Dale S. Lam, President
Dale S. Lam is the founder and President of Strategent Financial, LLC. Dale has an extensive financial background and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a CERTIFIED FINANICIAL PLANNER™ professional. He is also a Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) through the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Dale was educated at the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce, where he graduated in the top 1% of his class with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce, with a concentration in accounting.
Dale began his accounting career in 1985 with Coopers & Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) in Richmond, VA. Dale’s service specialties included auditing, tax and consulting for a broad array of clients in numerous industries, including manufacturing, real estate and financial services. Dale gained experience as a business owner and executive in the 1990’s with his co-ownership in Office Products, Inc. In addition to his financial expertise, Dale assisted with the strategic guidance and growth of the company, transitioning the business from a wholesale orientation towards a growing retail trade.
From 1997 to 2001, Dale served in several senior financial roles, including Chief Financial Officer, of WLR Foods, Inc., a publicly traded company with revenues of approximately $900 million annually. In that capacity, Dale had broad financial responsibilities, including SEC filings and investor relations. Upon the sale of WLR Foods, Dale joined ComSonics, Inc. in Harrisonburg, VA as its Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer. As a senior member of the executive team, Dale assisted the company’s significant growth in profitability and value through the development and achievement of sound long term financial strategies. Dale left his position at ComSonics in 2008 to found Strategent Financial.
Dale also has corporate board experience. He served on the Board of Directors of ComSonics, Inc. from 2001 to 2008 and on the Shenandoah Telecommunications, Inc. (Shentel) Board of Directors from 2004 through 2022. At Shentel, in addition to the strategic leadership provided to the board, he also participated on the audit and corporate governance committees of the board.
Dale is active in his community, having served as President and a Board Member of the United Way of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County and as a Board Member of The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. He is a member of the Harrisonburg Rotary Club, the First Presbyterian Church, and a past, long-time member of the Advisory Board of the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia. He currently serves on the Board of Managers of The Alumni Association of the University of Virginia.
In 2000, Dale was awarded the Financial Executive of the Year award by the Virginia Skyline chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants. He has been inducted into membership of the Raven Society at the University of Virginia for scholastic attainments and service to the University.
Dale lives in Harrisonburg with his wife, Wendy. They have three grown children: Heather, Andrew and Thomas, and two grandchildren. Dale enjoys sports, friends, family, and spending time at Smith Mountain Lake.
Abe J. Shearer, Partner
Abe J. Shearer is a Partner with Strategent Financial, LLC and is a CERTIFIED FINANICIAL PLANNER™ professional. He joined the firm as an Associate in 2015 and was promoted in 2018 to his current role. Abe began his professional career in 2006 in the financial services industry, primarily working in broker dealer regulatory compliance and supervision, while simultaneously attending James Madison University.
After graduating from the James Madison University College of Business with a Bachelor of Science in Economics in 2009, he worked full time in broker dealer regulatory compliance and within the financial services industry until 2011. Prior to joining the firm, Abe worked at a privately held company involved with commercial real estate, startup ventures, and mergers and acquisitions.
In addition to Abe’s private sector background, he served a four-year term on the Harrisonburg City Council, having been elected in November of 2012. In conjunction with his responsibilities in this role, he served on numerous boards, including the city’s Finance Committee, the Virginia Municipal League Finance Policy Committee, and the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission.
Abe is active in the community, currently serving as Chair of the Board of Directors for Bridgewater Retirement Community. He formerly served as Chair of Your Economic Success – YES (previously known as Shenandoah Valley Economic Education, Inc), and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Harrisonburg-Rockingham County.
He received the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce Community Champion award for 2017, and in 2018 was named in the Shenandoah Valley Business Journal’s “Top 10 under 40” list of up-and-coming business leaders.
Abe is a native of Harrisonburg and lives in town with his wife, Lauren. He enjoys sailing on the Chesapeake Bay, hiking, cross country skiing, and home renovations.
Andrew S. Lam, Financial Advisor
Andrew S. Lam is a financial advisor with Strategent Financial, LLC. Andrew is a Chartered Financial Analyst® Charterholder and a CERTIFIED FINANICIAL PLANNER™ professional. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce, with dual concentrations in Finance and Management, from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce.
Upon graduation, Andrew joined Dimensional Fund Advisors, an institutional investment management company with over $500 billion in assets under management, as an associate in Charlotte, NC. His work encompassed advising financial advisors on investment strategies and allocations, supporting advisors with their messaging to clients, and assisting advisory firms with business development and strategy. In 2019, Andrew was promoted to Senior Associate and relocated to Dimensional’s headquarters in Austin, TX, where he was promoted to Regional Director in 2022.
Andrew is a native of the Shenandoah Valley and enjoys spending time with his wife Ellen (a physician assistant at the UVA hospital) and their two daughters Addie and Parker, participating in outdoor activities (cycling is the latest), and rooting for UVA basketball.
Debbie S. Byerly, Operations Manager
Debbie S. Byerly joined Strategent Financial, LLC in 2024 and is the Operations Manager for the firm. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Management with a global business concentration from Virginia Tech.
Upon graduation, Debbie began her career in management consulting with PricewaterhouseCoopers (IBM Business Consulting Services) and continued her corporate career with GE Financial Assurance (Genworth Financial) in Richmond, VA. Debbie has spent the last 17 years as the Director of Operations at two other independent wealth management firms prior to joining Strategent Financial.
Debbie is originally from Gaithersburg, MD and made the Shenandoah Valley her home in 2010. She has three children, twin boys, Matthew and Ryan, and a daughter, Brooke. Debbie enjoys staying active in the community and serves on the Industrial Development Authority for the Town of Bridgewater and teaches group fitness classes at the Sentara RMH Wellness Center.
In her spare time, she enjoys walks with her dog, spending time with her parents at Lake Anna, and all types of sports including waterskiing and snow skiing. As a former Virginia Tech cheerleader, she continues to be an avid Hokie sports fan.
Jillian G. Wise, Client Service Administrator
Jillian G. Wise joined Strategent Financial in 2011 and is the Client Service Administrator for the firm. She is a graduate of George Mason University in Fairfax, VA with a Bachelors degree in marketing from the school of business.
Jillian has a broad array of experiences in professional office services and management. Prior to joining Strategent, her work experience included experience in communications, real estate and mortgage lending, with over five years as a marketing director and office manager for a northern Virginia mortgage firm.
Jillian is a native of Rockingham County and lives in Harrisonburg, VA with her husband Kent and son Hayden. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling with her family, a good novel, and health and fitness.
Megan L. Davidson, Administrative Assistant
Megan L. Davidson started working at Strategent Financial in 2022 as an Administrative Assistant. Prior to this role, Megan spent over 7 years as a legal assistant at a criminal defense law firm and also has experience in business administration.
She is committed to being an active member of the community and is passionate about volunteering. Megan was born in the Shenandoah Valley but lived in Asheville, NC for 7 years during her adolescence.
Currently, she resides in Elkton, VA with her husband, Josh, and son, Bryce. In her free time, Megan enjoys being with her family, reading thriller novels, and spending time outdoors.