Mission Team

Cynthia Wahlin, J.D., Trust Officer, 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.

Leah Geistfeld, CTFA, Trust Officer, has worked in the financial industry for more than 16 years. Well-versed in the legal and tax aspects of charitable and multi-generational planning, Leah is passionate about working with clients and the unique assets that they hold in trusts and IRAs. She holds two important designations: Certified Trust & Financial Advisor and Certified Specialist in Planned Giving. These certifications reinforce her perspective that strong compliance and regulations protect clients in the financial industry. Leah serves on the boards of the Jewish Community Foundation, the TMC Foundation Planned Giving Council, ICS Planned Giving Advisory Council, and is a past president of Planned Giving Roundtable of Southern Arizona.

Helena R. Bish, J.D., Corporate/Trust Counsel, originally joined Mission in 1999 and served as its Compliance Officer until 2012.  Helena rejoined the Mission team in 2020 as Corporate/Trust Counsel. Helena has over 20 years of experience in the trust and estate planning industry. She earned a BS in Accountancy (cum laude) degree from Northern Arizona University and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Arizona, and is a member of the Arizona State Bar.  She enjoys partnering with Mission’s Trust Officers to ensure that Mission’s clients’ needs are met.  Helena values Mission’s personal approach to trust administration and close client relationships.

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.

Julie McCoy, Trust Administrator, works with Mission’s Trust Officers and management team to assist in the administration of fiduciary, investment management, and custodial accounts. After joining Mission in 2013, Julie gained an understanding of all facets of our operations by working in several areas of the company. With over 40 years of experience in business administration, financial and budget management, business planning and development, marketing, and customer service improvement, she adds depth and breadth to the skills and knowledge of the Trust Administration Group. Julie holds a B.S. in Business Management from the University of Arizona Eller College of Management.

Marilú Castaño, Client Advisor Associate, 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. She is a dancer at Viva Performing Arts Center, performing for both Ballet Folklórico Arizona and Viva Arizona! dance companies. Dancing since the age of six, she now also enjoys teaching these advance dance classes.

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.

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.

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.

Carmen Bermúdez is the Chairman, CEO, and founder of Mission Management & Trust Co., which she established in 1994.  She is passionate about running a company that honors its commitments to clients, team members, and the community. Carmen is the recipient of many honors, including:

• Woman of Enterprise – Avon Products
• Hispanic Woman of the Year – Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
• Entrepreneur of the Year – Latina magazine

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 the Board of Trustees of Xavier University of Louisiana and the University of Arizona Foundation. She is a member of Southern Arizona Leadership Council. Carmen also serves as Honorary Consul of Costa Rica to the United States, an appointment she has held since 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.

Thalia Gotsis, Office Manager, Executive Assistant, provides assistance for the CEO, Chief Investment Officer, and President as well as general office and administrative support for client service and event planning functions. Thalia also supports Mission's client outreach, business development and marketing activities and is responsible for the coordination, production, and distribution of quarterly and annual client performance and reporting. She holds a B.S. in Agribusiness Management from the University of Arizona and is a fluent Spanish speaker. Her strong interpersonal skills are a valuable asset to Mission.