Mission Team

Bridget O'Brien Swartz, Vice President & Fiduciary Counsel, recently came to Mission from the practice of law, most recently serving as Senior Counsel at the law firm of Dyer, Bregman & Ferris, PLLC in Phoenix, Arizona. Bridget's law practice of over 25 years primarily focused in the area of special needs law, including but not limited to assisting clients with public benefits eligibility issues, personal injury settlement planning, guardianship and conservatorship, as well as special needs trust drafting and administration. At Mission, Bridget will be facilitating the expansion of its footprint in Arizona and the development of trust services beyond the traditional to include settlement planning and related trusts such as qualified settlement funds, special needs trusts and settlement preservation trusts.

Originally from Duluth, Minnesota, Bridget obtained her undergraduate degree from Notre Dame, and her law degree as well as a Master's in Public Administration from ASU. She is a Certified Elder Law Attorney certified by the National Elder Law Foundation and a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). She remains actively involved in national attorney organizations such as the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) as an Officer and the Special Needs Alliance. Bridget O'Brien Swartz also acts as Adjunct Faculty for the LL.M. in Elder Law Program at Stetson University's College of Law and at Arizona State University's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law.

Cynthia Wahlin, J.D., Vice President, oversees the Trust Administration Team and serves as an administrator of personal trusts, special needs trusts, and investment and custody accounts for individuals, non-profits and captive insurance companies. Cynthia is a member of the Illinois State Bar. She received her Juris Doctor from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and her B.A. from Baylor University. Cynthia is a certified mediator, collaborative law professional, and an Arizona licensed fiduciary. Prior to joining Mission, Cynthia worked as a domestic mediator while administrating a behavioral health practice. Her previous positions include Trust and Estate Administrator for Bank One, and Vice President of Private Banking and Personal Trust for First Hawaiian Bank. Cynthia values her Trust Officer position because it provides a venue through which she can apply her professional expertise and personal attributes to serve clients and trust beneficiaries.

David L. Gryp, Director of Market Development, holds joint roles as the Arizona Market President of Notre Dame Federal Credit Union and Director of Market Development at Mission Management & Trust Co.

Throughout his 15-year career, David has focused on growing the trust and estate management business for banks and trust companies. As a Certified Trust and Financial Advisor, David demonstrates his commitment to maintaining the highest ethical standards and retaining a firm grasp of financial and trust related topics through continuing education.

Prior to this role, David was Arizona President of Private Wealth Management for a bank in Phoenix, Arizona, where he was responsible for leading a team of trust officers, portfolio managers, personal bankers, and commercial lenders.

David holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Liberal Studies from Holy Cross College. He currently sits on the Professional Advisory Board of the Catholic Community Foundation.

Susan L. Ernsky, President, oversees day-to-day company operations and is a member of the Client Advisory and Portfolio teams. She joined Mission in 1996 after serving as regional manager and Tucson bank president at Citibank and Norwest Bank, respectively. Susan earned a B.A. and M.B.A. from the University of Arizona. Community minded, she was Chairman of the Board for TMC HealthCare and served on its captive insurance subsidiary board. A recipient of numerous awards, including the Women on the Move Award from the YMCA, Susan values working with a team that really cares about its clients. Earning her clients’ trust and confidence is the most rewarding aspect of her time with Mission.

Sonia Carrillo, Account Administrator - As a member of the Client Advisory team, Sonia is actively involved in client service, ensuring accessibility and responsiveness for our clients.  She performs a range of administrative responsibilities and helps oversee smooth office operations.  Prior to joining Mission, Sonia spent six years in international and domestic private banking, then 24 years in the brokerage services industry.  She thrives when working closely with clients and helping them achieve their goals.

Marilú Castaño, Account Administrator, supports Mission's Client Advisory team by aiding in the overall maintenance of accounts. She was first introduced to Mission by working as an intern for the Consulate of Costa Rica, and was later hired as Office Manager and Executive Assistant. Marilú graduated with Honors from The University of Arizona, earning a B.S. in Business Administration and International Business, and a Minor in Spanish. Since the age of six she has enjoyed dancing with Ballet Folklórico San Juan and now with Ballet Folklórico Arizona. She and her husband love traveling to new places and spending time with their two young sons.

Bernadette Cronen, Trust Administrator, is a member of the Trust Administration Team.  Bernadette serves in the administration of fiduciary accounts, including personal trusts, special needs trusts, and trust and estate settlements.  Prior to relocating to Tucson from New Mexico, Bernadette worked as a Trust Associate with Zia Trust where she assisted in the administration of numerous fiduciary accounts of various complexities.  Bernadette is a paralegal and has many years of experience in the legal field, in addition to office administration and customer service.  For recreation and leisure, Bernadette enjoys spending quality time with family and friends, enjoying nature, gardening, and reading.

Susan L. Ernsky, President, oversees day-to-day company operations and is a member of the Client Advisory and Portfolio teams. She joined Mission in 1996 after serving as regional manager and Tucson bank president at Citibank and Norwest Bank, respectively. Susan earned a B.A. and M.B.A. from the University of Arizona. Community minded, she was Chairman of the Board for TMC HealthCare and served on its captive insurance subsidiary board. A recipient of numerous awards, including the Women on the Move Award from the YMCA, Susan values working with a team that really cares about its clients. Earning her clients’ trust and confidence is the most rewarding aspect of her time with Mission.

