about us

Founder, Shareholder & Senior Wealth Advisor

Michael T. Johnson, J.D., CFP®

My professional journey has focused on law and financial planning. After graduating from the University of Nebraska College of Law in 1999 and practicing at a private firm, I became in-house counsel and compliance director for a regional investment firm. Recognizing the lack of comprehensive financial planning, I transitioned away from the corporate counsel role into a financial planning role. I obtained my CFP® certification early in my career, which allowed me to adopt a holistic approach to financial planning — considering every facet of our clients’ financial life while keeping their unique goals and objectives at the forefront.

The founding of Flagstone Financial Management stemmed from a desire to address the gaps in traditional investment management and financial planning. While many investors receive investment advice, they often don’t receive true comprehensive financial planning. Thus, our team at Flagstone strives to provide a comprehensive suite of services that cater to the diverse needs and aspirations of our clients.

When I’m not immersed in work, I enjoy spending quality time with my family: my wife Jill and our two children, Sam and Sophie, along with our beloved Labrador retriever, Royal. We enjoy the simple pleasures of grilling outside, walking in our neighborhood or at local parks, and playing tennis or golf together. Dedicated to lifelong learning, I’m usually listening to an audio book, podcast, or video when exercising our dog or relaxing at home. My family and I are proud University of Nebraska fans and love to cheer on the Huskers every chance we get.

• Juris Doctor Degree
  • 1999, University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Law
• B.S. in Business Administration, Major: Economics
  • 2008, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional
  • 2010

Shareholder & Lead Wealth Advisor

Daniel Stous, CFP®

When my wife and I were newlyweds (and before I was in the financial planning profession), we got some bad financial advice from a few different financial “advisors.” With little knowledge of how different compensation structures worked, we trusted people who were really selling a product instead of providing advice in our best interest. Now, I help people avoid some of the same mistakes I made. As a fee-only planner, I help clients determine whether they’re on track to meet their goals, and, if not, I form recommendations to make some adjustments to get them back on track.

I’ve lived in Lincoln, Nebraska, for nearly my entire life. I married my wife Kate in 2013. We have two young children, Liviana and Alton, so my home life is presently both a ton of fun and a ton of work. We also have two Balinese cats named Neville and Luna after some of our favorite Harry Potter characters. I love traveling to new destinations and enjoy saving money on traveling by using points almost as much as I love traveling itself. I’m also passionate about good food, good drink, and good music.

• B.S. in Business Administration, Major: Finance
  • 2008, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Master of Business Administration, Focus: Finance
  • 2013, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional
  • 2018

Shareholder & Lead Wealth Advisor

Danny Clare, CFP®

When I was 18 years old, I was shown how compound interest and time can impact people’s financial lives and, more importantly, retirement. Since then, I have thoroughly enjoyed helping people in all seasons of their financial life, whether they’re just getting started with investing or have recently retired. Since I started in the profession in 2016, I’ve witnessed a lot of friends receive poor financial advice from other advisors. That has encouraged me to make sure that doesn’t happen to any peers of mine anymore. Working as a fiduciary, I provide advice in the best interest of our clients, and I am confident that the financial planning and service we provide at Flagstone are top tier.

Born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska, I grew up as a huge Nebraska Cornhusker fan and rarely miss home basketball and football games. I have been a sports fanatic my whole life and continue to primarily play golf, basketball, and tennis. I love cocktail hours, great food, and even better company — all of which I get to enjoy at Sunday night dinners with my grandparents. Those weekly family gatherings are the highlight of my weekend and a great start to the week.

• B.S. in Business Administration, Major: Marketing
  • 2018
• CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional
  • 2021

Operations Manager

Stephanie Tredway

When I was young, I would often play office – either at home or when I had the chance to go to work with my dad on occasional Saturdays, which I loved to do.  I liked the office supplies, I filled out pretend forms, I used the adding machine with the spool of paper tape and I enjoyed keeping it all organized.  Now I get to do many of those same things each day – although I have added a few more skills and responsibilities to that list!  The best part of my job though is the relationships I have formed with our clients and team members over the years.  I want them to know that I care about them and to feel confident that I will always help them as quickly and efficiently as I can. 

