Get to know my dedicated team

Each of us are committed to providing exceptional service. If you need to schedule an appointment, request service, or have a question about a policy or account, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Photo of Founder and CEO Robert Blake Butler

Robert Blake Butler

B.S., B.A., CLTC®

Founder and CEO

Blake Butler, originally from Demopolis, AL, is a 2005 graduate of The University of Alabama at Huntsville with a degree in Finance and Investments. While pursuing his degree, he was a member of the UAH Chargers baseball team. After graduation, Blake started his career in the Wealth Management and Financial Planning industry with Northwestern Mutual in the Birmingham, AL office. In 2013, Blake moved to Tuscaloosa, AL to help open the The Northwestern Mutual office located there.

The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors named him one of the Top Advisors Under 40 in The State of Alabama, he is a member of The Million Dollar Round Table and has been appointed to The Advisory Council by Fidelity Investments.

In his spare time, Blake enjoys traveling, Alabama Football, hunting and fishing.

Photo of Office Manager Brittany Butler

Brittany Butler

Office Manager

Brittany Butler is the wife to Blake Butler. She is a Tuscaloosa native, and a 2008 graduate from the University of Alabama with a degree in Consumer Affairs and Public Administration. Brittany joined our team in November 2021 and brings 12 years of knowledge and experience with the Social Security Administration. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter Berkeley, fitness, traveling, hunting, and interior design. Brittany looks forward to assisting clients. 

Photo of Client Relations Manager Mary Beth Pike

Mary Beth Pike

Client Relations Manager

Mary Beth, a Tuscaloosa native, brings with her 17 years of expertise in customer service and sales, making her an asset to the team. The University of Alabama gave her a strong foundation in education and a connection to the local community.

Mary Beth cherishes her role as a wife to her husband Jeremy and a loving mother to their two children, Knox and Ann Loper. She finds great joy in spending quality time with her family, engaging in activities such as cooking and exploring together, fostering a sense of togetherness.

Photo of Financial Representative Assistant Marion R. Stevens Jr.

Marion R. Stevens Jr.

Financial Representative Assistant

Marion Stevens is originally from Glen Allan, Mississippi.  He earned his B.A. in Communication from Spring Hill College in 1992, his M.A. in Communication from the University of South Alabama in 1994, and his MLIS in Library and Information Studies from The University of Alabama in 2007.  Prior to joining our team in September 2023, Marion worked at The University of Alabama and Easterseals West Alabama.

Outside of work, Marion enjoys spending time with his wife Amanda and his two children, Emily and Palmer.  His interests include technology, international politics/relations, and travel.

Photo of Research Analyst Casey Sanders

Casey Sanders

Research Analyst

Casey Sanders is a Tuscaloosa native with over 12 years experience in the financial industry. Casey has a strong aptitude for developing and implementing profitable trading and tax saving strategies. In 2021 he started managing his own portfolio full time and is now eager to help clients achieve financial success.

Casey is a husband to Kate Sanders and dad to Miriam. He enjoys 9 round workouts, hiking, and camping with friends

Photo of Associate Financial Advisor Frances Taupeka

Frances Taupeka

Associate Financial Advisor

Frances is a native of Mobile, AL and graduated Magna Cum Laude from The University of Alabama in 2018 with a business degree. She began her career with Northwestern Mutual in the summer of 2017 as a college intern and returned after graduation. Outside of the office she enjoys spending time with her dogs: Merida & Beanie, pool days in the Alabama summers, and trips to Disney World.

Photo of Director of Client Services Bailey Alexander Vance

Bailey Alexander Vance

Director of Client Services

Bailey, originally from Birmingham Alabama, graduated from the University of Alabama in 2024 with a degree in Finance. He is looking forward to applying his skills in client services to the financial industry. Outside of the office Bailey enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing golf, and Alabama football

Professional

I'm committed to helping you get closer to your dreams. When you partner with me, you can expect a judgment-free, pressure-free environment with conversations that will be jargon-free. I strive to provide you the best experience possible.

Awards and Recognition

  • National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors Quality Award (2012)
    • Award recognizing commitment to excellence in service to clients and industry

Personal

Blake resides in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. In his free time he enjoys hunting at Canterbury Farms, fishing, Alabama football, and spending time with his friends and family.

Lending a hand in my community.

As part of Northwestern Mutual, I'm proud to help accelerate the search for better childhood cancer treatments while supporting families undergoing treatment, and survivors from late effects. Here are some of the organizations we partner with:

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer (ALSF)

ALSF funds cancer research, raises awareness, and supports the families of children with cancer. Since 2012, Northwestern Mutual, its employees, and financial professionals like me have donated more than $20 million to support ALSF and fund over 400,000 research hours.

Visit partner website

Alex's Lemonade Stand logo

Beads of Courage

Beads of Courage is an art-in-medicine program that helps kids with cancer tell their unique treatment story through colorful beads that are symbols of their courage.

Visit partner website

Beads of Courage logo

Here are my areas of expertise

Wealth Management

Financial Planning

Investment Planning & Strategies

Tax-Efficient Strategies

Retirement Planning & Income Strategies

Charitable Planning

Education Planning & Funding

Advisory Services

How Northwestern Mutual helps you live the life you want.

When people feel better about their money, good things happen—they become more confident and feel more secure. For more than 160 years, Northwestern Mutual has helped people achieve the financial flexibility they need to live more and worry less.

Being a mutual company means Northwestern Mutual reports to its clients, not Wall Street. They don't believe in chasing fads or taking undue risk for short-term gains. Instead, they take a long-term approach—both in the way we help people plan to reach their goals, and in the way they do business. This has served their clients (and mine) well through all kinds of economic ups and downs, including wars, recessions, even the recent pandemic.

It's why I'm happy to be part of a company that's in it for the long-haul and prioritizes clients over profit.

Downtown Milwaukee, WI Skyline