A cultivar or “cultivated variety” is a plant or grouping of plants selected for desirable characteristics. Cultivars are produced by careful selection. For instance, the world’s agricultural food crops are almost exclusively cultivars that have been selected for characteristics such as improved yield, flavor, and resistance to disease.
Cultivar Capital hopes to implement these same traits and outcomes for its clients. We are selective in our approach to investing, looking for unique opportunities that fit into our disciplined investment style. We believe a disciplined approach increases a client’s opportunity to produce good long-term growth and yield with some resistance to negative events in the market.
Thomas Muir, President and CEO of Cultivar Capital, Inc.
Is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Financial Planner™ practitioner (CFP®). Thomas has an extensive background in financial and tax planning. He worked in the tax department at Deloitte & Touche, LLP and then became a tax manager at Anderson, Spector & Co., a Denton CPA firm. During his public practice as a CPA, a substantial part of his time was spent working with high net worth clients and business owners. He has been an owner of an independent financial advisory practice for over 24 years. He has dealt with significant investment, financial planning, tax and estate planning issues for clients over his 30 years of financial industry experience.
A desire for further knowledge is critical for any professional. Thomas graduated from the University of North Texas (UNT) with his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in accounting. Due to his interest in ranching, Thomas is also a graduate of the TCU Ranch Management Program’s evening division. In addition, Thomas is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Financial Planning Association.
As a long-time resident of Denton County, Thomas knows that giving back to the community is important. He currently serves as Mayor of Sanger. He is also on the board for the UNT Foundation, where he is Vice-Chair. He is also a member of his local Lions Club. He was a founding board member of the Sanger Education Foundation, where he helped establish policies and procedures as its Treasurer. Over his years of community involvement, Thomas has developed a niche serving several non-profit organizations in the Denton area. He has helped implement and review investment policy statements for several of these organizations.
Thomas enjoys cattle and the country. His ties to the land are part of his family heritage and have produced an awareness of resource conservation. He is a founding board member of the Upper Trinity Conservation Trust, a 501(c)(3) organization that strives to protect the region’s watersheds. He is also a Director to the Denton County Soil and Water Conservation District.
In addition, he is an active member of First Baptist Church in Sanger. He has previously served as an Executive Board member and Audit committee chair for the statewide Baptist General Convention of Texas. He has served previously as the Finance committee chair for the Denton Baptist Association.
Thomas and his wife Elizabeth have three daughters, Grace, Bella and Julia. When not participating in family activities, Thomas enjoys ranching and the occasional backpacking or fly fishing trip.
Sara Bradford, Vice President of Operations
Serving as the firms Vice President of Operations, she is responsible for coordination of all client service efforts and managing the firm’s administrative activity. Sara has been working alongside Thomas for the past 13 years, helped launch the firm’s start and plays an integral role in the firm’s growth and expansion. Sara’s top priority is the overall client experience and maintaining the highest level of efficiency.
Sara graduated from the University of North Texas, cum laude with a Bachelors of Arts with a major focus in Chemistry and double minor in Biology and Spanish. With a passion for research, mathematics and statistical analysis she welcomes challenges and eagerly works to find solutions and further insight.
Sara lived on the historic Denton square for the past 10 years and was highly involved in the downtown community. She has volunteered for her local education foundation since their creation and with her family’s endowment honoring her late brother. She and her husband spend their free time helping her family with their farm, traveling, cooking, landscaping and anything outdoors with their crazy labradoodle Stella.
Keith Henderson, Research Analyst
Keith conducts research and provides analytical support for the asset allocation and individual investment decisions at the firm. Keith graduated from the University of North Texas (UNT) with his Bachelors of Applied Arts and Sciences in 2008 and Masters of Economics in 2015 and passed the CFA Level I exam in June 2017.
Keith started as an intern with Cultivar Capital in 2013 during his graduate studies at UNT. While studying economics at UNT, Keith became involved with the Student Investment Group where he served in several capacities, including president. As an analyst for most of his career, Keith’s primary focus has been financial modeling and analysis. His time at a local bank provided insight into the inner-workings of the financial system and stoked his interest in investing.
Keith also feels it is important to give back to the community. He has served at Our Daily Bread, a local charity that cooks meals for the community, and on the community reinvestment committee with the United Way of Denton, which recommends the allocation of funds to a handful of local charities.
Keith has also volunteered at the Denton Arts and Jazz festival and the Great Investors’ Best Ideas conference benefitting the Michael J. Fox Foundation and local Dallas education organizations. He currently serves on the data workgroup for the Denton County Homeless Leadership Team and the board of the Pottsboro Education Foundation. When he is not busy with market research and studying for the CFA exams, he enjoys spending time at home with his wife and daughters.
Paul Ucheoma, Research Analyst
Paul is part of the team at Cultivar that conducts research and provides analytical support for the asset allocation and individual stock decisions made on behalf of the firm’s clients. He is currently a December 2018 CFA Level I Candidate.
Paul graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor’s and Master’s in Finance and was a member of the Student Investment Group where he served as the organization’s Portfolio Manager and President.
Paul’s experience includes working for a Washington D.C. based private equity firm where he researched leveraged buyout targets and provided a differentiated investment perspective during his time at a long – only hedge fund.
Paul was born and raised in Dallas, TX, and in his free time enjoys reading, exercising, and music.
Janet Davis, Receptionist/Administrator
Janet currently serves as receptionist and is responsible for multiple administrative duties. She has been associated with Thomas on a business level for several years and just recently joined the firm. Janet has been employed in Denton, Texas for over 30 years and has lived in Pilot Point her whole life, making her very familiar with the area and the people of Denton County.
Janet attended North Texas State University and began an administrative career at Moore Business Forms in Denton, Texas. After 12 years at Moore’s, and three daughters later, she became a legal assistant for George Hopkins, later to become Phillips and Hopkins, focusing on estate planning and real estate law. She served as office manager for an appraisal firm for a few years before returning to estate planning with Banks, Widmer and Shelton. Janet wandered to Central Texas to assist a relative as office manager and marketing director at an endodontic office. During that time, she helped oversee the construction and opening of two new offices within a three year period.
Janet has served in churches as a pianist, organist, teacher, and on several committees throughout the years. Outside of work, she loves spending time with her family, especially her thirteen grandchildren (the loves of her life). In her free time, she enjoys friends, music, crafts, and cooking.