:: The Company                   

- Philosophy
- Firm History
- Senior Professionals

Philosophy
Tradition Capital Management is an independent investment organization that is privately owned by its employees and is exclusively focused on providing the highest quality investment management services with honesty and integrity. We are investment counselors providing time-tested, objective advice. Since we individually manage each of our clients' portfolios in an account that belongs solely to that client, transparency and tracking of client assets are assured. We do not commingle funds. Integrity and transparency are hallmarks of Tradition. We work closely with many of the leading brokerage and banking firms to ensure a safe custody environment for all types of accounts: individual, trust, pension, foundation, partnerships and IRAs.

Our rules involving our own personal investments place our clients first and ensure that we align our personal interest with those of our clients. Our employees and principals are required to invest in the same securities that we own for clients. Our internal investing rules make certain that our clients get our best investment ideas and that we as a firm are focused on the investments that impact clients.

Firm History
Tradition Capital Management was founded in 2000 by Benjamin Halliburton, Christopher Trompeter and later joined by Michael Provine. Prior to founding the firm, Ben, Mike and Chris worked together for several years servicing and managing money at a prominent New York based money manager. They sought to create a firm grounded in the fundamental belief in equity ownership and chose the name Tradition for its meaning -- “an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought and action passed down from generation to generation.” At Tradition Capital Management, we are consistent in our investment approach, allowing our clients to build a legacy of wealth.

Senior Professionals

Benjamin C. Halliburton, CFA
Managing Director
Mr. Halliburton is a founder and chief investment officer of Tradition Capital Management.  He oversees the investment research and strategy for Tradition.  He heads the Investment Committee and is a member of the Portfolio Committee.  Mr. Halliburton has twenty two years of professional investing experience including ten years at Brundage, Story and Rose where he was BS&R's Director of Research and responsible for overseeing the firm's equity selection process.  He was a principal of the firm and a member of the firm's Investment Policy Committee.  He also designed, developed and managed BS&R’s successful Disciplined Growth Strategy.  He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and earned an MBA from Duke's Fuqua School of Business in 1990, where he was distinguished as a Fuqua Scholar.  He earned a BS degree from Vanderbilt University in three years, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 1985, and graduated Salutatorian from the McCallie School.

Christopher J. Trompeter, CFA
Managing Director
Mr. Trompeter is a senior portfolio manager and works on Tradition’s Investment Committee and heads the Portfolio Committee.  Mr. Trompeter is responsible for the Consumer sector.  He is a founder and principal of the firm and has over two and a half decades of investment management experience.  Prior to Tradition Capital Management, Mr. Trompeter was a senior portfolio manager at Brundage, Story and Rose, where he was a member of the Core Stock Selection Group and the Technology Research Group.  Mr. Trompeter’s extensive experience includes Citibank Global Asset Management as a senior portfolio manager.  Mr. Trompeter began his career at Bankers Trust Company in 1978 managing equity, balanced and fixed income portfolios for institutional clients.  He is a Chartered Financial Analyst and a member of the New York Society of Security Analysts.  Mr. Trompeter graduated from St. Lawrence University with B.A. degrees in Economics and Government.

Joseph E. Lavin, CIMA, AIF
Managing Director
Mr. Lavin is Director of Sales and Marketing for Tradition Capital Management.  He is responsible for business strategy, relationship management with our intermediary partners, business development and client service.  Mr. Lavin is a member of the Portfolio Committee.  He joined Tradition after ten years with Rorer Asset Management.  As Regional Vice President at Rorer, Mr. Lavin was responsible for business development, marketing, and client service for over a billion dollars of assets.  Under his leadership, Rorer Asset Management grew from infancy to one of the largest Separate Account Money Managers with 11 billion dollars in assets under management.  Mr. Lavin is a graduate of Temple University with a BS in Business Administration and holds a Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) Designation along with Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF).

Denis M. Turko
Managing Director

Denis is a Managing Director and a member of Tradition’s Investment and Portfolio Committees.  He is responsible for research, and portfolio management with emphasis on all cap and dividend value portfolios.  Prior to joining Tradition, Denis was a Managing Director and a founding member of Haven Capital Management.  He was a Principal in the group that was spun out of Goldman Sachs to form the predecessor to Haven.  His role at Haven cut across all aspects of the investment process and management of portfolios.  In addition, he coordinated the Firm’s institutional business development.  Denis graduated from Yale University with a BS in Engineering, and from Columbia University with an MBA.

