Founder and Principal, Morton Brown Family Wealth
Dennis Morton, a Baltimore native and Army veteran, lived a transient life for many years before choosing to settle in the Lehigh Valley 17 years ago. He and his wife, Gina, had originally planned to stay in the Lehigh Valley for only a few years, but their passion for the region and its people enticed them to plant their roots.
Dennis sealed the deal when he and his business partner Kathryn Brown (also not a native to the area) started their own company in the region called Morton Brown Family Wealth, a Registered Investment Advisor providing financial planning and investment services for individuals and families.
“We had been building this business and building relationships, and we looked around and said, ‘Why would we leave the Lehigh Valley? What are we leaving here to find?’” reflected Dennis. “‘Are we going to be trading it for more traffic, lower quality of life, and everything else?’ We realized this is the place we wanted to be.”
Dennis and Katie launched their firm in April 2018 and are now celebrating its 3rd anniversary. The two had been business partners previously at another wealth management firm in the Lehigh Valley before deciding to build a financial firm like no other with a unique vision of creating a community of clients and professionals leading purposeful lives through the stewardship of wealth.
“Really, who starts a relationship-based business in a town where they don’t know anyone?” he said. “But the Lehigh Valley has been so welcoming and has been so receptive to the work that Katie and I have put in, that our families have put in. That ability to be receptive makes this place so unique and so special. That’s why we didn’t want to leave.”
Morton Brown Family Wealth has been named Top Wealth Management Firm by Lehigh Valley Business for the past two years. Dennis credits the “tremendous” support from the Lehigh Valley community to the firm’s success, with many regional companies and professionals interested in collaborating with his team.
Morton Brown Family Wealth is located at 600 W. Hamilton Street, Suite 300, inside the 12-floor Tower 6 built by City Center Allentown. The first glass and steel building constructed by the developer in the city, Dennis said its floor-to-ceiling windows and glass architecture perfectly captures the firm’s spirit of transparency and openness.
For over a decade, Dennis worked at larger financial firms and saw the need for something different in the advisor space. “We have a very mission-oriented job to help families make decisions about money,” he said. “The name Morton Brown Family Wealth is very intentional. We help families build a healthy, intentional relationship with money. We want the community to know that we’re doing something meaningful here.”
Dennis is no stranger to the idea of intentional leadership. Prior to his career in finance, Dennis served as a captain in the U.S. Army and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his service in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is a committed leader in his community, serving on nonprofit boards and supporting community organizations including his most recent appointment as President of the Minsi Trails Council, Boy Scouts of America. He is a past recipient of Lehigh Valley Business’ “Forty Under 40” award. He also has created a podcast called “Leading with Purpose.” Morton has four kids between the ages 5 and 15, and he said they love the Lehigh Valley just as much as their parents do. They have all enjoyed discovering what the region has to offer, including family adventures in the Lehigh Parkway, local youth sports such as lacrosse and swimming, and festivals like Bethlehem’s Musikfest.
“The Lehigh Valley is a great place to raise a family,” Dennis said. “It’s really been a phenomenal place to discover and feed our passions.” Clearly Dennis takes this to heart as he fosters his own passion for music and the guitar, going as far as playing open mic nights at Miller Symphony Hall where local hobbyist musicians show what they can do.
When it comes to Morton Brown Family Wealth, Dennis has no doubts about the firm’s potential for growth. With a rapidly growing team and client base, Dennis and Katie look forward to what the future holds. “Owning a business in the Lehigh Valley means we get the unique opportunity to serve our neighbors, friends, and community, all while raising our own families in this diverse region,” concluded Dennis.
Live like a local:
Favorite spring activity: Running the Trexler Border Trail and camping out with the Boy Scouts
Favorite local haunt: Tavern on Liberty
Favorite spot for the whole family: Skiing at Bear Creek
What’s the part of Lehigh Valley surprised you the most since you moved here?
The diversity and variety of locations and offerings in the region. Drive a few miles in one direction and you can find great parks, trails, and open spaces. But go a few miles in another direction and you can find cities with rich histories, iconic attractions, and exciting night life. And the ability to experience it all in a single day is just amazing.