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Stu Malakoff

Past Chair

Founder, Bend Wealth Advisors

Stu Malakoff is a Certified Financial Planner™ professional and the Founder of Bend Wealth Advisors. With over 30 years of experience in finance, Stu began his career in corporate banking in Manhattan, specializing in lending to media and telecommunications companies. After 9/11, he shifted to financial advising with Morgan Stanley to work closer to his young family. He later joined Merrill Lynch, where he continued to build his expertise in wealth management.

In 2018, Stu moved to Bend, Oregon, from Princeton, New Jersey, with his wife, Vicky. Eager to be involved in an impactful community organization, he joined the Friends of the Children Central Oregon Board in 2019. He served as Board Chair from 2020 to 2023 and remains an active board member on the Finance, Audit & Operations committee, and the Nominations & Governance committee. Passionate about the mission of Friends of the Children, Stu recognizes the unique needs of at-risk youth and is committed to breaking the cycle of generational poverty. He is now focused on implementing the program’s five-year strategic plan, designed to double the number of youth served throughout Central Oregon by the end of 2028.

In 2020 Stu founded Bend Wealth Advisors, now an 8-person wealth management firm serving clients nationwide.

Stu holds a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Rochester and an MBA with honors from Columbia Business School. Dedicated to fostering local business growth and job creation, he co-founded the Bend Business Networking group in 2023, a 40-member collaborative of small-business entrepreneurs throughout Central Oregon.

When he's not in the office, Stu relaxes by playing guitar and bass, and enjoys exploring aviation photography. His enthusiasm for cars led him to join the High Desert Region Porsche Club, where he serves as Vice President. In his free time, he hikes with his Goldendoodle, Maggie, and travels to new places.

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