—and we mean long! He recently completed a pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago, where they walked several hundred miles together. Combine that with grandchildren, and his days are very fruitful.

Kenneth Ouellette, CPM®

For almost three decades, Ken has helped clients address their financial concerns and develop sound strategies by focusing on each individual’s specific needs. With extensive experience throughout major shifts in the markets, Ken has dedicated his career to delivering the personalized investment planning services his clients deserve.

Ken began his career as a Financial Advisor with Morgan Stanley in Port Richey, Florida, where he developed his fundamental investment knowledge. He joined Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network in 2010 to take a team approach to provide personalized financial advice for individuals and families

Ken’s passion for becoming a financial advisor started at a young age having grown up in a small coastal town of Seaside, Oregon. In 1986 he had the opportunity to travel to China and compete against the Chinese national team in Track and Field. There, he deepened his beliefs in economics, people and planning. Ken attended Lewis and Clark College and later W. Oregon University, where he competed in track and football. In 1991 he began his career in the financial service industry. Ken combines his knowledge of numbers with his deep desire to help people live the one life they have, the best way they can without undue financial sacrifice or over-exposure to risk.

In 2015 Ken earned the Certified Portfolio Manager® designation by The Academy of Certified Portfolio Managers. This is a highly selective credential, with only 407 holders nationwide. The curriculum included advanced concepts in Fundamental Analysis, Option Valuation, Foreign Currency Exchange, Credit Default Swap Strategy and Valuation Analytics. Upon completion of fifty-four modules totaling some 200 hours, candidates were invited to New York for an intense week-long workshop at Columbia University which culminated with a rigorous test on all the concepts taught. The program included an intimate and highly interactive discussion of cutting edge issues in finance and investing between the participating advisors and Columbia’s internationally recognized professors. Those advisors that completed the instruction and successfully passed 55 tests and exams earned the designation Certified Portfolio Manager® from the Academy of Certified Portfolio Managers. This designation is another example of Ken’s continued commitment to an environment of Investment Excellence.

Away from the office, Ken spends his free time with his wife, Micah, and their four children Chyna, Everest, Canon and Kenzi. They like to stay active both physically and mentally. Ken enjoys a number of hobbies from mountain climbing peaks, such as Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa, to more local activities such as utilizing our beautiful Gulf of Mexico; spear fishing, kite surfing and offshore fishing.

André Kühner

Mr. Kühner, André, brings more than twenty-five years of leadership and strategic planning experience to Orca Wealth Management. Throughout his career, he’s built a reputation for helping leaders navigate complex decisions, evaluate risk, and develop long-term strategies in some of the world’s most demanding environments.

Before joining Orca, André retired from the United States Army as a Lieutenant Colonel. He is a combat veteran and a Purple Heart recipient. He served in command-and-execute leadership positions and was entrusted with advising senior military and government officials on initiatives affecting U.S. interests around the world. As a Foreign Area Officer and military diplomat, he was integral in developing international security cooperation agreements and strategic partnerships across South America, Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia.

André’s educational background is just as diverse, with degrees from various institutions including a Master of Arts in International Policy and Practice from The George

Washington University and a Master of Arts in Business and Organizational Security Management from Webster University. He is fluent in English, Portuguese and has a  professional proficiency in French and Spanish.

Away from the office, André enjoys spending time with his wife, Renata, their five children and their granddaughter. Ballroom dancing, cycling, beach time and other outdoor activities round out his diverse hobbies. Additionally, as an active member of his Catholic parish, André serves as the Director of Adult Faith Formation and he volunteers in the community by helping fellow veterans connect with valuable resources.