Our Firm – Executives
WILLARD L. UMPHREY, JD, CFA
Chairman and co-founder of the Pear Tree Funds
President of Pear Tree Advisors, Inc
Chairman of U.S. Boston Capital Corporation
Mr. Umphrey is the Chairman and co-founder of the Pear Tree Funds, the President of Pear Tree Advisors, Inc., and the Chairman of U.S. Boston Capital Corporation. Mr. Umphrey founded U.S. Boston’s predecessor in 1969 and has over forty years of experience in the finance and investment management business.
Mr. Umphrey provides overall management and direction for U.S. Boston and its affiliates. He actively participates in the management of the Pear Tree family of mutual funds. Mr. Umphrey also retains a wealth management practice with existing clients and their families.
Mr. Umphrey obtained his JD from Harvard Law School, an LLM in taxation from Boston University School of Law, a Masters in Personnel Administration from George Washington University, and a BS with distinction from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He has held the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation since 1992 and is a member of the CFA Institute and the Boston Security Analysts Society. Mr. Umphrey holds his Series 7, 27, 63, 65 and 24 licenses, as well as Massachusetts real estate and insurance broker licenses. He has held a law license in the past.
Prior to founding U.S. Boston, Mr. Umphrey served in the United States Navy as a nuclear submarine officer.
Mr. Umphrey loves to solve problems for businesses and his individual clients. He has been an active member of Vistage Group 140 – a leadership organization of chief executives – for over twenty years. Mr. Umphrey served for several years on the board of Selfcare, Inc, a public company (subsequently known as Inverness Medical and Alere), as well as Atlantic Bank and Trust Company. He currently serves on the Board of Visitors for the Fenn School in Concord, Massachusetts.
When not working on business matters, Mr. Umphrey takes on personal challenges of all sorts. He has run multiple marathons, sailed at a national competitive level, and tackled many of the world’s most challenging mountains as a skier and snowboarder. His uncooperative knees have forced him to take up biking, cross country skiing, and golf. Mr. Umphrey enjoys adventure travel and has spent significant time with his family in Australia. He spends much of his free time with his wife, Anne, and his two daughters, two sons and one grandson.
Mr. Umphrey lives in Concord, Massachusetts and Biddeford Pool, Maine where he retreats for much of each summer. He is known in Biddeford Pool for his pet chickens and riding his unicycle in the annual Fourth of July parade.
LEON OKUROWSKI, MBA
Vice President of Pear Tree Advisors
Co-founder and Vice-President of the Pear Tree Funds
Mr. Okurowski is the Vice President of Pear Tree Advisors and the co-founder and Vice-President of the Pear Tree Funds. He is also Vice President and Treasurer of various U.S. Boston entities. Mr. Okurowski has over forty years of experience in the finance and investment management business. He has extensive experience in structuring and raising capital, as well as the management and sale of ventures dealing with both the public and private sectors.
Mr. Okurowski provides direction and management control for US Boston and its affiliated entities. Mr. Okurowski also retains a wealth management practice with existing clients and their families.
Mr. Okurowski obtained his MBA from the Whittemore School of Business at the University of New Hampshire, his MS in taxation from Bentley College, and a BS from the United States Naval Academy. Mr. Okurowski holds his Series 7, 24, 63, and 65 licenses and is a MA licensed insurance agent. He has been an active member for over 20 years in Vistage, a leadership organization for chief executives, and has served on the boards of several high-tech companies. He was a co-founder and served on the board of Atlantic Bank and Trust Company, a public company.
Prior to joining U.S. Boston, Mr. Okurowski served in the United States Navy as a nuclear submarine officer. Over the years he has been active in sports and outdoor activities, and has been involved with various educational, medical, and conservation charities.
JOHN D. MCCLELLAN, JR.
Principal, Private Client Group
U.S. Boston Capital Corporation
John enjoys applying the lessons he learned from over thirty years of experience in corporate leadership, private equity and strategy consulting to the personal circumstances of U.S. Boston Capital Corporation’s wealth management clients. John works with his clients to develop and articulate a deep understanding of the clients’ current needs and future aspirations, and helps them evaluate alternative paths to help pursue these goals. John also helps clients assess opportunities and challenges that are outside of the traditional parameters of wealth management – whether it be related to the clients’ personal business enterprises, a special family situation, or outside investment and executive opportunities.
In addition to working with clients, John provides active strategic and operational guidance to companies for U.S. Boston Capital Corporation’s affiliated investment adviser, Pear Tree Partners, LP’s portfolio, with the goal of improving returns.
John’s previous positions include CEO of Palladium, Inc., Managing Director at Thomas H. Lee Partners, CEO of Sprague Energy Corp., and President of EPIK Communications, which he founded. He started his professional career at Monitor Group (now Monitor Deloitte), where he rose to the Board of Directors and served as CEO of its software division, Decision Architects.
John received an M.B.A. with high honors from Harvard Business School, where he was elected a George Baker Scholar, and a B.A. in Political Economy, cum laude, from Williams College, where he was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society. John holds Series 7, 66 and 79 (investment banking) licenses and has passed the Level II examination of the CFA Program, and is a candidate for the Level III examination.
Outside of the office, John lives in Concord, Massachusetts with his wife and five children. In addition to serving on several corporate boards, John is active in a number of non-profit organizations. As the son of a teacher, John is particularly passionate about education. He is a Founding Board Member of Nashoba Learning Group, Inc., a school for individuals with autism that is led by his wife, Liz Martineau. He is currently Chair of the Board of Visitors of Nashoba Brooks School, a private elementary and middle school, and was previously President of its Board of Trustees.
John is an avid endurance athlete, enjoying long bike rides (up to 1200 kilometers) and long runs (up to 100 miles), competing in masters swimming, and training and racing with a world record-setting legally blind triathlete. After his training, John enjoys comparing the offerings from various microbreweries and wineries. John also takes pride in his cooking skills and makes a particularly good cassoulet.