The Rice Partnership is pleased to announce that Senior Wealth Manager Ashley Wilken was recently awarded the Certified Trust & Fiduciary Advisor (CTFA) professional certification from the American Bankers Association.
“Earning the CTFA certification validates Ashley’s experience and depth of education in estate planning and wealth management,” said Bonnie Rice, Principal of The Rice Partnership.
The CTFA certification is awarded to individuals who demonstrate excellence in the field of wealth management and trust. To qualify for the CTFA certification, individuals must have certain levels of experience and education in the trust profession, pass an exam, and agree to abide by a code of ethics. The CTFA exam covers many areas including fiduciary and trust activities, financial planning, tax law and planning, investment management and ethics.
A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER TM and Cal Poly MBA graduate as well, Wilken opened The Rice Partnership’s first California office in 2018. She currently manages the firm’s San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles locations.

The San Luis Obispo County Family-Friendly Workplace has named The Rice Partnership as one of its 2023 third round award recipients. The wealth management firm achieved the top Blue Diamond “Change Makers” level, the highest family-friendly practices category for employers actively working to better its workplace culture and support employees.
The 2023 SLO Family Friendly Awards recognize public, private and nonprofit Central Coast employers of any size that submit a comprehensive online assessment while continuing to implement a wide range of family-friendly policies in their workplace.

For the second year in a row, Honolulu-based The Rice Partnership has been named “Top Grower in Hawaii” in CityWire RIA’s annual 50 Growers Across America report. CityWire RIA looked at the latest data from Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) across the country to determine which firms met its tough criteria for fastest growers in 2023.
According to CityWire’s evaluation, The Rice Partnership had the highest “growth factor” numbers in Hawaii for all of its three performance categories, earning the firm the distinction of top grower in the state.
The $499m wealth management firm is led by Principal Bonnie Rice. Her partners include Chief Investment Officer Orest Saikevych, Senior Wealth Manager Sarah Bredhoff and most recently in July 2022, Lia Young, Director of Operations & Client
Services. In addition to its Honolulu headquarters, The Rice Partnership has an office in Maui, led by senior wealth manager Sarah Bredhoff, and two in California’s central coast region – Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo. Senior wealth manager Ashley Wilken anchors both California offices.
San Luis Obispo, CA – Ashley Wilken, Senior Wealth Manager with The Rice
Partnership, has been selected as one of Pacific Coast Business Times 40 Under 40 Honorees, Class of 2022.
According to the publication, nominees must be under 40 years old and have made significant contributions through professional or volunteer work in the Tri-County region.
As the Senior Wealth Manager for The Rice Partnership and head of the firm’s San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles offices, Wilken has been recognized for her achievements in the financial industry since 2011.
She also takes on a highly active role in the community, currently serving on the boards of the Foundation for the Performing Arts Center, the Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce, and the Rotary Club of Paso Robles. She has also previously served on the boards for the SLO County California Women for Agriculture and the California Central Coast Girl Scouts.
Previously, Wilken worked as a commercial and agricultural lender in San Luis Obispo County since graduating from Cal Poly with an MBA and a degree in Agribusiness. She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM and NFLPA Registered Player Financial Advisor.
The Rice Partnership LLC is a national financial advisory firm headquartered in Honolulu with branches in Maui and California. The firm specializes in investment management and estate planning, as well as tax and strategic advisory services for individuals, families and charitable organizations throughout Hawaii and the mainland.
The Rice Partnership is pleased to announce that Lia Young has been made a partner at the Honolulu-based wealth management firm. She will continue to oversee day-to-day operations, client
services and compliance administration across all the firm’s offices in Hawaii and California.
“In addition to all that, Lia does an outstanding job leading human resources, as well as managing our tech stack,” Principal Bonnie Rice said. “She is incredibly important to the way our company functions every single day.”
Young has over 20 years of experience in the finance industry handling operations, client services, compliance, accounting and human resource administration for small businesses and nonprofit organizations. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Hawaii-Manoa.
The Rice Partnership LLC is a national financial advisory firm headquartered in Honolulu with branches in Maui and California. The firm specializes in investment management and estate planning, as well as tax and strategic advisory services for individuals, families and charitable organizations throughout Hawaii and the mainland.

The Rice Partnership, an independent wealth management firm that caters to high-net-worth clientele, is expanding its California Central Coast presence with the opening of its newest office in Paso Robles.
This is the company’s fourth office with other offices located in Honolulu, Maui, and San Luis Obispo. The opening of the new Paso Robles office, located in the Gateway Center, coincides with The Rice Partnership’s 15th anniversary and marks two and a half years since their first California office opened in downtown San Luis Obispo.
“The Paso Robles office is exciting because it allows us to better serve our existing North County clients as well as continue to grow our presence here,” says Senior Wealth Manager and Portfolio Manager Ashley Wilken. Wilken earned her undergraduate degree in Agribusiness and her MBA from Cal Poly. She is a Certified Financial Planner who previously worked as a commercial and agricultural lender. She is also a National Football League Player Association (NFLPA) Registered Player Financial Advisor.
The Rice Partnership LLC is a boutique wealth management firm headquartered in Honolulu with branches in Maui and California. The firm offers holistic wealth management services including asset management, family office, and financial advisory.
For more information, please visit TheRicePartnership.com or call 805.517.4122.