“It’s all about building relationships”

Colleen Newton in front of her new Edward Jones office at 118 E. Main Street in downtown Manchester.

by Marsha Chartrand

As an Edward Jones financial advisor, Colleen Newton has many responsibilities to her clients.

Sometimes, it’s answering a simple question about an IRA or annuities. Sometimes it’s a more complex question about when is the optimal time to retire, or how to consider distributing assets at end of life. It all takes a lot of specialized skills, personal knowledge of each client and their situation, time, and thoughtfulness. Fortunately, these are all qualities that Colleen possesses in abundance.

Central to everything she does, however, is building relationships. Not only with her clients, but throughout the community.

Coming to Manchester in 2020, at the invitation of Jody Flowers, who was planning his own transition to retirement, Colleen considered the opportunity to become Jody’s successor a “phenomenal” one, for which she is very grateful.

“Jody had such a large clientele, it could not be handled by just one person,” she explains. “Dan Baldwin is the first successor and I’m the second successor to his clients. The Edward Jones model is for each advisor to have their own space, and so while for the past two years, Dan and I have been sharing Jody’s old office space on Clinton Street, it has always been the plan for me to find my own office, and here I am in my own cozy little spot on Main Street!”

“Here” has caused some confusion and consternation as Colleen’s new Edward Jones office is located in the old Bakery building at 118 E. Main. When she first opened, people would stop in and ask if she was going to have the new taqueria and microbrewery in her office, which was obviously not the case! The taqueria frontage will be next door at 122 E. Main and All Thingz Green will be in a new location after the first of the year so building owner Jason Cooper can begin work on his new business venture.

Colleen said the one thing that really made her feel at home in her new location last week was having the Christmas carolers from Riverside Intermediate School coming to sing at her window.

“I just felt right then that I had made the right move,” she said. “And having more visibility on Main Street is a great thing for our office.”

As she establishes her own spot in the business community, Colleen stresses that she and Dan will continue to work together as partners in their respective Edward Jones businesses as she continues to look for ways to expand in her own role. She has been seeking ways to become more active in Manchester and will start by having an open house in February to welcome the community to her new office. She is also planning client educational events for early 2023, and hopes to become a resource for investment information not only for her clients, but for other interested community members.

After all, it’s all about building relationships, right?

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.