John J. Ernst
Founder and President
John founded Ernst Financial Group in 1990 with the goal of providing sound retirement planning strategies to businesses and individuals throughout Western Massachusetts and Northern Connecticut. John completed his undergraduate degree in English at Hamilton College.
John also actively gives back to his community. He was a founding member of the Longmeadow Educational Excellence Foundation (LEEF) to raise funds for school enrichment programs. He participates in the Read Aloud program at Bailliet Elementary School and is its Business Partner, funding enrichment programs for students. John has been a past volunteer with the Community United Way of the Pioneer Valley and has been associated with Human Resources Unlimited, a social services non-profit, as a board member. He has also served as a board member and president of the Community Music School of Springfield, and was recently presented with the "Fab 4" award for longtime service to the school.
In his spare time, John enjoys any sport that allows him to be outdoors—golf, skiing, tennis—as well as singing tenor in the Worcester Chorus.
John Ernst is proud to have been recognized as a President's Club advisor for 2019—a distinction based on annual production attained by 13 percent of advisors affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network.
Each year, Commonwealth, the Registered Investment Adviser–broker/dealer that helps us process investment transactions on your behalf, recognizes President's Club advisors by inviting them to an exclusive gathering of their peers, leading industry experts, and Commonwealth home office staff. President's Club advisors benefit from an intensive learning and networking experience designed to help them hone their expertise, share best practices, and provide ever-higher levels of service, education, and leadership to their clients.
Amy E. Santarelli
Vice President – Wealth Advisor
Amy has been working with individuals and families to navigate their financial lives since 1992. She helps clients gain a clear and cohesive understanding of their investments—and all aspects of their finances—through a thorough analysis of their investment mix, risk level, and overall goals and hopes for their lives. Amy's goal is to bring confidence and calm to her clients' financial futures.
Throughout Amy's career, she has held roles at John Hancock Mutual Funds (Boston, MA), St. Germain Investments (Springfield, MA), and most recently at UBS Financial Services (Springfield, MA).
As a passionate member of the Glenmeadow Senior Living Executive Board, Amy also serves on its Investment Committee and is chairperson of the Finance Committee. She enjoys learning how the residents of Glenmeadow are living in their retirement, and what they want most from the community at Glenmeadow. Amy also serves on the Investment Committee for the Women's Fund of Western Massachusetts, as well as volunteering for numerous committees, sports teams, and events at her children's schools.
Amy holds the FINRA Series 6, 7, and 66 securities registrations and is a licensed insurance professional. She earned her bachelor of arts degree in Interpersonal Communication from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
With her husband Tom, Amy resides with their two teenage children in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, where she loves to cook, play with their cocker spaniel Libby, work in her garden, and spend time with their kids. And they also love Vermont!
Maureen (Emily) Webber
Client Service Associate
Emily is our client service associate at Ernst Financial Group. Emily has worked in various customer service roles over the past seven years and has a true passion for customer care and relationship management. Emily was born in Oregon but raised locally in western Massachusetts, where she grew up partaking in many extracurriculars, such as track and field, orchestra, and volunteering with the elderly in her community. Emily is currently studying for the Security Industy Essential (SIE) Exam, in hopes to become a registered team member. In her spare time, Emily enjoys relaxing with a good book, baking, painting, or taking hikes with her boyfriend and dog.