Meet The Team
What's Your Story?
Here's mine.
Birds Horton’s story started in a fifth-grade show-and-tell presentation, standing in front of a room full of judgmental ten-year-olds holding a family-sized tub of Parkay margarine. He was a painfully shy kid with a stutter who had already learned how to hide in plain sight. Then his teacher, Miss Starkey, did something he never forgot. She didn’t rescue him or make the fear disappear. She simply gave him enough room to find a little courage and step into an unfamiliar space. More importantly, she helped him understand that even though he was doing a hard thing by himself, he wasn’t alone. That was Birds’ first experience with advocacy work.
- Will I be okay?
- Can I stay independent?
- How do I do this without becoming a burden to my family?
- What if I make it to 95?
Those questions don’t get solved by a spreadsheet alone. They get solved through trust. Trust creates clarity; and clarity creates confidence. That belief is why Birds founded Horton Wealth Partners and wrote SEEN: 7 Permission-to-Spend Strategies for Lifelong Savers Retiring from Work, Not from Life.
“What’s your Parkay story?”
Birds K. Horton, CRPC ®
Gwendolyn Hays
Gwendolyn brings more than a decade of experience in Wealth Management to the firm. Organized, resourceful, and calm under pressure, she keeps the details handled so our clients don’t have to worry about them. She genuinely enjoys making life easier for people and giving them room to focus on what matters most.
Outside of work, Gwendolyn loves thrifting, reading, old movies, and finding hidden gems. Most days you’ll find her checking in on the people she loves, making lists, editing the lists, and listening to music. She also makes a good pot of gumbo, which may be one of her most underrated talents 🙂
Her self-proclaimed superpower? Seeing both the big picture and the details, then finding the most practical way forward.
Natalie Meyer
Natalie Meyer is a marketing consultant for Horton Wealth Partners, where she plays a key role in the planning, coordination, and execution of live events. She works behind the scenes to ensure every detail—from messaging and logistics to flow and timing—is handled with precision, allowing advisors to focus on delivering value and engaging meaningfully with attendees.
Natalie’s role is centered on creating a seamless event experience so clients and prospects can fully absorb the educational content, ask better questions, and walk away with clarity and confidence. Through thoughtful preparation and hands-on execution, she helps ensure each event reflects the firm’s standards, strengthens relationships, and supports long-term growth.
Connor Hess
Connor Hess serves as the business and marketing consultant for Horton Wealth Partners, playing a key role in the strategic growth and day-to-day operations of the practice. His work focuses on identifying marketing opportunities, refining the firm’s processes, and helping structure the office for greater efficiency and a stronger client experience.
Connor also brings valuable insight on the insurance side of the business, consistently introducing new product offerings that align with the evolving needs of retirees and pre-retirees. With a sharp eye for both strategy and execution, Connor ensures the team stays aligned, competitive, and focused on delivering the highest level of service to every client.
Randall Witte
As the Vice President of Marketing, Randall brings a unique point of view to Horton Wealth Partners. Growing up heavily engrossed in punk rock music, the style and attitude of the culture informed him of the power of story, humanity, integrity and unvarnished honesty. Randall has designed vinyl records for some of his favorite punk bands and has a vast marketing and design background. He has worked with large corporate automotive clients, state universities, and branded businesses in many different industries.
Randall leverages his many years of experience, passion and “truth in advertising” marketing philosophy to show our clients who we really are, unapologetically.
When Randall isn’t visualizing our marketing campaigns, he is spending time with the love of his life, Holly and her two children. Together they enjoy going to punk rock shows, art museums, and tending to their home.
