Patrick A. Shope, CWS®

Pat Shope is the founder and Managing Partner of Shope & Associates, LLC and a Certified Wealth Strategist® as designated under the auspices of the New England College of Finance and Cannon Financial Institute.  He is a passionate and vibrant individual who thrives on helping others reach their retirement goals through a planned and systemic approach to wealth management.

Prior to forming Shope and Associates, he was instrumental in the formation of a financial services firm, which grew to over 500 employees and 20 offices in the Midwest.  Pat decided to take what he learned from that experience to fine-tune and create a client service delivery model that provides a value proposition that is based on education, communication and relationship building.

He has been involved in the delivery of wealth management services since 1996 and his interest dates back to when he was just a youth.  One of his teachers introduced him to the concept of economics by using Monopoly money and he’s been hooked ever since.

In his free time, Pat is actively involved in the sport of CrossFit and staying physically fit.  He also enjoys volunteering in his community and holds a leadership position at his church.  Pat and his wife Molly have one son and they enjoy traveling together and exploring new places.

Finally, Pat attended The University of Michigan-Dearborn and has a degree in Economics.

Molly E. Shope, M.A.

Molly Shope is currently a partner at Shope and Associates, LLC.  She is a self-starter, with a dynamic personality who believes in actively engaging with individuals and participates in building tailored financial plans to meet the goals of clients.

Molly has over ten years of experience in the industry and has surrounded herself with a team of resources that includes tax, estate and insurance professionals.  She also has strong alliances with Certified Public Accountants and estate planning attorneys to provide the most current and comprehensive advice to her clients.

Molly holds the FINRA Series 6 License and is a registered representative with Sigma Financial Corporation, a broker/dealer registered with and member of FINRA and SIPC in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  She also holds the series 63 and Life Insurance licenses in Michigan and Ohio.

Molly attended Eastern Michigan University on a full swimming scholarship and holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Communication.  It was in the water where she first demonstrated her leadership qualities and determination by becoming the captain and the most valuable player on the women’s swim team.

In her free time, Molly enjoys encouraging and helping her son in the sport of swimming, as he has decided to follow in her footsteps.  She also stays active by volunteering, participating at school events and going on long walks.  In addition, Molly and her family enjoy traveling and exploring new places.

MICHAEL P. PENNANEN

Mike Pennanen is the current Director of Operations at Shope and Associates, LLC.  He is a motivated, results-driven business professional with B-to-B, consumer, supplier and client experience who is well-organized and proficient at problem solving, design and implementation of business solutions.

Prior to joining the organization in 2021, he worked at one of the three largest credit bureaus in the United States for over 19 years.  During that time, he managed the day-to-day operations of a mid-size nonprofit organization in southeastern Michigan.  This experience allowed him to hone his skills at developing and designing processes to improve the operational efficiencies of organizations.

He is also well-versed in conducting market research and employing different methodologies to provide actionable insights to fine-tune business strategies and to uncover hidden business opportunities.  His experience includes working at one of the largest market research companies in the world where he conducted qualitative and quantitative research studies for automotive manufactures and Tier One suppliers.

In his free time, Mike is an avid rower and enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and two sons.  You can often find them playing sports or just relaxing at one of the local lakes on a warm summer day.  They also enjoy dining out and finding new restaurants to try local dishes and specialties.

Finally, Mike attended Lawrence Technology University in Southfield, Michigan where he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.