Lucas Beggin CPA, CFP®
Luke is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Financial Planner™ and Wealth Advisor with Lucas Group Financial Advisors. He also is an Executive Partner with Lucas Group CPAs.
He holds a Business degree in Accounting from Western Illinois University, is a graduate from the Highland Leadership Institute and is an Army veteran. Luke has become one of his clients’ most trusted advisors through his role as a CPA since 2004. After Luke and Dick Lamm started their own accounting firm in 2010, they found that many of their clients also had financial questions. This led Dick and Luke to add our Financial Advisors division in 2014. Today, Luke specializes in helping clients incorporate tax planning into their financial plan and investment management. He particularly works with business owners, both as they build their firm, and when they are ready to sell or transition the business.
Luke serves on the Freeport Public Library board, Parkview Home board, Highland Community College Foundation board, is an active member in his local VFW Post and volunteering in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program. Luke is married to Kimberly and has three daughters, Grace, Elise and Lauren.
Kate Downing CFP®, CDFA®
Kate is a Certified Financial Planner™, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst®, and a Partner and Wealth Advisor with Lucas Group Financial Advisors.
Kate holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, graduating Summa Cum Laude in the class of 2014. She entered the financial planning profession because she wanted to have a positive impact on the lives of others, helping them to fulfill their financial goals and protect their families. She specializes in building broad-based financial plans, with emphasis on retirement and estate planning.
At UW-Whitewater, Kate competed on the NCAA Women’s Bowling Team, making the Elite Eight in 2013 and the Final Four in 2014. She still enjoys bowling both recreationally and competitively. She and her husband also enjoy tennis, board games, and traveling. They have two young daughters and look forward to taking them on new adventures.
Andrew Stewart CPA
Andrew is a Certified Public Accountant and Wealth Advisor with Lucas Group Financial Advisors, and tax supervisor with Lucas Group CPAs.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Business Administration from Rockford University. He has over 15 years of experience in tax consulting and services at a regional CPA firm and specializes in all aspects of tax planning for both individual and business clients at Lucas Group.
Andrew currently volunteers as a youth football coach and lives with his wife, Casey and his two children, Aubrey and Brody in Freeport.
Jeff Wallem CFP®
Jeff Wallem is a Certified Financial Planner™ and a Partner and Wealth Advisor with Lucas Group Financial Advisors.
Jeff is a long time resident of Northern Illinois. After graduating from high school in Rockford, he received a Bachelors degree from Northern Illinois University, and an MBA from Northwestern University. Jeff has industry experience in agricultural equipment/heavy trucks (International Harvester Co., now Navistar), and in aerospace (Sundstrand Corporation, now Collins Aerospace/RTX). Jeff joined his parents in the financial advisory business in 1994, working at Wallem Associates, Inc with his father (Paul Wallem) until Paul's retirement in 2011. Jeff and Mike Sullivan became partners in 2012, then Wallem Associates merged with Lucas Group in 2025.
A licensed pilot and aircraft owner, Jeff volunteers at the Vintage Wings and Wheels Museum, EAA Chapter 1414 and the aviation explorer post at Poplar Grove. He has also held past leadership positions with the United Methodist foundation of Northern Illinois, the NIU College of Business Board of Executive Advisors, and the Alpine Kiwanis Club of Rockford.
Jeff and his wife Cheryl, an artist and retired teacher, live in Boone County, Illinois with their two rescue dogs. They have two married daughters, and three granddaughters.
Michael Sullivan CPA, CFP®
Michael is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Financial Planner™ and Wealth Advisor with Lucas Group Financial Advisors.
Michael has been a Rockford resident since 1981 when he moved to Rockford after an enlistment in the Army and enrolled in Rockford College, now Rockford University where he received both his B.A. in Business Administration and MBA with a Finance emphasis. He earned his Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation in 1990 and Certified Financial Planner (CFP) in 1994. He has worked as a Financial Advisor since 1994, operating his own Accounting/Financial Advisory practice from 1994 until 2012, when he joined Wallem Associates. In 2025, Wallem Associates joined with Lucas Group Financial Advisors, where Michael continues to provide financial planning, tax, and investment advice to his clients.
Mike has been married to Ady Sullivan for over 40 years and has two adult sons, Sean and Patrick, and three grandchildren. When he is not focused on the financial world, Mike enjoys outdoor activities and travel.
Todd Reno
Todd holds a bachelor's degree in Finance and Business Administration from the Forbes School of Business at Ashford University. He has been interested in financial planning since college, so was excited to join Lucas Group in January 2023 after coming from the commercial real estate sector. He is currently taking additional finance courses in pursuit of the Certified Financial Planner™ designation.
While in college, Todd bowled and played baseball. He still bowls competitively as well as playing softball, and is active in the local running and CrossFit community. Originally from the Chicago suburbs, Todd settled in Byron with his wife Brooke and their two dogs. They welcomed their first child, Caroline, in Fall 2022 and their second, Todd Jr, in Fall 2024.
Aaron Scibona
Aaron is the Firm Administrator of Lucas Group CPAs + Advisors and Lucas Group Financial. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) degree in Finance and a Masters of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree from The University of Iowa – Tippie College of Business. Aaron has over a decade of experience in banking, wealth management, and startup companies. His disciplines are within financial and investment management, treasury, business operations and strategy, and human resources.
Brittany Fenwick
Brittany was born and raised in Freeport, IL. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture & Consumer Economics with a business minor. She and her husband Nolan live in Freeport and have two sons.
Professionally, Brittany spent several years as a claims adjuster for personal and commercial auto policies. Prior to this, she worked in retail management and as a Sales & Marketing Director for an assisted living community. As the Client Service Professional, Brittany will assist our financial advisors and their clients with account updates, service items, and answering inquiries.
Brittany loves watching sports, rooting for the Packers and White Sox fan while her husband cheers for the Bears and Cubs. She's also an avid reader, enjoying historical and contemporary romances. She loves taking photos and has an appreciation for photography. Brittany loves plants, but admits that she was not blessed with a green thumb, so prefers to have a lot of faux plants around the house.
Kris Kanaval
Kris is a graduate of Augustana College (Rock Island, Illinois) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting and Business. She has diverse professional work experience including public accounting, commercial real estate, and fastener manufacturing, prior to joining the financial services industry in 1997. She has 28 years of experience providing administrative support to financial advisors, delivering exceptional customer service, ensuring smooth office operations and positive client relationships.
Kris resides in Roscoe, Illinois with her husband Mike and labrador Otis. She has two adult sons, Joey and Jack, and recently welcomed her first grandson, Jaxtyn. Kris loves biking, hiking, kayaking, and boating and is passionate about her flower gardens in the spring and summer. She is also an avid Cubs, Bears and Kentucky Derby fan.
