Our Team

Hear More About Les

Les Botkin has been a financial advisor since 1997. Now, as Chief Executive Officer of Botkin Family Wealth Management, Les continues his life work of developing strategies for clients to help grow their money then transition their earnings into a successful retirement. “Investors need to have a strategy in place for converting their life savings into a retirement income stream that can withstand the volatility of the stock market,” says Les. “Management of volatility is important once you’re spending your savings rather than adding to them.”

The opening of Botkin Family Wealth Management in 2015 was the culmination of a long-time dream for Les. “As a small business owner in America, I feel uniquely connected to my clients, many of whom are also entrepreneurs. And as an independent financial advisor, I feel exhilarated to have the freedom to deliver advice and service in the way I know best serves the client.” At Botkin Family Wealth Management, Les works with clients to:

• develop investment strategies geared to their personal and financial goals
• instill confidence in retirement readiness by determining the level of retirement income needed and establishing a systematic savings plan toward that goal
• create an investment plan geared toward providing both income and growth during retirement, with defensive strategies for handling volatility
• monitor market conditions and their impact on the portfolio, keeping an eye on withdrawal rate and regularly reaching out to inquire about changing needs

Before founding Botkin Family Wealth Management, Les served as Senior Vice President at Morgan Stanley in Upper St. Clair, PA. He was previously Senior Vice President at the Pittsburgh financial planning firm of Hefren-Tillotson. Les honed his business development skills and his gift of communicating effectively in his former career as a PGA golf professional. He was the original director of golf at Pittsburgh’s exclusive Jack Nicklaus signature course The Club at Nevillewood, where he played the course’s opening round with Nicklaus himself, losing by one stroke. “A great relief!” Les recalls. As a pro at other clubs, he owned as well as managed the golf shop, golf program and staff.

Les is committed to continuing his education in financial planning to ensure that clients receive the most informed and current advice. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and holds a BS in Business Administration from La Roche College and an Executive Certificate in Financial Planning from Duquesne University. When asked why he invests so much time in professional development while he has his own business to run, Les says the choice is simple: “If you’re not engaged in professional education and development, you’re not equipped to give clients the most current and accurate information on topics related to their investments.” Les extends his focus on education to fellow advisors and is a favorite colleague of many, always opening his door to those seeking advice and mentorship. Les says, “I enjoy seeing others succeed, and if I can contribute to their success in even a small way, that’s a great feeling.”

Les has been profiled by Reuters and interviewed by WPXI-TV’s Our Region’s Business and Word 101.5 about the greatest risks facing retirees. In addition, he has written articles on investing that have appeared in magazines including Boomers, Upper St. Clair Today and US Airways. Having always been active in the community, Les is past president of the McKeesport Salvation Army, a past board member of the Tri-State PGA, and a current committee member of the FamilyLinks Charity Golf Outing.

Les and his wife Barbara live in Peters Township, PA. They have two children and five grandchildren. “I’ve been lucky in life,” he muses. “I was born to great parents and for more than 40 years I’ve been married to a wonderful woman who did a spectacular job raising our children. I’ve also been blessed with a lot of supportive friends and colleagues along the way.”

Hear More About Sara

Sara Botkin believes that an advisor’s first priority should be client communication. As President of Botkin Family Wealth Management, Sara directs the firm’s proactive communication strategy, ensuring that every client receives personal and relevant communication on a regular basis and overseeing the firm’s rigorous communication schedule of phone calls, review meetings, and continuing education events. “When investors are considering leaving their current broker in order to work with us, performance is rarely the reason,” says Sara. “Instead they tell me they haven’t heard from their advisor in over a year. It feels like no one is paying attention. No one cares. My first priority in running our business is that no client of Botkin Family Wealth Management ever feels that way about us.”

Sara began her career in finance with AON Corporation in New York City, where she worked on the 105th floor of the south tower of the World Trade Center. A survivor of the September 11 attacks, she relocated to her hometown of Pittsburgh to begin a financial planning partnership with her father Les. “Living through the tragedy of 9/11 made me want to be near my family,” she recalls. “Working with my dad and my brother has been one of my life’s greatest experiences. We truly love celebrating each other’s successes and those of our clients.” Cofounding Botkin Family Wealth Management is Sara’s latest success in a financial planning career full of accomplishments, from being awarded Rookie of the Year during her first year as an advisor to being named Vice President of Wealth Management at Smith Barney while still in her twenties.

“For many years I envisioned finding that perfect fit with a company whose values mirrored my own,” says Sara. The search ended with the cofounding of her own independent financial advisory firm. “It is so rewarding to work with my family to deliver what I’ve always felt would be the premier client experience.” Sara’s responsibilities at Botkin Family Wealth Management include:

• writing comprehensive financial plans as well as supporting documents that aid in the creation and maintenance of those plans
• planning continuing education seminars and other ongoing communication outreach with clients, such as regular email updates and newsletters
• ensuring proactive, personal communication with each client through scheduled quarterly phone calls and annual review meetings

Sara is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. She earned a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an Executive Certificate in Financial Planning from Duquesne University. Sara has been featured and profiled in Pittsburgh Professional Magazine, Reuters, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Peters Township Source and The Almanac. She has appeared on WPXI-TV, KDKA-TV, Cornerstone Television and on NightTalk with Ann Devlin on PCNC television. Active in her community, Sara has helped raise awareness and funds for March of Dimes, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, The United Way and the American Heart Association. She has served on the Board of Directors of the United Way of Washington County.

