The number-cruncher.

Allen Hancock loves people. As vice president and director of First Community Financial Consultants, this passion has shaped his career. Allen realized that he loved working with individual clients to shape their financial future but he hated that most firms structured planning around sales. He wanted to offer a new approach to financial planning. “The concept of product salesman is disappearing — people want an advisor, someone to guide them,” he said.

Allen contributes a balanced spectrum of experience to First Community Financial Consultants. He graduated from Erskine College in 1990 with a degree in psychology. After a brief stint caddying on the PGA tour, he joined Northwestern Mutual to pursue financial services. He worked as a financial planner at Prudential and Creative Financial Strategies before obtaining his CFP® in 2004. Allen started his own financial planning firm, EAH Financial Group, in 2004. He served as president until he created First Community Financial Consultants at First Community Bank.

Today, Allen functions as the keystone for the planning process. He works directly with clients to address their specific concerns and construct a detailed plan for their financial future. This role frees him to focus on people, not products. Allen has won several awards during his career, and was honored to serve as an adjunct professor for the CFP® Certificate Program at USC’s Moore School of Business. As the current golf coach for Blythewood High School, Allen is passionate about mentoring youth. He is an active member of his church, Northeast Presbyterian, and the proud father of two children.

Allen in real life:

• Starred as a quarterback in “The Program,” a movie filmed in Columbia in 1993
• Coached high school softball for seven years
• First job: clerk at Cut Rate Fashions
• Won both a golf and basketball scholarship to attend Erskine College

The dot-connector.

John Lyon likes to solve problems. As senior financial consultant, he said, “I get a lot of satisfaction from helping people find a solution.” His twenty-five years of investment experience in the financial industry make him a valuable part of the First Community Financial Consultants team. After graduating from Winthrop University in 1983 with a degree in Mass Communications, John decided to leap into the energy of investing at Citizens & Southern National Bank’s bond department. John worked at Citizens & Southern for seven years, gaining tremendous experience, but he couldn’t stay away from his hometown. In 1992, he returned to Columbia and helped build Lexington State Bank’s investment department from scratch. He played an integral role in the department until the bank was sold. He wanted to work for a smaller bank, where the customer was a priority, not a number, so he joined First Community Bank in 2001.

As a member of the FCFC team for the last two years, John focuses on creating and implementing individual investment objectives for clients. His broad financial experience gives him the ability to spot industry changes — like the current shift from impersonal investing to personal financial advising. John is married, with two children. He is active in his church, St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church, where he serves on the church council and as financial chairman.

John in real life:

• President of his college fraternity, Pi Kappa Phi
• Active volunteer for Boy Scouts
• First job: flipping burgers at Carowinds

The Man.

Lantz makes everyday happen for First Community Financial Consultants. As a financial consultant, he works directly with clients and the FCFC team to find solutions for the issue at hand. Lantz appreciates the care that FCFC devotes to each client. “We leave no stone unturned for each client’s financial planning process. We truly treat them like family,” he said.

Born and raised in Hemingway, SC, Lantz ventured down the road to Frances Marion University, where he graduated with a political science degree and a minor in business in 2003. He has always enjoyed politics, but investing called to him. “It was always a passion,” he said, “and I enjoy the world of financial planning.” Lantz has spent the last seven years in the investment industry covering the Florence, Charleston, and Columbia area. The opportunity to work at a community bank that provides access to financial planning services normally offered at larger institutions attracted him to FCFC in 2008.  Lantz is an avid Gamecock fan, and enjoys spending his weekends following Carolina athletics, on the golf course, or playing tennis.

Lantz in real life:

• When deciding between moving to Columbia or Washington D.C., he chose Columbia — because it was football season
• First job: working at his family’s service station in Hemingway

The cultivator.

Robbyn is all about relationships — so it’s no surprise she ended up working at First Community Financial Consultants. “I have never worked for an organization that truly cares like First Community does,” she said. As FCFC’s program coordinator, Robbyn spends her days developing and nurturing relationships — whether she’s pursuing new business or serving as the liaison between First Community Bank branches and the FCFC office. As the department grows, Robbyn also coordinates the transition to ensure that changes are implemented smoothly.

Born in Ohio but raised in Columbia, Robbyn has lived here all her life. She spent ten years working in the medical field before switching to financial services, which had always interested her. She earned seven years of experience in the brokerage industry before joining First Community Financial Consultants in April 2011. Interacting with people is the best part of Robbyn’s job, so working at a “hometown friendly” bank is a perfect fit for her. Robbyn is married and the proud mother of one son. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her family.

Robbyn in real life:

• Belongs to a tight-knit group of women that have been friends since elementary school. They call themselves the Sunshine Sistas.
• First job: working at the Riverbanks Zoo snack bar
• Her grandmother is her hero

The problem-solver.

Karen knows exactly what should be done in each client’s account. And she makes it happen. As the operations manager, Karen handles the daily business of client accounts — processing financial paperwork, opening accounts, tracking funds, making trades and deposits. Her favorite part of the job is client contact and the follow-through. “I enjoy solving problems,” she said. Her central role brings all the different aspects of FCFC together.

A Michigan native, Karen’s love for NASCAR, as well as her wish for warmer climes, brought her family to Columbia seven years ago. She joined First Community in April 2011, with fourteen years of financial services experience to her name. Working in FCFC’s community-focused environment has been a different experience for Karen. “There’s an atmosphere of trust. We’re relaxed because we can count on each other to do our jobs,” she explained. Karen is married, and they have two sons. She’s an active church member and likes to relax on the lake, spend time with her family, and attend NASCAR races, of course.

Karen in real life:

• At one time, it was her goal to visit every NASCAR racetrack
• First job: working at Wendy’s
• Loves the weather that makes Columbia “famously hot”