Experience

Makes all the difference

The Retirement Investment Group has spent the last decade educating upcoming retirees in the Refining and Petrochemical industries on the steps needed to achieve a successful retirement. Our focus is helping employees prepare for and transition into retirement. We provide our clients with retirement cash flow and investment plans optimized to achieve both their needs for a retirement paycheck and their specific retirement goals while minimizing their potential for running out of money.

Sherry Verburgt

Managing Director–Wealth Management

Financial Advisor

Sherry began her securities career in 1996 as a marketing coordinator for a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch in Lake Jackson. While attending Houston Baptist University, she worked full time for Houston Partners, a Houston based venture capital firm where they specialized in creating business investments for affluent clients. Then in 2000 Sherry joined Morgan Stanley Dean Witter and began her career serving individual client's financial needs. She has spent the last decade educating upcoming retirees on the steps needed to achieve retirement. Her focus is helping employees in the Petrochemical Industry prepare for and transition into retirement. Sherry provides her clients with retirement cash flow and investment plans optimized to achieve both their needs for a retirement paycheck and their specific retirement goals while minimizing their potential for running out of money.

Sherry currently works with UBS Financial Services as a Managing Director – Wealth Management, USA. She is FINRA registered and holds Series 7; 31; 63; and 65 securities licenses and is registered with the Texas Department of Insurance.

Sherry and her husband Nick have identical twin sons (Chase and Logan), a daughter (Shylah Grace) and enjoy traveling, playing poker, and spending time with the family.

Registered States:
  • AR
  • AZ
  • CA
  • CO
  • DE
  • FL
  • IA
  • IL
  • IN
  • KS
  • LA
  • MD
  • MI
  • NC
  • NJ
  • NV
  • NY
  • OH
  • OK
  • OR
  • PA
  • TN
  • TX
  • UT
  • VA
  • VT
  • WA

Recognized as an industry leader:

  • Forbes America’s Top Women Wealth Advisors, 2019, 2020, 2021The Forbes rating is compiled by Shook Research and awarded annually in February based on information from a 12 month period ending September of the prior year.
  • Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025The Forbes rating is compiled by Shook Research and awarded annually in April based on information from a 12 month period ending June of the prior year.
  • Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams, 2024, 2025, 2026The Forbes rating is compiled by Shook Research and awarded annually in January, based on information from a 12 month period ending March of the prior year.
  • Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025The Forbes rating is compiled by Shook Research and awarded annually in February based on information from a 12 month period ending September of the prior year.
  • UBS Wealth Management President’s Council, 2024UBS Financial Services Inc. Councils are a distinction held by UBS Financial Advisors based on criteria including evaluation of compliance with firm rules, standards & policies and revenue. Council membership is not representative of any one client's experience and is not indicative of the advisor’s future performance.
  • Working Mother Magazine/SHOOK Top Wealth Advisor Moms, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021The Working Mother Magazine/SHOOK rating is compiled by Shook Research and awarded annually in October based on information from a 12 month period ending in March of the award year.

Eligibility is based on quantitative factors and is not necessarily related to the quality of the investment advice. For more information on third party rating methodologies, please visit ubs.com/us/en/designation-disclosures

Education

  • Houston Baptist University
750 Town & Country Blvd,
Suite 400
Houston, TX 77024

Email Me

sherry.verburgt@ubs.com
Sherry Verburgt
750 Town & Country Blvd, ,Houston,TX,77024

Joseph DePaula

Senior Vice President–Wealth Management

Financial Advisor

Joe joined UBS, formerly Paine Webber, in 1999 and is a seasoned professional with 36 years of experience in the financial services industry. He offers his clients a comprehensive wealth planning relationship with financial planning as a road map, including integrating concentrated corporate benefit stock and options. Joe has a B.A. in Finance from Southeastern La. University, where he achieved the distinct honor of Academic All American in Division 1 collegiate golf. He furthered his knowledge by obtaining the accredited Certified Private Wealth Advisor® designation, an advanced professional certification for advisors who serve high-net-worth clients.

