The Kelly Group Spotlight: Anika S. Jones, Esq., Partner
The Kelly Group is proud to announce that, effective January 1, Anika Jones is the newest partner of The Kelly Group, a Bel Air based Wealth Management and financial planning firm.
“The first time I met Anika Jones, I knew she was different,” said Bryan Kelly, The Kelly Group’s Managing Partner. “She brings together intelligence, kindness, and integrity with genuine qualities that can’t be taught.”
Anika becomes the firm’s fourth partner, joining Bryan, Chad Arrington and Tom Cusick.
The partners agreed that Anika’s temperament, skills, professional background and credentials, including her role as general counsel and chief compliance officer at The Kelly Group, made her a perfect fit for this leadership position.
“At our firm, partnership isn’t about authority or title,” Bryan said. “It’s about responsibility and stewardship. Anika understands that leadership means carrying the firm forward, taking care of others, and thinking long term. That mindset is essential to building a firm that is meant to last for generations.”
“Anika’s dedication, hard work, and genuine care for both our clients and our firm exemplify the very best of who we are,” Chad said. “I’m confident that her leadership as a partner will help carry out our mission to serve clients and drive us toward our vision of becoming a 100-year firm.”
Cusick adds: “I am so happy to have Anika join us as a partner of The Kelly Group. She exemplifies leadership, stewardship and our TKG culture in every way. Adding her as a partner strengthens the overall succession planning of our firm and will help us continue to provide great service to clients and their families in the future!”
Anika joined The Kelly Group January 1, 2024, after two years of serving the firm as an independent contractor. She has more than 20 years of experience in the securities industry. Prior to joining The Kelly Group, she founded RIA Gateway Compliance, LLC, where she provided practical compliance solutions and risk management strategies for registered investment advisors.
"Anika embodies the values and caring that define our firm,” says Michele Wolbert, Principal and Executive Vice-President of Administration. “I am proud to celebrate her well-deserved promotion to partner and look forward to our ongoing collaboration."
Anika holds a JD from the University of Maryland School of Law, as well as both a BS and MS in Sociology from St. John’s University. She is an active member of the National Society of Compliance Professionals and the Maryland State Bar Association. Anika is also committed to her community, serving on the board of directors and volunteering for the Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland, and serving as a member of the board of trustees for The Good Shepherd Church of God in Christ. Anika lives in Towson, MD with her husband, JaMarr Jones, their children Braxton and Payton, and their beloved boxer, Lucky.
“I am grateful for the Partners’ decision to recognize what I bring to the firm in this way,” Anika said. “We have such tremendous talent across the firm. I am humbled by the fact I’m able to add to the fabric of The Kelly Group and to have the opportunity to shepherd the firm’s vision into existence for many years to come.”
Q&A With Anika Jones
What brought you to The Kelly Group?
I first came to The Kelly Group as an independent contractor, engaged to help execute the firm’s compliance programs during its early years as an independent RIA. While the team remained deeply focused on delivering exceptional work for clients, the firm leadership team also recognized the need for a dedicated compliance resource to navigate the evolving rules and expectations of the RIA landscape. I was fortunate that the firm’s legal counsel, Dana Gloor, both a trusted mentor and friend, introduced me to Bryan and Michele. From that initial introduction, I worked closely with the team to help strengthen and refine not only the firm’s compliance program, but also its broader business strategy.
As a new Partner, and thus a Leader, how do you define leadership?
In my view, leadership is not a title or a position: it’s an action. Anyone, and everyone, has the ability to lead from the position they are in. Leadership is defined by the actions we take, whether big or small. Good leaders understand that they need to model the behaviors that they want to see in others. A title does not give you the ability to encourage and inspire others; your character does. That’s why leadership can come from any seat, any time.
At The Kelly Group, leadership is rooted in empowerment. We strive to ensure that everyone feels trusted and empowered to exercise autonomy. When titles are stripped away, what remains is the character of our people and the integrity of the firm. That’s the fabric of our culture and one I’m proud to help maintain.
Considering your role as Chief Compliance Officer, what do you see as the biggest compliance challenges in the financial industry?
One of the biggest compliance challenges in the financial industry today is keeping pace with an increasingly complex and evolving regulatory environment, while still allowing firms to operate efficiently and serve clients well. Regulations continue to expand in scope and expectation, often requiring interpretation rather than simple box-checking.
Another key challenge is integrating compliance into the firm’s culture rather than treating it as a standalone function. The most effective compliance programs are embedded in day-to-day decision-making, where advisors and staff understand not just the rules, but the why behind them.
Finally, as a firm grows and inevitably encounters and adopts new technologies, compliance must scale alongside the business. That means thoughtfully managing data, cybersecurity, communications, and supervision in ways that support innovation while protecting clients and the firm. In my view, successful compliance is about balance—protecting the firm and its clients while enabling responsible growth.
What makes The Kelly Group culture so special?
Its people. I am fortunate to be able to work with a group of bright professionals where everyone is very passionate and genuinely interested in securing positive client outcomes. In addition, I love that it’s not all business. We are a family-oriented firm and there is a very healthy balance of social opportunities when we all get together. We get to know each other on a personal level, and that makes working together that much more enjoyable.
How has TKG evolved as a firm since you came aboard?
I think that we’ve been more intentional about formalizing our processes. As we seek to realize our vision of being a 100-year firm, we are recognizing the necessity of creating more consistency, to make sure we are building and executing our processes better. We want to make sure our client experience is consistent so that we can continue to provide best-in-class service to clients for generations to come.
In addition, we practice the same advice that we tell our business owner clients, to prioritize succession planning. We’ve been intentional about the practice of knowledge sharing so that succession planning is not a jarring event; instead, it is a natural progression that occurs over time. We are taking a dose of our own medicine so that we can fulfill our commitment to being the “Norman Rockwell Town Doctor of Finance” for generations to come.
What does that concept - of being the “Norman Rockwell Town Doctor of Finance” - mean to you?
To me, it speaks to accessibility, continuity, and relatability. It reflects the vision that Bryan and his uncle Bill had for serving as a locally owned firm that delivers best-in-class advice and recommendations while remaining deeply connected to the community it serves. It means ensuring that there is a trusted community resource right there for them. It means ensuring that families feel genuinely cared for and understand they don’t need to look far and wide for thoughtful, trustworthy financial guidance and that there is a community asset right here and available to them. We strive to be present during life’s important moments, walking alongside clients through their journeys. It’s not just about dollars and cents; it’s about understanding each client’s story and focusing on comprehensive financial planning, not just investments.
What else would you like people to know about you?
I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve. I am passionate about what I do, whether it’s at the office or in my personal life. I am multi-dimensional: a wife, a mom, a daughter, and a sister and so much more. No matter which role I’m in, I bring the same level of intention and thoughtfulness, along with empathy and compassion. I genuinely want the best for people in every situation, and I believe we live and operate in a state of abundance. There is room for everyone to succeed. That belief shapes how I show up, both personally and professionally. At my core, I see myself as a servant leader, focused on helping create opportunities for others and working toward something bigger than myself.
Originally published on I95 Business.
The Kelly Group is a trade name of Kelly Financial Group, LLC, a registered investment adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Registration of an investment adviser does not imply any level of skill or training. For more information about our services, please see our Brochure and Relationship Summary, available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov and on The Kelly Group’s website at www.kellyria.com.