Thomas J. Feeney, Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer, has been professionally involved in asset management and investment consulting since 1969. He has worked with cities, states and major corporations, concentrating particularly on service to charitable and other not-for-profit organizations. In addition to his responsibilities at Mission, Tom was President of Mission’s predecessor firm, Marathon Asset Management Co., Inc. He was previously Executive Director of Stewardship Services, Inc. and a Senior Vice President of Atalanta/Sosnoff Capital Corporation. Prior to his investment career, Tom served on the faculties of the University of Santa Clara, St. Joseph’s College and Guadalupe College. In later years, he lectured on investments at the University of Notre Dame and Georgetown University. His own academic background includes an A.B. in Economics from Boston College, an M.B.A. degree from the University of Santa Clara, studies at the Stanford Law School and additional post-graduate work at the University of San Francisco. Tom’s community activities include fund development and pro bono consulting for non-profit organizations. An avid golfer today, he completed the famous Boston Marathon three times.

Kerry Sroczynski, Portfolio Manager and Director of Trade Operations, has core responsibility for portfolio monitoring and construction, equity and bond trading, cash management functions, and regulatory compliance. As the designated early bird of the office, he is in Mission’s office before and during market hours to monitor market activity and client portfolios. With a steady hand, Kerry weathered the stress of the 2007-2009 markets extremely well. He joined Mission in 2006 and has more than 30 years of financial service experience including positions at JPMorgan Chase Bank and several registered investment advisors. Kerry was the Director of Investor Relations for a Chicago commercial real estate firm, where he was solely responsible for managing over 7,500 investors. He entered the University of Illinois at Urbana as a salutatorian and earned a B.S. degree in Advertising.

Rashad Kelly, Portfolio Manager, is responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of Mission’s formularized, heavily quantitative investment models, including new data integration and model reporting.  He is actively involved in portfolio operations, portfolio accounting, securities custody integration, trading, and market surveillance. Rashad oversees the programming and development work for our proprietary stock selection model.  He recognizes the importance of disciplined processes in portfolio work for clients and assures that Mission’s processes work properly. Rashad holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Arizona and an A.B. from Pima Community College.

Thomas Gryp, Chairman/CEO, is also the President/CEO of Notre Dame Federal Credit Union. Spanning a financial services career of more than 40 years, Tom possesses a broad array of operational acumen with an emphasis in lending, technology, and investment management services.

Since joining Notre Dame FCU in 2010, Tom has led efforts to radically transform the credit union into a dynamic, entrepreneurial institution, with an extensive and growing national presence. His constant innovation earned him the CEO Trailblazer of the Year Award from Credit Union Times in 2016.

Prior to this role, Tom was Managing Director and Regional President of Northern Trust Corporation in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he was responsible for leading a team of commercial lenders, trust officers, portfolio managers, financial advisors, and personal bankers.

Tom holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Business Administration from Arizona State University.

Carmen Bermúdez is the Chairman Emerita and was the founder of Mission Management & Trust Co., established in 1994.  Over the past three decades, Carmen has received a great many honors, including:

• Woman of Enterprise – Avon Products, Waldorf Astoria, N.Y.
• The Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World – The Star Group with underwriter IBM, sponsored by Fortune, Chase Manhattan Private Bank, Goldman, Sachs & Co., Venice, Italy
• Hispanic Woman of the Year – Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Tucson, Arizona

Carmen has been featured in a number of publications, including: The New York Times column, “The Boss”; Fortune magazine’s Minority Business Enterprises Special Industry Report; and Arizona’s 48 Most Intriguing Women, by the Arizona Historical Society. Carmen has served on several boards including the Board of Trustees of Xavier University of Louisiana and currently the University of Arizona Foundation Board of Trustees. She is a member of Southern Arizona Leadership Council. Carmen also serves as Honorary Consul of Costa Rica to the United States, an appointment conferred by the President of Costa Rica in 2002.

Cyndi Sprague, Vice President, Director of Operations, is responsible for Mission’s trust and custody operations, which involve pension processing, cash and trade settlements, dividend and interest income collection, depository reconcilement and the various activities of trust accounting. Working closely with Mission’s portfolio managers and external investment managers, Cyndi ensures accurate and timely handling of trades and portfolio accounting for our clients. She brought to Mission nearly twenty years of experience in securities operations and trust accounting, including her instrumental role in the founding of Northern Indiana Trust in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Cyndi graduated with Honors from Cannon’s Trust Operations School as a Certified Securities Operations Professional, and was Series 7 registered with the National Association of Securities Dealers. She has been a program volunteer with the YWCA and is a graduate of its Women on the Move Leadership Program. Cyndi’s responsibilities are the cornerstone for sound operations and strong growth at Mission.

Rhonda L. Perez, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer, is responsible for Mission’s corporate finance and accounting functions, internal audit, human resources, information technology (IT) systems, and business resumption planning. She understands Mission’s business to its core, having started at Mission in Operations. Prior to joining Mission in 2002, Rhonda gained finance, securities and IT experience as an Operations Supervisor and Branch Systems Administrator at Merrill Lynch and in the cashiering and banking functions for Cigna Health Care. Rhonda holds a B.S. in Business Administration (Accounting) from the University of Arizona. Rhonda has served as the Treasurer of The Friends of Pima County Public Library.

Kerri Osborne, Operations Administrator, carries the work load for our most critical daily operational functions. She works closely with the Director of Operations to ensure the accurate and timely handling of trades and portfolio accounting for clients.  She is most satisfied when trust accounts and settlements balance to the penny each night, ensuring that clients’ funds are where they should be.  Kerri first came to Mission as a student intern.  She holds a B.S. in Finance, with honors, from Northern Arizona University.