George A. RushPresident

Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, George received a Bachelor of Science from Wake Forest University in 1980 and completed his Masters of Business Administration from Emory University in 1982. After graduating, George worked for NCNB Corporation in Charlotte where he held various positions in Funds Management and Investment Banking from 1982-1988.

He moved to Augusta in 1988 to start Asset Advisors with Norman Wilson. George served as Vice President until he became President of Asset Advisors in 2011.

George has served as Chairman of the Investment Committee of the Church of The Good Shepherd, President of Child Enrichment, Inc., Chairman of The Board of Child Enrichment Endowment, Inc, and on the Augusta University Medical Center Audit, Compliance and Enterprise Risk Management Committee. He is Past President and Life Member of the Board of Trustees of The Tuttle-Newton Home.

In his free time, George enjoys spending time with his family and cycling.

Robert W. Rice, Jr., CFP®Vice President

Will received a Bachelor of Arts from The University of Georgia in 1994 and a Masters of Business Administration from Mercer University in 1999. He served as a Trust Officer at Sun Trust Bank in Atlanta from 1996 to 2001.

Will joined Asset Advisors in 2001 and became Vice President in 2011. In 2002, he completed the required coursework to obtain his license as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM professional.

Will currently sits on the Finance Committee at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church and has previously served as Junior Warden, Treasurer and Vestry member. He is Treasurer of the Academy of Richmond County (ARC) Booster Club, where his daughter attends high school. He has also served on the Historic Augusta Endowment Board.

Will enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, and being in the outdoors. In 1992, he even spent a semester in Kenya.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) owns the certification marks CFP® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ in the United States, which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

Benjamin A. Braxton, CPAChief Operations Officer

Ben grew up in Vienna, Georgia before attending Presbyterian College. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Political Science, he attended the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland where he received a Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Economics.

Before joining Asset Advisors in 2020, Ben worked in the Public Accounting industry for seven years dealing primarily with tax and consulting for small to medium sized businesses and high net worth individuals. He obtained his CPA license in 2017.

Ben serves as a board member for Savannah River Academy and Via Cognitive Health, formerly known as the Jud C. Hickey Center for Alzheimer’s Care. He is also an active member of the Exchange Club of Augusta where he has served on the Membership Nominating Committee.

When not working, Ben enjoys playing golf, reading, and traveling with his wife and daughter.

J. Hampton Manning IVWealth Advisor

As a Wealth Advisor, Hamp seeks to help clients make smart choices with their money by providing wealth management and financial planning to high net worth individuals and their families. He began his career first serving clients at Merrill Lynch in 2012 before joining Asset Advisors in 2019.

A native of Augusta, Hamp is a graduate of the Academy of Richmond County and received a Bachelor of Science in Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is currently pursuing a CFP® designation through the College for Financial Planning.

He is an active member of Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church and has previously served as board member of the downtown Kiwanis Club and Treasurer of the Augusta-Richmond County Historical Society.

Hamp and his wife, Caroline, have three children, and when out of the office, he enjoys spending time outdoors, saltwater fishing and tackling home improvement projects.

Will Evans, CPA, PFS, CFP®Wealth Advisor

Will is grateful to call Augusta home. Will graduated from Lakeside High School and achieved a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and a Master of Accountancy from the University of Georgia.

Before joining Asset Advisors, Will developed a focus in financial planning and wealth management through years of experience serving as a financial advisor and working in public accounting. He obtained his license as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, as well as a CPA with a Professional Financial Specialist designation.

Will is a member of First Presbyterian Church of Augusta as well as the Exchange Club of Augusta.

In his free time, Will enjoys spending time with his family, being outdoors, and finding new music.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) owns the certification marks CFP® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ in the United States, which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

Rusty Woodward, CFA®, CAIA®Chief Investment Officer

Rusty grew up in Vienna, Georgia, and received a B.B.A. in Finance and a B.B.A. in Economics from The University of Georgia.

Before joining Asset Advisors, Rusty was a Corporate Banking Analyst with BB&T in Dallas, Texas, and an Investment Analyst with Sterling Capital Management in Raleigh, NC. In 2017, Rusty earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and in 2020, he earned the right to use the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designation.

Rusty previously served on the Hayes Barton UMC Permanent Endowment Committee and volunteered with the First Tee and Genesis Women’s Shelter in Dallas.

In his free time, Rusty enjoys spending time with his wife, Elizabeth, and twins, James and Bebe. He also enjoys playing golf, cooking, reading, fly fishing and spending time with friends.

CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are registered trademarks owned by CFA Institute.
CAIA® is a registered certification mark owned and administered by the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association.

Jeannie GravettClient Service Manager

Jeannie received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Brenau University. She graduated Cum Laude in 2012. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, she began her financial career in client services in New York City before moving South.

In her spare time, Jeannie enjoys entertaining, cooking and exercising. She loves anything Italian, and her favorite meal to cook is spaghetti and meatballs.

She is especially grateful for a full life with her husband Mark and son Aaron.

Kristen WestonClient Service Associate

Kristen has called Augusta home for over 20 years. Prior to that she lived in Atlanta, Georgia, Tennessee, California, and Michigan. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Brenau Women’s College.

She has worked in education and pharmaceutical sales and, most recently, at Resource Management of Augusta before joining Asset Advisors.

Kristen is active in a number of organizations in the Augusta community: as an associate member of the Augusta Symphony Guild; volunteer with the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia; Board member of Turn Back The Block; and volunteer with Friends of Frances. She was past co-chair of The Morris Museum Gala.

She is a proud mother of three teenagers. She enjoys being outdoors, fly fishing, volunteering, traveling and spending time with her three children.

Nichole Kuehl, IACCP®Chief Compliance Officer

Nichole is a proud Augusta native, who earned a Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Georgia and secondary teaching certification from Augusta University. She brings over twenty years of experience from education, business administration, and communications to her role in Operations and Compliance at Asset Advisors. In 2024, she earned the designation of Investment Adviser Certified Compliance Professional® (IACCP®). The designation, which is awarded by COMPLY Education, signals recognition of an advanced knowledge and skill level for investment adviser compliance professionals.

Nichole and her husband Dale are active members of St. John UMC and volunteer with Boy Scouts of America, where all three sons have earned the rank of Eagle Scout. Nichole spreads her love of the theatre by serving on the board of The Augusta Players, Inc.

In her spare time, Nichole loves reading, decorating, and traveling, especially to the beach. She sings with the St. John UMC Choir and performs on stage with local arts groups, such as the Presidential Dinner Theatre at Fort Eisenhower, The Augusta Broadway Singers, and The Augusta Players.

IACCP® is a registered certification mark owned by COMPLY and the Investment Adviser Association (IAA).