Krista Huntley only recently opened her Thrivent office in Ekalaka, but she has been working with High Country Associates, a group of advisors based out of Cody, Wyoming, since 2015. Opening an office locally wasn't originally a part of her plans when she moved to Ekalaka about a year ago, but after spending some time in the community, she noticed a need.

"I want to provide professional services to the people of this area and bring my knowledge to them so they don't have to travel a long ways," she said.

Thrivent is a Fortune 500 not-for-profit financial services organization headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Appleton, Wisconsin, and founded by Lutherans. As a member-owned fraternal benefit society, it operates under a chapter system, serving nearly 2.3 million members.

Huntley grew up near Sturgis, South Dakota. After college she moved to Wyoming where she ultimately spent twelve years co-owning and operating a franchised lawn care business. Eventually, Huntley said that she craved something more, and an opportunity to sell the business provided that. On her search for fulfillment, she accepted an office professional position with a Thrivent representative and almost immediately fell in love with it. After one year, she took a leap of faith and became a Thrivent advisor. To do so, she passed both the Series 66 and Series 7 exams. A Series 7 license allows individuals to sell securities to their clients, while the Series 66 license allows them to act as wealth or asset managers with fiduciary responsibility over their client's funds.

Huntley is now entering her sixth year as a financial advisor with High County Associates. The group might be based out of Cody, but she says that they serve clients all over the U.S.

"The bulk of our clients are between Rapid City and Cody, Wyoming, but we also help people everywhere in between. As a group we take care of all our clients. We all work and collaborate together. It gets more than one person's eyes on your financial plans and can provide more options."

In total the team consists of seven advisors, including Huntley, and two office professionals.

Huntley has a degree in the equine industry. After she divorced her ex-husband, she eventually met someone online and moved to an area ranch. The move brought her closer to where she grew up and closer to family. She says it feels like she has moved home.

"I am enjoying all the things I love about ranching and the rural lifestyle. I love riding and training my own horses, working cattle and even the tired feeling after a hard day working outside. My desire to help others is stronger than ever, and to fulfill my dreams, I have opened an office in Ekalaka."

Huntley specializes in retirement income planning, investments, estate planning, retirement planning, business succession planning and more. She can also help explore more tax-efficient ways to manage money in addition to providing other financial guidance. She can help with purchasing life insurance, disability insurance, long-term care insurance and Medicare supplement plans.

"Really this is a relationship business," she explained, "and I can't help people until I get to know them."

Thrivent is unlike other financial services organizations, she says, because the company can help provide financial clarity - the first step to achieving goals. Huntley is also proud of the fact that Thrivent has been listed on the most ethical companies list for eleven years straight and was the first financial company to be on that list.

Huntley's new office in Ekalaka is located at 111 N. Main Street. Office hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday, or by appointment. She hopes to one day open an additional office in Buffalo, South Dakota and is licensed in Idaho in addition to South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana.

"I can't get to know people just by sitting in here though," she added. "I'm willing to meet people where they're at."

Huntley can be emailed at [email protected] or texted at 307-317-5669. The office number in Ekalaka is 406-851-5454.