This month, meet Wealth Manager and Research Analyst Mike Gerke, a Trekkie who volunteers at his local Y and has been a member of the Badgley Phelps family since 2001.

Q: Will you please briefly describe your job?
My position at Badgley Phelps involves creating personalized wealth management strategies for clients that are tailored to fit their specific needs and preferences. I work closely with clients and their families, which can span multiple generations, and other members of their financial team (i.e., accountants, estate attorneys and insurance specialists). In addition, as a member of the Relative Value team, I assist in overseeing portfolio management for this equity segment.

Q: What’s your favorite thing about working at Badgley Phelps?
I appreciate that the firm is structured in a way that allows us to form strong, in-depth relationships with our clients. This provides us with the opportunity to really understand our clients’ needs and to create wealth management strategies that fit their individual goals. I also appreciate Badgley’s team approach to creating wealth management strategies for our clients, which allows me to take advantage of my colleagues’ diverse backgrounds and knowledge.

Q: What accomplishments are you most proud of?
Raising two children, Ben and Jillian, as they are both kind and possess good character and values.

Q: What do you like to do when not in the office?
I enjoy being by the water. I like to hike and fish with family and friends, mainly in the Olympic National Park (Anderson Pass, Hoh River, Quinault River, Queets River) and along the Washington and Oregon coastlines.

Q: What’s your favorite cause?
Volunteering as a board member for the Shoreline Dale Turner YMCA. The Y is a great cause for promoting youth development, healthy lifestyles and social responsibility. I have been the board chair for the last two years.

Q: What’s been your best moment so far this year?
My favorite moment so far this year was my daughter, Jillian, returning to Seattle as she had been in Boston the last seven years for college and starting her career.

Q: What's the greatest game ever?
The 1991 Rose Bowl. I went with my family to watch the University of Washington dismantle a very good Michigan team to win a share of the national title for college football. I am third-generation UW alumnus.

Q: Who’s your favorite fictional character?
Star Trek was light years ahead of its time in terms of featuring cutting-edge technology—the original series began airing in 1966 and the communicator was a primitive version of the iPhone—and confronting social issues. Spock, from the Planet Vulcan, was First Officer of the U.S.S. Enterprise and was by far the best character and the starship’s most valuable crew member. Spock was always very cool under pressure and would find solutions to potentially catastrophic events because of his impeccable logic and wisdom. He was a calming influence for Captain James T. Kirk, who tended to be hot-headed and would not think rationally at times.

Q: What’s your favorite time of day?
Sitting on the front porch of our house in Edmonds with family or friends watching the sunset.

Q: Do you have any pets?
Yes, we have a dog with a Star Wars inspired name because my kids are big fans. His name is TIE after the TIE fighter pilots in Star Wars. Prior to TIE, we had a tabby cat named Skywalker.

Q: What’s the last book you read?
The Wright Brothers by David McCullough. It’s a nonfiction bestseller about the American inventors and aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright.