Paul Ludacka is the founder and fearless leader of Ludacka Wealth Partners. If you ask Paul the secret to his success throughout his 26-year career with Northwestern Mutual, he’d say: Relationships. Life is ALL about relationships. Paul has spent his career intentionally building amazing relationships with amazing people.

Since 1997, Paul & Ludacka Wealth Partners are honored to have received the recognition of five-time Top 20 Financial Advisor in Northwestern Mutual; 18-time FORUM qualifier, including the past 14 straight years; and a five-time Top 10 5-Star Pathfinder. For four consecutive years (2021-2024), Forbes Magazine named Paul Ludacka a Top 20 Financial Security Professional within the U.S. and No.1 Best in State for Nebraska.

Paul and his extraordinary wife, Sarah, are raising five beautiful children: Four “bad” boys and one perfect little girl. Their two oldest, Jacob and Will, are studying hard at Grand Canyon University, working for a master’s and undergraduate degree, respectively. Meanwhile, their daughter, sweet Ellie Mae, recently started at Texas Christian University as a freshman. Their two youngest sons, Luke and Joshua, are both in high school, excelling in the classroom and athletics.

Acts 20:35 says, “it is more blessed to give than to receive,” and we believe we’re blessed to be a blessing to others. Paul, his family, and Ludacka Wealth Partners are actively involved in serving the Omaha community and partnering with charitable organizations worldwide, including The Open Door Mission, ABIDE, Planet Water, Youth For Christ, The Navy SEAL Foundation, Children’s Hospital Omaha, and Folds of Honor.

Paul unapologetically loves his country, loves his family, and loves his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

David Spiess joins Ludacka Wealth Partners with over a quarter-century of experience helping high net worth families manage and protect their wealth. He excels at financial planning implementation with the ability to communicate complex concepts and ideas in a way that is relatable and understandable.

Prior to his current role, David worked at Charles Schwab for 25 years.

David began his career in Phoenix and settled in the Omaha area in 2003. He feels strongly that what our weather lacks in temperature each winter (as compared to Arizona) is more than compensated by the openness, values, and warmth of the people in Omaha.

When not working with clients, David and his wife, Anne, and sons, Gabriel and Alexander, enjoy spending time at home, cooking, traveling, and going to the movies.

Jared Rohrer joined Ludacka Wealth Partners in 2010, bringing a high-level skill set to our firm. As Director of Investment Services, Jared is responsible for onboarding clients, including maintaining an efficient system for our clients’ account follow-up and servicing. He also prepares reports, assists in analyzing our clients’ portfolios, and primarily supports our 401(k) business. He thrives on the highly analytical work he does for our firm, and with his engaging personality, he is a tremendous asset in client meetings, as well.

Jared graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and sport management from Nebraska Wesleyan University. He earned his MBA from the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

In his free time, Jared is passionate about Habitat for Humanity and Youth For Christ and serving whenever he can.

Jared and his wife, Taylor, have two children and enjoy spending any free time with family and golfing when they can. He also loves catching a movie when possible and is a huge Nebraska Husker football fan.

Jeovany Zelaya joined Ludacka Wealth Partners in April 2021 as Director of Investments. His responsibilities range from market analysis and investor education to managing a robust growth strategy. He works with our investment team in managing client portfolios and communicating the firm’s investment philosophy and process.

You’ll find Jeovany around the office reading annual 10ks, prospectus on funds, and white papers on financial planning and investment planning best practices. He loves sharing with our clients and his fellow team members the latest and greatest of the financial world.

Jeovany was previously the Head of Due Diligence at Orion Portfolio Solutions, conducting due diligence on money managers across different asset classes and regions. Before this role, he was at CLS Investments and worked as a client portfolio manager communicating with financial advisors on the firm’s investment strategies. He also worked as an investment analyst on an international and income fund that managed over $1B in assets.

Jeovany earned his MBA from the University of Nebraska-Omaha and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Houston, majoring in marketing and minoring in finance. He is a CFA® charter holder and earned his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® designation. He is also a board member at Live On Nebraska.

Beyond work, Jeovany enjoys time with his family, traveling, reading, and competing in Spartan Races.