My financial career started in 1994 at the National Bank of Commerce which is also where I later met my husband, Aaron.  We were married in 2000 and a few years later we started our family. Caden and Paxton are our sons and we also have two kitties, Whisky and Prix.  What I appreciate most in life is my time at home with all of them.  I feel very fortunate!  I also spend my time taking walks, working on our landscaping, and watching the Huskers (especially the volleyball team!).  I admittedly try to keep my life pretty simple so that I have time to appreciate and handle all the excitement, challenges and beauty that it inevitably brings.

• Associates of Accountancy
  • 1993, Southeast Community College
• Series 66 License

Senior Client Service Associate

Brenda Zitek

I was born and raised in Lincoln, and have a background in customer service. That background led me to banking, where Stephanie Tredway hired me as a Lead Teller. It was a great job where I could do two of my favorite things – solve problems, and help clients. I went on to become a Service Manager where I led and coached my own team. After Stephanie and I worked together at the bank, we worked together at a Nebraska-based brokerage firm, where I had the opportunity to learn about the investment world. It was there that I met Michael Johnson, Flagstone’s founder. Now, Stephanie and I work together again at Flagstone, where I continue to solve problems and help our clients.

My boyfriend, Dane and I keep very busy taking care of our babies:  two Great Danes, Harlee and Odin, and our Shih Tzu mix, Sophie.  When we aren’t working on home improvement projects or cooking up new recipes, you can catch us hiking around the local lakes. We also love spending time with our families and having them over for dinner. My dream is to travel around the country visiting historical landmarks and national parks. I have yet to meet an animal I didn’t like and would love to one day hold a sloth.

• B.S. of Business Administration
  • 2002, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Series 66 License

Client Service Associate

Bev Williams

I am often the first person to greet our clients when they visit or call our office.  I was in home design and retail sales most of my life, and have more than 20 years of design and management experience. So, my desire to help others and attention to detail fit perfectly with my role here at Flagstone.  I am involved in many behind-the-scenes tasks that keep our office running smoothly. I love the flexibility of my part-time position at Flagstone and especially enjoy working a few steps away from my son, Michael Johnson.

My husband Brad and I stay busy playing bridge with friends, golfing, following the Huskers, going to movies and traveling.  We were fortunate to fulfill one of the buckets on our bucket list by spending time in Arizona this past winter.  I also still enjoy playing tennis and continue to play on a USTA team.  One of our yearly highlights is playing in a Kansas City tournament. We love spending time with family and watching the grandchildren grow into ‘individuals’ with a wide variety of interests.  It will be fun to see what the future holds for them.

• B.S. in Education
  • 1970, University of Nebraska-Kearney

Client Service Associate

Chantel Koerwitz

My path to Flagstone began with a connection in a small town in the Nebraska Sandhills. I was teaching high school English in the early 2000s when a friend mentioned that he had a financial advisor (Michael Johnson) in Lincoln. A few years later, career changes brought my husband Brian and me to the capital city and for awhile my son and Michael’s son played on the same youth soccer team. It truly is a small world! Professionally, I’ve worked in public schools, an advertising agency, and a law firm in addition to doing some freelance copyediting. Even though my career path took me out of the classroom, my love of learning persists, and I am excited to help Brenda, Bev, and Stephanie serve Flagstone’s clients and support its advisors.

Born and raised in western Nebraska, I’m a farmer’s daughter at heart; however, I’ve happily called Lincoln home since 2004 and am satisfied with growing flowers and the occasional vegetable garden. I have two children: Ethan attends the United States Naval Academy, and Lauren is at Florida State University. While my favorite pastime is spending time with my family, I also love traveling (often to visit family), baking, and reading. If you tell me the title of your favorite book, I’ll add it to my list.

• B.S. in Education, Major: 7-12 Language Arts
  • 1996, Chadron State College
• M.A. in Education, Major: Principalship
  • 2000, University of Nebraska at Kearney
• Series 65 License