Bill Baker, CFA, Founder & Portfolio Manager

Bill Baker founded our predecessor, GARP Research Corporation, in late 1995 after gaining portfolio management experience by managing in excess of $100 million for nine years.  Bill has performed investment management and research for over 25 years.  Bill was a portfolio management professional at Oppenheimer Mutual Funds for nearly five years, managing stock investing for several funds totaling over $500 million. One of these funds, Oppenheimer Asset Allocation, was awarded Morningstar’s 5-Star mutual fund rating in November 1990 shortly before he left the firm.  Subsequently he joined Reich & Tang as one of four portfolio investment managers until founding Gaineswood (GARP).  Bill received his Master of Business Administration from the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College in 1980, and he was granted a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics in 1978 from the University of Pennsylvania.

Seth Dadds, CFA, Analyst

Seth Dadds joined Gaineswood in May 2004. Since then he has developed an understanding of the precious metals, telecommunications and online brokerage industries and detailed knowledge of the LED space. Seth currently covers more than a dozen companies in these areas as well as the approximately 50 stocks held in Gaineswood’s Gold composite.  Seth is an experienced world traveler and enjoys making mine visits outside North America.  Prior to GARP, Seth worked for T. Rowe Price Associates in its Brokerage division. He received his Masters of Science in Finance from Loyola College in Maryland and his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Management from Towson University.

Michelle England, Compliance Manager

Michelle joined Gaineswood’s investment management team in May 2006. She is an operations specialist with over a decade of experience in the financial and brokerage industry and in general principal and financial operations licenses. Most recently she was the compliance coordinator at H. Beck. From 2003-2005 she was an operations specialist at Provident Bank, and held the same title before leaving Allfirst Financial in 2003, having risen through the ranks since 1995. She holds an AA degree from City Colleges of Chicago, European Division, and speaks fluent German.

Rob Furlong, CFA, Analyst, Director of Research

Rob Furlong joined Gaineswood’s investment management team in February 2000. He initiated ideas on over 50 companies in a dozen different industries, including restaurants, specialty retailers, medical device manufacturers, aerospace & defense contractors, business service providers, and biotechnology companies. As director of research, Rob helps determine the scope and direction of coverage, primarily by leading screening efforts that result in roughly 100 conversations per year with small and mid-cap companies, as well as enforcing Gaineswood’s heritage of in-depth, fundamental analysis. Prior to Gaineswood, Rob worked at Institutional Shareholder Services where he was responsible for analyzing corporate governance issues. He received his Masters of Science degree in Finance from the University of Baltimore and his Bachelor of Arts degree from York College.

Alastair Mackay, PhD., Analyst

Alastair Mackay came to Gaineswood in February 2005 from the biotechnology industry. As a researcher at Osiris Therapeutics (1996-2005), he initially studied the differentiation of human stem cells.  His work over eight years encompassed grant writing, contracting outside research, preparation of regulatory filings, and application of stem cell therapies to arthritis, heart attacks, and spinal cord injury. Prior to joining Osiris, Alastair was a postdoctoral scientist at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (1989-1995), where he used 'reverse-genetics' to uncover the function of an essential protein structure of the chromosome. Alastair was awarded his doctorate by the University of Vermont (1989) for studying how asbestos causes lung cancer. He received a B.A. in Earth Sciences from Dartmouth College in 1979.

Diron Tappin, Director of Institutional Sales

Diron Tappin joined GARP Research in October of 2008 from American Technology Research where he served as Vice President - Institutional Sales until its sale to what is now  Gleacher & Co. (GLCH). Prior to his tenure at AmTech he was Head of Sales at M.S. Howells & Co. a boutique Prime Brokerage, Market Strategy, and Technology Research firm in Scottsdale, AZ.  Diron received his bachelor’s degree in Sociology, Criminal Justice from the University of Northern Colorado.

Ann Weadock, Office Manager

Ann Weadock joined Gaineswood in April 1999. Ann received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Barry College in Miami in 1973. Ann also received a Masters of Science degree from the Johns Hopkins University in 1978 as a reading specialist. Ann held the position of Office Manager at Seneca Harbor Development Corporation from 1985 to 1996. Ann taught English from 1973 to 1977 to Miami sixth graders, and later Reading and English from 1978 to 1982 at the McDonogh School in Baltimore .