Get to Know Our Team
Contact
Us
With us, you get the family experience.
Every person who places their trust in us understands that they will be supported by experts and friends who will help them overcome all of life’s difficulties.
Cooper Lufkin
Investment Service Administrator
Cooper, a Tampa, FL native, was immersed in sports from a young age, playing football, soccer, and baseball throughout his childhood. His aptitude for numbers was evident early on, excelling in math throughout his academic career. After graduating from Jesuit High School in 2020, Cooper enrolled at Florida State University to pursue a degree in Sport Management. However, after his freshman year, he realized his passion for math and investments would be better suited to a career in finance, prompting a shift in his academic path.
In the summer of 2023, Cooper gained valuable experience through an internship at Tom and CJ’s firm. After a brief connection, CJ offered him a role as an intern/administrative assistant, where he worked closely with CJ during client meetings while completing his senior year at FSU. In March 2024, Cooper was promoted to Investment Servicing Administrator, a position he held after graduating from Florida State in May 2024.
Cooper is now on track to become a financial advisor on Tom and CJ’s team. He is actively studying for his Series 7 and 66 exams, having already passed the 2-15 and SIE exams. His work with Tom and CJ over the past year and a half has sparked a genuine passion for helping clients not only prepare for retirement but also navigate financial decisions with greater ease. Cooper has witnessed firsthand the gratitude clients express for Tom and CJ’s life-changing guidance and continues to be inspired by their impact.
Outside of work, Cooper enjoys watching sports, playing golf, spending time with friends, and has recently taken up the acoustic guitar, which he plans to master. He lives by the mantra, “Strive for excellence with humility.
Claudette Pombo
Marketing Assistant
Claudette Pombo is the Marketing Assistant for The Next Step Planning Group and Florida Veterinary Advisors, a position she began in January 2025.
With over a decade of experience in digital marketing, Claudette’s career began with a marketing degree from the University of Johannesburg, followed by an internship at Apple in South Africa. She further honed her skills at a branding agency in Philadelphia, where she developed a strong passion for strategic digital content marketing.
In 2023, Claudette took the leap to found her own digital marketing agency, where she focused on helping small businesses grow their online presence. After the successful operation of her agency, she transitioned into her current role to continue leveraging her expertise in a new and exciting capacity.
Claudette is also a proud mother to her daughter, Golden. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her daughter, husband, and her two dogs, Mimi and Kuku. She is also passionate about reading, dancing, and singing karaoke.
Taylor Brooks
Marketing Project Assistant
Bio coming soon!
Jennifer Rosenberg
Office Manager
Jennifer was born in Pennsylvania. She grew up studying piano, dance, skiing, swimming, and as a teenager studied the French and Russian languages. She graduated from East Stroudsburg University with a degree in English, specializing in writing, with a communication minor. She relocated to Florida in 2005. Prior to joining Florida Veterinary Advisors as Practice Manager, Jennifer was a litigation paralegal to a board-certified civil trial attorney/managing firm partner for almost 18 years, where she honed her skills managing time-sensitive, confidential client matters with the utmost professionalism. Jennifer is a film, fashion, travel, history, and astronomy enthusiast who lives with her husband Ross, two daughters, and far too many pets.
Brendan Remus
Investment Service Administrator
Bio Coming Soon!
Alexi Meggison
Marketing Project Assistant
Bio Coming Soon!
Kyle Freiermuht
Investment Service Administrator
Bio Coming Soon!
Tom Seeko, CExP™
Co-Founder, Financial Advisor, Podcast Host
Tom Seeko was born in Edison, NJ and his parents relocated to Homosassa, FL at a young age. He grew up participating in Boy Scouts, playing soccer for a decade, learned to play the clarinet and alto saxophone, and graduated from the University of South Florida with a degree in finance. The financial knowledge that Tom has built up expands from income protection, debt repayment, business planning, and several other topics.
Tom lives with his wife, Patricia, and their Maltipoo, Theodore. During the past few years, education has become a large focal point for Tom, and he strives to educate himself around psychology, business, leadership, self-development, and communication.
Tom’s focus within the Veterinary field started in 2014 and became approved to provide continuing education in the state of Florida in 2017. In an effort to reach more people, he became an approved RACE provider through the AAVSB in early 2018. Right now, Tom and his team are involved within several associations in the state of Florida, VetPartners, and the VBMA (Veterinary Business Management Association) that provides students in the Veterinary field with resources and access to professionals to help them with solid advice to jump start their career.
Registered Representative and Financial Advisor of Park Avenue Securities and Financial Representative of Guardian.
