Finance and Administration
Marion White, CPA - Vice President, Controller
Marion is responsible for overseeing Piedmont’s accounting functions as well as assisting in the firm’s human resource functions.
Marion has extensive experience with accounting operations and financial reporting in financial services. Prior to joining Piedmont, Marion worked as a junior investment controller for Morgan Stanley Real Estate Funds. Marion began her career as an auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Marion received her MBA in Management & B.S. in Accounting from Alfred University and is a member of the AICPA & NCACPA.
Sarah Ronnenberg - Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer 
Sarah Ronnenberg is responsible for overseeing the compliance functions of the firm.
Sarah has over 13 years of experience in the financial services sector and before joining Piedmont was most recently the office manager for Vardon Capital Management, a hedge fund in New York City. In her role as Office Manager, Sarah managed day-to-day compliance administration and implemented the firm’s compliance policies, reporting directly to the firm’s CCO and CEO. Before that, as a Vice President at Financial Solutions Partners, an insurance consulting firm, she acted as the company’s liaison with their broker dealer. Sarah began her career at UBS (formerly Warburg Dillon Read). Subsequently, she spent over four years at Bear Stearns as their Equity Research Department’s Product Liaison, becoming a vice president and serving as member of the firm’s Analyst Oversight Committee, the department committee that approved initiation and change-in recommendation research reports.
Sarah graduated summa cum laude from Vanderbilt University, where she received her BA in English and French and was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa Society. She holds an MA in Anglo-American Literary Relations from University College London in London, England.
Ephrem Belete - Systems Administrator
Ephrem oversees the day-to-day operation of Piedmont’s computer networks including hardware/software support, data backup, and system monitoring. He also manages telecommunication and building access systems.
Ephrem has over 11 years of experience in the IT field and was most recently employed at Alphanumeric Systems, Inc. as a Systems Engineer.
Ephrem graduated summa cum laude from Shaw University with a BS in Mathematics. He also holds multiple IT certifications, including Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA).
Judith Gitiha - Office Manager
Judith is Piedmont’s Office Manager.
Judith has over 8 years of experience as an administrative assistant and office manager. She previously worked at US Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management in Raleigh, and Computers Plus in New York City. Her former roles have included supporting executive staff, event planning, office management, and client service.
Judith graduated magna cum laude from New Jersey City University with a BA in Media Arts.
Lisa Etheridge - Executive Assistant
Lisa has over 19 years of experience as an executive assistant. Before joining Piedmont, Lisa worked at Square 1 Bank in Durham as an executive assistant. Prior to that, Lisa worked in the New York/New Jersey area for Triarc Companies, Inc., M.J. Whitman, LLC, and Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., Inc. Her previous roles included supporting c-level executives, preparing financial statements and submitting filings for the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Christine Hargrove - Office Administrator
Christine is responsible for assisting with the firm’s administrative functions.
Christine has over 6 years of experience as an administrative professional. Prior to joining Piedmont, Christine worked for several professional firms including Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin and Talecris Biotherapeutics. Her positions have encompassed providing executive support, coordinating and managing board and staff meetings, client service, and marketing activities.
