Bay City’s Wayne Maier marking half a century in financial services

Yet business acumen only scratches the surface of a leader who, through his work and extensive philanthropy in his beloved Bay City, has made an indelible impact on thousands of lives over the years. He’s much more than the guy who signs the checks and dispenses sage financial advice.

“As an employee of Wayne’s, it’s safe to say none of us could ask for a better leader,” said Mike Wilcox, a Senior Vice President at Maier & Associates. “He is so much more than the guy in charge or the boss. He is a friend to all of us, a mentor, a shoulder to cry on, and to me, a father figure. He has taught me so much about life, I cannot put it into words.”

Maier has always placed great value on his staff. His vision, according to those who have worked for him for a long time, has created a family-like culture — all working towards the common goal of elite client service.

Some people just have a gift for connecting with people across all walks of life. Wayne Maier has that. He’s as comfortable in a board room with big-time CEOs as he is on a factory room floor with blue collar workers.

“What sets Dad apart is the unique way he connects with people from all walks of life,” said Joe Maier, Wayne’s son and the firm’s Vice President. “Regardless if someone spent their career working as a laborer or as a CEO of a business, Dad’s personal life experiences are so broad, he has a great ability to relate to just about everyone’s life circumstances.”

Under Wayne Maier’s leadership for nearly 40 years, the Financial Group’s success has touched clients (and many others) in the Great Lakes Bay Region and across the country.

Maier & Associates is a supporter of numerous nonprofits, including the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Toys for Tots, Boys & Girls Clubs, Child Abuse and Neglect Council, American Red Cross, Toni & Trish House, Bay Area Women’s Center, and many others.

For his contributions to the community, Maier has received the Key to the City (Bay City) and a number of local awards, such as Businessman of the Year, the Alice and Jack Wirt Spirit of Giving Award, Man of the Year, the Everyday Hero Award and the CAN Council Child Advocate of the Year Award.

Yet Maier still wanted to do more, so the Maier & Associates Just for Kids Charitable Foundation was born. The foundation partners with those who work closely with children to indentify unmet needs. It seeks out children, who, despite their life challenges, strive to do the right things and perform acts that demonstrate generous attitudes and citizenship. The foundation then rewards these kids in various ways.

Three of the foundation’s ongoing programs are: Bike Drops, in which new bikes and helmets are given to elementary students as a reward for good citizenship; Shoe Shopping Extravaganza, a once-a-year trip in September to buy new shoes for students in need, Boys & Girls Clubs, and local schools; and Scholarships, which, recognizing that not all students can achieve a 4.0 GPA, awards scholarships to students who attend school daily, display great citizenship, are active in school activities and their community, and achieve a 2.5 GPA.

“I am so proud to be part of Wayne’s story and business family,” said Pamela Perkins, Senior Executive Assistant. “I am forever being told by community members how generous and caring Wayne Maier, Maier & Associates and Just for Kids is to the Great Lakes Bay Region.”

As successful as Maier has been in business for decades, “My Dad has always put his family first no matter what,” said daughter Amy McDaniel, an Executive Assistant at the firm. “It’s amazing to me how one person has influenced so many lives. He has carried his family-first approach through to his staff, his clients, and his business. Our employees know how much they are valued by him.”

Senior Executive Assistant Maressa Yaklin is not a Maier by name but feels part of the family just the same.

“Working for Wayne has been a blessing and an honor to say you are part of his team and family,” she said. “You are not just a person or employee to him, you are family, and in the end, that’s what it’s all about.”

Saying you care is easy. Showing that you do through your actions and sacrifices is an entirely different story. When the rubber hits the road, you want Wayne Maier in your corner, his team members say.

“Respect does not begin to explain how I feel about Wayne,” Wilcox said. “I think the reason people trust Wayne is his absolute desire to help others any way he can. Watching him meet with clients, you clearly see that they pick up immediately how much he truly cares about their success. I mean, it comes blasting right through.”

According to Wilcox, clients appreciate Maier’s direct and knowledge-based approach to financial planning. When you align yourself with Wayne Maier, 50 years of professional experience comes with it.

“As an advisor, he doesn’t sugar-coat things and his knowledge base about all aspects of financial planning, business, and life in general is hard to match or even put into words,” Wilcox said. ” Honestly, it’s hard to imagine how one person has captured so much knowledge. Then couple that with a burning desire to help others, that’s Wayne. He just never stops.”

“As Director of the Maier & Associates Charitable Foundation, I’ve been given a front-row seat to the way my Dad’s mind works when it comes to helping the community,” said his daughter Carrie Dahlberg. “There isn’t any cause that he doesn’t want to help with.”

Another daughter, Chief Financial Officer Laura Maier, has worked at her father’s business for well over 20 years. She grew up in the business and still marvels at how her father builds relationships while plying his craft.

“I think Dad has been able to be so successful in his career because he has a way of making people feel comfortable opening up to him,” she said. “He wants to understand their needs and their goals and help them achieve them, no matter how big or small they are. People really feel he cares, because he does. This is true in both his business and personal life. He would truly do anything to help anyone.”

Wayne Maier has four children, 12 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and two more great-grandchildren on the way. As the patriarch of this large family, there is no role more important to him than keeping his family close. Many family members are involved in Maier & Associates and the foundation. Many of his grandchildren have served and continue to serve on the Just for Kids Foundation Board, helping to carry on Wayne’s legacy of giving back to the community and celebrating the incredible children in the region.

“He’s been blessed with a successful business that has allowed him the ability to give back, which is more important to him than anything,” said Dahlberg.