Sara and her husband Ovi live in Canonsburg with their three children. As a music lover and accomplished classical singer, Sara has recorded three CDs and used them for great causes: helping Pittsburgh’s WQED-FM 89.3 raise funds by donating the discs, donating proceeds of concert sales to the Pittsburgh Food Bank and offering free music to active U.S. military personnel.

Hear More About Lester

Lester Botkin possesses an uncommon ability to communicate complex investment matters in a way that is accessible and meaningful. “I love research and the investment process,” he says, “but best of all is the opportunity to sit down and show clients how a particular strategy can positively impact their lives.” As Chief Investment Officer at Botkin Family Wealth Management, Lester’s responsibilities include:

• conducting initial quantitative and qualitative screening as part of Botkin Family Wealth Management’s due diligence process
• constructing and monitoring the firm’s hypothetical asset allocation portfolios based on extensive research
• preparing personalized investment proposals and illustrating the potential impact of various strategies within clients’ comprehensive financial plans

Before entering the investment business in 2007, Lester served five years in the United States Marine Corps. As an aerial navigator on KC-130 aircraft, he saw the world as only a U.S. Marine can, successfully completing hundreds of missions that included Iraq’s Battle of Fallujah in 2004. When not flying, Lester served as a fiscal officer at Stewart Air Reserve Base in Newburgh, NY. The former Marine received the Air Medal as well as the Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal for his performance in both jobs.

“My work and time in the Marine Corps uniquely prepared me for a career as a financial advisor,” Lester asserts. “It provided me with numerous opportunities to develop and demonstrate the highest work ethic, perseverance, commitment to task and to people, teamwork, attention to detail, problem solving while under time constraints and extreme pressure, and professionalism.”

Prior to cofounding Botkin Family Wealth Management, Lester served as a consulting group analyst for Morgan Stanley. He earned a BA in economics, summa cum laude, from The Ohio State University and is a CFA® charterholder. The Chartered Financial Analyst designation is among the most highly respected and difficult to obtain in the investment industry. For more information about the CFA®, click here.

Active in his community, Lester has served as chaplain and Senior Vice Commander of the McMurray VFW Post 764 and has served on the Board of Directors of the United Way of Washington County. He and his wife Julie live in Peters Township with their son and daughter.

Danielle Wilson has been an integral part of the success of Botkin Family Wealth Management since the day we opened our doors in 2015. During their tenure at Morgan Stanley, the founders of Botkin Family Wealth Management recruited Danielle to work exclusively with their clients. “Danielle stood out to us as someone who was extremely smart, hardworking, and who would always go the extra mile to get things done,” recalls Sara Botkin. “When we were contemplating opening our own company, we asked Danielle if she’d be interested in coming with us. We knew she was the right choice to take on the enormous administrative task of moving our practice from Wall Street to independence.”

As Director of Client Service, Danielle oversees all aspects of our client experience. Our clients know they can count on Danielle to efficiently handle their administrative needs with the utmost care and attention to detail. Danielle’s role includes helping clients through the death of family members through estate distribution and beneficiary payouts; handling the division of assets in divorce situations; ensuring all clients fulfill their Required Minimum Distributions from IRAs each year; helping clients understand and process Qualified Charitable Distributions from IRAs; handling wire requests; handling grant disbursements from donor advised funds and processing retirement plan rollovers. Danielle has a special talent for anticipating challenges and works to address them before they become an issue. Danielle also is the primary planner of our beloved annual client appreciation bash, Botkinpalooza.

Committed to ongoing education, Danielle earned her Series 7 General Securities Representative license in 2016, enabling her to serve clients at an even higher level. Danielle’s business acumen, growth mindset and intense work ethic have greatly contributed to the success of our firm. In 2023, she was promoted to Vice President of Botkin Family Wealth Management.

A native of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, Danielle received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of Charleston, where she was a history major. Following graduation she embarked on a marketing career before being introduced to Pittsburgh by her husband, Josh Wilson, a retired professional baseball player who grew up in Mt. Lebanon. The couple live in Upper St. Clair with their son and daughter.

Botkin Family Wealth Management received over one hundred applications when the open position of Executive Assistant was advertised in 2024. “Erin stood out to us right away,” recalls Chief Investment Officer Lester Botkin. “We were searching for someone who would be the face of our firm; the first person clients see when they walk in our door. We wanted to find someone who was great with people and meticulous in the administrative work involved in ensuring a smooth client experience.”

Erin’s warmth and personal skills combined with her attention to detail made her a perfect fit.  Prior to joining Botkin Family Wealth Management, Erin served as Director of The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh – A Lemieux Family Center. There she led a diverse team of clinical RNs, teaching professionals and support staff, ensuring strict adherence to organizational protocols, procedures and standards. “One of the things I enjoyed most about that position was my collaboration with our CFO and CEO, contributing to budget refinement and the general business side of the Center,” Erin recalls. “I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in the finance world, and I was excited to join a company where I could learn quickly, make an impact, and be closer to home.”

Erin holds a B.S. in Childhood Education and Special Education from the State University of New York at Genesco and an M.A. in Literacy and Cognition from St. Joseph’s College. After graduation, she worked as a Special Education Teacher at the Watson Institute Friendship Academy and later in the Baldwin-Whitehall School District, before joining The Children’s Home in 2021.

At Botkin Family Wealth Management, Erin is responsible for scheduling and confirming annual review meetings with clients, preparing written materials for those meetings, compiling and distributing the previous day’s notes to our team to ensure that everyone here is informed about our clients’ goals, requests and circumstances, and fulfilling a variety of client requests. Erin is a Notary Public and is currently preparing for the Series 7 General Securities Representative Examination.

Erin lives in Bethel Park and is engaged to be married to her fiancé, Chris, in the summer of 2025.