CA Insurance License #0K80141
CJ Burnett, CExP™
Co-Founder, Financial Advisor, Podcast Host
CJ Burnett, CExP, is an owner and financial advisor with The Next Step Planning Group and Florida Veterinary Advisors. He also hosts The Smarter Vet Podcast, which discusses a wide range of financial topics for veterinarians.
In 2024, he authored a book: “Unleashed: The Financial Clarity Every Veterinarian Needs.”
In 2022, CJ was invited to join a board of a dozen advisors that produces educational content for financial advisors across the United States. When speaking at financial advisor conferences, he reaches nearly 1,700 financial advisors annually to educate them on unique planning concepts, financial market conditions, and rarely known business owner strategies. He also gives talks to financial advisor firms throughout the year.
For the last decade, he has been a licensed financial advisor and has been paid to speak at conferences for financial advisors and veterinarians. Growing up as a violin performer and fiddle player, being on a stage has always been comfortable for him. He speaks and teaches on financial topics at Universities, Churches, and Association groups all across the United States.
While at veterinary conferences, his goal is to give uncommon financial guidance and deliver presentations that change the way attendees think about financial topics. If he can change their thinking so that financial decisions are easy, then they can spend time doing other, more productive things (and not waste time wondering if they are on the right financial path).
Although he is an analyst at heart, CJ enjoys working directly with people. In 2011, he started his business, The Next Step Planning Group. Over the years, CJ, a Certified Exit Planner, has successfully worked with business owners on structuring a financial plan that gives them the most control over the results they are after. CJ does not want to only help people with their financial plans; he wants to change what’s possible for them and show them how to master the “short game” so they can win the “long game.” CJ also enjoys working with clients on their charitable giving goals. He works with them to structure a plan to minimize the tax impact on them and maximize the impact they can make when giving money to 501(c)(3) entities.
CJ is a Registered Representative and Financial Advisor of Park Avenue Securities LLC (PAS). Securities products and advisory services are offered through PAS, member FINRA, and SIPC. Financial Representative of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (Guardian), New York, NY. PAS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Guardian. The Next Step Planning Group and Florida Veterinary Advisors is not an affiliate or subsidiary of PAS or Guardian. California Insurance License #0K79676. AR Insurance License #16257929. Florida Veterinary Advisors is not registered in any state or with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as a Registered Investment Advisor. The individuals associated with Florida Veterinary Advisors do not maintain specialized licenses or qualifications for the financial services provided to veterinary professionals. 7000686.1 Exp 9/26
Isabel Kane
Director of Operations
Isabel Kane was born in Boynton Beach, Florida, and grew up in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. After volunteering with the San Francisco De Asis Sanctuary for five years, she discovered her passion for animals. In 2009, her family moved to the Tampa Bay area. Since her time in Florida, Isabel has worked at different animal locations such as Paw Prints in Land O’ Lakes and currently fosters kittens with the Pasco Animal Shelter.
Isabel is a focused individual with a constant learning attitude. She graduated top 10% of her class as Magna Cum Laude at Land O’ Lakes High School and currently going to school for Business Management. She is considered a Business Specialist and has obtained her Life, Health, and Variable Annuities License for the state of Florida.
She enjoys playing the piano with her mother, spending time with her family, and playing video games with her siblings in her downtime. She lives in Carrollwood with her partner of 4 years, their three cats – Everly, Rogue, and Willie – and two dogs – Mozart and Schumann.
Dee Dee Mackenzie
Investment Service Administrator
Dee Dee Mackenzie was born and raised in Princeton, New Jersey. She actively participated in sports while growing up and was a member of her local youth group and Girl Scouts. As a teenager, she was a volunteer for Special Olympics, YMCA, and Big Brothers/Big Sisters. This involvement gave Dee Dee a deep passion for charitable work.
Dee Dee attended Ursinus College in the Philadelphia area and graduated with a BA in Economics and Business Administration. Her desire to maintain an active lifestyle year-round led to her decision to move to Florida to escape the cold temperatures of the northeast. She met her husband Aaron in Florida and now has two beautiful school-age daughters plus a rescue dog. Her family’s financial stability, both now and in the future, is one of her main motivators towards investing. Dee Dee views investing as constantly evolving and welcomes the learning process to achieve financial goals both for her family and clients.
Currently, Dee Dee sits on the Board of Directors of Hope Effect Tampa. The mission of Hope Effect Tampa is to help the under-resourced with food and clothing along with providing a quality preschool education targeting single-parent families. Dee Dee is honored to serve on the Board where the mission aligns with her personal lifelong passions.