Board of Directors

Martin Cassell is the Chief Financial Officer and Chair of the Board at Chandler Asset Management and is a principal of the firm. After being CEO for 18 years Martin has changed his role to usher in the next generation of leadership. He will remain part of Chandler’s executive team as CFO, corporate advisor, a member of the firm’s Executive Committee as well as Chair of the Board.

As CFO, Martin is responsible for the firm’s finances and manages the Employee Stock Ownership Plan. He is focused on building and sustaining the financial health of the firm and providing thought leadership and mentoring to the Executive Team. Martin designed the proprietary quantitative models that drive our investment process, establishing duration, structure, and asset allocation throughout client portfolios and continues working with our Chief Investment Officers to continually improve client portfolio outcomes.

Martin joined Chandler in 1991 from the City of San Diego where he managed a $1 billion fixed income portfolio. He began his investment career in 1987 managing portfolios at World Savings and Loan. Martin received his B.S. in Finance from California State University, Hayward. He is a member of the CFA Society of San Diego and holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst.

*Please see the disclosure page for additional details on professional designations held by our team.

Nicole Dragoo is the Chief Executive Officer at Chandler Asset Management. Nicole joined the firm in December 2001 in an operations role. Over her tenure, she has been a core driver in cultivating the culture that makes Chandler unique and has led the expansion of the operations, compliance, legal and administrative functions as the firm has grown. From 2008 to 2021, she served in the roles of Chief Operating and Chief Compliance Officer and as President from 2021-2022.

As CEO, she leads the Executive committee, provides oversight of all aspects of the firm and is responsible for the firm’s strategy, culture and administration of resources. She is passionate about cultivating a culture of shared success by building a diverse and talented team of people dedicated to being stewards of the assets and communities entrusted to us.

Nicole started her investment career with Merrill Lynch on the institutional fixed income sales desk. Nicole earned her B.B.A. from the University of San Diego in business economics and her J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law. She is a member of the State Bar of California. Nicole held the designation of Investment Adviser Certified Compliance Professional (IACCP) from 12/2010 through 12/2022.

*Please see the disclosure page for additional details on professional designations held by our team.

Jeffrey Armstrong is a Board Member at Chandler and partners with Senior Management on strategic planning initiatives. Jeffrey is a retired Water Resources Manager with over thirty-two years’ experience. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Eastern Municipal Water District and Executive Committee Board for the CalDESAL.

Jeffrey was previously a General Manager at the Rancho California Water District (RCWD) where he was responsible for the district’s strategic plan development and implementation, financial planning and achieving the district’s vision and mission. Jeffrey served as a Finance Committee Member at Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) for four years.

Jeffrey earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business from California State University Long Beach. In addition, he received his M.B.A. from University of Redlands.

Antoinette Chandler is an accomplished Risk Management and Public Finance leader who partners with the senior leadership and assists with strategic planning. Antoinette is the Chief Financial Officer at the Port of Portland where she oversees the accounting, capital finance and debt management, budget, financial planning and analysis, audit, and risk functions at the Port. She has more than 20 years of banking and investment experience in both the private and public sector.

Prior to joining the Port, Antoinette served for nearly three years as an Assistant Treasurer for the County of Los Angeles where was responsible for managing the Public Finance, Investments and Deferred Income Plans Branch. Antoinette held roles with County of San Diego Treasurer and Tax Collector’s Office as a Chief Deputy Treasurer managing the Treasury, Accounting, and Investment Divisions, which included County’s $10 billion fixed income investment portfolio. Prior to the County of San Diego, she also worked as a Senior Vice President for both Morgan Stanley and Bank of America, managing multiple investment portfolios domestically for middle-market institutions, foundations and endowments, and large family offices. 

Antoinette received her B.B.A in Finance and Financial Management Services from San Diego State University in 1988, and attended graduate school at the University of California, Los Angeles. Antoinette has received the AFP designation as a Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) and Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA).

*Please see the disclosure page for additional details on professional designations held by our team.

Diane Dewbrey is an experienced Board Member, Board Chair, and CEO of public/private companies. Diane’s strong strategic mindset, her agility and adaptability have made her an effective leader. She is a Board Member at Chandler and partners with senior management on strategic planning. Diane also serves on the board of MBIA, Inc. (NYSE: MBI) (Audit, Finance, & Compensation). Previously, Diane served as the Nom/Gov Chair for Barrett Business Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: BBSI) and was a member of the Risk Committee. Additionally, she was the Board Advisor to Organic Valley Co-op where she assisted the board with governance, audit, and compensation. Diane previously was the Chair and director of Enventis (NASDAQ: ENVE) until its merger with Consolidated Communications.

Diane was CEO of Foundation Bank in Bellevue, WA after an extensive career with Fifth Third Bank (NASDAQ: FITB) in Cincinnati, OH. She has received numerous accolades for her community service work and currently is the Investment Chair for the YMCA of the USA. Diane earned her bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Xavier University.

Tamara Furman is the Co-Founder of SD Leadership Institute, and a Master Certified and ICF Credentialed Executive Coach. She is a Board Member at Chandler and partners with senior management on strategic planning. Tamara brings more than 30 years of hands-on professional business experience.

Tamara has held roles at the executive and c-suite levels at Fremont Bank Corporation, San Diego Padres, Hunter Industries, Search Optics, and Breg. Part of her role in most of these organizations included interacting with and/or presenting to the Board of Directors on topics such as executive compensation, succession planning, and culture. Tamara served as a director on the board of SDHR Forum for seven years as Secretary, and President. She was the co-founder and served on the board of directors of the San Diego chapter of the International Coach Federation. She also served as President-Elect, President, and Past President of the SD Professional Coaches Alliance.

Tamara received her B.S. in Organizational Behavior from the University of San Francisco, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. She received her M.S. in Executive Leadership from the University of San Diego. Tamara completed her coaching certification at the Hudson Institute of Coaching in Santa Barbara, CA, and subsequently obtained her Master Certified Coach (MCC) credential through the International Coach Federation (ICF). She is a Board-Certified Coach (BCC) and holds the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) designation.

Jayson Schmitt is a Co-Chief Investment Officer at Chandler Asset Management. In addition to his duties as a Co-CIO, he oversees daily trading. He has been instrumental in the development and integration of quantitative analytic tools for the portfolio management process.

Prior to joining Chandler in 1995, Mr. Schmitt was employed as a Financial Analyst with USA Federal Credit Union in San Diego, managing a $100 million liquidity book. His responsibilities there also included asset/liability management.

Mr. Schmitt earned his B.A. in economics from San Diego State University. He is a member of the CFA Society of San Diego and holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst.

*Please see the disclosure page for additional details on professional designations held by our team.