Kurtis Kammerer joined Ludacka Wealth Partners in 2013. Starting as an intern, he has spent 10 years with our firm and most recently acts as Director of Operations. Kurtis helps oversee client service, insurance operations, and retirement planning. His work for the team adds diversity to clients’ financial planning and wealth management portfolios by providing plans that help protect income and a family’s financial future. Kurtis’ unfailing work ethic and unmatched attention to detail make him highly respected and integral to our firm.

Kurtis regularly helps our clients understand that life insurance isn’t only beneficial for its death benefit but also for tax efficiency and collateral benefits. His expertise is vital in helping our clients see how life insurance can and should play a role in their overall financial planning.

Kurtis earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

Outside of work, Kurtis enjoys spending time with his wife, Maddy, and their son, John. He also loves woodworking and is a Husker fan. Recently, he built his own workshop and enjoys making furniture for friends and family.

Mike Leatherman brings extensive experience in strategic planning and operations management to our team at Ludacka Wealth Partners. As our CEO, he leads our client relationship strategy, drives team operations, and oversees our firm growth in the areas of revenue, business acquisitions and partnerships. His leadership is key to building our effective team and upholding our values of integrity and impact.

Mike graduated from Buena Vista University, where he remains involved as a member of the Board of Trustees. He and his wife, Mary Kay, along with their three adult children, are active in local charity work, including volunteering at the Sienna Francis House.

In his free time, Mike enjoys golf, Nebraska football, and spending time with his family and their dogs, Shasta and Herbie. His positive approach and commitment to our firm’s mission make him a vital part of our family and LWP community.

Brett Jackson joined Ludacka Wealth Partners as Director of Strategic Development in 2020. He focuses on strategic planning, operations, finance, human resources, and the firm’s philanthropic ventures.

Brett brings over 30 years of experience in financial, operating, and human resources leadership roles in various industries, including banking, real estate, recruiting, public accounting, and private equity.  Brett graduated from Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in finance and economics.

With a passion for developing young people, Brett has served for 17 years on the board of the Suburban Athletic Association and was a 25-year volunteer classroom instructor for Junior Achievement. He also joined the board of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in 2022.

Brett and his wife, Amy, are active parishioners at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church and have raised five children, who are now scattered coast to coast. In his spare time, he is an avid reader, enjoys traveling in the U.S. and Europe, faithfully follows his pro and college sports teams, and collects vintage baseball cards.

Carsten Murgas joined Ludacka Wealth Partners as an intern in May 2022, and by the fall, he transitioned to the full-time role of Financial Planning Analyst. Like his teammates, Carsten is passionate about helping our clients achieve financial freedom and live out their dreams. His primary responsibility is to assist and learn from our lead advisors. His specific duties include helping build client case prep, running financial blueprints, and ensuring the execution of each client's needs.

Carsten is a proud Chicago native. He moved to the Big O to attend Creighton University, where he recently graduated with a degree in Financial Planning.

Outside the office, Carsten loves spending time with his college sweetheart, Kiara, and binging on sports. He is a self-proclaimed "sports junky" and loves to attend live games whenever given the opportunity. His favorite sports to watch are soccer, football, and basketball. His favorite teams to cheer on include Arsenal FC, the Chicago Bears, and, of course, the Creighton Bluejays. Carsten also enjoys working out and living a healthy lifestyle.

Bryan Botkin joined Ludacka Wealth Partners in June 2023 as Financial Planning Analyst. In this role, he assists in case prep, recording client meeting minutes, data transcriptions, and anything in between to best support our firm’s advisors in providing excellent service. Bryan is passionate about doing whatever it takes for his teammates and our clients.

Bryan’s prior professional experience includes business analytics at NCITE, a counterterrorism research center located at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He has also held manager roles in the food service and transportation industry.

A UNO graduate, Bryan achieved a Bachelor of Science in economics, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in management, and a dual minor in math and Spanish. He secured his master’s degree in economics during the Summer of 2023. Bryan has also earned the honor of summa cum laude for all his degrees.

Outside work, Bryan enjoys playing tennis and the piano, cooking, and caring for the 15 fish in his 55-gallon aquarium.