Stephen Ely
Managing Director
Steve is a Managing Director and a member of Tradition’s Investment and Portfolio Committees.  He is responsible for research, and portfolio management focusing on industry and economic trends.  Prior to joining Tradition, Steve was a Managing Director and a founding member of Haven Capital Management.  In addition to equity and economic research, Steve managed portfolios for individual clients.  He was also responsible for the Firm’s overall administration, operations and finance.  Steve began his career at Kuhn Loeb & Co. where he became a Partner in charge of that firm's Investment Advisory Department.  He joined Haven's predecessor as a Principal, and was a member of the original group that founded Haven.  Steve graduated from Princeton University with a BA in History, and attended the Graduate School of Business at New York University.

Thomas F. Cunningham, CFA
Managing Director of Fixed Income

Gregg. E. Bullwinkel
Senior Vice President
Mr. Bullwinkel is a portfolio manager and oversees the firm's trading function.  He is a member of both the Investment Committee and the Portfolio Committee.  Mr. Bullwinkel has over a decade of experience in the financial services industry where he began his career as a financial advisor.  He was employed by Morgan Stanley Dean Witter immediately prior to joining Tradition Capital Management in 2001.  At Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, he received extensive training in investments and financial planning.  He earned the titles of Retirement Planning Specialist and Lump-Sum 401K Distribution Specialist.  He concentrated on the implementation and management of long-term financial plans for high net worth individuals.  He graduated from Rutgers University in 1987 with a BS degree in Business Administration.

Marc L. Davis, CFA
Senior Vice President
Mr. Davis is an equity research analyst working on the Health Care, Financial and Consumer Staples sectors for Tradition Capital Management.  He works on the Investment Committee and Portfolio Committee.  Mr. Davis joined Tradition in 2002 and started his investment management career in equity research at Brundage, Story and Rose where he was a junior equity analyst following Health Care, Consumer, Financial, Technology and Basic Materials.  He was also a member of the firm's Health Care and Basic Materials industry working groups.  He earned a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is a member of the New York Society of Security Analysts and the New York Bar.  Mr. Davis graduated from Columbia College in 1985 and earned his J.D. degree from the New York University School of Law in 1989.

John P. Heslin
Vice President
Mr. Heslin is a junior portfolio manager and an equity research analyst covering Industrials and Materials for Tradition Capital Management.  He joined Tradition in 2005 as a portfolio assistant responsible for trading, reconciling accounts, and opening of new accounts. Prior to joining Tradition, Mr. Heslin worked for Hennion & Walsh, a broker/dealer specializing in municipal bonds.  Mr. Heslin was promoted to equity research analyst in January of 2007 and to junior portfolio manager in November of 2007.  He is currently a member of the Investment Committee and the Portfolio Committee at Tradition Capital Management.  Mr. Heslin earned a BS degree from Siena College in 2004 and is currently a level I Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) candidate.

Maureen McNellis Gibson
Vice President
Maureen is a Vice President of Tradition.  She was responsible for the transition of Haven clients to Tradition Capital Management.  She will continue to add her expertise in management, business development, compliance and client relations to Tradition’s expanding client base and investment products.  Prior to joining Tradition, Maureen was a Principal and founding member of Haven Capital Management.  She coordinated Haven’s general administration, business development, and compliance.  Maureen began her career at the General Electric Pension Trust and joined Goldman, Sachs & Co. as part of the group that formed Haven’s predecessor. Maureen graduated from Pace University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management.

Michael C. Provine, J.D., LL.M
Managing Director
Mr. Provine is a principal and portfolio manager of Tradition Capital Management.  He is also a member of the Investment Committee and the Portfolio Committee.  He works with clients to design and implement investment strategies for their portfolios.  Mr. Provine also works with clients to make certain their trust and estate plans are designed to best carry out their wishes as he did for the clients of Brundage, Story and Rose for the nine years prior to his founding Tradition Capital Management.  Mr. Provine utilizes his legal training for reviews of clients' financial, retirement and estate planning arrangements, and prepares recommendations for execution by their legal, accounting, and insurance professionals.  Mr. Provine was President of The Boston Safe Deposit and Trust Company of New York.  He earned a law degree and an advanced tax degree from Temple University and is a licensed attorney.  He is also a graduate of St. Joseph's University.  For over a quarter of a century, he has worked in the investment management business providing strategic planning and tax reviews.