Broker Check
Gary W. James, CFP®, AIF®, CPA

Gary W. James, CFP®, AIF®, CPA

Vice President

Gary James is a Financial Advisor for Summit Wealth Group. He manages Summit’s Meridian, MS office, serving clients all over the southeastern part of the United States. He also serves as Vice President at Summit. 

Gary James' entire career has been devoted to financial planning and management. Upon graduating from Mississippi State University in 1983 with a Bachelor of Professional Accountancy degree, Gary began his professional career working for a CPA firm in Meridian, Mississippi. Based on this experience he later served as a bank auditor and then controller for a regional shopping mall real estate development firm.

During the 1990's Gary worked for James River, now Koch Industries, and Avery Dennison, both Fortune 500 companies. He served in various capacities performing cost analysis for capital projects, plant construction/expansion and product costing. During this period of time he also earned his M.B.A.

Gary began a successful career working with clients in the financial services industry in 2000 to the present day. He attained his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification in 2006 to compliment his skills. He is an Investment Advisor Representative of Commonwealth Financial Network. Gary also holds the Accredited Investment Fiduciary®, (AIF®), designation, which represents a thorough knowledge of and ability to apply fiduciary practices.

Gary has served on various boards and currently serves as a board member for the state of Mississippi Coastal Conservation Association. He is actively involved in his church, Northpointe Presbyterian Church, in Meridian; often teaching primarily adult classes.

Gary is married to his wife, Tina, of 35 years and they have four children: Noah, Jonah Luke, Emma and Isaac. They reside outside Meridian in Collinsville, MS and own a number of dogs and cats.


Gary James is proud to have been recognized as a Vista Club level advisor for 2019—a distinction based on annual production which ranks him in the top 27% of Commonwealth Financial Network's most successful advisors.