 

Over the course of his career, he has focused his practice on advice and planning. Their wealth management process is designed to address and align a client's life goals with their unique needs. When Joe is balancing his work and personal life, he enjoys being active with fitness, golf, Motorcoach traveling with Teresa, his wife of 31 years, and their 3 rescue dogs. They are members of Tallowood Church, where he has served in the Celebrate Recovery ministry for the past 13 years.

Registered States:
  • AR
  • AZ
  • CA
  • CO
  • DE
  • FL
  • IL
  • IN
  • KS
  • LA
  • MA
  • MD
  • MI
  • NC
  • NJ
  • NV
  • OH
  • OK
  • PA
  • TN
  • TX
  • UT
  • VA
  • VT
  • WA

Recognized as an industry leader:

  • Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025The Forbes rating is compiled by Shook Research and awarded annually in April based on information from a 12 month period ending June of the prior year.
  • Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams, 2026The Forbes rating is compiled by Shook Research and awarded annually in January, based on information from a 12 month period ending March of the prior year.
  • UBS Wealth Management President’s Council, 2024, 2025UBS Financial Services Inc. Councils are a distinction held by UBS Financial Advisors based on criteria including evaluation of compliance with firm rules, standards & policies and revenue. Council membership is not representative of any one client's experience and is not indicative of the advisor’s future performance.

Eligibility is based on quantitative factors and is not necessarily related to the quality of the investment advice. For more information on third party rating methodologies, please visit ubs.com/us/en/designation-disclosures

750 Town and Country Blvd
Suite 400
Houston, TX 77024

Email Me

joe.depaula@ubs.com
Joseph DePaula
750 Town and Country Blvd,Houston,TX,77024

Haley Daughtry

Senior Wealth Strategy Associate

In 2007, Haley started at UBS as a Client Service Associate (CSA) with a passion for client support.  In 2012 she became the CSA for The Refinery Investment Group. Using her extensive technical skills and passion for clients, Haley significantly contributed to the 406% growth of the team from 2012 to 2021. Haley was promoted to the position of Senior Wealth Strategy Associate – Relationship Manager in 2021. In this new position Haley continues to work closely with clients to support their needs.

Haley holds Series 7 and 66 securities licenses.

Haley always had a passion for helping others. Haley is a big Astros baseball fan. She enjoys traveling and especially traveling to new baseball stadiums to watch Astros road games. She also loves animals with special recognition for her two dogs Gianna and Ellie.

Registered States:
  • AK
  • AZ
  • CA
  • GA
  • NY
  • TX
750 Town and Country Blvd
Suite 400
Houston, TX 77024

Email Me

haley.daughtry@ubs.com
Haley Daughtry
750 Town and Country Blvd,Houston,TX,77024

Whitney Lockwood

Senior Wealth Strategy Associate

Registered States:
  • TX

Education

  • The University of Texas at Austin, BBA Finance: 2004 - 2007
750 Town and Country Blvd
Suite 400
Houston, TX 77024

Email Me

whitney.lockwood@ubs.com
Whitney Lockwood
750 Town and Country Blvd,Houston,TX,77024

Jahaira Lira

Client Associate

Jahaira is an integral part of The Refinery Investment Group, responsible for managing team operations, client requests and account administration.  Jahaira strives to deliver personalized service and solutions, with the overall goal of exceeding client expectations.  She is committed to building lasting relationships and will support you and the team through your financial journey.  Jahaira came to us from Morgan Stanley where she started her career in 2015 as the receptionist. Within the first 6-months, she transitioned from receptionist to CSA for an International team. In 2022 she joined The DePaula Wealth Management Group, working alongside Joe DePaula. She then merged with The Refinery Investment Group in 2025.  Some of the things she enjoys doing are reading, traveling and taking her dogs on different park adventures.   

750 Town and Country Blvd
Suite 400
Houston, TX 77024

Email Me

jahaira.lira@ubs.com
Jahaira Lira
750 Town and Country Blvd,Houston,TX,77024

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