BNY Mellon Wealth Management has opened its seventh branch in the Sunshine State and made a senior hire from US Trust.

BNY Mellon Wealth Management has bolstered its presence in Florida with a new office and hire in the Orlando region.

Jeff Stokes has joined from US Trust as a senior wealth director and market leader, based in Winter Park and reporting to Lisa Simington, president for Florida West.

This is a newly-created role in which Stokes will initially oversee a sales associate, but make additional hires later this year.

He spent that past three years as a senior vice president and private client advisor at US Trust in Atlanta, GA. Before that, he was a senior vice president/wealth strategist at Northern Trust, with clients in Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and the Carolinas. 

“Orlando has been a market we have had our eye on for the past few years and with the continued explosive growth of the Orlando region, it is an exciting time to begin our effort there,” Simington said.

BNY Mellon Wealth Management has expanded steadily throughout the Sunshine State since establishing its first branch in Miami 20 years ago. Since then, the firm said it has increased its assets under management to 22 times the total of its original portfolio and has set up shop in six other regions.