Local adviser receives A. F. McKenzie award

CARLOS FUENTES, The Observer, La Grande, Ore.
·3 min read

Jul. 29—LA GRANDE — Financial adviser Gary Anger of Edward Jones Investments in La Grande recently earned the company's A. F. McKenzie Award for outstanding sales and efforts in forming client relationships.

Despite the negative effects of COVID-19 on the economy last year, Anger's business saw major growth. He received the award for surpassing $625,000 in gross commissions, a goal he once deemed impossible.

"I look at those numbers and say I'll never reach that, and then it happens," Anger said. "The business is still going extremely well. We haven't missed a beat."

Anger has worked for Edward Jones for 20 years.

He spent the first few years in San Antonio, Texas, before moving to La Grande to replace a previous Edward Jones adviser.

"I didn't even know where Oregon was," Anger said. "This office opened up because the previous agent had some health issues. My wife wanted to get out of (San Antonio), so that was another reason to move up here."

Since moving to La Grande, Anger has seen steady growth in business every year.

Even in 2020, a year in which many businesses were hurt by the pandemic, Anger reached a new high in gross commissions despite the obstacles presented by COVID-19 restrictions.

"We had to close to the public, we had to mask up, there were times we couldn't let anyone in, so we had to go outside with a clipboard and paperwork and go sign things on the hood of their car or on the front porch," Anger said. "We've done some Zoom. The clients have all been very understanding."

Although Anger is the only licensed adviser in the office, he said the company's success has been a group effort since the beginning.

"Tessa Jackson is incredible, and Melanie Dubsky, who works part-time here, equally incredible," he said. "Tessa, she's been with me since the beginning. She's helped me grow all this. I'm really hoping to get her licensed, because someone has to take over when I retire."

Anger's ability to communicate clearly and passionately with clients has helped him succeed in La Grande, according to Stephen Harris, tax preparer with Eastern Oregon Tax Service, which has worked extensively with Anger.

"He's easy to work with, he's really friendly and he explains things so that you can understand it," Harris said. "He understands people and where they're at in their life, so he can help them with their finances and where to put their money."

Since moving to La Grande, Anger said that he and his family have fallen in love with the area. He especially credits the community with helping his business stay strong, even through a pandemic.

"The people are friendly. It's a community," Anger said. "The beauty of the countryside as well, there's so much to see and so many places to go. And it doesn't take me 45 minutes to go 3 miles because of traffic."