Our Municipal Team

In 1994, with more than two decades of experience in the investment and banking industries, Thomas J. Bartholomew founded Bartholomew & Company, Inc. Today, Tom oversees the day-to-day operations of the company, supported by ten Registered Representatives, three registered assistants, and nine additional support team members.

Prior to joining Commonwealth Financial Network^® as an Investment Adviser Representative in 1994, Tom was senior vice president and partner of A.F. Best Securities in Coral Springs, Florida. In 1981, while working at Worcester County National Bank (WCNB), Tom was responsible for all aspects of municipal banking, including business development and financial/fiscal advisory services. After WCNB was absorbed by Shawmut Bank, Tom went on to manage the entire municipal operation for several Massachusetts counties, and he created Shawmut's retail fixed income sales, brokerage, and underwriting operation for Central and Western Massachusetts. From 1977 to 1981, Tom was a licensed insurance and securities representative for New England Mutual Life Insurance Company.

Tom's commitment to his clients and his profession, along with his experience and reputation in the fixed income markets, has not only earned him a loyal clientele among local and regional affluent individuals but a respectable national recognition as well.

Since 1994, Tom has been a member of Commonwealth's Leaders Club and was the recipient of Commonwealth's Special Service Award in 2000, given to the person who especially embodies the ideals of Commonwealth and best personifies the qualities of leadership. Since 1991, Tom has participated as a guest lecturer at the Massachusetts Collectors and Treasurers Annual School, teaching investment principles to newly elected and appointed treasurers. As a featured presenter at the 2010 Top Independent Advisors Summit, hosted by Barron's magazine, Tom spoke on “Analyzing Risks & Opportunities in the Fixed-Income Market.”

Tom holds FINRA Series 7, 24, 51, 63, and 65 securities registrations as a Registered Representative and Investment Adviser Representative of Commonwealth Financial Network. Tom has earned the Accredited Investment Fiduciary^® (AIF^®) professional designation from fi360 and has received formal training in investment fiduciary responsibility. He was educated at Assumption College, Williams College, and Rutgers University Stonier Graduate School of Banking.

Tom is very active in the community and serves in the following volunteer capacities:

• Greater Worcester Community Foundation – Member, Investment Committee

• The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts – Community member, Investment Committee

• UMass Medical School/UMass Memorial – Development council member

• West Boylston Community Club – Member involved with fund-raising

• Worcester Art Museum – Corporator

In his free time, Tom enjoys playing golf, traveling, and cooking for family and friends. Tom and his wife, Lyn, reside in West Boylston, Massachusetts.

Chris joined Bartholomew & Company, Inc., in March 1998. When Chris first started at the firm, he worked with Tom Bartholomew and Bob Harris as they mentored him on the intricacies and values of owning a fixed income portfolio. Since then, Chris has gained the knowledge and experience necessary to help maintain investment objectives within accounts held by cities and towns.

Chris has the role of assuring that all municipal accounts are reviewed in full on a daily basis. This includes the analysis of each portfolio he monitors for a number of different objectives, including safety, liquidity, and yield, and placing trades that pursue the client's objectives. He also completes most buy and sell trades that are required for each account and confirms that each trade complies with the customer profile that has been established together with Tom, Joshua, and the town treasurer. Chris is also the first internal contact that each client has with Bartholomew & Company. He, along with Terri, handles the original transfer of assets to the town's new account with Bartholomew & Company and Commonwealth Financial Network^®. Included in the transfer process is assuring that the full account has transferred in and that all cost basis information is correct in the new account.

Chris is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a BA in prelaw. He has his FINRA Series 7, 63, and 65 securities registrations and is a Registered Representative and Investment Adviser Representative with Commonwealth Financial Network.  Chris has earned the Accredited Investment Fiduciary^® (AIF^®) professional designation from Fiduciary360, receiving formal training in investment fiduciary responsibility.

Chris serves on the Board of Directors at the Worcester County Food Bank and is currently its treasurer. He is vice-chair on the Board of Governors for the YMCA Greendale Family Branch and is on the Scholarship Committee of the Greater Worcester Community Foundation. He is a member of the Holden Towers Tennis Club, National Ski Patrol Alumni Association, and Petersham Curling Club.

Dory joins Chuck in responsibility for ensuring that all clients' fiduciary needs are being met. She brings seven years of banking experience and more than 25 years of municipal experience as a treasurer, collector, and assessor to the Bartholomew & Company team.

Prior to joining the company in 2005, Dory was a vice president with Bank of America, serving as a client manager for municipal customers. She worked with more than 150 municipal clients on their cash management and investment needs.

In 1997, Dory was appointed city treasurer/collector in Fitchburg, where she was responsible for the administration and supervision of the receipt, expenditure, and investment of municipal funds, as well as management of the city's public parking.

She has served the town of Paxton since 1987 as elected town collector, assistant treasurer, and treasurer and as an elected member of the Board of Assessors, a position she has held since 1998.

Her professional associations include the Massachusetts Collectors and Treasurers Association (MCTA) as a member and as a director; the Worcester County Treasurers/Collectors Association, where she has served as a past president; the Norfolk County Municipal Finance Officers Association; and the Worcester County Assessors Association.

She is certified as both a Massachusetts municipal treasurer and collector. She has successfully passed the Department of Revenue's Assessment Administration Law and Procedures Evaluation Course 101.

Dory holds FINRA Series 7 and 66 securities registrations as a Registered Representative and Investment Adviser Representative of Commonwealth Financial Network^®. She holds her insurance license in Massachusetts for life, health, variable annuity, and long-term care. She has earned the Retirement Income Certified Professional^®(RICP^®) designation from The American College of Financial Services^® and the Accredited Investment Fiduciary^® (AIF^®) professional designation from Fiduciary360. Dory is a graduate of Anna Maria College.

Michelle joins Chuck and Dory on the Municipal Services team in meeting the needs of our municipal clients. She brings with her six years of municipal banking experience as a municipal calling officer and assistant vice president with Rockland Trust Company, where she worked with more than 150 municipal clients. Previously, Michelle held the position of executive assistant to the CFO of Rockland Trust, where she managed shareholder relations for four years.

Michelle is a member of the Massachusetts Collectors and Treasurers Association (MCTA), Plymouth County Collector/Treasurer Association, Norfolk County Municipal Finance Officers Association, and Bristol County Collector/Treasurer Association. 

Michelle holds FINRA Series 7 and 66 securities registrations as a Registered Representative and Investment Advisor Representative of Commonwealth Financial Network^®. She has earned the Accredited Investment Fiduciary^® (AIF^®) professional designation from Fiduciary360, receiving formal training in investment fiduciary responsibility. Michelle holds a bachelor's degree from Indiana University.

Susan Kelley joined Bartholomew Bartholomew & Company in August 2019, bringing with her more than 28 years in government and financial experience.

Previously, Sue was senior vice president in the government banking division at Adams Community Bank, and before that was vice president of government banking at UniBank.  She served Berkshire County and Western Massachusetts in both positions for a total of 9 years.  Prior to those positions, Sue worked for the Town of Lee for 19 years, serving as town treasurer for the last 12 of those years.

Sue holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Berkshire Christian College and is a certified Massachusetts treasurer.  She is a member of the Massachusetts Treasurer Collector Association, Berkshire County Treasurer Collector Association, Hampshire/Franklin Treasurer Collector Association and Hampden County Treasurer Collector Association.  Sue currently serves as a finance committee member for the Town of Lee, Massachusetts.

A resident of Lee, Sue enjoys traveling, hiking, boating, walking, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.  She and her husband have seven children and one granddaughter.